Ducane Traverse October

[nq111]

I don't often put up trip reports but will post a report on our Ducane Traverse last week when I have the photos (probably in a couple of weeks).

We were blessed with the full variety of Tassie conditions - from marching up the overland track in shorts and t-shirt under a blue sky - to an extra day tent bound at 1300m with snow, ice and wind making safe travel impossible.

Great trip and nothing especially hard about it other than the weather and snow conditions on some days (and the odd misguided 'short cut' though patches of Tassie scrub). We were lucky enough to get some awesome views in places but missed seeing much after Big Gun Pass.

My heroes from the trip:
1) Vapour barriers: We both had RBH Designs calf length vapour barrier socks and these proved superior for maintaining warm feet under constant wet and slushy snow conditions. My feet were in the best condition of any such trip I have done. Whilst normally considered a tool for very cold conditions the concept proved viable for the near to just freezing + sopping wet combination that dominates walks in Tasmania. I also used a vapour barrier in my sleeping bag and whilst temperatures were not particularly cold (i had to vent the sleeping bag a fair bit and sometimes my feet were too hot), it helped with moisture management and my sleeping bag remained well lofted throughout the trip - despite mostly very wet tent nights;
2) GPS: I know real walkers should know how to navigate by map, silva and 'using the force' only but on an unfamiliar track, with visibility at times in the tens of metres, keeping track of where you are on this occasion would challenge most traditionalists. It was actually scary how much we relied on the GPS on some days and whilst if performed flawlessly, we will bring an extra as a backup on similar trips. Yes, we had waterproof topo maps and compasses as backups;
3) Dried coconut cream. Fantastic energy/fat content per gram, some great nutritional features (including lots of potassium) and makes any meal taste better. $1.40 per sachet. Will be on all of my future colder weather trips.

More to come later....

[ILUVSWTAS]

..

[dplanet]

Good points.

[Tortoise]

I wonder if it's possible for a Tortoise to ever do the Ducane traverse...

[dplanet]

You are lucky to live in Tasmania. I mean having more opportunities to traverse it when weather permitting. Good time to do it in late Febuary or early March when weather conditions would be more reasonable.

[Tortoise]

Every day I'm indeed thankful that I live here now

I would only attempt the traverse even in my dreams in that likely-to-have-a-better-chance-at-stable-weather time, and with a nice high sitting happily over Tassie. But... I am Short, Not what you'd call Fit or Fast, not confident on Big Rocks, no longer able to avoid the Middle Aged label, with a Dodgy Ankle, and a Passion for being on the Top of Mountains, preferably camping there, on the way to Another Mountain.

Maybe if i can work on getting my pack weight down, my own weight down, my fitness up, make friends with a very patient mountain leaper with long arms and legs etc, just maybe ... it could be possible? I have managed to add quite a lot of points to my humble peak bagging list this year, but... there are a lot of big rocks on that range! But ... maybe one day

[dplanet]

You might try to hike into The Labyrinth, camp at one of the lakes which are close to Big Gun Pass, then do day trip exploring the range the next day.

[Tortoise]

That's an excellent idea, thanks.

I had hoped to camp in the Labyrinth earlier in the year, but that didn't work out with the very large group I was in (thankfully for the environment - there were way too many of us).

We got as far as the Pool of Memories, which well and truly whetted my appetite to come back & stay for a few days. Missed out on Geryon North & Walled Mtn, so they are calling my name loudly (bit worried re Geryon Nth being too hard for me though). Then it doesn't seem too far to lots of other peaks - but i hadn't thought of Big Gun Pass from there. Now i just have to decide how many weeks I can take off this summer...

[ILUVSWTAS]

That's an excellent idea, thanks.

I had hoped to camp in the Labyrinth earlier in the year, but that didn't work out with the very large group I was in (thankfully for the environment - there were way too many of us).

We got as far as the Pool of Memories, which well and truly whetted my appetite to come back & stay for a few days. Missed out on Geryon North & Walled Mtn, so they are calling my name loudly (bit worried re Geryon Nth being too hard for me though). Then it doesn't seem too far to lots of other peaks - but i hadn't thought of Big Gun Pass from there. Now i just have to decide how many weeks I can take off this summer...

