Arm river track

[bushbasherbrad]

Hey guys just wondering if any has any idea on what the track is like and the conditions of the roads the the start are like?
Cheers Brad

[ILUVSWTAS]

Tracks awesome.
Roads awesome. (2wd able)

[tasadam]

Just came back from there, an overnighter up along the track a bit.
Apart from the steep section of the track which is documented on the forum somewhere, you should be fine with it. The steep section is possible for a 9 year old girl on her first overnight walk so it can't be that bad.
A fair bit of dirt road to the start of the walk. Some potholes, can't really say how bad they are because my 4WD just eats them, but if you keep an eye out you'll be able to miss them, there was enough road intact for that.
No washouts or anything.
Depends on what you are looking for in a walking track... After about 1KM there is one log that is a bit lower than waist high that you have to step over, but that's about the only hazard. Some very short black sections of mud and slippery logs before the climb too (first 1KM).
After the climb, you go along a bit and you come to a Y junction, left (incorrect) takes you over a square piece of timber about 10cm x 10cm square and further along a more narrow trail that leads you initially through some bauera, but the correct direction is right (don't step over the square piece of timber), and you should then immediately see the sign that welcomes you to the world heritage area. With your eyes open, it will be obvious.
That should be the only struggle you would have (if any) in following the track, unless it snows or something. Of course, if in doubt, navigate.

Looking for any more detailed info? Happy to help if I can.

What are you planning?

[mjdalessa]

I've been planning a day trip up Mt. Pillinger (off arm river track), but not sure of walk time. If anyone can help me out with how long i can expect to take from the start of arm river track and the difficulty, that would be great, thanks.

[north-north-west]

Pillinger takes a half day if you just go up and back. You can lengthen it by detouring up to Lake Price.

The track starts flat, little bit of damp stuff, then climbs steeply to the junction just below the World Heritage sign. Pillinger is the track on the left. Little bit of overgrowth, but not really an issue. Once the track hits the boulders, it takes one or two odd turns, but it's well cairned and has had some work done to clear scrub, so it's easy to follow. Not a hard climb, not really even scrambling except for one little bit near the last section, just boulder-hopping and ordinary walking.
Terrific views, though.

[tasadam]

Well, that being the case, forget about what I said re NOT stepping over that 4x4 inch piece of timber at the Y junction, that is the turnoff to the Pillinger track so that is where you need to go.
From the turnoff (y junction, left) your track gets narrower but still easy enough (for a 9 year old girl) and eventually you get to the larger of the reedy lakes, where just before it there is a junction to the left to head you up towards the mountain. You'll see a fairly white branch stuck in the ground off to the left (about head high I think), and when you're close to it you'll see the track past it.
Not sure about walk times without checking the Chapmans day walks book, I think it's in there but could be wrong. Other resource is Bill Wilkinsons Abels book perhaps. Or someone here you could ask that climbed Pillinger without a camera
On the way back, don't turn off at the cairn on the flat rock area or you'll be heading down towards Maggs 17. Wrong way. You'll see it on the way in anyhow, just cruise straight past it and don't turn off there.
I can't remember the climb being any harder than the steep bit on the Arm River track. I remember it as "nice" (it was a good day).

[north-north-west]

According to my notes, it took me about two hours to get to the summit.

[ILUVSWTAS]

I walked from Pelion hut to the car park including a sidetrip to Pillinger in 4 hrs.

[north-north-west]

Yeah, well, some of us like to take our time and actually SEE something.

[ILUVSWTAS]

I saw lots!


Lots of boardwalk....... anyway i'd just been on Ossa Peast and Oakleigh.. i'd seen enough beauty!

[Penguin]

My 22 y/0 daughter and I took 8 hours to go frm Pelion Hut to the end of the Arm river track, but then she had torn her medial ligament in her left knee. She did well

I usually take a little over three hours, and I am not a fast walker.

Penguin

[north-north-west]

My 22 y/0 daughter and I took 8 hours to go frm Pelion Hut to the end of the Arm River track, but then she had torn her medial ligament in her left knee. She did well

She did *&%$#! well if she was carrying a pack!
Hope she had a good physio.

[Penguin]

She did very well. The other two of us caries most of the weight but she insisted on carrying a light pack. The trick was titrating the codeine. Enough to take the edge off the pain but not so much that she felt nauseous and disoriented - we discovered she reacts to codeine. The knee has completely healed with a bit of rehabilitation.

