frenchman's cap

[jules21]

hi all, i'm hoping for some advice.

i'm arriving in tassie with my partner at the start of Dec. we want to do a 4-5 day walk.

there doesn't seem to be a whole lot on offer that meets that criteria. the overland is 7-9 days and while port davey is 4-5, it's hard to access. i don't want to leave a parked car and i wouldn't be able to retrieve it anyway.

i was thinking frenchman's cap. now i know it's graded as challenging, but i'm semi experienced, i've walked kokoda and a few other hikes in my time and my fitness isn't too bad. but my partner is not super fit. i usually compensate by carrying a larger share of the weight.

we plan to do a few walks for preparation between now and Dec to get a bit more conditioning in us. if that doesn't work out i'll probably try and find an easier walk (say wineglass).

in the opinion of any experienced members, is FCap doable for us?

[Son of a Beach]

hi all, i'm hoping for some advice.

i'm arriving in tassie with my partner at the start of Dec. we want to do a 4-5 day walk.

there doesn't seem to be a whole lot on offer that meets that criteria. the overland is 7-9 days and while port davey is 4-5, it's hard to access. i don't want to leave a parked car and i wouldn't be able to retrieve it anyway.

i was thinking frenchman's cap. now i know it's graded as challenging, but i'm semi experienced, i've walked kokoda and a few other hikes in my time and my fitness isn't too bad. but my partner is not super fit. i usually compensate by carrying a larger share of the weight.

we plan to do a few walks for preparation between now and Dec to get a bit more conditioning in us. if that doesn't work out i'll probably try and find an easier walk (say wineglass).

in the opinion of any experienced members, is FCap doable for us?

I did Frenchmans with some very inexperienced people in 4 days easily (could do it in three, but would have been a stretch for most of the group), so it is certainly doable. But it is quite challenging with some longish very steep sections. Oh, and don't forget the mud. I went up to my groin in mud, and needed help to get out at one point, and the muddy sections were very long. I've heard that some of the worst of it has been duck-boarded since then, but I'm not certain of that.

If you are looking for something easier, most people that I know do the overland track in 5 days. It can be done in 3 at a stretch, or 4 fairly easily if you're OK with somewhat longer days, and not climbing every mountain along the way.

[jules21]

ok thanks.

that makes the overland more doable then i suppose. we're only in tassie for 11 days so i'm not keen to spend 8 walking.

if anyone has any other suggestions for walks that fit that general bill i'd be happy to hear them.

[Fin]

You can go just to Frenchmans and back in a fairly easy 3 days, but can add a visit to Clytemnestra or Irenabyss for extra days.
Some other 4-5 day options:
Maria Island is good for semi-fit, usually 2-3 days, a walk down to the southern end will fill a couple of days, then Mt Maria.
Walls of Jerusalem relaxed pace and time will fill your time all right.

For something a bit more challenging:
From Lake St Clair go into Pine Valley, up to the Labyrinth, it's a great area for a day or two, then on to Geryon Nth if you're OK with airy climbs or maybe a day walk out to Mt Massif and it's 100m diameter soft grass bowl.
Down south from Lune River you can go into Pigsty Ponds (a steep climb on the way to Precipitous Bluff) just short of Mt La Perouse, then do day walks to Pindars Peak, and La Perouse.
The plateau on Ben Lomond is a nice area with a few tarns and good views from the edge. You could do a pretty good circuit from either northern or southern ends in 4-5 days

[Speculator]

Well.. there's the Penguin-Cradle trail too I guess. It's normally 5-7 days, but it can be shortened by starting from Gunns Plains or Leven Canyon presumably (haven't done it myself though).

There's also Cradle - Walls of Jerusalem or vice versa. This would be close to five days. Again, haven't done it myself so someone else might have to comment on it specifically.

L8r.

hi all, i'm hoping for some advice.

i'm arriving in tassie with my partner at the start of Dec. we want to do a 4-5 day walk.

there doesn't seem to be a whole lot on offer that meets that criteria. the overland is 7-9 days and while port davey is 4-5, it's hard to access. i don't want to leave a parked car and i wouldn't be able to retrieve it anyway.

i was thinking frenchman's cap. now i know it's graded as challenging, but i'm semi experienced, i've walked kokoda and a few other hikes in my time and my fitness isn't too bad. but my partner is not super fit. i usually compensate by carrying a larger share of the weight.

we plan to do a few walks for preparation between now and Dec to get a bit more conditioning in us. if that doesn't work out i'll probably try and find an easier walk (say wineglass).

in the opinion of any experienced members, is FCap doable for us?

