Combining days on the overland track

[Lophophaps]

When I was there I found some notes from the architect blathering on about all sorts of stupidities, the highlight being that the high ceilings were to avoid a feeling of claustrophobia. Never occurred to him that avoiding hypothermia is more of an issue.

Avoiding a feeling of claustrophobia! LOL! With miles of bush around, who feels pressed in by the environment? And as for my little tent... Avoiding hypothermia is nice, and I quite agree. An idea: the hut could be subdivided. Now I'm worried that the same idiot architect will destroy more huts.

[Tortoise]

Windy Ridge Hut is an abomination, one of the worst hut designs I have seen. Another is Mac Springs on Mt Howitt in Victoria, quite horrible.

Tangent alert, and I agree in general usage terms, but I loved being curled up in a cosy bag, looking at the stars through the window in the loft at Mac Springs.

[ChenniChenChen]

Wow! I'm quite intrigued about this awful Windy Ridge hut. It seems very unpopular indeed!

I will take all advice on board, although it also sounds like we might need to be prepared to be flexible in our plans!

Here's another possibility: Would it be feasible to go from Kia Ora to Pine Valley on day 5? That way we miss the much maligned Windy Ridge hut and get to see a bit more too!

[north-north-west]

Here's another possibility: Would it be feasible to go from Kia Ora to Pine Valley on day 5? That way we miss the much maligned Windy Ridge hut and get to see a bit more too!

Oh yes. Similar time and distance as Narcissus, and there are camping options beside the track if time gets away from you.

[icefest]

Each trip took about 7 hours with side trips last time I did it.
The combo is a big day.

Are you allowed to stay at the Du Cane Platform?

[RonK]

Wow! I'm quite intrigued about this awful Windy Ridge hut. It seems very unpopular indeed!

I will take all advice on board, although it also sounds like we might need to be prepared to be flexible in our plans!

Here's another possibility: Would it be feasible to go from Kia Ora to Pine Valley on day 5? That way we miss the much maligned Windy Ridge hut and get to see a bit more too!

Some of the comments about Windy Ridge are right over the top, verging on hysterical. No doubt it's big and its design is different because it is split level to fit onto a hillside site, but it's a great improvement over the old hut, which I found unpleasant enough to continue on to Narcissus instead of staying.

[north-north-west]

Some of the comments about Windy Ridge are right over the top, verging on hysterical. No doubt it's big and its design is different because it is split level to fit onto a hillside site, but it's a great improvement over the old hut, which I found unpleasant enough to continue on to Narcissus instead of staying.

Odd. I loved the old Windy Fridge hut. The view of a snow-covered and moonlit Acropolis from the kitchen window was enough to keep me up half the night.
As for the Bert Newton Nichols Memorial Palatial Monstrosity, the design is not just different, it's downright stupid. You don't need cathedral height ceilings in the main room of an alpine shelter; in fact, with one tiny little wood/coal burning stove tucked away in the corner, it's insane. And then add skylights? Quite apart from the fact that they've leaked from day 1 . . . Light mesh over ground level vents in the mud room? Brilliant, who cares if every other animal within 20km gets in there, chews all the gear to bits and poops all over everything.
The design is totally inappropriate for the location. End of.

[Nuts]

Not sure if it's mentioned in the articles, most likely, but the old hut is still there. Incorporating it into the new design probably caused some headache, maybe a cost blowout?
I'd agree the new hut could do with some obvious improvements (give up on the drying room idea, add a covered verandah maybe.. though it would now be a bit of a 'skywalk'). It seems local walkers have a disproportionate level of opinion on anything OLT but I too don't get why the design flaws are a big deal, especially to the point of skipping the hut. The facts are that you do get more space than any other hut and Pelion is the only one that is inherently warmer (just from the position of having slept on the floor of them all a few times ). Skipping the hut is a good idea if planning on walking the lake side, otherwise you can walk to even the first ferry from there without to much trouble. I wouldn't bother with Pine Valley just for a quick overnight.

(It's heated by gas and the skylights are sealed)

[Mechanic-AL]

Are you allowed to stay at the Du Cane Platform?[/quote]

I thought you could stay where ever you want after Waterfall Valley?

