West Coast

[gayet]

On the TP question, sbs has answered the "how much to take" question (2 rolls) and in regards to the suitable natural substitute, I can merely advise that hail soaked sphagnum moss may provide both wash and wipe functions, it is far from comfortable. Ensure all hail stones are removed before application.

[corvus]

303294345 ,
You have asked about any hazards ? I believe the total walk will be a hazard for you ,by the way I am also dying, with me it is old age and chronic ailments what is killing you please as it may explain what you are attempting to do ??

[icefest]

I can attest from personal experience that snow also makes for good tp replacement. Moss too, but the water content needs to be just right - not too scratchy or too sodden.

Did you also read the very where Chapman says: "recommended only for very very experienced off track waking groups with extensive rock hoping and heavy scrub bashing experience"?

Incidentally it's just the bit before he says: "while driftwood is plentiful along the shore it is still necessary to carry a fuel stove for cooking when very wet weather sets in. Fuel stoves must be used south of low rocky point in the south west national park."

Lastly, with a scrub pack, gloves fuel stove, 30 days of food, a pack raft, paddles, GPS, plb, batteries (and from the sound of it, half a pound of weed) how heavy will your pack be?

As an aside, after many readings of the section during stormbound days in the tent I thought that Chapman was really generous in track hints for the coast. In comparison to the spires and pokana it's a wealth of info.

[Scottyk]

303294345
Your asking for advise and now you are getting it. The advise your getting is telling you to maybe try a less extreme walk, especially your first off track experience. The little bit of off track walking I have done, it is really surprising how much it takes out of you and how different it is from say walking up Ossa or to the Western Arthurs.

[icefest]

Whatever you decide, read this account before you go: viewtopic.php?t=2977

[Nuts]

Open water and river mouth crossings, use a tether from raft to paddle, don't let go of paddle. Tie pack into raft, keep a few essentials on you.. inc. some sort of floatation.. and that plb. Use 3 squares per occasion, at most. Keep the weed for the evening.

I won't be picking the rest apart in order to judge, good luck if you feel you have to do this now. Turning back will be difficult but don't hesitate, remember it could only get harder, less sure of supplies if anything goes wrong. Bragging rights here (or anywhere really) don't mean a lot in the grand scheme o things.

[Scottyk]

Whatever you decide, read this account before you go: http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2977

My favourite all time thread on this forum. Definitely some similarities here i think and some lesson to learn for anyone thinking of ignoring the conventional approach to off track walking experience........work up to it.

[icefest]

Use 3 squares per occasion, at most.

Welcome back nuts.

I just can't stop laughing at this line. It's artful. The implication of daytime use. The only thing that could top it is suggesting it for total fire ban days.

[corvus]

That should be three sheets I believe ,from memory that is what we got in our Army rat packs per day

[DanShell]

Nothing like enthusiasm mixed with the desire to prove people wrong to accomplish something

Your getting some good advice from some very experienced people but I have a suspicion if in fact you are genuine that you are not going to listen and you are going to attempt this walk anyway. If that is the case, I wish you luck and look forward to you coming back to this thread with photos and an epic story of what you achieved.

Don't get your rolly papers wet, it could be trip over

[Hallu]

Can't get past the total contempt for rescuers.

[Ndevr]

For what it's worth, on a Tasmania difficulty scale of 0 to 10, South Coast = 0.5, Western Arthurs = 1.5, West Coast = 9.0 (with a week of 11 Spinal Tap style in the middle). No exaggeration.

The walk can be done without a packraft, but not if you're alone and a poor swimmer, the semi-drowned entrances of rivers can be unnerving. Note: People have drowned trying to short-cut Davey River downstream (even with a packraft).