The Pool of Memories is technically in the labyrinth........

Big gun pass is only a 5 minute sidetrip from the Ducane highpoint, which you have to go around if planning to climb Geryon North.

[Tortoise]

I had hoped to camp in the Labyrinth earlier in the year...
We got as far as the Pool of Memories, which well and truly whetted my appetite to come back & stay for a few days.

The Pool of Memories is technically in the labyrinth........

Big gun pass is only a 5 minute sidetrip from the Ducane highpoint, which you have to go around if planning to climb Geryon North.

I didn't make that very clear! We got to the PoM, but not to camp so we missed the best parts of the day, and the opportunity to bag some peaks - oh, I mean to get some even more amazing views )

Just realised how much in 'follower' mode I was, to not have checked out the route in the usual minute detail

Gotta get it into the diary and enlist some help (how do you cross out?) fellow walkers

[nq111]

GPS Log

[tigercat]

A few photos from last weekend.

[tigercat]

more photos

[nq111]

Nice work!

Were you up there on the weekend from the 20th?

Looks like a bit more snow than when we started and a bit less than when we finished

How was the climb up Falling Mountain?

[tigercat]

We were there Oct 25-28. We went throught the labyrinth to Mt Massif and so descended Falling Mtn to Ducane Gap. The large boulders in the snow on the way to Falling Mountain were challenging.

[nq111]

Ok - you went the opposite way to us.

Going up Falling Mountain I was led to believe the scrub would be bad - but it was reasonable. The rotten snow which had melted up to several metres in depth against the rocks was the issue. Very slow going for the last 150m elevation gain with deep slush and some hairy crosses over the 'chasms' from snow to rock.

Once on top on the boulders there was little snow that day and we went very fast.

[tigercat]

We slid down 180 m of snow easily coming down Falling Mountain.

[Skinky]

I'm new to the site, looks like a hive of information. I emigrated from the UK 2 months ago and have been out bushwalking every weekend since. I'm very keen to explore the more difficult routes around the state and and trying to collect info and plan out future weekend walks. I give Tassie a 10/10!

Thanks for the Info and pics. I walked upto the Labyrinth last weekend and having spoke to many people who have completed the Du Cane Traverse I'm keen to have a go myself, if only I could find GPS coordinates/A log of the route. I've searched for maps of the route on the net but with no success and it would be dangerous to attempt based on words and written track info alone.....

[dplanet]

It might be this is what you're looking for (file attached). Done a search and found it. Agree and I think the most useful gps log of the route is from top of Falling Mt to Ducane highpoint.

[stepbystep]

Hi Skinky,

All good and well having a route like this but if you are not comfortable navigating in this environment this is a walk probably best left until your Tasmanian experience grows imho.
I will be doing this walk in a couple of weeks, but there is no way I would have tried it with only 2 months Tassie experience. Best give this route some respect as many come unstuck in these areas.

My 2c worth

[nq111]

All good and well having a route like this but if you are not comfortable navigating in this environment this is a walk probably best left until your Tasmanian experience grows imho.

I think to be fair there are conditions that anyone would struggle to navigate with just map and compass if not familiar with the walk. I don't think too many people would have trouble navigating Ducane in good weather - but bad weather is a different story.

GPS is a great tool - why not use it?

[stepbystep]

All good and well having a route like this but if you are not comfortable navigating in this environment this is a walk probably best left until your Tasmanian experience grows imho.

I think to be fair there are conditions that anyone would struggle to navigate with just map and compass if not familiar with the walk. I don't think too many people would have trouble navigating Ducane in good weather - but bad weather is a different story.

GPS is a great tool - why not use it?

Agreed, but I made my comment with this remark as the context...

...I emigrated from the UK 2 months ago and have been out bushwalking every weekend since....

I will happily provide my GPS route to anyone I feel is appreciative of the challenge they face.

As you said this area is easily navigated IF you can see.

[nq111]

Fair enough.

