The toughest day hike near Hobart

[elvagabundo]

Here's the scenario:

I am preparing for the South Coast Track and I have found a potential hiking partner who I don't know very well and I am not sure if he is up to the challenge. If he's not up to it I want to find out beforehand so, in order to get a better idea, I would like to load up our bags and go on the toughest day hike you can muster (let's say 15-25 km) and within an hour's drive from Hobart.

Mt. Wellington or Collins cap have been suggested to me, but as I have not seen these trails I want to make sure they are indeed tough. While spectacular scenery would be a plus, this is primarily a training exercise so difficulty is the top priority. I want the kind of hike that could drive a non-whinger to whinge. I would prefer a trail that is relatively well marked so I won't need a map. I would also appreciate it if you could provide some basic driving directions to the trail head.

Thank you in advance!

[stepbystep]

Mt Wellington is your best bet close to Hobart, maybe start at Ferntree, up to the summit and then across to Mt Connection or further, Collins Bonnet perhaps...any number of combinations on the walking tracks and fire trails up there.

A large circuit at Mt Field would be nicer and still pretty close to Hobart, Lake Dobson - Mt Field West - Newdegate Pass - Lake Webster - Lake Dobson circuit should sort most people out.

Both options have plenty of escape options if they are suffering.

[tasadam]

My first Tasmanian walk was a day hike from near the Glenorchy tip to the Longley pub, including Montague and Cathedral Rock. I recall that was about 25km. That was to wear in a new pair of Scarpas, in preparation for a Frenchmans circuit to Raglan Range. Things are different now I'm a bit less young.

[pazzar]

I once did a large circuit starting in Fern Tree. I went up the Middle Track, then up the Icehouse Track to the Wellington summit, then continued on to the Collins Bonnet Track, then up onto Thark Ridge, down to Mt Montague, and out to Neika via Wellington Falls, and then walked the last 5km to Fern Tree. I climbed Mt Connection and Mt Montague on this day, but they would be completely optional. Took me around 10 hours, covered well over 30kms though.

[Nuts]

First couple of days on the SCT aren't hard, they may not start feeling sorry for themselves till they hit the mud? Fern Tree to the summit might mimic the Ironbound ascent. Do it at pace and yell at them if you really want to make them cry?

[johnw]

Another Wellington suggestion - start at Myrtle Forest near Collinsvale. 1. Collins Bonnet 2. Trestle Mountain 3. Collins Cap. This is a circuit (sort of) and can be done in a day. I have done it, albeit in two bites, a few years apart. Last Dec/Jan I did Trestle and Collins Cap and easily finished those in less than a day. There is a short but reasonably strenuous climb/scramble up Trestle. And enough uphill on the rest of it to keep the blood pumping if you maintain a reasonable pace. Decent climb up from Myrtle Forest to Collins Bonnet. You won't get any mud though. I guess you could consider extending beyond these to other nearby peaks as most of them are connected by fire trail (e.g. Mt Marian, Mt Charles, Mt Patrick); I haven't climbed these so won't comment.

[tasadam]

First couple of days on the SCT aren't hard,

Depends which way you go...

[Nuts]

True...

..still, my hiking partner (and myself) didn't start the niggling till at least a few days in...

[elvagabundo]

Great, I appreciate you all taking the time to make some suggestions. Thank you and wish us luck...

[stoogest]

I found the Cathedral Rock loop starting at Neika to be a fairly tough walk. It's about 15km and has some very, very steep sections. If you want a bit more distance you could extend it out towards Mt Wellington as well I reckon.

If you're interested, here's my writeup on the walk, including a map:

http://strikis.smugmug.com/Hiking/Cathe ... 059_GVRd5c

Cheers!
Andrew.

[Azza]

yea.. I dunno whether any of that is really a decent trial for the SCT, its not so much the km's that matter..

You should go down to Lake Judd or something and lug some packs through knee deep mud and then you'll know for sure.

[Liamy77]

yea.. I dunno whether any of that is really a decent trial for the SCT, its not so much the km's that matter..

You should go down to Lake Judd AKA lake Mudd or something and lug some packs through knee deep mud and then you'll know for sure.

[NickD]

Yeah I'd say somewhere with mud and tree roots....