From Totally Inexperienced to Trekking the OT

[DanShell]

As the title suggests we are what most of you would call inexperienced hikers but like a lot of people we want to do the Overland Track.

It will be just myself 44yo Male and my son 17yo, we enjoy day walks and have done a few overnight hikes but to go from where we are now to doing the OT we need to get a lot more experience.

So my question to the experienced hikers is how would you go about preparing or more accurately training to do the OT if you were just starting out again?

A few things we possibly already have going for us is that we are Tasmanians so we are aware of the potential conditions although my son needs to get some more experience in the highlands to truly know what cold is, we are keen campers so camping out is something we have spent many nights doing and we are both reasonably fit although both of us need to be better match fit as far as hiking with our packs etc.

Ill list how we are going about our preparations so far and hopefully we can get some advice on how we should change it or perhaps we are on the right track...so to speak

It has only come from a dream to a discussion and a decision of "lets do it then" to now the first stages of preparation. So at these early stages we are watching as many videos and reading as many books as we can about the OT and we are confident we will be well prepared as far as having the right equipment and pack weights so what we really need to do is 'train' by doing the right hikes leading up to our departure date, which at this stage is not decided.

So we are thinking we need to do as many overnight and multi day hikes as we can and make sure we climb some decent altitude in varying conditions. And to be blunt, besides our equipment preparation we are at a loss as to anything else we should be doing to get ready?? LOL

So any help or advice will be appreciated??

[Nuts]

Hi DanShell, it sounds like you have already done more than many OLT walkers.

My first walk was ill-considered. Mum made me promise to visit a local bushwalking identity for advice (I was 23 and with my GF but anyhow..). His advice was colourful, we spent the afternoon listening to tales of mud and woe In the end, completely overloaded though prepared for every eventuality I was knackered in the first couple of hours. The heat had me and after a day in the tent it was the third night before we camped at Waterfall Valley..

The advice comes thick and fast about gear and preparedness. I'd suggest a list of your gear on here. It's not at all 'everything' but it might give others something to go on. Plan a few short walks around CM?, try for an overnight walk to Scott-Kilvert Hut?.. Just take the necessities, leave in good weather, walk around the mountain. Wander out on the cirque west of Mt Emmett for a good view of the northern end of the park (and the first few days of the track).

[icefest]

I think I can understand your situation a bit. I'm in my early 20's and walked the Western Arthurs over summer with my 47 year old father.

For me there were three considerations; 1) Equipment 2) physical fitness 3) mental fitness.

1) Equipment

I have a decent amount of cold weather and off track experience and had no problems adapting my set-up for the expected conditions. Knowing how your and your equipment works can mean you are able to take less and take lighter equipment.

In your case the best way to learn is to continue what you are doing: weekend hikes in bad weather.

2) Physical fitness

I doubt my father was as fit as yours, he had done no overnight hikes for at least 5 years. My solution was to walk in summer, where the long days would enable us to take long breaks and to have plenty of rest days. (cf lightweight equipment)

You are the best judge of this (although I'd say that if you can do a strenuous overnighter then you will have no problem on the OT, just have room to spare for rest/bad weather days).

3)Mental fitness

Two subtypes, a)interpersonal b)mental reaction to adversity

For me, this ones the dealbreaker. This is what determines if a bad situation is remembered as fun or a disaster.

I've spent 16days on a sailboat with my father so I wasn't worried about interpersonal problems.

Mental reaction to adversity
I have seen my father in stressful situations and know that he will not panic, not so important on the OT, but in the WA's there are places where you will die if you panic and fall. Knowing your hiking partner will simplify preparation.

In all I think you would be fine. Family groups, while often having differing fitness levels tend to know each other very well and can judge each others strengths and weaknesses well. The better you know yourself and your partner the less and lighter you can pack and the less important fitness is.

[South_Aussie_Hiker]

My wife and I were in the exact same situation as you in 2008. Had done a variety of camping and some big day walks, but not a multi-day overnight hike.

Late Jan 2009 we successfully and comfortably walked the OLT.

