Frenchmans Cap trackwork ?

[ollster]

msw, were you the chap we met at both huts over a few days??

ILUV - which one of you was it "grizzling wondering where all the Dick Smith money was being spent"?

[ILUVSWTAS]

Wasnt me, I know where it's all being spent, pickaxe ridge. Thats why you wont see any work until the new track opens....

[Stibb]

Any idea when that will be?

[ILUVSWTAS]

This year sometime I think.... probably the start of next walking season i'd guess

[stepbystep]

This year sometime I think.... probably the start of next walking season i'd guess

Don't know about that, $10mil over 10 years to be spent. Surely they will get some descent campsites sorted before the track is turned into a highway??

[ILUVSWTAS]

This year sometime I think.... probably the start of next walking season i'd guess

Don't know about that, $10mil over 10 years to be spent. Surely they will get some descent campsites sorted before the track is turned into a highway??

Didnt we think it was that when we were in there last winter, then saw the signs on the way out saying it was 1m over a few years or something?? Not 10m???

[stepbystep]

This year sometime I think.... probably the start of next walking season i'd guess

Don't know about that, $10mil over 10 years to be spent. Surely they will get some descent campsites sorted before the track is turned into a highway??

Didnt we think it was that when we were in there last winter, then saw the signs on the way out saying it was 1m over a few years or something?? Not 10m???

My memory tells me 10 over 10 but I'm not prepared to put even $1 on me being right

[ollster]

Hmmn...

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=frenchmans+cap+tra ... dick+smith

http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx? ... intID=1000

"donation of $1 million dollars over a 10 year period was incredibly generous, and the State Government would contribute a further $500,000"

[ILUVSWTAS]

Thanks Oll. I thought we had 10m in our heads after the last trip in only to get out and see we were 9m short of the mark.... in hindsight 10m seemed alot of money to upgrade a short section of the track.....

[ollster]

Thanks Oll. I thought we had 10m in our heads after the last trip in only to get out and see we were 9m short of the mark.... in hindsight 10m seemed alot of money to upgrade a short section of the track.....

You could put a federal hotel there for 10m... oh wait...

[stepbystep]

Damn facts....stupid memory.... Still need some decent tent sites at least or people will just pitch anywhere

[ILUVSWTAS]

Damn facts....stupid memory.... Still need some decent tent sites at least or people will just pitch anywhere

We saw no signs saying no camping.... :p

But yeh the spots around Vera are nice, but when it's wet, you need a boat-tent

[Nuts]

Yes, camping will be a nightmare, especially around Tahune Hut. With extra use the only option will be thrashing out new ones.

[shazcol]

http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx? ... intID=1000
$150,000 a year for 10 years

[ILUVSWTAS]

Yes, camping will be a nightmare, especially around Tahune Hut. With extra use the only option will be thrashing out new ones.

Or camping 500m short of the hut....

Attachments

[Nuts]

Nice pic... Its hard to say what the outcome will be, it has always been a prime addition to the OLT perhaps held back mostly due to the different level of difficulty. Time will tell I guess. Lots of interest calmed by a description of the walk in.

[msw]

Hi ILUVSWTAS. Yep, I was the one relaxing at both huts as you were coming & going from your epic adventures.
Did any of you boil or use aquatabs with the tank water at Tahune or Vera? I didn't and I had no problems but there seemed to stories told as walkers passed on the track, that they were getting the runs from the tank water - mainly talking about Vera. I think it was probably one person with an unrelated problem, and it was blamed on the Vera tank.

I must have drunk 10L from the Vera tank over 3 days with no problems.

from matt.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Good to meet you Matt. Did you get up the cap the next day?? And did you walk out before the weather turned??

Yes we'd heard a few stories before going in, and maybe of one after. And another in a different area. Been lots of cases of it this year. We didnt boil the water, and mostly just drank from tarns or creeks we passed, tried to aviod the water around Vera. With the lake level so low, the water near the hut wasnt flowing at all, and just abuot everyone we spoke to had been swimming. I did use a couple of pills for the water on the last night where we filled our bladders from a cup sized puddle that seemed to hold enough to fill three 4l bladders.

