Lake Cygnus and back - July 2011

[frank_in_oz]

Hi All,
Thought some of you might be interested in a couple of video's we cobbled together from a planned trip into Lake Oberon on about 4th July. It was just when the nice low pressure system landed over Tasmania.

This one is coming up out of Lake Cygnus after a couple of nights in there: http://ourhikingblog.com.au/2011/07/lak ... -snow.html

This one is a bit of a vid with some images and videos stitched into a "production" - http://ourhikingblog.com.au/2011/07/wes ... inter.html

As always, I apologise in advance for my pretty ordinary videoing and "acting" skills......

[beltas]

haha! brilliant! you intrepid souls! good on you!

[Phil]

Brilliant! Thanks for sharing

[Son of a Beach]

It must have been a bit intimidating crossing Junction Creek with that sort of depth and current.

[stepbystep]

It must have been a bit intimidating crossing Junction Creek with that sort of depth and current.

A serious motivator would be the warm car on the other side

Thanks for posting Frank.
Would you accept it was perhaps a little unwise to attempt a trip into the Warthurs with the forecast as it was?

[Graham51]

Loved your videos, Frank. A bit different to when we were there in February, stripping off completely to have a wash.

[Nuts]

Well done, if a little dramatic. I remember reading of your plans on the blog and wondered how you'd go (without any judgement of skills).
I do like the honest style, great eye opener for anyone with similar plans (and perhaps less experience) not expecting the worst. Im guessing part of the urge was to find just the conditions you did (photographic opportunities aside), not a good time to be without ciggies though? not a good week to give them away?

[frank_in_oz]

It must have been a bit intimidating crossing Junction Creek with that sort of depth and current.

Well let's just say the river crossing was probably my personal low light of the trip.

Bit cold, bit excited to be on the way out, I made a BAD decision and attempted to cross UPSTREAM of the timber we had placed. Had the pack all unstrapped ready to throw if I got in trouble, which I did. Spent a few 'life changing" seconds underwater being washed UNDER the logs and then down stream a few metres. The look on the other two's faces when I hit a tree and regained my footing was something I will remember for a while....... It was a stupid decision and rather than ignoring it, I have commented here (and will on Our Hiking Blog) The others crossed downstream, hanging on to the branches (like superman / woman) and it went very well and without incident.

Would you accept it was perhaps a little unwise to attempt a trip into the Warthurs with the forecast as it was?

Yes and no.
We knew the weather would be ordinary. That is expected in July. As noted in the video, we were pretty well geared up and were confident of being totally self sufficient. We had a reasonable plan and spare time. One of the party had been in there before and walks a lot across Tasmania, usually solo.

I'm not being a smart alec here but similar weather can happen any time of the year in that area. Sue (my wife) found every video and article on the net related to "bad" experiences so we did not get any surprises. Sometimes you just have to challenge yourself and enjoy what the weather gods throw at you.

We were challenged AND enjoyed it. Next time though, probably head up there in Feb / March and cross our fingers for 5 minutes of clear sky so we can check out the views......

[frank_in_oz]

Well done, if a little dramatic. I remember reading of your plans on the blog and wondered how you'd go (without any judgement of skills).
I do like the honest style, great eye opener for anyone with similar plans (and perhaps less experience) not expecting the worst. Im guessing part of the urge was to find just the conditions you did (photographic opportunities aside), not a good time to be without ciggies though? not a good week to give them away?

hey Nuts,
The moons basically aligned and this was the week that worked for the three of us. We have done to WOJ ---> OT in July and also in September. Expected tougher conditions and really just wanted to get out bush. This trip was suggested and we picked up some extra gear, did some harder training than normal and redid our wills.

To be honest, I would have LOVED blue bird days and no hassle or snow. Certainly did not go in there hoping for crap conditions to make a "Beyond the Wild" video....

I had not given up the ciggies properly (pathetic, pathetic hey) I had taken in my usual Nicotine Tablets that are my current addiction AND a packed of rollies. At that point my hands were a tad cold, the wind was howling and they were buried in my clothes somewhere. The last couple of attempts had resulted in a soggy unusable chunk or rollie paper and wet tobacco.......

Hopefully the disclaimer on the video works for anyone planning this trip without experience or good gear. Thats why I put it in there.....

[stepbystep]

Fair play Frank, I wasn't being critical of you or your group, I just think it's important to make people understand how serious an undertaking this would be.