All we did was:
- prepare by walking long walks including big climbs with a 10-15kg pack
- carefully and accurately considering all the information on the Parks website for the OLT (especially with regards to required gear)
- walked end of Jan/start of Feb because days are much longer, weather is better (but not guaranteed) and there are lots of other walkers around to help you out (and rangers/hut volunteers).

We did a few little things which weren't so smart and which we do very differently now, but most importantly we were probably over-prepared rather than under-prepared. There was never any doubt we were going to be able to safely survive what the track and weather threw at us.

Plus we did a lot of reading on bushwalk.com

That's about all you need to do. Get fit, heed all of Parks' advice, carry the right gear, and walk during the safest time of year.

[DanShell]

Thanks very much for the replies, the more I read this forum the more I read of overseas visitors trekking the OLT very unprepared so in some ways it gives me confidence that we will be ready when we do it!

In the end, completely overloaded though prepared for every eventuality I was knackered in the first couple of hours. The heat had me and after a day in the tent it was the third night before we camped at Waterfall Valley..

I'd suggest a list of your gear on here. It's not at all 'everything' but it might give others something to go on. Plan a few short walks around CM?, try for an overnight walk to Scott-Kilvert Hut?.. Just take the necessities, leave in good weather, walk around the mountain. Wander out on the cirque west of Mt Emmett for a good view of the northern end of the park (and the first few days of the track).

Hi Nuts, thanks. It does look like day 1 is the killer, Id be interested to hear what went wrong for you? Was it just heat exhaustion? Pack too heavy? Fitness wasn't up to par? Id be devastated if we had to pitch the tent early and then spend a full day resting on the side of the track, especially if it was day 1, you must have been concerned about pushing on?

As for equipment it is probably a bit early to list our gear because a lot of it will change before this hike but Ill give you an idea where we are at anyway......

My pack is a really old canvas thing around 75ltr that is being replaced but it is ok for what I have been doing to date. I will be upgrading to something lighter but similar size.
My sons Pack is a middle of the range Denali 60ltr we bought at Anaconda. In fact it is my wifes, but my son uses it too.

I can't think of the brand of our sleeping bags but mine is a -5 and its a middle of the road quality, however my sons is a far better quality, its rating is better (I'm not 100% sure atm) and it packs better than mine.

We both used some Aussie brand sleeping mats for years but both of them recently started leaking in a really awkward spot around the nozzle and we can't repair them so we are buying new mats soon. Our old ones were too heavy anyway so its a good excuse to buy something better.

We will share our trangia for cooking. And we will share the weight of our 2 man tent. It is a Lanson we bought from Kathmandu years ago. It weights over 2kgs but works well for 2 of us.

As for clothing we are all over the place with that at this stage. We generally hike in just thermals and shorts with gators. But both of us are keen to get some good breathable lightweight clothing. We both need lighter wet weather gear and we both need good lighter warmer gear. As it is now we just layer with what we have, which is way too heavy for a multi day hike like this. So our clothing is the main thing we need to 'test' more before we go...besides our fitness

We are hoping to be around 15kgs each for this hike once we have our gear sorted........or even lighter if we can LOL

For me there were three considerations; 1) Equipment 2) physical fitness 3) mental fitness.

Thanks Icefest and I agree.

Our equipment is something we are working on as outlined above and I am confident we will have ourselves well and truly sorted before we do the OLT as far being able to easily adapt to the varying conditions without having too much gear.

Our physical fitness if I was to be honest is the main concern for me. I mean we are reasonably fit but we need to do some more multi day hikes so we are getting a better understanding of what its like to back it up day after day.

Mental fitness is our strength. We love adversity, in fact we thrive on it! When we do a trip regardless if it is a hike or a camping trip or a family holiday we deep down hope something goes slightly wrong because in our minds its those things that make memories
Don't get me wrong, we are not ambulance chasers by any means but going outside of our limits and pushing the boundaries is what it is all about for us Nothing worse than being on a trip with someone who whinges and moans the whole way and spits the dummy when things start going a bit pear shaped LOL

Heres a pic of us stuck in the outback with a broken camper....looking back we loved it!

We did a few little things which weren't so smart and which we do very differently now, but most importantly we were probably over-prepared rather than under-prepared. There was never any doubt we were going to be able to safely survive what the track and weather threw at us.