[Liamy77]

out of interest does anyone have any gpx files of the arm river track or that area??

Or up to date advice to offer a friend of mine ( New member "tweeta" ) considering walking in this area?
thankyou folks... Cheers, Liam

[ILUVSWTAS]

out of interest does anyone have any gpx files of the arm river track or that area??

Or up to date advice to offer a friend of mine ( New member "tweeta" ) considering walking in this area?
thankyou folks... Cheers, Liam

It's all signposted to the start of the track, and much of the track is board. It's really very easy

[stepbystep]

Liam I can give you a gpx from Maggs Rd, don't know why anyone would do the Arm River when the Maggs track is so much quicker/nicer. Let me know via PM if you want it.

[corvus]

out of interest does anyone have any gpx files of the arm river track or that area??

Or up to date advice to offer a friend of mine ( New member "tweeta" ) considering walking in this area?
thankyou folks... Cheers, Liam

It's all signposted to the start of the track, and much of the track is board. It's really very easy

Don't think they are talking about the "Arm River " track

[ILUVSWTAS]

If he meant the newer, nicer, easier Maggs track, why not just mention it?? Is this track another "touchy" subject??

Last edited by ILUVSWTAS on Sun 19 Feb, 2012 9:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[stepbystep]

If he meant the newer, nicer, easier Maggs 17 track, why not just mention it?? Is this track another "touchy" subject??

As I understand it, if Maggs gets too much traffic it'll turn to moosh(easy to see why), I know of at least one commercial operator that chooses to use ART because he said he'd chew up Maggs in 6 months if he used it....

[ILUVSWTAS]

If he meant the newer, nicer, easier Maggs 17 track, why not just mention it?? Is this track another "touchy" subject??

As I understand it, if Maggs gets too much traffic it'll turn to moosh(easy to see why), I know of at least one commercial operator that chooses to use ART because he said he'd chew up Maggs in 6 months if he used it....

hmmm yes good point ok I can see that....... it was a bit soft underfoot in places, could easily turn to moosh. Can I just say too I wholeheartedly approve of your use of the word moosh, well done!!

[corvus]

Thinking about the sphagnum section on the 17 does anyone think that it may "harden" somewhat like the one on the Reedy Lake track or should we now skirt around the northern edge of the pines to avoid it
corvus

[ILUVSWTAS]

Thinking about the sphagnum section on the 17 does anyone think that it may "harden" somewhat like the one on the Reedy Lake track or should we now skirt around the northern edge of the pines to avoid it
corvus

I think parts of it are already showing signs of turning to mud??

[corvus]

G'day ILSWT,
The sections that are getting muddied are short shallow and unlikely to go " Loddens like" I hope and as I mentioned a new pad could be created through the trees.
corvus

[ILUVSWTAS]

Yes i'd agree with that. It's unllikely to turn to Loddon type mud, but it does appear to be a sensitive type of area, the area thru the pines is quite nice, and firmer underfoot, might not be a bad idea.... could you change it so that everyone using this track takes the same path though??

[Son of a Beach]

Yes i'd agree with that. It's unllikely to turn to Loddon type mud, but it does appear to be a sensitive type of area, the area thru the pines is quite nice, and firmer underfoot, might not be a bad idea.... could you change it so that everyone using this track takes the same path though??

I haven't walked this route, so can't make much comment. But in general, re-routing a track (at least short sections of it) is fairly easy in a lot of cases. Use tape (if there's the right kind of vegetation - the tape can later be removed when no longer needed), make sure there are a few large groups using it early on (the trampling will then be reasonably obvious and easy to follow), and obscure each end of the old section of track, just for a metre or two, and place reasonable sized branches or logs across it where it joins the new route. Most people recognise the log/branch as a "stop sign", and will look around for the "correct" route. Of course, I don't know if this would work for that particular situation.

[ILUVSWTAS]

That is a good idea Nik, I wish we'd started thinking about this before the walk and not after...

[Nuts]

Sometimes trees block the arm road but it is a circut so..

The moosh wont go anywhere or the area erode further.... if it just becomes harder to walk or on the eye then no big deal is it? To re-route actually would be a major undertaking as the spag extends far further than the short dogleg clearing... don't know about one operator making much difference, there are Many using the track (including tour operators with as much work)... and it has recently seen some clearing...

The m17 track avoids the hill climb but otherwise arm river is much better formed and cleared (and its quicker).