Bushwalk Australia

To extend the interesting discussion in the "Top Three Day Peaks" thread, I thought that this idea could be extended to peaks that are more than a day for "normal" walkers and would fit into a two day trip. In this category my favourite would be Frenchmans Cap that I first climbed in December 1971 in under 48 hours. We were dropped off by the Hobart to Queenstown bus about 1.00pm at the track start. Walked into the old Lake Vera hut to camp the night, then did a day trip to the top of Frenchman's, and walked out to the highway by midday the next day. Then hitchhiked back to Derwent Bridge and walked to Lake St Clair to stay the night before starting the OT.

Instantly thought of the peaks in the Denisons, Reeds Peak and Bonds Craig with Rhona as the campsite.
Did this trip twice in 2010.
Another I have done that fits into this category would be the Pelion peaks accessible via the Arm River Track. But The Denisons pip these IMHO

Frenchmans would be great but I might spend a bit longer than 2 days when I get there.

Great Post Tasman, i get a kick out of your 'old' photos, keep em coming big effort! Have you been back, Its not so sparse anymore.

Wow, great photos of Frenchman's there!

The fire area you showed has grown back significantly, but the scars are still very easy to see. The rock cairn is not nearly as impressive any more.

Frenchman's definitely a great walk ... provided you have good weather!

We certainly had a magical trip to Frenchman's Cap - only 21.5 hrs actual walking but stretched over 3 days.
I had seen old maps with the flying foxes on them - but never had the pleasure of using one.

I have also done Pindars Peak as a relaxed 3+ day walk - but at 26.5 hrs walking and covering both La Perouse and Pindars Peak it could slide into a very long 2 day run.
See http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=3451&p=38331&hilit=pindars#p38331

In both cases - the scenery along the way is quite breath taking and very colourful

I'd have to agree with Eggs there. Pindars is one of my favourite all time peaks. It would be 2 long days though.....

Mt Weld is another that comes to mind, And Mt Bobs

Too many choices...I'll get it down to my favourite 5 overnight trips :

1. Ronald Cross / Loddon Bluff: a recent trip, one of the best overnight off track walks around IMHO, views in all directions are amazing.
2. Byron / Cuvier / Manfred circuit: a pretty hard 2 day trip since we had a ferry ride in & ferry ride out in the schedule. A classic Reserve circuit.
3. Geryon South: the best peak ascent in the Reserve IMHO and a great overnighter staying either at Pine Valley or Geryon camp (aka Climbers Camp).
4. Mt Anne Circuit: not a hard 2 day trip tho most take 3 days to take more in which I'd have to agree with, one of the best walks in the SW...one of...
5. Mt Olympus: a great overnighter to climb both south & north summits.

stu wrote:
1. Ronald Cross / Loddon Bluff: a recent trip, one of the best overnight off track walks around IMHO, views in all directions are amazing.

True, how did I forget that.....
Being so close to the POW is quite an amazing feeling......

Photos for comparison taken 3 months ago:

Crossing the Franklin on the bridge

The new Lake Vera Hut (Michael's Hut)

Looking back to Sharland's Peak

Traversing between Artichoke Valley and Lake Tahune - much greener, but still tree skeletons scar the landscape

The summit cairn is now much smaller

I have not done very many, but my favourite would be The Parthenon. It was better than the Acropolis in my opinion.

Nuts wrote:Great Post Tasman, i get a kick out of your 'old' photos, keep em coming big effort! Have you been back, Its not so sparse anymore.

Yeah, went back with my brother-in-law in 1996 and spent four days to have more of a look around the Frenchman's Cap area. Took our packs to Tahune Hut and spent two nights there in the mist and rain with several others. Waited for the weather to break, but no luck, so took a punt on the morning we were to walk out and went for the top early, to find that the very top was clear above the cloud layer. Got back to Tahune hut as the rest were packing to leave. We told them of the summit experienced in sunshine, and they were not impressed at having missed out, having run out of time to try for the top.

South_Aussie_Hiker wrote:Photos for comparison taken 3 months ago:

Thanks a heap for those current photos - makes for an interesting comparison over forty years apart!

How good is the track out to Pindars peak? on listmap it shows a defined track, but I have seen things on here that suggest scrub?

The track is easily followed, only spot I got mixed up was around Moonlight Creek, lots of different tracks around muddy areas, but wasnt a more than a a few different tracks that all converged again anyway. I walked through to PB in Jan this year.

Roger

You might have seen my photo report.
The track to Pindars was very clear to follow - and we had a dry run through to Moonlight Creek where the track sprays a bit - no doubt due to it normally being quite muddy. [We also found a snug cutout area across the creek in some tight scrub which was a great campsite to avoid the moist ground.]
The part you might have picked up was that I felt sections were quite closed in - to the point of losing a waterbottle and map holder from my pack.
The track was still quite clear to follow - but you were pushing hard through scoparia.
These were quite short sections just before Ooze Lake and a patch up around Hill 2 or 3 ?

There are a couple of curious places on saddles over the Hills where signs tell you to spread out so as to avoid making a track - but this is in very open country.
The track down from Maxwells Ridge towards Ooze is steeply eroded.

As a few have already said, the track to Pindars is fine, it's a good track. If not a bit muddy in places. Norts is right about Moonlight flats, there are places the track branches off, but they always join up together again.
Past Pindars (out towards PB) it gets a bit vague and harder to follow, but to all the way to Ooze lake it is fine.

Oh how I miss you Tasmania....

Here are a couple that haven't been mentioned yet

Mt Roogoona - perfect two dayer with a camp at Lake Myrtle
Cathedral Mountain - Can be a day walk yes, but best with a night at Lake Chalice
Mt Jerusalem - Again, more and more folk doing in it in a day but works best with a camp at Dixon's Kingdom
Mt Picton - A shame about the forestry views but its a peak in the South West and its accessible with two short days
Barn Bluff - Another day walk option, but why not stay a night

Also Olympus & La Perouse would be pretty high up there for me too...

ILUVSWTAS wrote:I'd have to agree with Eggs there. Pindars is one of my favourite all time peaks. It would be 2 long days though.....

Mt Weld is another that comes to mind, And Mt Bobs

Are you pushing it a bit to fit the ascent of bobs onto the walk in or out of lake sydney?

mjdalessa wrote:

ILUVSWTAS wrote:I'd have to agree with Eggs there. Pindars is one of my favourite all time peaks. It would be 2 long days though.....

Mt Weld is another that comes to mind, And Mt Bobs

Are you pushing it a bit to fit the ascent of bobs onto the walk in or out of lake sydney?

No. Only takes about 5 hrs to get to Sydney, only a few hrs return from Bobs from there

You would have to put The Acropolis on the list

stepbystep wrote:You would have to put The Acropolis on the list

YES!! Up there with contender for best walk ever!!!

Looks amazing! When I went there there was no snow (unfortunately!) just ice making all the climby bits very difficult and a record of 50 odd metres visibility, but mostly about 5!