Thanks very much South Aussie Hiker. Care to elaborate on what it was that was no so smart? To heavy perhaps?
I think your approach is exactly how we are approaching it.

[icefest]

Stuck in the bush with a broken trailer... sounds familiar except we broke the leaf spring than then shredded the tire.

To be honest, your sleeping bag + pack + stove combo sounds really heavy. It might be worth concentrating more on that than clothes. Lighter clothes tend to be more fragile, fleece does surprisingly well in the wet.

[DanShell]

Stuck in the bush with a broken trailer... sounds familiar except we broke the leaf spring than then shredded the tire.

To be honest, your sleeping bag + pack + stove combo sounds really heavy. It might be worth concentrating more on that than clothes. Lighter clothes tend to be more fragile, fleece does surprisingly well in the wet.

Ive been researching a lot about packs and sleeping bags and to be honest I am at a loss as to whats the best way to go!!

Would you be kind enough to offer a few suggestions?

[South_Aussie_Hiker]

Hi DanShell.

1. Avoid hot lunches. We mainly took 2min noodles for lunch which required getting a lot of gear out of the pack to heat water etc.
We now eat cold lunches - mountain bread, tuna, crackers, cheese, salami etc.

2. My wife carried better clothes than me. I had heaps of under layers like singlets, but only one (sleeveless) jumper.

3. Carried a tent that was far too heavy.

4. Focused too much on warmth of sleeping bag, and not enough on warmth (R value) of sleeping mat. Get a Neoair or downmat with a minimum R value of 4. When we slept on the ground in a tent, our -5C bags were not warm enough on a 0C night. The ground just sucked the heat out of us. In huts was fine.
Used bulky roll up type mattress on outside of pack. Was painful putting pack liner on and off. Keep EVERYTHING inside your pack.

5. Carried plenty of cool, light clothing - especially my wife who had tank tops. But we used about 200ml sunscreen. Smarter clothes (like long sleeved thin hiking shirts) are much better.

6. I didn't take a razor. Got really sick of it after 7 days.

7. Skipped Pine Valley. Biggest mistake ever now that I've been there.

8. We followed the signs about possums and currawongs so had no problems. Two months ago saw someone who didn't follow Parks' advice by leaving their pack zips tied/covered with pack cover.... 8 days food spread all over the ground at lake will turnoff.

[Nuts]

Hi Nuts, thanks. It does look like day 1 is the killer, Id be interested to hear what went wrong for you? Was it just heat exhaustion? Pack too heavy? Fitness wasn't up to par? Id be devastated if we had to pitch the tent early and then spend a full day resting on the side of the track, especially if it was day 1, you must have been concerned about pushing on?

Too heavy was probably the main problem, way too much food! Over-prepared can be as bad as under-prepared if the dramatic event is a broken ankle from a heavy fall or just plain un-enjoyable exhaustion...but that's why your here- to get suitably prepared

We also took a route that (whilst scenic) wasn't the easiest and the weather was warm.
Overexposure, dehydration, not sure. As came to pass later i had also picked up a gastro bug early in the walk so spent another 'tent' day at Pelion Creek.
But the weight... ! It took us ten days to finish the track, no side trips with all the drama most of the week i swore i'd never do it again... until the last days when I started to feel better and entertain the thought (I think that was enough for the GF, I haven't seen her since putting her on a plane in Hobart on day 11.. all those years ago )

Iv'e walked and taken others on the track many times since. Your gear does look like it could do with an upgrade, i doubt you'll get to 15kg with everything in unless you lighten up at least a few items but 15-20 is ok (I would have had 35-40 i'd imagine).. You'll be fine, I doubt it's lack of preparation (to the extent that can be gleaned from a forum) that stops people who come here and study or take the good advice like the others are giving here. Fitness does help, though you'll see people of all shapes and sizes and abilities.. elite athletes or process workers may be on their feet for 4/5/6 hrs a day but not us mere mortals (or very often at least..). I doubt very few do anything like that even in training.. (5/6hrs every day..) Anything you do will only help, it tells in whether you'll walk or crawl or limp into the campsites at night far..far more often than those needing a helicopter... I'd suggest any amount of exercise to build endurance and flexibility.

