3 days left before Arthurs trip, what have I forgotten??

[MJD]

Beginning to look like 2011 will be the summer we didn't get. Unless you happened to be walking with "Team Awesome" aka "*&%$#! lucky *&%$#!".

[ILUVSWTAS]

True MJD true. We do get very lucky.

Shaz is NOT allowed in the team though...

[ILUVSWTAS]

Anytime now you should be sitting in a tent hearing the patter of raindrops and thinking "That's what I forgot!"

Not very nice down here at the moment... wet as all get out, I've even got the gas heater on. Wouldn't like to down the SW this weekend!

Isnt your girlfriend down there somewhere??

[ollster]

Isnt your girlfriend down there somewhere??

No she got back from Rhona on Thursday night. They got rained on during the day, probably good they got out that day considering the river...

[ILUVSWTAS]

Isnt your girlfriend down there somewhere??

No she got back from Rhona on Thursday night. They got rained on during the day, probably good they got out that day considering the river...

Thankfully the river isnt really an issue anymore thanks to that fallen tree!!

[ILUVSWTAS]

Tassie might turn on it's worst weather for NNW, but it turns it's best weather on for me!
Hopefully between us we end up with something average!

Hmmmmmmmm Thick snow down here this morning, I wonder what it was like on the Arthurs last night.

[MJD]

Nice coating of snow across the Wellington Range this morning. Down to about 1000m. Looked really nice from the warmth of my bed.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Yer I think it's even lower than that MJD!! The back of Collins Bonnett and Trestle are absolutely caked!! Even Montagu has a fair covering alf way down it.

[Lizzy]

....now I'm really lookinh forward to Melinda's (& NNW's) trip reports!

[ILUVSWTAS]

Been speaking to NNW a bit since she's been here, she is wisely travelling around the Central/Northern area picking up a few points!

Melinda's trip report could be interesting, not only VERY cold down here lately, but the BIG black cloud hasnt lifted off the SW for the last 3 days, and it's been very windy.



Oh and the Westpac SES chopper just flew over our house heading back from the direction of the WA's..........

[frenchy_84]

Oh and the Westpac SES chopper just flew over our house heading back from the direction of the WA's..........

It also left the airport last saturday as well

[Nuts]

Spent Sunday night at Windy Ridge, a scattering of snow at the hut and nice cover over the range. There were some pretty impressive wind bombs coming through the treetops, can imagine how rough it would have been up high I rolled over and managed to sleep in till 10am, must have been pushing out ZZzz's at a steady rate by the chuckling comments from those left when i finally got up (Thanks for the wake up PC )

[melinda]

Western Arthurs with attitude!
What a trip......
It rained, and rained and rained.
Beautiful afternoon on High Moor, and then more rain, rain, rain.....
Ended up coming down Morraine K, we were all going mouldy!!!
Which means unfinished business with the Eastern Arthurs.
Infact I think I need to do the whole trip again, with vision next time round!
(Saw the helicopter, was hoping it was going to drop an emergency cappuccino in, but no such luck!)

[ILUVSWTAS]

Pleased you made it out ok Mel!!

Only rain?? No snow?? There's been plenty of decent dumps around during your time up there!!

[melinda]

We walk in on the Sunday, some hail. There was snow on the range then.
Tried to put food drop in on the Monday put couldn't cross 7mile creek as it was badly flooded....
So headed up on the Tuesday with 2 weeks food. (Heavy!)
No snow by the time we got up on top. Mainly rain.
But there were sunny hours when the views made it all worth while!
Came down early. Everything was wet and the weather forecasts we were getting just indicated worse weather on the way!
Still awesome, still beautiful, still breathtaking!

[ILUVSWTAS]

Yeh you lucked out with the weather, wettest it's been down here since i've lived here. I havent seen the SW peaks in weeks!!
Regarding the Arthurs, a very wise man once said to me no matter the weather, a walk in the Western Arthurs is something you will remember as long as you live, just make sure you take a rain jacket.

Glad you still enjoyed yourself Melinda!! Was Junction creek easy enough to cross??

[melinda]

Junction Creek was up but we crossed it ok. Higher the next morning.
Met one of the young guys from this forum on the Sunday afternoon. (Last Sunday week.) He had been up Federation but couldn't get out to Farmhouse Creek (Not sure which creek it was that stopped him and his mates) so he came out the long way instead. When we came down Morraine K on Monday you could see how high the creeks had been up. Not good!

