Du Cane Traverse in June

[CasualNerd]

Just looking for some advice on this trip, as I have read half a dozen trip reports on bushwalk and elsewhere online, but I still have a few questions ! We would like to do it in 3 days, but have 5 if we get stuck. My idea of the circuit, anti-clockwise, looks like this:

Day 1: Lake St Clair - Ferry - Overland Track - Windy Ridge Hut
Day 2: Du Cane Gap - Falling Mtn - Castle Crag - Mt Massif - Lake Helios Camp
Day 3: labyrinth - Pine Valley - Overland Track - Ferry - Home

I would love to climb Hyperion, Eros, Geyron, Walled, Acropolis etc but I guess we'll know if we have time once we're there. My main question is where is the best campsite for the second night ? I know some people mention the Massif Bowl, but I am guessing from the map Lake Helios would be more sheltered, is this the case ?

Does anyone have a gps track they're willing to share for the sections not marked on the map ? Is there any section that will be particularly difficult if the snow is deep ?

I'm certain we've got the gear for winter in this area, but would like any more information to make it easier !

[norts]

Day 2 is a very long day. Massif would be better. Also remember you have short daylight hours. Massif is fairly sheltered.
3 days is a very quick trip through there.
I have done the traverse twice both times in the opposite direction to you . Massif to Windy on both occassions was a very long day. Last time we didnt get into Windy until about 7 at night.
Snow would make this traverse quite hairy. There is alot of boulder hopping. Not as bad as Pelion West but not to be taken lightly.
My main reason for doing the traverse in the opposite direction was so that the only scrub bashing (coming off Falling Mt) was down hill.
Roger

[Geevesy]

Hi CasualNerd,

A mate and I completed this walk in late May few a years back. We completed it in the other direction also, for the same reason as norts, and although the scrub isn't that bad, it makes navigation easier because you can aim for the clearing that is mentioned in Chapman's notes.

We did the walk in 4 days - ferry, then to the Labyrinth, next to Massif, then to Windy Ridge, then out. It wasn't too bad for timing, but we didn't have any spare time for climbing extra mountains, apart from those the route traverses. I would suggest if you want to climb extra peaks, have a night at Helios which gives you more time to do this.

We had perfect weather (a easterly flow like this upcoming week) and had no snow to deal with - that said, any snow and it would become a real nightmare getting across the large boulders approaching Falling Mountain. We also found that because of the low sun angle, the gully coming down off Falling Mountain to the OT was quite icy and slightly dangerous.

Feel free to PM me if you want more details on the route.

[CasualNerd]

Thanks guys. I am definitely concerned about the snow potentially making things difficult, both finding the path and making it across boulders whose edges might not be clear. Would I be correct to assume going clockwise would give us more chance to see the conditions ahead of us and make a sound decision about continuing once we get to, say, Massif ? I'd rather go through the acropolis and turn back than along the OT and decide half way up Falling Mt to turn around.

If it was becoming a big day between Massif and Windy Ridge, is there any chance of camping between ? I think I'll be leaving the peaks and side trips for a summer walk.

[Geevesy]

Going clockwise would probably be better for pulling out if needed - if you struggle to get onto Massif then it may not be worth proceeding.

I believe you can camp on Falling Mountain - there is a small exposed valley near the summit which is grassy from memory. Normally water is a problem, but if you are camping there it'll probably be because of the snow. We got to Falling Mountain by lunch time from memory.

[north-north-west]

I believe you can camp on Falling Mountain - there is a small exposed valley near the summit which is grassy from memory.

The saddle between the two summits is campable, and there are also slightly more sheltered spots in amongst the rocks if you look around.

I have to agree with the others - 3 days in winter is really pushing it. I took my time, camping at Elysia (for Walled & Macs), between Helios & the DuCane summit (for Hyperion & Eros), & then the Massif bowl (this was a short day). It's worth giving yourself time to explore Massif - it's a fascinating place, with all sorts of hidden delights and some of the most spectacular views in the Reserve.

[stu]

There are a couple of camp sites on Falling, including this one below, SE of the summit in a protected bowl (here with 4 tents, probably room for another).
If you want to do side trips you'll definitely want more time, it's such a superb area.
My first time through was in late October & we did similar to your day 2 (Windy Ridge hut right through to Lake Elysia with full packs); this was around 12 hours & a pretty long day, i'd suggest breaking it up a bit & daylight hours will be against you. Went back through last October & we deliberately crawled along to fully absorb ourselves into the area (Day 1 to Falling summit camp, Day 2 just to Massif bowl, Day 3 just to below DuCane high point (+ Geryon NOrth), Day 4 to Lake Elysia (+ Hyperion summit), day 5 easy day out to the ferry...much more enjoyable than rushing through. A few photos of some of the camps from last trip below.
Also check out Andy's write up of his trip through the Reserve in winter (including the Du Canes) from last year: http://mountainsofaustralia.com/?page_id=290
Enjoy, one of the best short range walks in Tassie.

Camp below (SE) Falling Mountain summit (Night 1).

Camp in Mount Massif bowl (Night 2).

View from my tent below DuCane high point (Night 3).

[CasualNerd]

Thanks guys. Our current plan is 4 days, with an extra day if we need it. I really want to get to walled mtn for the view back across the range, but I'll leave most of the side trips for another time.

Andy's story was actually what got me started looking at more winter walks !