[jules21]

these all sound interesting but as i'm from victoria, i have little idea where they are/how to get there etc.

are they included in Parks Tas maps or guides?

[Speculator]

these all sound interesting but as i'm from victoria, i have little idea where they are/how to get there etc.

are they included in Parks Tas maps or guides?

There's some very good info on the PCT IN this document put together by the North-West walking club.

Some other walks that might fit into your schedule are listed on John Chapmans site. One of his books might be a good investment.

On a side note, slightly offtopic and unrelated. I didn't realise you could walk from Higgs Track to the Walls. It makes sense now that I think of it though. I might have to put that on my todo list!

L8r.

[Penguin]

On a side note, slightly offtopic and unrelated. I didn't realise you could walk from Higgs Track to the Walls. It makes sense now that I think of it though. I might have to put that on my todo list!

This is a great walk. You can also do something similar from Long Tarn.

[jules21]

thanks for all the info. most useful.

i am leaning towards Frenchman's Cap, as apparently there is public transport access. but i'll keep in mind the other walks you've each mentioned.

for those who've hiked to FC, this may be a dumb question but are the views and scenery worth the while?

[Son of a Beach]

Absolutely! But to make up your own mind, have a look at this topic in the 'Gallery' forum, where Tasadam has posted some great shots, including the extended version of the walk through the Irenabyss.

[tasadam]

Yeah. Frenchmans is great. I've done it 3 times now. 2 of those trips were full circuits thru the Irenabyss and out at / near Victoria Pass. Ther other was a 4 day walk by myself to the Mtn and out (Between Christmas and New Year so it was busy / enough people around to feel less unsafe at the prospect of walking alone in such a remote place). This is the recommended walk (Frenchamns and out again).
The time of year will avail you of longer days so depending on the time your transport can drop you at the start, you may be able to get to Vera in the one day.
Some fit walkers can dodge the mud and get to Vera surprisingly fast. I like more to think of the journey as the destination and take my time.
Vera to Tahune is a half day walk, but last time I did it, we took all day and had lots of photo stops.
Climbing Frenchmans is straightforward enough, so long as you locate the sign at the start of the steep stuff. Otherwise you will spend a bit of time pottering around on North Col scratching your head.

My advice for your walk would be to go to Vera on day 1, to Tahune on day 2, arriving early enough to do F'mans if the weather is right. Day 3 spend the whole day there - walk around the track to the base of the cliff, climb it if the weather is right, enjoy the tranquiity of Lake Tahune, or if you are into self machoism take a day trip down to the Irenabyss and back. It's a 1 kilometre decent (one kilometre is the altitude difference, not the distance!), then back up again. I don't think I would do it as a day walk but would certainly go there again given the time and fitness.
Next day, up early and climb F'mans if the weather is right before returning to Vera, then out on the next day.
This allows you 2 nights and therefore 3 opportunities to get the weather good enough for a Frenchmans ascent.
And if the weather is foul, no big deal, head out, go to Lake St Clair and do a day walk to Mt Rufus, Hugel, Shadow Lake or something.

As an option to Frenchmans, you can go to Lake St Clair, take the ferry to Narcissus then head north on the Overland track as far as the Pine Valley track, make Pine Valley your base and do a few walks from there - Labyrinth, Walled Mountain is nice, Get as far as Lake Elysia and enjoy the views of Geryon across the lake -
(This thumbnail links to an 800x600 file of the same thing, 8.5Mb so it takes a while to load - also being a gif file it is restricted to 256 colours)
Or if you're feeling like a long day and an early start, head up to Lake Helios and enjoy a vista looking north from a glacially formed valley (Lake Helios) looking at Mt Ossa, Pelion East, and many others. Climbing Hyperion would be an option but you'd need to be pretty fit to do that as well, and there is no track as such up the mountain so best to follow notes from what books you find. I used the Chapman notes from his newish Overland book.

If you want to know anything else, just ask!

Plenty of other suggestions come to mind, but not where you are reluctant to leave a car...

are the views and scenery worth the while?

Check the photos... Short answer = YES!
Not too many places where you can stand on top of a mountain and as far as the eye can see, absolutely nothing man made in view! (apart from the trig point on top, the hut if you peer over, and a detectable track disappearing over a mountain to the northeast). Gotta love Tassie for that!