Week #2: Sat Phones and Tracks

Not that long since my last post, I’ve been trying out the new GPS, admiring the new sat phone (still waiting on the arrival of the charger, ordered separately, to test this out) and walking the hills around Hobart to finish wearing my boots in. Thus far the GPS has performed admirably (I’m still astounded by how much these have improved this past decade), the sat phone is sitting around tempting me to give up on the unreliable “smart” phone I’m accustomed to (since phones have had the reverse technological progression compared with the GPS, and the decade-old models have better batteries, reception and reliability) and the boots still refuse to give me any blisters.

I’m really impressed with the boots, a pair of Scarpa’s creations. They’ve got old-school solid leather tops, Vibram soles and a goretex lining, came in at $250 and are honestly the most comfortable boots I’ve ever worn. I keep expecting to find something wrong with them, but they’re determinedly reliable! I’m almost getting worried now; I’ve never had a pair of walking boots come close to meeting expectations before, and these have far exceeded them.

Planning still continues, and the route as it stands is as follows…

Farmhouse to Precipitous Bluff (20-23 days)

• Eastern Arthurs (5-6 days) to the start of the Western Arthurs via Lucifer Ridge
• Western Arthurs (6-7 days) to Junction Creek (optional supply drop here walked in from Scots Peak dam)
• Old Port Davey Track (3-4 days) to Melaleuca (food and fuel drop at Melaleuca)
• South Coast Track (4 days) to the Prion boat crossing
• Wade up the shore of New River Lagoon (1 day) to the Precipitous Bluff cavern camp
• Ascend PB (1 day) and stop at the Plateau Camp

From here, there are three options:

1. Vanishing Falls, total 25-29 days

• Vanishing Falls to Lake Sydney (4-5 days off-track)
• Lake Sydney to Farmhouse Creek (1 day on rough track)

2 Hartz, total 26-32 days

• South Ranges (2-3 days) to Moores Bridge
• Moores Gardens (2-3 days off track) to Mesa (allowing for heavy scrub around Gleichenia Creek)
• Mesa to the Hartz Carparks (2-3 days with minimal track)

South Range, total 23-27 days

• South Ranges(3-4 days) to Lune River

There’s a certain romance to finishing the walk exactly where it started by taking the route past Vanishing Falls, but 4 days of scrub bashing to cross a few kilometres of valley doesn’t appeal as much as you might think. Hartz almost closes the loop and promises some good views along the way, but there are a few kilometres of unknown along the way, which probably amounts to scrub-bashing (this is Tasmania after all). I have no intention of heading out to Lune River unless something has slowed the trip down to the point where a quick and easier route out is needed.

Another option, too ridiculous to really consider and all the more tempting for it, is to drop some lightweight 1 person rafts in at Melaleuca, take option 2 through to Moores Gardens and drop into the Upper Picton to raft out to Farmhouse Creek. Much as I’d love to close the loop with a quick rafting trip, I’d be depending on predicting the rainfall a month in advance. By then it would be mid December and, that far up the Picton, an empty river would be entirely possible. Hauling gear down a muddy, leach-ridden ditch is only fun further northwest…