Last edited by Nuts on Wed 26 Mar, 2014 5:59 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[sthughes]

Mental fitness is our strength. We love adversity, in fact we thrive on it! When we do a trip regardless if it is a hike or a camping trip or a family holiday we deep down hope something goes slightly wrong because in our minds its those things that make memories

You'll be fine then

I mean as long as you have the gear to avoid getting hypothermia and/or lost in really bad conditions, and you don't have a heart condition (or whatever), then you'll be fine. The OT isn't that tough physically, if you make it to Waterfall Valley in a day it'll be fine from there. I think the people who really struggle generally either a)don't have the proper gear (sandals, emergency ponchos etc) or b) Are the type to start crying when the hill gets steep/it starts raining/they can't keep up etc.. Or both!

Winter or summer?

[Ellobuddha]

Myself and friends did it in Sept last year. Had snow most days. Up to thigh deep just past Kitchen hut. Heavy pack made the first day hard in the snow.

I took way too much clothing and also gas for cooking. We walked every day in just a nylon button up shirt and solid hardshell. Lightweight waterproof gloves and a buff for the face getting hit with sleet were most prized possession.

A pair of heavy merino thermals (260 weight) for top and bottom were worn with down jacket and rain pants over legs. That was plenty warm enough in huts. It was quiet with few others so huts were not busy.

Try to average out your fuel depending on your cooking (trangia) I only used one 100ml cannister with my jetboil which ran out cooking breakfast last morning at Narcissus. Dragged along a big 400ml cannister for no reason.

Dry beanie and socks for nighttime use only as well.

Merino is great as can wear for days and doesnt stink at all.

GAITER - wear GAITERS. Some of those big puddles/ponds are deep. I used the sea to Summit ones (i think the second tier model) tThey were great with event rain pants. Never got a wet sock. Wore Mammut brand boots which were heavier than others but rocksolid and waterproof.

I was suprised that the track was really well maintained and a lot easier than expected. You will love it.

[DanShell]

Hi DanShell.

1. Avoid hot lunches. We mainly took 2min noodles for lunch which required getting a lot of gear out of the pack to heat water etc.
We now eat cold lunches - mountain bread, tuna, crackers, cheese, salami etc.

2. My wife carried better clothes than me. I had heaps of under layers like singlets, but only one (sleeveless) jumper.

3. Carried a tent that was far too heavy.

4. Focused too much on warmth of sleeping bag, and not enough on warmth (R value) of sleeping mat. Get a Neoair or downmat with a minimum R value of 4. When we slept on the ground in a tent, our -5C bags were not warm enough on a 0C night. The ground just sucked the heat out of us. In huts was fine.
Used bulky roll up type mattress on outside of pack. Was painful putting pack liner on and off. Keep EVERYTHING inside your pack.

5. Carried plenty of cool, light clothing - especially my wife who had tank tops. But we used about 200ml sunscreen. Smarter clothes (like long sleeved thin hiking shirts) are much better.

6. I didn't take a razor. Got really sick of it after 7 days.

7. Skipped Pine Valley. Biggest mistake ever now that I've been there.

8. We followed the signs about possums and currawongs so had no problems. Two months ago saw someone who didn't follow Parks' advice by leaving their pack zips tied/covered with pack cover.... 8 days food spread all over the ground at lake will turnoff.

South Aussie Hiker, Thanks very much for those tips. Just a little off topic but I have been reading your Frenchmans Cap report and it is fantastic well done. Hopefully one day Ill be ready to tackle it as well

Too heavy was probably the main problem, way too much food! Over-prepared can be as bad as under-prepared if the dramatic event is a broken ankle from a heavy fall or just plain un-enjoyable exhaustion...but that's why your here- to get suitably prepared

We also took a route that (whilst scenic) wasn't the easiest and the weather was warm.
Overexposure, dehydration, not sure. As came to pass later i had also picked up a gastro bug early in the walk so spent another 'tent' day at Pelion Creek.
But the weight... ! It took us ten days to finish the track, no side trips with all the drama most of the week i swore i'd never do it again... until the last days when I started to feel better and entertain the thought (I think that was enough for the GF, I haven't seen her since putting her on a plane in Hobart on day 11.. all those years ago )

