One rescue that didn't make the newspapers

[alliecat]

This report was on my workplace's internal web site. I've removed the names of the employees for privacy reasons.

This morning (Thursday 3 March) X found the three hapless individuals huddled in the shelter hut at Scotts Peak campsite following his routine surveillance of Scotts Peak Dam (I understand it is standard practice for the guys to check the campsite for individuals in need after each routine, due to its remoteness, and location at the trail head).

The two Canadians and one American were experienced, well equipped hikers who had set out on Monday on the south-west track, but had to abandon the hike due the extreme weather conditions and impassable river crossings that had swelled with recent rain.

They were wet and cold, and all their gear was soaked. Without X's assistance they could have been trapped there for several days, as they had been dropped off to do the hike, had no car, and weren't expected to be heard from for several days.

X gave them his satellite phone to make some calls and, knowing that myself and Y were returning to Hobart this afternoon, came to Edgar Dam to see if we could give them a lift, which we were only too happy to do.

There was a photo of three very large and very wet looking backpacks with the story.

The thing I find amazing about this is that their gear was apparently completely soaked. Two of the packs had pack covers on, but I wonder if they had pack liners or dry bags or anything at all to keep their gear dry. I'm not sure how "experienced, well equipped hikers" could find themselves in such a miserable situation.

Anyway, I thought it was an interesting little cautionary tale.

Cheers,
Alliecat

[stepbystep]

Thanks Alliecat,
I arrived at SPD on Friday so they would have been ok!
I walked into the Western Arthurs Friday and encountered 3 elderly walkers that had been trapped at Oberon for 4 nights.
One chap was VERY fragile and weak, I was concerned they wouldn't make it out from Cygnus, fortunately they did and the weather on Saturday vastly improved.
Shows you can't underestimate the conditions Tassie can throw up.
They were quite rattled....

[Taurë-rana]

I walked into the Western Arthurs Friday...

And? I was thinking about you out there while I was stuck in civilisation, the weather looked as though it should have been great. I was in Hobart and on Sunday the weather was absolutely perfect.

[stepbystep]

I walked into the Western Arthurs Friday...

And? I was thinking about you out there while I was stuck in civilisation, the weather looked as though it should have been great. I was in Hobart and on Sunday the weather was absolutely perfect.

Check fb for pics I know you don't want to see 'em

[alliecat]

Thanks Alliecat,
I arrived at SPD on Friday so they would have been ok!
I walked into the Western Arthurs Friday and encountered 3 elderly walkers that had been trapped at Oberon for 4 nights.
One chap was VERY fragile and weak, I was concerned they wouldn't make it out from Cygnus, fortunately they did and the weather on Saturday vastly improved.
Shows you can't underestimate the conditions Tassie can throw up.
They were quite rattled....

Glad to know they would have been okay - although you might have missed your Arthurs walk to drive them out which would have been a shame.

Sometimes I wonder if we need a warning sign at the airports and other points of entry. Something like this maybe...

If you are going bushwalking in Tasmania -

• It will rain
• If it doesn't rain, it will snow
• If it doesn't rain or snow, it will be hot enough for heat stroke to be a risk
• Our "tracks" are rough. We only call them tracks as a little joke to distinguish "places with a vague hint of prior human passage" from everywhere else.
• We have leeches, ticks, spider, mosquitoes, and snakes. And they all bite
• We only have a few huts and a lot of them aren't very good. Don't forget the tent!
• In Tasmania, the bush bashes you

Enjoy your walk!

Or something like that...

Cheers,
Alliecat

[ILUVSWTAS]

Hahaha that's beautiful alliecat!!

[Marwood]

We only have a few huts and a lot of them aren't very good. Don't forget the tent!

Where do I find the good huts?

[doogs]

Always helps to have a plan B and C, if not a D,E,F and G aswell. These guys seemed to only have a plan A. Hopefully lesson learnt for them!

[stepbystep]

Sometimes I wonder if we need a warning sign at the airports and other points of entry. Something like this maybe...

