Mt. Murchison, with The BWT Strollers.

[Speculator]

Well, the weather was good enough to do our planned Mt. Murchy walk on Saturday (just scattered cloud, mainly). It was cold and overcast, but didn't rain much at all. It's a brilliant walk though, fantastic value for the time and effort you put in, there's always something to see along the way and it just seems to get better as you go. Here are some pics from the day, I'm sure others will have better ones (hoping to see the heroic pose)!:


The strollers are growing... two carloads for this one.


A bit of a waterfall, after only 1/2 hour of walking.


Lake at the bottom of the waterfall.


The ascent steepens.


About halfway, great views back to Lake Plimsoll.


Watch your step!


The view to Shaded Lake, ringed by cliffs.


Near the summit, the angle of the track got a bit difficult.


Penguin, negotiating said angular track.


Tullah.


The clouds swirled about the mountain like this all day.


Corvus awaits our return, and gives some good advice to a couple of walkers.


We descend the rock, Penguin gives us two of his best!

Thanks to all for coming on the walk. I had a great time. There are some more pics here. I couldn't be bothered posting them all.

[sheldahl]

well, here are a few of mine, including the long awaited hero.


A cloud framed peak beside us.


Stream along the track


Sthughes probably debating in his head the correct name for everything he sees


Heroic it is indeed. Nice work penguin.


And a rainbow for the trip down

[Nick S]

Here's a few more.

View South from the top

Looking SE across to Mt Read, Shaded lake down the bottom

Pretty much all the Overland track mountains. Eldon bluff on the right. much discussion re. location of Mt Olympus, we finally agreed on something in the middle there

[corvus]

L8r,Nick S ,sheldahl,
Great photographs I told you that I did not need to get to the very summit to enjoy it it ,just awaiting for sthughes and Gerry dukes to place the icing on top
Thanks again to everyone for a really good day, I intend carrying BW gear(and Camera) on every Queenstown trip to pick up my son from now on so we can have a go weather permitting at many of the day walks in this area.
c

[GerryDuke]

Thanks Speculator for heading us towards this fantastic walk. I think if I was on my own I would have turned back at the first difficult section where there was not much to hang on to - although only 20 metres or so. As for the second difficult section - not the climb but the necessity not to look down from the ledge above the hanging lake (see below).

My leg muscles are going to be sore for a week but worth it for a very spectacular climb.

Like the panoramas Nick.

I incidently spoke to someone tonight who did the walk in 1965 - the long way from Williamsford via the transmission lines and Lake Serina (looking at the map - he might have meant Lake Sandra) by the now Lake Plimsol.

The summit in sight via "The Ledge"

A lonley tarn directly below the track with the highway way below.

Heading down from the sumit the track looks to be heading towards a rock wall. The track turns left and back uphill sharply through a gap to emerge near the ledge overlooking the tarn above.

More to come. The site is only letting me upload 3 at once - I am probably doing something wrong! (Don't know how I got one in twice!)

Gerry

[GerryDuke]

Must put this one in!

Gerry

[eggs]

GerryDuke

You aren't doing anything wrong. Gallery will only load 3 photos at a time, although you could edit your first page so that the third photo is not the same as the first.

Well done to everyone. After all the discussion you actually got there!

Corvus,

There are certainly a lot of great walks on the forgotten West Coast.
A ramble along the cliffs of Trial Harbour, Mts Zeehan, Owen, Farrell are straightforward half day walks.
A bit harder are Mts Dundas, Tyndall, Murchison, Geikie (I did this via Lake Margaret township - which I think is a bit restricted at the moment)
Montezuma Falls is very touristy but still great. (When I first did it I turned to gum boots as the track was basically a series of pools along the old railway track. It has been done up a lot since then for the 4 wheel drives to use. )
Others that I would love to do one day are Mts Agnew and Jukes - perhaps camping on the southern end of Jukes.

I reckon you would have coped with the last section - I found the trick was to find the cracks and edges in the rock surface, and they gave that reassuring grip both up and down. The boys even had a snow fight on this slope.

Brian

[corvus]

GerryDuke

Corvus,


I reckon you would have coped with the last section - I found the trick was to find the cracks and edges in the rock surface, and they gave that reassuring grip both up and down. The boys even had a snow fight on this slope.

Brian

Thanks for your confidence "eggs" a couple of years ago this would have not even made me blink however a fall whilst doing a simple rock climb has changed my outlook on life "its the landing that hurts" and lack of life insurance also plays a big part
now
c

[sthughes]

Excellent work guys - some great pics. I especially like the one of Gerry's with Speculator walking along the track under the cliffs.
I rank that walk as one of the best day walks I've done, on a clear day it would be incredibly spectacular(er)! Like Nick pointed out on the way up it would be even better when the Fagus has turned. If your not a fan of heights it's probably not the easiest summit to reach - but just the same it's well worth the walk halfway up as you have sweeping views from north of Cradle to mountains I have no idea of the names of in the south, plus the incredible geology and flora of the mountain itself. Definatley on my "To re-Do" list!
Yep I'll post a couple of pics eventually, should be able to find one or two in the 300+ I took!

[Nuts]

WoW, Looks like a great climb. All the times I've looked over there, I had no idea it was so rugged! Well done with the photo's too, a good second best for us deskbound...

[Penguin]

Thanks guys, and gal, for a great day.

I agree that is one of the better day walks that I have been on. Definitly going back to do it again.

The Strollers are a great group to go with; they love the bush, enjoy the views and the lack of macho gunho walking. To enjoy the journey for it own stake, rather than hairy chested competiveness as to who can get to the top first, really adds to the experience.

Sorry I can't be on the next walk.

Cheers P

[sthughes]

The Strollers are a great group to go with; they love the bush, enjoy the views and the lack of macho gunho walking.

Well most of us aren't macho anyway

[GerryDuke]

Speculator asked for a copy of the group photo and the one of the 'wall' with himself as the main event! They can be found here:

http://www.touringtasmania.info/bwt_strollers.htm

I also thought we could share this one. We all headed towards the chasm in the photo below. A dramatic sight. The summit is about 100 metres to the left and The Queens Head (I think) on the right. If the picture was taken sideways Tullah would just about be in the frame.

[Son of a Beach]

I love this group shot. Very casual, very real.

Must put this one in!

MT-MURCHISON-GROUP-260.jpg

Gerry

[sthughes]

On top of the world!


If anyone is interested I've uplloaded a bunch of photos here: http://cid-3df7605222363d6e.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Mt%20Murchison%20April%204th%202009 I won't bother uploading them to the BWT site as well.

EDIT by Mod - fixed link to image.

[james cav]

I lived in rosebery for a short time about 7 years ago and was suprised at how few of the locals (almost none that I could find) had climbed mt murchison. It stares at you every day at I could not help but wonder what lay at the top. I was completly amazed at the "LOST WORLD" effect the ring of mountains gives the lakes within. Does anyone know if a way into the lakes exists. I recall it looking like a sheer drop but that was 7yrs ago. I think the effect of the walls around you would be quite awsome. Looking at the photos I can remeber the walk above the small lake quite well. thanks for the fond memories .