When I went in I delayed my trip by a couple days to get the best weather window possible - walked in with hail storms and walked out as it broke up again with 3 good days in between.
As I have detailed elsewhere I met 3 people at Cygnus who were trapped at Oberon for 4 days, they had been through a massive ordeal that was written all over their faces. They walked in with a massive series of fronts approaching and underestimated how bad it would be. I don't think going to such a place in those conditions is wise but that's just my opinion.

I had similar conditions crossing Junction on the way in, video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWUE-ByJ ... ideo_title was interesting to say the least. Good job on getting out safely

[frank_in_oz]

Fair play Frank, I wasn't being critical of you or your group, I just think it's important to make people understand how serious an undertaking this would be.

Nah, no probs! Totally understand and hence my explanation. I could have easily just filed it away in my memory banks as something stupid I have done i.e the river crossing.

I agree in spades that people should understand what they are getting into. Will check out the vid later, can't wait!
p.s. Four days in Oberon would have been interesting, to say the least.

[Son of a Beach]

Wow, getting washed under logs is exceedingly scary. I've just started reading up on rafting (for a February trip next year), and avoiding logs is one of the key things they keep hammering on about (once you get pinned against a log or rock by a flowing current, it's very hard to move, and very easy to drown). Glad you made it out OK, and it sounds like a good lesson learned!

I've often wondered what I would do in the same situation (ie, needing to cross a flooded creek to get out). I've been lucky so far and have not yet come across one that was that flooded that I needed to cross without a bridge (or at least a good log). I think I would generally take more risk at that point than I should, and would try to get across in situations where I really should just put up with camping for a few days and hope that the water level goes down in the meantime. Until it happens to me, I don't know for sure what I would do.

[DaveNoble]

Nice video.

Conditions looked pretty typical for winter - eg crappy weather.

Crossing Junction Ck - Is the flood crossing still there? (metal cables providing a walkwire) - downstream 50m or so, Otherwise the creek looked quite good to cross using the NZ technique of linking up - all three forming a line - strongest person upstream - with arms locked through shoulders. Its quite amazing how stable a group of people are (even two) compared to one.

It looked like at least some of you had trekking poles - how come they were not used for the climb out of Cygnus? I would have thought thats the place they would have been most useful!

Microspikes are great - and worth taking on a winter trip - but it looked too snowy for them, not icy.

Dave

[frank_in_oz]

Wow, getting washed under logs is exceedingly scary.

I think I would generally take more risk at that point than I should, and would try to get across in situations where I really should just put up with camping for a few days and hope that the water level goes down in the meantime. Until it happens to me, I don't know for sure what I would do.

More scared at my stupidity, in retrospect, than scared at the time Nik. Dave's advice below seems spot on.

Good luck with the rafting trip.

[frank_in_oz]

Nice video.

Thanks but no where as nice as this one: http://youtu.be/JHPzKneJMTA . Sue is very envious of your female companion's fitness and agility. She just seems to glide over any obstacle and just cruise along. Please pass on our admiration!

Crossing Junction Ck - Is the flood crossing still there? (metal cables providing a walkwire) - downstream 50m or so, Otherwise the creek looked quite good to cross using the NZ technique of linking up - all three forming a line - strongest person upstream - with arms locked through shoulders. Its quite amazing how stable a group of people are (even two) compared to one.

Excellent advice thanks.

Did not look for the cable. Our local companion said he had heard it had been washed away but we did not verify this.

It looked like at least some of you had trekking poles - how come they were not used for the climb out of Cygnus?

Sue and I both had poles. We use them all (most of) the time. They are great and have helped up get a few more trips out of our knees. Sue decided against using them here, not sure why. They are particularly valuable for her on descents as she is one of these stop and think walkers.....

Microspikes are great - and worth taking on a winter trip - but it looked too snowy for them, not icy.

The microspikes were terrific. We SHOULD have used them on the way in to Cygnus from Moraine A as there was a lot of ice around and it was very slippery. The wind was so high that day (and temps below freezing) that there was minimal snow laying around.

On the way back we used them out of Cygnus to the bottom of Moraine A. Worked a treat in the snow etc as it was so dry and soft we just went straight through to the ground etc below.

Love em!

[north-north-west]

Does make me glad I waited until the worst of the weathr had lifted before heading in. Granted, there were one or two ordinary days on the way through, but there was plenty of good stuff, too.