If you are going bushwalking in Tasmania -

• It will rain
• If it doesn't rain, it will snow
• If it doesn't rain or snow, it will be hot enough for heat stroke to be a risk
• Our "tracks" are rough. We only call them tracks as a little joke to distinguish "places with a vague hint of prior human passage" from everywhere else.
• We have leeches, ticks, spider, mosquitoes, and snakes. And they all bite
• We only have a few huts and a lot of them aren't very good. Don't forget the tent!
• In Tasmania, the bush bashes you

Enjoy your walk!

Or something like that...

Cheers,
Alliecat

Very, very good post, where's that 'like' button??

btw - they would have had to have been in a bad way for me not to have started my walk, SPR is only 43km long after all.....

[srforum112]

And don't forget the hordes of march flies.....
Sonja

[Tony]

Sometimes I wonder if we need a warning sign at the airports and other points of entry. Something like this maybe...

If you are going bushwalking in Tasmania -

• It will rain
• If it doesn't rain, it will snow
• If it doesn't rain or snow, it will be hot enough for heat stroke to be a risk
• Our "tracks" are rough. We only call them tracks as a little joke to distinguish "places with a vague hint of prior human passage" from everywhere else.
• We have leeches, ticks, spider, mosquitoes, and snakes. And they all bite
• We only have a few huts and a lot of them aren't very good. Don't forget the tent!
• In Tasmania, the bush bashes you

Enjoy your walk!

Or something like that...

Cheers,
Alliecat

Hi Alliecat

A good idea to put signs up at airports and entry points, but.

At the chair lift start of the Kosciuszko walk, there are large signs warning walkers of the dangers of walking in alpine country at any time of the year, the signs clearly say take suitable warm clothes and rain protection. I was walking on the kosciuszko track near Mt Kosciuszko in January it was foggy, cold with light rain and most of the walkers had cotton jumpers on but no rain protection and quite a few only had cotton tee shirts, no jumper, no rain protection, no water, no food, some looked very cold, they have to walk past warning signs to get to the chair lift, I think the top station has warning signs too.

Warning signs are good for people who read them and take notice of them.

Tony

[tasadam]

Where do I find the good huts?

At home

[alliecat]

...
Warning signs are good for people who read them and take notice of them.

Sad but true Tony.

Somewhere I have a photo of a warning sign that used to be along the road into the Hartz Mountains NP. It said something along the lines of
"Sudden changes in weather conditions can lead to DEATH". The sign is no longer there unfortunately, I always though it was clear and to the point.

Does anybody else remember this sign? I will have to try and dig out the photo and post it.

Cheers,
Alliecat

[johnw]

Somewhere I have a photo of a warning sign that used to be along the road into the Hartz Mountains NP. It said something along the lines of
"Sudden changes in weather conditions can lead to DEATH". The sign is no longer there unfortunately, I always though it was clear and to the point.

Does anybody else remember this sign? I will have to try and dig out the photo and post it.

Actually yes. I think it said something about snow/ice as well. It was a curious sign but made its point quite effectively. My recollection is that it was at the start of a longish hill uphill climb not too far from the top. I saw it on my first visit there probably early 2005. I revisited Hartz twice over the past Xmas break and was looking for it on the drive up both times. I was puzzled why I couldn't find it.

[alliecat]

Phew, I'm glad somebody else remembered that sign - after not seeing it the last few times I was up there I was stating to think I'd imagined it!

I really will try and find that photo, I think it deserves to be scanned and posted here for posterity

Alliecat

[Liamy77]

might be a connection with the memorial shelter history (death of father and son i think from memory....)

[north-north-west]

Thanks Alliecat,
I arrived at SPD on Friday so they would have been ok!
I walked into the Western Arthurs Friday and encountered 3 elderly walkers that had been trapped at Oberon for 4 nights.
One chap was VERY fragile and weak, I was concerned they wouldn't make it out from Cygnus, fortunately they did and the weather on Saturday vastly improved.
Shows you can't underestimate the conditions Tassie can throw up.
They were quite rattled....

I passed them between Alpha Moraine and Junction Creek, on Saturday. They were going very slowly but managing, although the mud didn't help. They looked so buggered I didn't even comment on all the bogdodging.

[Daddyo]

Yes I remember that sign also AllieCat; I reckon it was there in 1998; haven't been back since. I think your warning list is a beauty! Recently attempted a bush bash exit on the plains below Black's Bluff. Still have the scars and we only got a about 200m