[stu]

If you want to do Walled Mtn as well then I'd suggest going in the opposite direction.
Day 1 from the ferry you can get to the summit of Walled where there is ample high camping, 50m from the amazing views (one of the best high camps around IMHO).
Day 2 to Du Cane high point camp (side trips to Hyperion, Eros & Geryon North with an early start).
Day 3 along the range to Falling Mtn summit camp.
Day 4 down & out.
Either way it's an area worthy of multiple visits so don't be too concerned if you don't get your wish list done in one trip

[nickthetasmaniac]

Day 2: Du Cane Gap - Falling Mtn - Castle Crag - Mt Massif - Lake Helios Camp

As others have mentioned, this is going to be pushing it, let alone in winter.

When we did the traverse, we did Du Cane Hut (1.5hrs from the Gap) - Mt Massif in a day and it took us 10hrs+. This was in December with long daylight hours and perfect weather.

[icefest]

When we did the traverse, we did Du Cane Hut (1.5hrs from the Gap) - Mt Massif in a day and it took us 10hrs+. This was in December with long daylight hours and perfect weather.

In summer I managed to walk from Mt Massif, over Castle Crag and Ducane Gap all the way to Pine Valley Hut.
It took me over 12 hours (left at sunrise, got there about two hours before sunset) and I had a pack that barely weighed 8kg.
Doing half that distance, with the elevation change, with a winter pack and gear, through snow, and with bad visibility sounds more like you just wanna have a good story to tell (or give the rescue people one to tell).

I'd suggest doing it the other way/direction, you'll have a nice track uphill for the major elevation gain (and not a km of head-high scoparia). Yo can also follow the track to PV hut in the dark after getting the ferry, and leave early following the track with torches for an early day of peak bagging.

[Thylaseen]

We were there last January. Went in via private boat, then camped at Elysia: it was a longer day but we did the Acropolis on the way - without this it should be straight forward - Walled Mt would be a stretch in winter on the same day? We spent a couple of days doing day trips (Walled Mountain and Mt Gould). Our next day we camped at Hyperion and did Geryon as well - if you went straight through I would imagine you could make Massif. We took around 8 hrs from Massif to Windy Ridge hut but that was in summer: progress in winter would depend on conditions. From Windy Ridge hut you're on the OT all the way. I would also check whether the ferry is operating - if they run it just for you there is a minimum charge for the total boat trip (not the per person rate). See Andrew's write up here: http://andrewgaskell.weebly.com/bushwalking

[CasualNerd]

Thanks for more good inputs guys 1

If you want to do Walled Mtn as well then I'd suggest going in the opposite direction.

I'm sold on clockwise, at least if the weather turns really nasty and we have to turn around, we'll have been through the nicest stuff !

Are campsites on Walled Mt fairly obvious ?

Unfortunately we have set days for this trip, and if the weather is looking terrible there's plenty of other walks in the area.

[DaveNoble]

The deciding factor whether you will be able to traverse the range will be the weather. Remember that in June in those mountains the weather is bad for about 28 days during the month. So you need to be lucky and/or very determined to succeed. You may be able to do the walk in not quite so bad weather - but you may end up not enjoying the trip. Also - daylight hours are quite short. If the weather is bad - then there is sheltered camping in the Labyrinth (some sites are bombproof - but it is helpful to know where they are) and in the bowl on Massif - but in not many other places. You can escape from the range in a few spots - but some ways off are scrubby (e.g. drop into the very upper part of Pine Valley, head to Windy Ridge from Big Gun Pass (likely to be very scrubby), or head to Kia Ora from between Massif and Falling Mtn (I have done this twice - quite fast and relatively easy))

A lot of the walking is on big dolerite boulders - which require some route finding. This is fun with a daypack in summer, not so easy with a full pack, and is harder if the boulders are covered with snow and much harder if the boulders are covered in verglas. You will not be able to predict what conditions will prevail so have to be prepared, and also prepared to abort.

The summit of Massif is open, so campsites are obvious, but most are exposed and no good in bad weather. Only low bushes for shelter.

Dave

[north-north-west]

Are campsites on Walled Mt fairly obvious ?

The only problem in camping on Walled is deciding exactly where to pitch the tent. There's room for literally hundreds up there, but there's very little shelter available on top. Also possible to find far more sheltered spots to pitch lower down, at Dombrovskis tarns or near the track on the way up.

[CasualNerd]

In case anyone was wondering, we got as far as lake Helios and camped, with low cloud / fog hiding all the significant peaks. With snow falling on the second morning we decided to turn around and experienced every variation of snow, sleet, hail and rain over two days walking out.

Does anyone know the recommended place to camp at Helios ? we found a nice soft/flat spot right by the lake (to the east), but I'm guessing the suggested spot is up the saddle a bit on the southern side of the lake a few hundred metres ?

[Azza]

Does anyone know the recommended place to camp at Helios ? we found a nice soft/flat spot right by the lake (to the east), but I'm guessing the suggested spot is up the saddle a bit on the southern side of the lake a few hundred metres ?

Its off track, so technically speaking there is no recommended spots for camping and suggesting any single spot is a bad idea in terms of preserving the area.
However I do seem to remember camping to the southern up the saddle, but it was more for the view.
But its not like it makes a big difference from memory its all pretty open through the saddle with various flat spots.
For somewhere more sheltered you'd need to look around over against the side of Hyperion.

[north-north-west]

Recommended spot is wherever you get the best combination of shelter and view. I camped over the ridge as the wind was absolutely howling over Helios that evening. Enough to raise whitecaps.