Iv'e walked and taken others on the track many times since. Your gear does look like it could do with an upgrade, i doubt you'll get to 15kg with everything in unless you lighten up at least a few items but 15-20 is ok (I would have had 35-40 i'd imagine).. You'll be fine, I doubt it's lack of preparation (to the extent that can be gleaned from a forum) that stops people who come here and study or take the good advice like the others are giving here. Fitness does help, though you'll see people of all shapes and sizes and abilities.. elite athletes or process workers may be on their feet for 4/5/6 hrs a day but not us mere mortals (or very often at least..). I doubt very few do anything like that even in training.. (5/6hrs every day..) Anything you do will only help, it tells in whether you'll walk or crawl or limp into the campsites at night far..far more often than those needing a helicopter... I'd suggest any amount of exercise to build endurance and flexibility.

Thanks Nuts.

The following questions are for any one that can advise me.
I have been looking at all the online shops and there is so much choice I'm getting confused!!
I know we need new mats and I think ill be buying Exped Down 7 mats, they appear to be warm and light enough. Does that sound ok?

Ive looked at what seems like a 100 different packs and I can't for the life of me work out how a $800 pack differs from a $200 cheapy from Anaconda! I look at the weights and they are both around 2kg, they both claim the same features etc so I am struggling here, any advice would be appreciated??

Likewise I have been looking at an alternative cooking arrangement other than my old faithful trangia and once again I am at a loss as to why I would replace it with something else. I know it is a bit heavier than some of the more modern cookers but I am spreading the weight over the 2 of us and the kit has everything we need to feed ourselves. Is it the efficiency of the fuel thats the issue? Im struggling to see where I can save enough weight to justify not using it.

And again our sleeping bags are not $500 bags but they are also not $50 Kmart items either. They have a pretty good rating and whilst they have a mix of fill and not 100% down I think compared to the really expensive bags they are possible slightly heavier (comparing equivalent ratings) and they may not quite pack as small as some others but once again I am struggling to justify spending more money on them. Am i missing something? Sorry for such newbie questions but I am genuinely trying to justify buying a lot of new gear.

As for using the correct clothing well wow I am spinning on that one! I understand the concept of layering but here is an area I can see us throwing a lot of money away so I want to make the right choices. We are going to start annoying the local retailers and asking lots of questions to get a better idea of which way we should be heading. (no doubt we will get a lot of different opinions)
In the past in our other hobbies we have wasted a lot of money on equipment until we finally get it right, but when we do get it right the final set up always works out to be so simple but efficient and effective.

Thanks for any help in this department.

You'll be fine then

I mean as long as you have the gear to avoid getting hypothermia and/or lost in really bad conditions, and you don't have a heart condition (or whatever), then you'll be fine. The OT isn't that tough physically, if you make it to Waterfall Valley in a day it'll be fine from there. I think the people who really struggle generally either a)don't have the proper gear (sandals, emergency ponchos etc) or b) Are the type to start crying when the hill gets steep/it starts raining/they can't keep up etc.. Or both!

Winter or summer?

Definitely Summer or maybe in the 'shoulder' season, it will depend on what multi day hikes we manage to get in between then and now but I think it would be crazy for us to do it in the middle of winter given our experience. IMHO

Myself and friends did it in Sept last year. Had snow most days. Up to thigh deep just past Kitchen hut. Heavy pack made the first day hard in the snow.

I took way too much clothing and also gas for cooking. We walked every day in just a nylon button up shirt and solid hardshell. Lightweight waterproof gloves and a buff for the face getting hit with sleet were most prized possession.

A pair of heavy merino thermals (260 weight) for top and bottom were worn with down jacket and rain pants over legs. That was plenty warm enough in huts. It was quiet with few others so huts were not busy.

Try to average out your fuel depending on your cooking (trangia) I only used one 100ml cannister with my jetboil which ran out cooking breakfast last morning at Narcissus. Dragged along a big 400ml cannister for no reason.

Dry beanie and socks for nighttime use only as well.