1. How much of it is a fuel-stove only area
{from memory North of Cowrie's was officially ok, but that may have changed}
2. Do Par Avion sell the big cans of butane/propane or just the little ones at Melaleuca
{not sure about that one}
3. Which rivers should I use the packraft on (I can't swim well)
{If you're a poor swimmer - Davey yes, Mulcahy maybe, Giblin yes, Lewis yes (note bridge upstream), Mainwaring yes (sometimes shallow but size may intimidate), Rheuben maybe, Cypress maybe, Urqhuart yes, Wanderer yes, north from here ok unless heavy rain, fishing boat to Strahan
4. Should my backpack/s be tied to the packraft or to me or to neither
{I've not packrafted; I'll leave that to the experts}
5. Do I need to take a rope
{I would, chuck in 15+ metres, you may not use it, but it has various uses}
6. Are there any rivers that I need to worry about tide/any other special precautions (like sinking sand at New River Lagoon or was it low tide at southcape rivulet)
{much tougher than anything the South Coast throws up - refer to my general comments re Q3}
7. How do you predict how much toilet paper for a month and what would I use if I run out
{Depends how much you like picking your nose or sucking your fingers...who knows...10 pieces per solid crap...1 or 2 craps per day?}
8. Any special Hazards/Dangers/advice. (one bloke told me to take gloves for getting through the cutting grass/scrub)
{Gloves a must, some even take machetes, best organise a food drop somehow somewhere}
9. I understand the bit between High Rocky Point and Low Rocky Point is physically hard... but is it dangerous
{The hardest of the hard, but north from High Rocky to Endeavour Beach is even harder!...danger yes there's gulches and river crossings but it comes as much from your tired state and the impact on coherent decision making}
10. which bit should I be MOST scared of
{In reality based on your off-track inexperience I would say all of it. I'm not sure what route you're taking to Settlement Point, but if you take the shoreline route via Bramble Cove and find those first few days difficult then perhaps head back to the Port Davey track and have an alternate preferred option (1 SW Circuit, South Coast, Southern Ranges or 2 Western/Eastern Arthurs or 3 the more difficult White Monolith, Frankland Range), still plenty of challenge in those options.

I believe you said if you die it doesn't matter; don't presume it will be that quick or painless!

Good luck

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

Wow this is f***ed up...

If not a troll I'm pretty sure PA only sell the "medium" 230g canisters. But a phone call will sort that out.

Edit: actually upon reading this... "If I get too stuck I can get a chopper back out. we live in a rich country and I pay my taxes and it is a service provided. I quit smoking and after a decade of alcohol abuse I stopped that too, potentially saving society heaps of money. I am fit and strong and healthy and it is all down hill from here. It is now or never.
Oh and about the chopper rescue and the potential for putting people at risk trying to save me. Well, they can always get another job. No one forces them to do it. I bet most of them love doing it. I bet heaps of other people would love to do their job. They put themselves at risk by doing society a favour and they get paid for that priveledge. End of story..."

Dying or not, that is both selfish and contemptuous. Surely a troll?

[bumpingbill]

Dying or not, that is both selfish and contemptuous. Surely a troll?

I reckon. Pretty good effort if it is one. They know their stuff, at the very least!

[stry]

I believe you said if you die it doesn't matter; don't presume it will be that quick or painless!

That's a good point to keep in mind when undertaking a whole range of activities - whether in the bush or not !!!

[303294345]

MickeyB---everyone dies. simple as that. I don't want to die not doing what I have wanted to do. This is the time for me to TRY. I want to say that I went there had a look, had a go and either made it or didn't. I don't care about failure. I have already mentioned failing the Acropolis twice and I came down from the Western Arthurs because it did not feel right. I survived. I haven't died once.... yet. It is in my best interest not to die.


The last trip I went on I started at 5:45am on boxing day and crossed hells gates in my packraft, walked to the lighthouse and back and then crossed over. I then drove and ended up at Mt Murchison sign at 4:00, I climbed that to the trig point thing and was back down by 9:00pm. Then I pitched my tent on the side of the road near the entrance to Cradle Mountain entrance at about 10:30pm. I was awake at 1:45 and walking by 2:30am I was at Kitchen hut at 4:30 because of crappy weather I stayed there for an hour and a half. The weather didn't improve so I went up Cradle mountain anyway and was at the Gustav Weindorfer (?) plaque at 7:10 then I walked back to the car and was leaving by 10 in the morning. Then I drove to Mount Roland and climbed that to the trig point and was back down by 7:00 that night. I mention this not as an example of stamina but to point out that the most dangerous and scary part of that trip was overtaking the drunk driver on the highway.