AL

[Lophophaps]

Odd. I loved the old Windy Fridge hut. The view of a snow-covered and moonlit Acropolis from the kitchen window was enough to keep me up half the night.
As for the Bert Newton Nichols Memorial Palatial Monstrosity, the design is not just different, it's downright stupid. You don't need cathedral height ceilings in the main room of an alpine shelter; in fact, with one tiny little wood/coal burning stove tucked away in the corner, it's insane. And then add skylights? Quite apart from the fact that they've leaked from day 1 . . . Light mesh over ground level vents in the mud room? Brilliant, who cares if every other animal within 20km gets in there, chews all the gear to bits and poops all over everything.
The design is totally inappropriate for the location. End of.

Precisely. The new WR hut is poorly designed. Mac Springs as well, huge doors facing west into the weather and no airlocks. That said, both provide shelter, albeit of a much lower quality that would be the case had there been good designs.

[cjhfield]

I think it's a mistake to have a rigid plan. So much depends on the weather. The huts are all pretty good despite what is said above. The problem with them is not the structures, it's the residents. A hut full of soggy snoring farting bushwalkers who typically insist on having all the windows and doors shut produces an atmosphere only just compatible with life. Aim to use a tent as much as you can.

There is a lot of daylight in December. If the weather is good. It gives you a lot of options if you get a reasonable start. If you get a few days of good weather you have over 12 hours of walking time. The second time I walked the Reserve as it was called then in the 70's we walked South to North over I think 5 days ( which I think was the standard at the time) via the Cuvier Valley, Pine Valley, Ossa and Barn Bluff. The thought of hitching CM to Derwent Bridge was too daunting so on the last day from a camp at Lake Will we walked out and hitched out to get a bit more food and then set off back along the track at maybe 5pm. I think we made WV that night. Anyway we walked through from there in 2 days including the lake ( I had never heard of anyone catching the boat back then) arriving at the car about 4:30pm. The track was a bit rougher then and packs heavier. I was no tiger walker then or now. We just walked without a lot of stopping and had great weather. So my advice don't feel constrained by a written time table.

Chris

[Tortoise]

Are you allowed to stay at the Du Cane Platform?

I thought you could stay where ever you want after Waterfall Valley?

AL[/quote]
After spending some time solving the 3D jigsaw that was our 3 tents on the platform, we were later told that it is in fact a helipad, not a tent platform - despite the absence of an 'H'. That explains the absence of guy attachments.

At least that was the case a few years ago.

[corvus]

Having used both Huts at Windy Ridge(the old one many times) I think the new one is interesting in its design and wonder why ?? however it is has a nice big open space eating /cooking area with plenty of eating tables and separate sleeping rooms upstairs, big roof to keep you dry regardless and if you dont like it use the camping platforms.
Initially I think I joind the knockers (as it was fashionable ) however I now believe it is a well constructed shelter .

[South_Aussie_Hiker]

I've always disagreed with the general Bushwalk.com consensus on the new hut.

The high ceilings might not be ideal, but other than that I was very impressed.

Public buildings are built to a terribly high standard. The average joe public don't have any appreciation of the thousands of considerations and requirements.

I know when the current Tahune hut was built (1970s) it was heavily criticised because of the strange shape (hexagonal) and high cost. Until two blokes encountered a blizzard there one winter. More than 2m of snow fell, and the hut didn't collapse - it kept them alive for 8 days, trapped inside. I bet those two guys changed their opinion after that.

And if you don't like it, there's numerous platforms.

Did someone say the old hut is still standing? I thought it had been demolished after the new one was commissioned? I remember a clearing a few hundred metres earlier which was supposedly the old hut site.

[Nuts]

I think the first hut was built in the 50's SAH and it's that hut's footprint being re-veged to the north of the current location (on the eastern side of the track, there's an old toilet pad on the west). The second hut was built in the 70's at the current location, I didn't see it at that stage in building but they used this (70's) huts materials (perhaps some framing left intact?) in the new hut construction.