Merino is great as can wear for days and doesnt stink at all.

GAITER - wear GAITERS. Some of those big puddles/ponds are deep. I used the sea to Summit ones (i think the second tier model) tThey were great with event rain pants. Never got a wet sock. Wore Mammut brand boots which were heavier than others but rocksolid and waterproof.

I was suprised that the track was really well maintained and a lot easier than expected. You will love it.

Thanks Ellobuddha I appreciate your advice. All our thermals are polypropylene so Im thinking I need to get some wool thermals

Thanks everyone for taking the time to help us we appreciate it.

[Tortoise]

Hey Danny,

I don't have time at the mo, but a few thoughts:

- Practice carrying the same weight before the walk, for a full day (8 hurs ish), up and down 400m+ elevation

I have helped carry in stuff for friends starting the OLT. They had done a few training walks, but they carried less weight, up a smaller mountain, for less distance than to Waterfall Valley. It wasn't ideal preparation, and it could have got quite tricky if the weather turned.

- If i had my time again, I'd start with as much lighter weight gear as I could. Recently gone from carrying up to 23kgs for the OLT, to about 13kgs for 6 days. It's a very happy world of difference!

- As you're in Tas, could you do a weekend at Cradle, eg to Scott Kilvert Hut, preferably in bad weather? or somewhere equivalent in the south?

I'm very impressed with you keenness to prepare well! I did the opposite a few decades ago, thought I knew better...

- I'd better not commit to anything at the mo, but depending on when you are, and my family commitments, I've got a wide range of gear, some of it borrowable that might be helpful to look at.

Last edited by Tortoise on Sat 29 Mar, 2014 7:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[icefest]

Regarding the packs from anaconda an others, I'd compare it to getting a Great Wall 4WD and a toyota, on paper they might look similar but comfort and usability may differ.

Regarding changing stove + pot. My gas stove and pot weigh ~300g, for two people in the WA's I took roughly 450g of fuel. In total thats about 1 kg for two people for a week, getting lighter with every day.
It's not that a Trangia is bad, it's just heavier and heavier packs leave less room for enjoyment and imperfect fitness.

[DanShell]

Hey Danny,

I don't have time at the mo, but a few thoughts:

- Practice carrying the same weight before the walk, for a full day (8 hurs ish), up and down 400m+ elevation

I have helped carry in stuff for friends starting the OLT. They had done a few training walks, but they carried less weight, up a smaller mountain, for less distance than to Waterfall Valley. It wasn't ideal preparation, and it could have got quite tricky if the weather turned.

- If i had my time again, I'd start with as much lighter weight gear as I could. Recently gone from carrying up to 23kgs for the OLT, to about 13kgs for 6 days. It's a very happy world of difference!

- As you're in Tas, could you do a weekend at Cradle, eg to Scott Kilvert Hut, preferably in bad weather? or somewhere equivalent in the south?

I'm very impressed with you keenness to prepare well! I did the opposite a few decades ago, thought I knew better...

- I'd better not commit to anything at the mo, but depending on when you are, and my family commitments, I've got a wide range of gear, some of it borrowable that might be helpful to look at.

Hi Tortoise again for your advice (you helped when we did our first overnight hike quite a while ago)
I like your suggestions and that's pretty much how we are going to approach it.
We live in Westbury, we would never borrow someone else's gear (I'm not sure I'm reading your reply correctly but it's a very generous offer if I am!) but we would take the opportunity to have a coffee and a chat with someone with OLT experience if the opportunity arose.

[Spartan]

Hi, Dan.

I agree with the advice given about loading up, and doing an overnighter to the Scott Kilvert hut. My partner and I have just returned from Tassie, after doing Froggie's Bonnet for the first time in about 12 years. But before we started that undertaking, we tweaked our walking setup by doing ... wait for it ... an overnighter to Lake Rodway and the Scott Kilvert hut. It was a very enjoyable short walk, but my partner will likely never be the same after scrambling up the chain section to Hanson's Peak (she's not very fond of heights) Importantly, the short walk enabled us to confirm our packs we properly configured, and the resulting weather more-or-less confirmed our gear was appropriate.

All the best.

