TAS MANIA

[Suz]

Yo!

Feels like another taz adventure is working its way into my mind. Would like to take several months out of the grind in a year or two to do all the best trails. Have you guys got together and ranked all your favourites? (This forum is not so good on search-ability).

If yes, would you please provide the link to it OR list them here?

The ultimate (but massively hard) trail I've found so far seems to be the Eastern Arthurs Traverse / Fed peak > Western Arthurs Traverse > Port Davey Track > South Coast Track route. Dunno if I have what it takes to combat that one alone tho!

Wouldn't mind adding in the variety of the Tarkine, Bay of Fires etc. and thought the Walls of J looked very good too. What else is ace?

1) Are you guys able to name and rank your favourite taz trails?
2) Give an estimate /10 of the difficulty (and type of difficulty - e.g. ropes exp required or e.g. will power req. to slog through mud)
3) Also the no. of days to complete?
4) And whether the track can be tacked onto another good nearby track?

Thanks all
Suz

[westernarthursaddict]

Ive done the western arthurs 5 times and the easterns once. The westerns are harder than the easterns. The easterns have had a lot of track work. I mean the four peaks can be difficult, but in all honestly its four or five shelfs and its not as difficult as the descent into oberon, which continues to erode and become more precarious each year.

[westernarthursaddict]

(1) westerns - 8 or 9 - yeah if you haven't done it before you'll need rope for hauling for some of the descents - decent ability to deal with airey heights
6 days small circuit if you're not doing double days ( except for Morraine A to Oberon )- i would recommend doing the full walk though because lake Rossane is amazing
(2) easterns - 7 - yeah if you haven't done it before you'll need rope for hauling for some of the descents - decent ability to deal with airey heights - 7 or 8 days but you come in through the yo yo track, which is easier access than scotts peak
(3) south west cape - this is untracked in some parts - 8 - rope if it rains for mud - you'll have to fly in i think - 9 days
(4) walls of Jerusalem - 4 - 3 days
(5) overland - 4 - 5 days

[Suz]

Aahh awesome! I have heard from others that the westerns are the best (but also the hardest). Think I might start with the walls or a repeat of the OLT and work up to the SW wilderness area walks when I come back down (hopefully next Feb/Mar).

[whynotwalk]

Hi Suz - I'm surprised at the slow response to this one Anyway here are some possibilities to add to your Arthurs plans:

* Frenchmans Cap: difficulty 7/10, no ropes, a bit of mud and a few scrambles, often ugly weather, but awesome summit in clear weather. Allow 4 days minimum. Side trip to the Irenabyss, steep, muddy, difficult.
* Walls of Jerusalem >>Lake Adelaide>>Lake Meston>>Lake Myrtle/Mt Rogoona: difficulty 5/10, mostly well-tracked, a bit of mud, great variety of mountains and lakes. Allow 5-6 days so you can do lots of side trips. A car shuffle or road walk at the end.
* Mt Anne Circuit: difficulty 7/10, ropes handy at The Notch, other steep scrambles here and there, weather can be dodgy, reaching summit of Anne is airy and scary (for some) with amazing views. Great camping at the Lonely Tarns. Allow 4-5 days incl. a side trip to Schnells Ridge. Car shuffle or road walk at the end.
* Cathedral Plateau>>Cloister Lagoon>>Junction Lake>>Lk Meston>>Lk Myrtle/Mt Rogoona: difficulty 5-6/10, mostly on track, with a bit of route-finding between Chapter Lk and Junction Lk. Allow 5-6 days so you can fully explore Cathedral Plateau (side trip) and climb Mt Rogoona. A car shuffle at end, unless you use Jacksons Creek Track (steep and a little cryptic) from Lk Myrtle back to the end of the Mersey Forest Rd.

There are SOOO many other options, including some relatively "soft" walks on the East Coast (eg Freycinet, Maria Island, the Leeaberra Track); not to mention some wild west coast wandering (eg the Tyndalls, Tarkine Coast etc). Happy planning!

cheers

Peter

[Azza]

Aahh awesome! I have heard from others that the westerns are the best (but also the hardest). Think I might start with the walls or a repeat of the OLT and work up to the SW wilderness area walks when I come back down (hopefully next Feb/Mar).