I had a slightly different reading:

- This guy has been walking regularly in Tas for 2 months. That is spring - should be enough to get a sense of what it is about unless he has only been going to freycinet;
- He has spoken extensively with other walkers already about the Ducane Traverse so likely has discussed local walking challenges;
- He is from the UK - and given he appears to be reasonably experienced - likely has experience with northern England and Scotland which have more similarities with Tas weather than most parts of the world

I suspect Skinky will be somewhat bemused to read this little debate next time he visits the forum!

[ILUVSWTAS]

Fair enough.

I had a slightly different reading:

- This guy has been walking regularly in Tas for 2 months. That is spring - should be enough to get a sense of what it is about unless he has only been going to freycinet;
- He has spoken extensively with other walkers already about the Ducane Traverse so likely has discussed local walking challenges;
- He is from the UK - and given he appears to be reasonably experienced - likely has experience with northern England and Scotland which have more similarities with Tas weather than most parts of the world

I suspect Skinky will be somewhat bemused to read this little debate next time he visits the forum!

Hmm I've walked most corners of this state, mostly untracked, yet I still class myself as only somewhat experienced. The Ducanes is a tricky walk, but i'd hardly describe it as difficult. There is but one main ridge. Even in mist you'd be able to stay on the main ridge. Actually it's probably one of the easiest offtrack walks in poor weather to negotiate.

[doogs]

Walking in the UK is very different from Tasmania, the weather is worse there but the walking is easier as there are tracks all over the place. On this walk there is scrub and boulders to contend with no track from when you leave the OLT until the Labrynth. viewtopic.php?f=42&t=9699&p=128735&hilit=ducane#p128735

[nq111]

Walking in the UK is very different from Tasmania, the weather is worse there but the walking is easier as there are tracks all over the place. On this walk there is scrub and boulders to contend with no track from when you leave the OLT until the Labrynth. viewtopic.php?f=42&t=9699&p=128735&hilit=ducane#p128735

The walk may be off track but it is not that hard.

I reckon the guy in that other thread would have had an easier time if he had a GPS and route logged .

I'm not really sure where this discussion is going?

[cixelsyd]

I don't often put up trip reports but will post a report on our Ducane Traverse last week when I have the photos (probably in a couple of weeks).

We were blessed with the full variety of Tassie conditions - from marching up the overland track in shorts and t-shirt under a blue sky - to an extra day tent bound at 1300m with snow, ice and wind making safe travel impossible.

Great trip and nothing especially hard about it other than the weather and snow conditions on some days (and the odd misguided 'short cut' though patches of Tassie scrub). We were lucky enough to get some awesome views in places but missed seeing much after Big Gun Pass.

My heroes from the trip:
1) Vapour barriers: We both had RBH Designs calf length vapour barrier socks and these proved superior for maintaining warm feet under constant wet and slushy snow conditions. My feet were in the best condition of any such trip I have done. Whilst normally considered a tool for very cold conditions the concept proved viable for the near to just freezing + sopping wet combination that dominates walks in Tasmania. I also used a vapour barrier in my sleeping bag and whilst temperatures were not particularly cold (i had to vent the sleeping bag a fair bit and sometimes my feet were too hot), it helped with moisture management and my sleeping bag remained well lofted throughout the trip - despite mostly very wet tent nights;
2) GPS: I know real walkers should know how to navigate by map, silva and 'using the force' only but on an unfamiliar track, with visibility at times in the tens of metres, keeping track of where you are on this occasion would challenge most traditionalists. It was actually scary how much we relied on the GPS on some days and whilst if performed flawlessly, we will bring an extra as a backup on similar trips. Yes, we had waterproof topo maps and compasses as backups;
3) Dried coconut cream. Fantastic energy/fat content per gram, some great nutritional features (including lots of potassium) and makes any meal taste better. $1.40 per sachet. Will be on all of my future colder weather trips.

More to come later....

Great trip report. I'm envious. I've always wanted to do the Ducane traverse. One day. Great to hear your RBH socks did well. I just bought the RBHDesigns vprthrm shirt/jacket and I can't wait to try it out next April in tassie. RBH are a great small company. I have a very odd body shape and Nancy from RBH was terrific in getting my shirt/jacket made to order. It's pretty hot up here in brissie but I've keep trying my vprthrm on. I really like how they look and I can't wait to trek in it.