[DanShell]

Thanks for the advice, we spent a day at Cradle Mountain on the weekend to do a few walks and to grab as much info as we could in regards to the OLT.

We are keen to walk up to Scott Kilvert with our packs but just a quick question that I neglected to ask while I was up there. Can we walk from Dove Lake to SK hut, stay over night and walk up to the OLT and walk back out via kitchen hut, Marions, Crater Lake etc? Or do we have to walk up in the direction of the OLT, stay at SK Hut and then walk down to Dove Lake?

Also how busy do you think it will be up there the week between Easter and Anzac Day, is it usually a busy time for walkers?

[horsecat]

Hi Dan,

The Dove Lake - SK Hut then up to the Overland and back down to Dove via Kitchen Hut and Marions is a two day nice circuit and is permitted. The only thing to account for is that the track from SK Hut south to the plateau is quite a deal steeper than the SK Hut track north to the Little Horn saddle. But nothing dramatic. As with most things Cradle it can be busy but the hut is large so you shouldn't have any issues. I was there Saturday night and camped in the tee tree just over the footbridge which is nice and sheltered and away from the masses , although there were only three others staying in the hut. You may want to also consider if you would rather ascend or descend the chain section on Hansons Peak with heavy packs as they are slightly steeper than the ones on Marions. Good luck and let us know how you go mate

[DanShell]

Thanks horsecat we have had a good look at the map and I think we will go up Marions and back down Hansons Peak. We want to do the Lake Rodway Track so I guess that means missing the shorter track that cuts across little horn but at least we will be descending Lake Rodway to SK.

[horsecat]

Also, if you want to completely avoid the steep section on Hansons you can take the track behind the peak that takes you past Twisted Lakes and Lake Hanson which has nice views of Little Horn and the fagus at that time of year but having said that the view from Hansons Peak is great and the chains are good fun - it really depends on what type of hike you are after. In regards to the Face Track it is possible when you emerge from the Rodway Valley under Little Horn to go left and follow the Face Track and descend down via Lake Wilks to the boardwalk that goes around the lake but probably best to do the Face Track, preferably from west to east, another time. Another option if you did want to use the Face Track under Cradle would be to ascend Marions and head to Kitchen Hut, then take the Face Track across to the Rodway Track and descend to SK Hut, returning the same way the next day and exit via the Hansons area as previously mentioned. This means you would miss out on the view to Cradle and Little Horn from the Mount Emmett ridge though. The Face Track is a bit rough in spots with a large pack but depending on your experience you shouldn't have any issues. Again, it really depends what sort of hike you're after but thought I'd put that option out there as well..

[Tortoise]

Hi Tortoise again for your advice (you helped when we did our first overnight hike quite a while ago)
I like your suggestions and that's pretty much how we are going to approach it.
We live in Westbury, we would never borrow someone else's gear (I'm not sure I'm reading your reply correctly but it's a very generous offer if I am!) but we would take the opportunity to have a coffee and a chat with someone with OLT experience if the opportunity arose.

Hi again. Yep, you read my reply correctly. Coffee and chat sounds good if we can manage it. Will pm you anyway.

[Tortoise]

Thanks horsecat we have had a good look at the map and I think we will go up Marions and back down Hansons Peak. We want to do the Lake Rodway Track so I guess that means missing the shorter track that cuts across little horn but at least we will be descending Lake Rodway to SK.

+1 to Horsecat's suggestions. I love Hanson's Peak. Tricky coming down it in snow shoes, though

You can keep your options open to the extra (also rewarding) effort of heading up the Face Track on the way out, getting that view of Dove Lake and surrounding mountains etc, and down by Lake Wilks. Gorgeous at fagus time. Steep anytime! A good workout for balance of packs, how you handle the weight etc. Trickier than anything you'll get on the main OLT (side trips are another matter )

Just one thing - the only times I go by Lake Hanson is when the wind is furious enough to knock me off my feet on any of the other tracks! It's the least scenic IMO, and I actually find the other routes less tiring.

Whichever way you go/return, don't miss the very short detour to Twisted Lakes. Hopefully the fagus will be turning nicely.