The usual way to ease into the SW is to tackle Frenchman's, Mt Anne or maybe even the South Coast.
Frenchman's and Mt Anne give you a taste of what the SW can be like, just a lot shorter and less committing.

There is a massive jump from the Walls to say the Arthurs in terms of difficulty, a lot of it also comes down to mental ability as well as being able to carry a pack.

I recommend getting the Chapman books - they're pretty useful for getting an idea of what is around.

[icefest]

You can also do high walks around pine valley to get an idea of the heights and scrambles, but the mud and scrub can only really be experienced in the sw.

I recommend getting the Chapman books - they're pretty useful for getting an idea of what is around.

+1
Just be wary if Chapman says it's steep - it'll be scarily steep.

[westernarthursaddict]

In all honesty just do the arthurs. I attempted the arthurs for the first time when I was 14 after doing the south west cape but in reality nothing even compares to it. I completed it when i was 15 and its hard, but its beautiful and I enjoyed overcoming my fear of heights among other challenges. Oh and yeah i absolutely agree with Icefest about Chapman's comments. The most difficult part of the arthurs starts at the top of oberon, from there the track becomes very challenging to walk upon. All I can say is, there is nothing like walking up moraine A with full packs haha.

[Tortoise]

The usual way to ease into the SW is to tackle Frenchman's, Mt Anne or maybe even the South Coast.
Frenchman's and Mt Anne give you a taste of what the SW can be like, just a lot shorter and less committing.

I think that's changed with all the track work for Frenchmans. I did that and the Anne Circuit last summer, and I'd say they're chalk and cheese. Frenchmans was easy, Anne was hard (read terrifying) in places. There's much less mud for Frenchmans now. And I kept waiting for the tricky scrambly bit en route to the summit that never came. A slight scramble with no problems even in the rain for this acrophobic dwarf. A friend in her 60s with not much scrambling experience had no problems with it either.

Anne and The Notch, on the other hand, offer some airy scrambles - one look at some photos, and the said friend NEVER wants to try them. (Of course, you'd want to take your big pack up and down Anne if you were wanting more of a test.) The Lake Judd track could be a decent intro to mud, depending on conditions.

There is a massive jump from the Walls to say the Arthurs in terms of difficulty, a lot of it also comes down to mental ability

AbsoLUTEly!

Last edited by Tortoise on Wed 27 May, 2015 12:31 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[Tortoise]

IAll I can say is, there is nothing like walking up moraine A with full packs haha.

Ok, so we were carrying less food (only camped at Cygnus and did day walks from there), but they were still heavy packs in the olden days. 3 of us with Chronic Fatigue managed moraine A (with a couple of lies down on the way up). But the airy/scary/cliffy/muddy slidey bits later on could still be the deal-breakers for me.

[westernarthursaddict]

Yeah i admit it gets airy, and I haven't done Mt Anne yet but I'm very hesitant given the amount of people who have had fatal experiences on the notch. I was going to say don't do Mt Anne until you've climbed oberon with a heavy pack.

[westernarthursaddict]

Sorry I didn't see that you've done Mt Anne. Tortoise I think you'll be fine on the Arthurs if you've done Mt Anne.

[Suz]

oh god, am i excited or scared now? not sure. maybe i should leave the arthurs and mt anne until I'm ready to leave this world ha ha.

[axcarmil]

I think that's changed with all the track work for Frenchmans. I did that and the Anne Circuit last summer, and I'd say they're chalk and cheese. Frenchmans was easy, Anne was hard (read terrifying) in places.

In preparation for some multi-day walks in the SW over the next few years, we've followed recommendations I've read in numerous places to start with WoJ, Frenchmans, then the Mt Anne circuit. Earlier this year we did WoJ and Frenchmans. Both beautiful spots and highly recommended, but very easy walks. (No doubt because of the improved track work into Frenchmans). The next multi-day Tas walk we have planned for later this year/early next is the Anne circuit. Based on the comment that these two walks are 'chalk and cheese', is there a multi-day walk (min 3 to max 6 days) that is between Frenchmans and the Anne circuit in terms of difficulty (in particular scrambling with a pack)?

[westernarthursaddict]

Port davey track, the south west cape. they give you a taste of the south west and particularly the insane weather you're going to be dealing with. Do some outdoor rock climbing as well before you head to Mt Anne and the arthurs. It helped me with confidence and technique.