Life is full of risks and we put ourselves into risky situations all the time. The scariest part of this planned trip for me is the plane ride in because I have absolutely no control over that. After that it is me and me alone. I will either walk to Strahan as I have planned or I will walk back to the plane or I will walk back to Cockle Creek and climb Precipitous bluff on the way.

Either way a month in the Wilderness has got to be a rewarding experience no matter where I end up.

Stry.. hey. In regards to food I am taking 30 of those dehydrated food packs from backcountry which are high in nutrition and low in weight. 90 gramms each times 30 = less than 3 kilos. some dehydrated fruit salad packs are lightweight. 1 kilo of All Bran will help keep me regularish considering a serving size of 50 grams for 20 of those days. 1 kilo of nuts because I like nuts. A couple of teaspoons of sugar a day is about 300 grams. 30 days of food under 5 and half and a bit kilos.

I do not eat much. Everyone else eats too much. I am a very hard worker and I use a lot of energy. That is one of my biggest things I cannot take coffee or milk powder. But I plan on weaning myself off coffee at the beginning of next month.

north-north-west - if I can make it to the boat Ill keep going. If I make it to the port Davey track I will keep going. If I make it over the lost world plateu I will keep going. etc etc etc. I will go untill I do not feel safe then I can turn around. If I have to turn around it will be sooner rather than later, if it is as hard as you imply. I think I will at least make it to low rocky point. After that I am not so sure. I will see when I get there. But it is my intention to walk to Strahan via the Coastline.

Can someone give me some info about the track leading inland from Low Rocky point to Birches Inlet then. That is also another considered backup plan. I know there is a track through there and if there is a track then I can get through there if need be. I would still end up at Strahan eventually. Or is it possible to walk up there a bit and then float down the Wanderer river to bypass that bad section between the rocky points?

In regards to rivers they worry me a bit which is why I asked the question. I think the wanderer and the mainwaring are the bad ones. I think. I do not know which is why I asked. I was aware that Hells Gates was dodgy and it scared me so I went and did it and now I am not scared of that bit any more. It is more of the unknown that worries me.



My new toy arrived today so I have to go and set that up. It is a Garmin gpsmap 64s. It has a one year subscription to BirdsEye Satellite Imagery which I am hoping might help me navigate some of those scrub bands better than someone who cannot see from the sky.

[303294345]

Thankyou to everyone who has replied, I will go and read and think, and then play with my new toy.

I will still go and have a look though

Also I think contempt is the deffinetely the wrong word.. I love the people and they do a great job. But surely we all agree that they get paid for it and it is a choice. Noone forces them to go. They do it by choice and financial reward. That being said they do a great job and I hope I never meet them. I am helping them by planning and being as prepared as I can be. Please remember I can turn around at any point. It is in my interest not to die!

[303294345]

geyet the tp question was a bit of a joke as I said.
corvus you seem very negative. perhaps you are a grumpy old man? I am 36 and healthy but I assure you that I am dieing just as you will... just as everyone else will. I am not special. I only have 40 or so years to go at best, if I dont wear myself out first. Eitherway I am choosing to live rather than stay safe and die not knowing.
Icefest yes I read that bit. Then I heared the whole area was fuel stove area so I thoght I would ask some experts. Dunno about the fuel yet as noone answered about the cannisters. I cannot have the packs over 30 kilos at the absolute most. I am strong but not that strong. Yes I want to do it in 26 days but expect some rain and flooded rivers and of course I could get sick or tired etc.
Scottyk cheers for the advice although I was actually after advice from people who had done it. Or even more so people that tried it and failed and tehy can explain why. Perhaps I will be in that position in a couple of months.
icefest thanks for the link I will read it properly later. I read the gist though perhaps they should have had a GPS device with topo maps and satellite pics.
Nuts thankyou. good advice. No weed will be taken.
ScottyK I am going to work my up to it.. but I am going to start at Melaleuca. At least that way I can see what I am facing.
DanShell cheers!

Ndevr thankyou very much. I will read this properly later.