[nq111]

I just bought the RBHDesigns vprthrm shirt/jacket and I can't wait to try it out next April in tassie. RBH are a great small company. I have a very odd body shape and Nancy from RBH was terrific in getting my shirt/jacket made to order. It's pretty hot up here in brissie but I've keep trying my vprthrm on. I really like how they look and I can't wait to trek in it.

Nothing like testing new gear. Be interesting to hear how the shirt / jacket compares - what are you planning to use if for - sleeping?

Some people don't like vapour barriers because they keep you humid and sticky. An advantage of coming from Brisbane is that this feels just like home!

[cixelsyd]

I just bought the RBHDesigns vprthrm shirt/jacket and I can't wait to try it out next April in tassie. RBH are a great small company. I have a very odd body shape and Nancy from RBH was terrific in getting my shirt/jacket made to order. It's pretty hot up here in brissie but I've keep trying my vprthrm on. I really like how they look and I can't wait to trek in it.

Nothing like testing new gear. Be interesting to hear how the shirt / jacket compares - what are you planning to use if for - sleeping?

Some people don't like vapour barriers because they keep you humid and sticky. An advantage of coming from Brisbane is that this feels just like home!

Gonna use it for everyday walking. It has zippers that help regulate the temp and its a DWR fabric on the outside. I quite like the style of it. Gonna use it on my next tassie trek in April. I sweat alot on treks and my thermal layer always gets soaked to the point where it never has a chance to dry. I thought this was a good alternative. Got a backup plan if things go awry.

I;ll report back in late april on the outcome.

[Skinky]

Hi all,

I was a little suprised to read about your concerns, but after having done the walk, I think your concerns were well justified and I appreciate that. As with any walk, the more times you do it the safer it gets so the first time is high risk, especially solo. We can take advice but ulitimately we make our decisions based on the risks as we percieve them. To be honest I would have done it anyway just out of curiosity/stupidity.

Thanks to a few members and the information here I was able to complete the Ducane Traverse last weekend, going clockwise from pine valley and back out to lake st clair. All I can say is Wow what an amazing walk, by far the best Ive done in Tasmania (yet).
Views in this area were breathe taking to say the least and the sense of exposure sleeping on mount massif was -*****.
There were some very tough and dangerous sections, especially the west face of mount massif and the west and south sides of Falling Mountain. It wasn’t a walk I should have done on my own and there were a few patches of snow covering the path which I lost a few times or had to skirt round due to steep snow shoots and poor visability on Mount Massif. I actually slid fairly uncontrollably down a snow shoot for around 30 meters on the east side of massif, that got the heart racing, especially as the visability was around 20m and I couldnt see where I was going. Stupid I know but I couldnt see my way round the snow. As with any routes through bolder fields, cairns were more or less non-existent up and over Massif and down the south side of Falling Mountain. Time and time again I was forced to navigate around the traditional route due to snow on the poorly defined track. On the plus side I learnt from the experiences I had and am better prepared to navigate the route next time or assist someone else to do the same.

What advice could I offer to others who are considering this walk?

•Don’t underestimate the weather up there, visibility can be very poor and for the novice, the track is poorly defined and hard to follow for at least 50% of the route. This is a hard route and in hindsight should only be attempted by experienced prepared groups.

•Avoid steep snow covered banks. Even with appropriate equipment (crampons/ice axe/ropes) these can be dangerous not only due to the steepness but also because on bolder fields snow can conceal voids between boulders which one could easily fall into. Some voids could be 5m deep with a very hard landing.

•Take gloves not only for the cold wet weather but for warm summer weather also as much rock scrabbling is required and the dolerite rock is very abrasive on the skin. Not to mention cloths and equipment.

•Plan ahead and allow time for getting lost and arriving late to your camp. There is little water around so carry at least 2 litre extra water per person per day as a reserve just in case. Trust me you'll sweat that out pretty quick

Its all a learning curve for me, I enjoy the challange and to build up experience, perhaps on this occasion I stepped up a notch but could have easily slipped down three or four notches.


Cheers