[Azza]

Based on the comment that these two walks are 'chalk and cheese', is there a multi-day walk (min 3 to max 6 days) that is between Frenchmans and the Anne circuit in terms of difficulty (in particular scrambling with a pack)?

I think people are over stating the difficulty of the Mt Anne circuit.
You don't need to climb to the top of Mt Anne if your not comfortable with conditions. It's not hard but depends on your confidence level with some basic scrambling, worth doing a bit of basic rock climbing to get used to it.

Also you don't need to climb out of the notch.
You can descend towards Lk Judd down the gully then sidle around and find your way back up to Mt Lot, from memory it was slow going but not so exposed.
I did that many years ago with a group of mixed experience, some people weren't happy about the climb out of the notch. A pack haul rope is handy and there is always the option to back out the way you came.

Frenchmans and Mt Anne are great walks because they are relatively short walks 3,4,5 days or so, they give some exposure to different terrain and SW weather conditions.
If something goes wrong you can get yourself out of there easily enough.

So when I talk about difficulty a few days out in the SW is quite different to 8+ days in the Western Arthurs which has a bit of everything and you need to be fully self sufficient.
That is where the experience, navigational and route finding challenges make the Arthurs a more difficult proposition.

If you make it up moraine A then its pretty easy going to Lake Oberon.. beyond there a lot more scrambling and route finding is required, the days are longer and more committing.
A short trip in Oberon or Cygnus isn't really any harder than say Mt Anne circuit or maybe even Frenchman's (assuming your fit enough to struggle up Moraine A).
The descent down into Oberon is a lot easier than it was 15 years ago before any track work was done.. you used to have to scramble over all the pandani roots, now there is a boarded walkway.

[westernarthursaddict]

I agree about the boardwalks, but its the 20 - 30 metre rock scramble down which is the crap part about the descent into oberon because it keeps eroding and those leaves are serrated.

[Tortoise]

I think people are over stating the difficulty of the Mt Anne circuit.
You don't need to climb to the top of Mt Anne if your not comfortable with conditions. It's not hard but depends on your confidence level with some basic scrambling, worth doing a bit of basic rock climbing to get used to it.

Also you don't need to climb out of the notch.
You can descend towards Lk Judd down the gully then sidle around and find your way back up to Mt Lot, from memory it was slow going but not so exposed

Fair enough - I'm just giving my own experience, which is very different from many of you. I'm 5'0" with a fear of heights. A half a metre more reach would have helped enormously, as would a different head space. One day I'll find the easy way up Anne from the ?north. And as you say, you can do the circuit without summiting Anne (but how could you?!!)

Re the notch: I looked at the gully, and it looked insane. NNW assures me it's not as bad as it looks at first.

There's some other scrambling on Lot, but not nearly as hard IMO. The rest of the walk isn't hard (though the boulder field in the rain may not be that much fun).

I did have the scariest night of my life at Shelf Camp, with the wildest whirlpoolish wind I've ever experienced, with torrential rain We had to take turns getting up during the night to move the (large) rocks, around which our guy lines were fastened, back into place. That'd probably be good preparation for the WArthurs.

Here's 'the tricky bit' (pic borrowed from someone else's trip) - the hardest bit of Anne to descend, which I couldn't have done without a rope and somebody who could use it safely. If only the rock you climb down to didn't slope the wrong way!

05.%20Tricky%20Bit%20full%20Mt%20Anne%20shrunk.jpg (74.92 KiB) Viewed 13644 times

If you want to read more:
http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=19317&p=258660&hilit=Mt+Anne+epic+adventure#p258660

[axcarmil]

Thanks for the additional information and the tips for doing some rock climbing. I've been thinking some lessons may be useful. I've been practicing and enjoying the scrambling. It is good to hear different perceptions. I think we will keep to our intended plan, with Mt Anne the next multi-day walk in Tas in summer, along with a return to Frenchmans to do some side trips and the circuit.

Tortoise, thanks for the link. I really enjoyed your trip report. I can see what you mean about the gully. My stomach churned slightly looking at it, but it looks OK.

(Suz, sorry for hi-jacking the thread, hopefully the information is helpful for others as well)

[Suz]

Thanks everyone for the input I think I can see now how to progress from one trail to another. And perhaps I need to really work hard to get ready for the Arthurs and Mt Anne.