[msw]

I had perfect conditions on the cap and spent an extra couple of hours looking around the different 'edges' as I zig-zagged back down. I was lucky to start walking out early on Monday and had light drizzle and no wind and the bog still had the crust on it. It was quite pleasant really after no clouds & 30 deg + each other day. It was still 35 deg at 8pm on Sunday night in Vera Hut.
from matt.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Wow! Yeh we baked on the way out. VERY hot. Felt cooler back at the car, and that was 37.

Glad you had a good trip!! ?Sounds like you timed everything quite well.

Some of the ways off the back of the cap look "interesting" do they not!! Took us 3 brief attempts to find the right place to descend.

[norn iron]

walking it tomorrow, hopefully its passable after all the rain we've just had.

[Genesis]

walking it tomorrow, hopefully its passable after all the rain we've just had.

Firstly have a great time.

Pics ??? Also some feedback would be great as I am heading up there later this month.

Genesis

[durks]

... Yes the Loddens were a mess at times, and yes repeated traffic was having an impact on the area - but what happens when you take this "gate keeper' out of the equation? Yep, even more traffic ...

That's kind of my own reaction.

I've only been into Frenchman's once but, on that trip, we bumped into some National Parks folk who were staying on Lake Vera hut. They said much the same: the Loddon Plains provided a useful 'filter' (their words) on visitor numbers.

[norn iron]

walking it tomorrow, hopefully its passable after all the rain we've just had.

Firstly have a great time.

Pics ??? Also some feedback would be great as I am heading up there later this month.

Genesis

Hi Genesis, had a real good time thanks. great weather, perfect walking temperature

i hadnt walked in this area before the track upgrade so i cant compare but i can say that i hardly got my gaitors dirty. there were some muddy sections but nothing to complain about, im from n.ireland so am used to boggy walks.

and some pics.

maybe half a dozen sections like this.



upgraded section. the workers have done an excellent job.



off topic pics

day 2, vera hut to tahune hut. barron pass in background.



at the top

[Genesis]

Thanks Norn Iron,

Looks like great weather and the pics of the track are appreciated. I will be up there this month and am looking forward to it as it is my first time in that nech of the woods.
I live in tassie but have only been here 3 years and my list of walks is long getting longer every time I log onto this site

I will post some pics for sure.

Genesis.

[Strider]

The photo above of the boardwalk section is not part of the current track upgrade - from what I understand, those works were completed some years ago now.

Speaking to the ranger at Vera Hut last night, the current project is to completely bypass the South Loddon and Philps Lead, coming out somewhere in Philps Forest above the landslide.

[bluewombat]

Having spent Sunday to Weds there this week I have to say the Loddons are currently very dry, in fact I really had to go jump in the worst bits of bog to get it to mid calf. As Strider says the plan is for the track re-route to take off not far from the south loddon river swing bridge and head up along Pickaxe ridge not returning to the old track until Philps Forest. Net result will be less 'atmospheric' and about an hour quicker to Vera. Not many people up there when we went through but there was a party of 12 from interstate in the few days before. 12 is just plain rude. I hope you had a tent Strider
bw

[Strider]

Not many people up there when we went through but there was a party of 12 from interstate in the few days before. 12 is just plain rude. I hope you had a tent Strider
bw

We were there on the same nights as the party of 12 from Sutherland Bushwalking Club. Spent the night with them at Vera and honestly couldn't have asked for better roomies, lovely people they were.

However, I tend to agree with you re: parties of 12. In my opinion such large parties should camp, leaving the hut available to multiple smaller parties.

You wouldn't happen to be one of the guys we bumped into on the outward side of Mt Mullens were you? I was in a party of 3 younger guys.

[bluewombat]

Hi Strider
yep that would have been us on Mt Mullens, party of 2 older guys. We had absolutely bluebird days, the summit views were spectacularly clear

clear day on Frenchman's cap

P1050767_QVga.JPG (30.78 KiB) Viewed 6064 times

bw

[Strider]

Hi Strider
yep that would have been us on Mt Mullens, party of 2 older guys. We had absolutely bluebird days, the summit views were spectacularly clear

Very nice! We had a perfect day too

I was the bloke that commented on stealing a pole from the guy with two