Contemplating OT in April

[gfdonc]

Hi,
I have a major birthday coming up and am contemplating doing the OT with my partner and 12yo daughter.
I've done the OT 3 times previously but not recently - originally as a 13yo myself in 1975, also did The Labyrinth once in winter and have done Federation Peak in April so I am no novice.

I don't have many specific questions but any general advice would be helpful and I have the following topics of interest:

1. Timing and Weather
My intended plan is to start the week before Easter (1-4 April). Last time I was at Cradle the snow was thigh-deep, in January, so I understand the weather extremes. Still, what might we expect? If there was persistent snow cover on (say) Cradle Cirque that would be a daunting undertaking.

2. Hiking with a 12yo
From other posts on this forum I gather taking a 12yo on the OT is nothing remarkable in itself but would welcome suggestions. I have hiked overnight with her multiple times but not recently and nothing longer than 2 days. We would plan another overnight trip beforehand as a warm-up, probably Vic Alps (Feathertop) and she would need to break in a suitable pair of shoes. I expect she will be able to carry her own sleeping bag and clothes, maybe some food.
Any idea what a target pack weight should be for that age?

3. Tent options
Of course I would carry a tent as a backup. I own more tents than a person should need but nothing that really fits the bill in terms of lightweight accommodation for 3. I have a very light (2.2kg) BD Mesa (3 season) which would be terrific to carry 'just in case' because it is light, but would be a really tight squeeze for 3 and has limited vestibule space. I have an older, heavier (3.5kg I think), slightly roomier tent which is 4-season but but still only a '2 person' tent. Other than that the only tents I have are too big and heavy (4kg+) to use bushwalking.
What to take? I expect it is likely we will get into huts but would want a sensible option in case we didn't. Just take the Mesa and hope for the best? One other option would be to take the 2-season tent plus a bivvy bag if we really needed to camp several times. Could I bivvy on the verandah of huts?

4. Logistics
We would travel from Melbourne to Cradle via Devonport (probably) and perhaps with an overnight in Cradle Valley. Then a night at Derwent Bridge and return via Hobart. What are the constraints on buses e.g. morning or afternoon travel?
We could optionally bring the car on the ferry but that seems more complicated. What options are there to send excess baggage from Cradle to Lake St Clair (so we have a change of clothes at both ends)?

thanks, in advance.

[philm]

Hi

We travelled the Overland in Easter 2011 although this was later than this year around the 20th April. We did the trip with our daughters aged 14 and 16 years.

In response to your questions I would suggest the following:

Weather - we took 5 nights / 6 days to do the trip. We had good weather the first day temperatures around 5 to 12 degrees then hit some colder weather, no snow but rain, sleet and cloud for the next 3 days the last 2 days were perfect fine and sunny. Generally for Tasmania temperatures were good the main challenge was the rain, wind and perhaps low visibility in the park. But overall this added to our trip and we really enjoyed it. Most days were around 5-8 degrees and nights got down to 0-2 degrees.

Main advice I would give in regards to your daughter is to ensure she is reasonably fit and keep her pack weight down. My daughter 14, carried about 12 kgs and this was plenty. It meant the 2 fathers carred about 22-27kgs which once again was too much. Generally the guidelines say you should carry 10-15% of your bodyweight maximum but it depends on your daughter and her fitness etc. My daughter weighed around 45-50 kg, was very fit (having just completed a season of rowing) and the 12 kg pack was plenty of weight - not too much and after a few days the weight came down to around 10 kg which was probably ideal. For the first few days we used all the food from our daughters packs to get the weight down quicker (but keeping ours about the same).

We are doing the trek again this year around Easter and will cut back this weight much more.

In terms of footware you will need good walking boots and these need to fit well - not too tight. I did not go for leather as these take longer to wear in - probably better for a lot of walking but are less forgiving on a young foot. My daughter's boots we new and she wore them about 5 times before - probably not enough but I recommend 2 pairs of socks so buy the boots a little larger than normal and wear the extra socks for comfort.


We carred tents as this is essential but generally stayed in huts - over Easter they were full, but many people prefer to stay out in tents so this was not a problem. We met some great people and had a fantastic time.

In terms of tents we took 2 but one option you can consider is take the smaller tent and keep your packs in the huts along the way - this will keep them dry and out of the reach of the local animals who tend to break into the tent and packs. I would not advisee keeping any food etc. in the tents as the local animals are very tame and are used to eating there way through the tent to get to food.

In terms of logistics I suggest getting to Cradle Mountain and staying overnight then making an early start the next day as the first day up Marions lookout is challenging and everyone will have maximum pack weights and will be getting used to the packs - ensure they are well fitted as we has problems with our shoulders due to packs not being adjusted correctly. We finally mastered this after 2 days and this made the rest of the trip much more comfortable.

Enjoy yourself and let me know if you need any further information.

[sim1oz]

Hi

Everyone says the first day to Marion's Lookout is the hardest. We are doing the OT late March and have organized to stay overnight at the Waldheim Cabins so that we can make an early start on the first day. The cabins are right near the start of the track and they are very reasonably priced.

With regards to pack weight for teens, keep it low! I'd take the lightest tent and store packs in the huts, as suggested by the previous post.

Our 13yo carries his sleeping pad and bag, his clothes, water, breakasts and all his snacks(scroggin). My husband and I always carry the shared gear like tent, cookware and dinners. I think my son's base weight (before food and water) was under 5 kg on our last walk.

I am thinking of using Australia Post to send ahead a change of clothes for the end of the walk. If you use the same transport company for drop off to Cradle Mountain and pick up from Lake St Clair, it's worth asking if they have some sort of service that does this.

[nq111]

I reckon around easter is a good bet for weather on the OT and I have been lucky twice for the full track around this period. But as you are aware - just be prepared that it can turn at ANY time of the year. Luckily most of the track is not too exposed so more nuisance (if you are prepared) than dangerous.

[gfdonc]

Thanks for the advice. We've decided not to do the OT, but instead go up to the Labyrinth, one of my favourite areas anywhere.

That roughly halves the number of days required with packs, and makes logistics easier. Next time the OT!

[Nuts]

Either sounds like a good plan, the camping can be a bit sparse if there are big groups using or around the PV hut or if there is rain around (avoid the lower campsites around the creek). I'm sure your aware having been into The Labyrinth that it can be a confusing place especially with some mist rolling in (and it seems to come in unusually often & fast up the valley through there), just something to keep in mind.