[ILUVSWTAS]

Ahh yes, Mr Pazzar. I've seen the pictures of him crossing (2mile??) creek. Kind of crazy at the height it was, but thats him.

[stepbystep]

Hopefully creeks have dropped and skies cleared suitably by tomorrow as I'll be approaching Junction Creek in 24 hrs from now

[whynotwalk]

Good luck Dan - it looks like the southerly stream should ease off late Friday, with a nice high ridging in for a few days after that. What's your destination?

cheers

Peter

[stepbystep]

Good luck Dan - it looks like the southerly stream should ease off late Friday, with a nice high ridging in for a few days after that. What's your destination?

cheers

Peter

Hi Peter,
I am quietly optimistic looking at the weather patterns. An A-K traverse with as many sidetrips as my knees(and head) will allow is the plan.
Just a little bit excited!!!

[Taurë-rana]

Hope you have a great trip Dan. But I really don't want to see the photos after! The stars are just not aligning right for me to walk much at the moment

[stepbystep]

This weekend looks pretty good Rachel, Sunday the pick.

22kg fully packed - I'm sure I've forgotten something.....

[ILUVSWTAS]

This weekend looks pretty good Rachel, Sunday the pick.

22kg fully packed - I'm sure I've forgotten something.....

Forgotten to pack your lighter gear maybe.....

Mon - Thurs looks a bit poor weather wise Dan..... Having said that, we have a river to cross ourselves Saturday morning..... and given that the huon is currently quite flooded........

[stepbystep]

Forgotten to pack your lighter gear maybe.....

Mon - Thurs looks a bit poor weather wise Dan..... Having said that, we have a river to cross ourselves Saturday morning..... and given that the huon is currently quite flooded........

Yeah yeah - Monday looks ok early which may get me out to Shaula but maybe not Aldebaran - Will be walking out Wednesday I'd say.

[stu]

Good luck mate, hope you have a safe trip filled with magnificent summits & no other punters in sight
Don't be too put off by the look of Shaula, its not as bad as it looks from the saddle below the main part of the Beggaries;
just be sure to get a very early start from High Moor as throwing that side trip in will make for a long day.
I've had 2 magnificent trips into the WA's, but still I am very jealous, it's the best walk in Tassie IMHO...have fun mate & take lots of photos for us.

Stu.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Good luck mate, hope you have a safe trip filled with magnificent summits & no other punters in sight
Don't be too put off by the look of Shaula, its not as bad as it looks from the saddle below the main part of the Beggaries;
just be sure to get a very early start from High Moor as throwing that side trip in will make for a long day.
I've had 2 magnificent trips into the WA's, but still I am very jealous, it's the best walk in Tassie IMHO...have fun mate & take lots of photos for us.

Stu.

Ditto Shaula, Ditto 2 wonderful WA trips, Ditto still very jealous!!! Ditto best walk in Tassie....

From the Beggary saddle, we only took an hr or so each way to Shaula Stu, so 2 hrs plus the 4-5 for the Beggarys, not TOO long a day... Im sure he'll want to do Alderbaran as well though, so add another 2hrs there!!

NWWC are doing a full traverse leaving on the Saturday, so at least you'll be one day ahead of them Dan!!!

[stepbystep]

NWWC are doing a full traverse leaving on the Saturday, so at least you'll be one day ahead of them Dan!!!

Oooh that is good news is NNW still starting on the Friday Mark?

Good luck mate, hope you have a safe trip filled with magnificent summits & no other punters in sight

Cheers Stu but glad your jealous Stu can't tell you how many times the reverse is true...
I'll be happy to do the traverse sans Shaula or Alderbaran, if the weather holds for the night at High Moor I will be a VERY happy man!

btw - sorry to hijack your post Melinda, hope we get some pics soon

[ILUVSWTAS]

Last I heard from her she was still heading in on Friday yes.

[pazzar]

Ahh yes, Mr Pazzar. I've seen the pictures of him crossing (2mile??) creek. Kind of crazy at the height it was, but thats him.

The pics were from crossing Pass Creek. Comparatively, it was low. Seven Mile Creek was dangerously high, and was only through use of my rope that we made it across. Two Mile Creek was also high, but a fallen tree made that an easy crossing. Junction was high, but not uncrossable.