Cheers all for the encouragement. Have a nice night



please remember you only get one chance to live.

[Eljimberino]

About a year ago I read an account online of a guy who kayaked his food drops along the coast from Strahan. Was written in an amazingly clinical manner. The climax was when he nearly drowned in Hells Gates, from memory.

I looked on the rest of the site but never determined if he did the walk/bash.

Might be worth searching his story.

I think you are not crazy for wanting to do the west coast. You'd be crazy to try to do it without a food drop. Ring some fishermen, they might help.


Ride On

[MickyB]

I am dying. I found out in September of 2012.

I am 36 and healthy ........... I only have 40 or so years to go at best

So at the age of 32 or 33 you realised at some point you are going to die? Sorry. I'm still a bit confused.

If all of your questions are legitimate and this is something you do plan doing I wish you all the luck in the world.

[Hallu]

He knows Corvus is grumpy, so it's definitely a troll.

[norts]

You are going to starve.
A man need approx 12700 kilojoules per day doing moderate activity, you will not be doing moderate activity, you'll be working very hard. One Backcountry meal is about about 1500-1700kj. That leaves alot of kj that need to be made up by fruit salad ,nuts and all bran.
After about 10-14 days your hiker hunger kicks in, I have just finished walking for 159 days on the AT, I was allowing 20920 kj per day and I had the luxury of going into town every 2-7 days to get more kjs.
Pls rethink your food. 800gms to 1kg per day is the usual amount of food allowed for a walking in the bush. So at the lower end at 800gms you should have at least 24kgs of food for 30 days.

Norts

[MickyB]

30 days of food under 5 and half and a bit kilos.

I am a very hard worker and I use a lot of energy.

You use a lot of energy but plan on surviving on less than 200 grams of food per day?????

[corvus]

He knows Corvus is grumpy, so it's definitely a troll.

Yes Hallu I am grumpy , full of aches and pains that medication only just keeps at bay have not been able to get out walking for some months now however I am not senile and as an ex Scout Leader having introduced over 20 boys to the joys of Bushwalking I do get concerned when I read about someone at 36 years of age about to undertake a trip that even at my fittest I would not contemplate solo and with so little food and inexperience.

[tastrax]

Perhaps you can spell out the itinerary you have sorted so far. Are you packrafting from Melaleuca up through Bathurst Channel and then out past the Breaksea Islands to Port Davey, Payne Bay and Bond Bay? That is the usual departure point if heading south/ north.

[Mechanic-AL]

303294345

I have read a few times now that one of your contingency plans is "I will just turn around". I think this might be over-simplifying things a bit. On 30 plus days of walking there has to come a point of no return. The part I would seriously begin to worry about is all of it after that point has been passed.

Good luck to you if you are going to have a crack at it.
I would much rather hear that you (or anyone) has succeeded than failed.

AL

[bumpingbill]

About a year ago I read an account online of a guy who kayaked his food drops along the coast from Strahan. Was written in an amazingly clinical manner. The climax was when he nearly drowned in Hells Gates, from memory.

Do you mean this one? http://mwatton.customer.netspace.net.au ... twalk.html

It doesn't seem like he did the walk in the end. Just the kayak bit I think.

[bumpingbill]

@303294345

I am interested in what you'd discovered so far. What are your specific plans on a day to day basis? Can you post an estimated itinerary/route plan?

[Scottyk]

Scottyk cheers for the advice although I was actually after advice from people who had done it. Or even more so people that tried it and failed and tehy can explain why. Perhaps I will be in that position in a couple of months.

Fair enough. Most people giving you advise on here of not done this walk and there is a very good reason for that.

[Eljimberino]

About a year ago I read an account online of a guy who kayaked his food drops along the coast from Strahan. Was written in an amazingly clinical manner. The climax was when he nearly drowned in Hells Gates, from memory.

Do you mean this one? http://mwatton.customer.netspace.net.au ... twalk.html

It doesn't seem like he did the walk in the end. Just the kayak bit I think.

Yeah that's the one. Good isn't it? I've just reread it again. His point: don't do it solo.


Ride On