Axcarmil, you're not hijacking- just joining in

I will get Chapman's 2 taz books in time too. Does anyone have any recommended guides for the areas Chapman doesn't cover? Like the Tarkine and the East Coast and Islands, etc? I would like to piece together some multi day walks there too as I remember how contrasting the areas were. That's part of the great joy of Taz, how varied it is.

Peter, have you done all these? "walks on the East Coast (eg Freycinet, Maria Island, the Leeaberra Track); not to mention some wild west coast wandering (eg the Tyndalls, Tarkine Coast etc). Happy planning!" Did you enjoy them?

[whynotwalk]

Peter, have you done all these? "walks on the East Coast (eg Freycinet, Maria Island, the Leeaberra Track); not to mention some wild west coast wandering (eg the Tyndalls, Tarkine Coast etc). Happy planning!" Did you enjoy them?

Yes Suz - I have done them all bar any overnight walking in the Tarkine. Each one has its own good points (and none really has any bad points!) Here's a quick summary:

* Freycinet Circuit: Beautiful coastal walking, with granite mountains, amazing pure sand beaches and lots of wildlife. Allow 3-4 days. Mostly easy walking, but best done out of the high summer season (can get very hot, and water becomes an issue). I've done the walk a few times, most recently with the (luxury) Freycinet Experience Walk. I'm writing it up in my blog, which should give you the flavour. See http://www.naturescribe.com/2015/05/freycinet-experiences-1-schouten-island.html and newer posts after that.
* Maria Island: An island that has it all; history, beaches, wildlife, mountains, cliffs, geology etc etc. I've explored a fair bit of the island on foot and by mountain bike. Spend a few days there, making sure you get to the Isthmus and beyond - onto South Maria, as well as the beautiful cliffs, beaches etc around Darlington (North Maria). It's good at any time of the year. Again, if you want a snapshot of one of my experiences there, I've blogged about it here: http://www.naturescribe.com/2013/11/the-bishop-and-ballerina.html
* The Leeaberra Track: Forests, waterfall, beautiful river-side camping, and not very often walked. There are access issues to the start of the track, which adds a few hours to the walk. Walking is mostly easy, but there are one or two parts of the track that are tricky to follow. Allow 3-4 days. Again I've described my experience here: http://www.naturescribe.com/2011/10/good-walk-spoiled.html and newer posts after that.
* The Tyndall Range: A little-walked range north of Queenstown. Access is a little obscure and weather can be very "west coast" (ie wet!) but the walking is open and easy once on the range AND if you have visibility. Camping options are many, mountains include Mt Tyndall and Mt Geike. A must-see feature is the glacial cirque lake, Lake Huntly, which is gobsmackingly steep, and sneaks up on you as you wander across what looks like a level-ish plateau.

As for the Tarkine, do a search here, or maybe ask stepbystep - if you're ready for LOTS of details

I hope that coaxes you into trying some of the non-southwest options,

cheers

Peter

[Suz]

perfect - i looked at them all really whetting the appetite. i will defo do some tracks outside the SW. think i'm gonna need a couple months for this trip ha ha I will ask stepbystep for deets as the time grows nearer.

hey do you reckon that the bay of fires walk could be done solo if i did a water drop in the middle? or is it really too hard or too illegal to not do it with that one company that does it.

[north-north-west]

Tyndall Range access is easy enough, but getting decent weather is not common. Best explanation is in the Abels Vol 1 book, but mine has disappeared. From memory, you turn off to the east on the first rough dirt road south of the Spicer Track and park outside the gate. Follow the vehicle track east and then north until you see a metal logbook holder on a post on the eastern side of the road. Sign in and follow the rough walking track east through a bit of boggy ground and a teensy bit of scrub. It climbs up fairly steeply in places but is usually easy to follow. It curves south over the shoulder of the range and then splits with one lead heading up to Mt Tyndall and the other to the lake. Both fade out a bit but the walking on the range top from Tyndall to Geikie and The Chin is generally very easy and open.

[Suz]

Right Thanks NNW. I can't wait to get out there - do you guys reckon a 2 month trip is about right for taz? If I get to do the AAWT in Oct-Dec, then I'll aim for Tas around Feb-Mar. (If I can afford it, I might be too poor by then).