[DanShell]

Thanks very much everyone we are going to the WOJ sometime over easter, we plan on spending one night or maybe two in the area and walking out via Lake Adelaide on the junction track. If we get time (hopefully I have 10 days off over this period) we are hoping to get up to Cradle Mountain and we will do an overnighter at SK Hut Both those walks should start to introduce my son to some heavy pack work and will give me a better gauge of my fitness. Fingers crossed the weather is not too bad, although we are happy to encounter a bit of nastiness

[RonK]

Thanks very much everyone we are going to the WOJ sometime over easter, we plan on spending one night or maybe two in the area and walking out via Lake Adelaide on the junction track. If we get time (hopefully I have 10 days off over this period) we are hoping to get up to Cradle Mountain and we will do an overnighter at SK Hut Both those walks should start to introduce my son to some heavy pack work and will give me a better gauge of my fitness. Fingers crossed the weather is not too bad, although we are happy to encounter a bit of nastiness

These walks will be good for the experience, but for fitness you probably don't have to go too far from home to find some decent hills. A two-hour walk each weekend over an eight week period with gradually increasing pack weights, and on week days hour-long sessions in the gym after work was enough to prepare me for the Himalaya when I was in my 50's. My three solo trips on the OT during the same period were like a walk in the park.

I didn't catch what time of year you're planning to do the trip. I preferred to avoid the hottest weather and the crowds by going in October before the summer season booking system kicks in, but it seems the season has been extended and starts on 1 October now.

I recall a walker staggering into the Waterfall Valley hut in a state of sheer exhaustion, grossly overloaded with a bulging 90l pack, from which he took a bottle of port and cask of wine (which we generously helping him empty) and a heavy camping stove - it was astonishing what he was carrying. We never saw him the next day - he must have returned to Cradle Mountain. The lesson is to keep the weight under control.



BTW, I've always found the long day 3 through to New Pelion hut the hardest, not day 1 when I'm fresh. Once you reach Marion's Lookout it's very easy going.

[DanShell]

Thanks for the encouragement Ron.

Just a quick question, does everyone carry an empty day pack in their main pack to do side trips? Our empty day packs range from 600g to 960g!

[icefest]

Thanks for the encouragement Ron.

Just a quick question, does everyone carry an empty day pack in their main pack to do side trips? Our empty day packs range from 600g to 960g!

No.

If I'm using my heavy macpac I detach the lid and use that.
If I'm in a larger group we use the lightest of our group packs and switch who carries the pack.
If I'm taking my light pack, then 470g is not a huge load.

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

Just a quick question, does everyone carry an empty day pack in their main pack to do side trips? Our empty day packs range from 600g to 960g!

I just take one of these: http://www.seatosummit.com.au/products/outdoor/ultra-sil-day-pack/

68g, waterproof (still use a small liner from my bigger pack) and comfortable enough for a side trip. Much prefer it to the extra weight of a "limpet" type pack.

[DanShell]

Just a quick question, does everyone carry an empty day pack in their main pack to do side trips? Our empty day packs range from 600g to 960g!

I just take one of these: http://www.seatosummit.com.au/products/outdoor/ultra-sil-day-pack/

68g, waterproof (still use a small liner from my bigger pack) and comfortable enough for a side trip. Much prefer it to the extra weight of a "limpet" type pack.

Perfect thanks very much and at $25 it's a bargain.

[Lophophaps]

I just take one of these: http://www.seatosummit.com.au/products/outdoor/ultra-sil-day-pack/

68g, waterproof (still use a small liner from my bigger pack) and comfortable enough for a side trip. Much prefer it to the extra weight of a "limpet" type pack.

Thanks for that link; at 68 gram and $25 I may be tempted. When not in use as a day pack it could hold clothing in the main pack. There's some terrific advice above. Mental preparation is important, expecting to be cold, wet, tired, etc. Any improvement on these is a bonus. One mental trick is to think of the next rest, creek, summit or hut that is immediately achievable, an hour or so away. This way you get immediate rewards for goals achieved rather than wait for a day or for the trip to be finished. In effect, the journey is broken into small sections, many rewards on the way. This has a name: the salami principle.

[stry]

Some of us would need to carry a hell of a lot of salami