Labyrinth, Mt Geryon Nth, Du Cane gap Loop

[RobbieG]

Hi Everyone
Would anyone have more information on the above loop done clockwise on a 5 day trip please.
Planning on day 1 camp at Pine Valley hut.
Any advice re track routes (gps files) great camping sites would be greatly appreciated.
Thankyou

[north-north-west]

Elysia (watch out for the little black ants), Helios and Massif bowl are the most common camps, but there are plenty of other places to pitch, depending on conditions. Not sharing GPX files for a route through such sensitive ground.

[Lostsoul]

Elysia (watch out for the little black ants), Helios and Massif bowl are the most common camps, but there are plenty of other places to pitch, depending on conditions. Not sharing GPX files for a route through such sensitive ground.

Ahh those ants,I always wait until about 7 pm to cook when I’m up there,they seem to go to bed around that time

[wander]

Clockwise means you spend more time going down screes and than up. I find it easier to go up the screes than down.

Water at Falling Mountain is scant, fill up at the tarns before the bridge to Falling Mountain proper.

The route above the Labyrinth is very exposed until Du Cane Gap. There is very little to no shade so that's as much an issue to consider in warm conditions as wind and wild weather.

Don't camp in the middle of the Massif bowl, it fills up with water in good rain and turn into a brief lake.

No gpx files, most of it is follow your nose. In some places it is worth pack drop and recci to determine the best route round / thru screes from South of Big Gun to Du Cane Gap.

[RobbieG]

Thankyou for your replies. Am I correct in saying that Parks won't allow you to go anti-clockwise now ie no walking allowed north from Narcissus beyond the Pine Valley turn off. So getting up to Du Cane gap is not allowed.

[north-north-west]

Thankyou for your replies. Am I correct in saying that Parks won't allow you to go anti-clockwise now ie no walking allowed north from Narcissus beyond the Pine Valley turn off. So getting up to Du Cane gap is not allowed.

They discourage it but I don't think it's actually verboten. There are no issues with people going up to the usual route to the Gatepost/northern Traveller area and DuCane Gap is only a short distance further along the OT. And if you overnight at Windy Fridge and leave early, you won't see anyone before leaving the track anyway.

[Son of a Beach]

Thankyou for your replies. Am I correct in saying that Parks won't allow you to go anti-clockwise now ie no walking allowed north from Narcissus beyond the Pine Valley turn off. So getting up to Du Cane gap is not allowed.

They discourage it but I don't think it's actually verboten. There are no issues with people going up to the usual route to the Gatepost/northern Traveller area and DuCane Gap is only a short distance further along the OT. And if you overnight at Windy Fridge and leave early, you won't see anyone before leaving the track anyway.

I noticed this week that the sign at the Pine Valley turn-off is worded such that it very specifically refers only to people walking the Overland Track (to tell them not to walk from South to North during October to May). Not sure about the rules for non-OT walkers, as they keep tweaking them, and I can't keep up.

[north-north-west]

Not sure about the rules for non-OT walkers, as they keep tweaking them, and I can't keep up.

I don't think TasPAWS can keep up with it ...

[Tortoise]

I can't find it on their website at the moment, but I noticed recently that restrictions for non OLT walkers needing to access off-track routes have eased significantly. Some folks must have been quietly lobbying. There were 2 main changes that I remembered. One was that you can now walk from Narcissus to Du Cane Gap, as long as you don't stay at Bert Nichols. The other one I now forget. It might have been making it legit to visit Proteus during permit season.

[north-north-west]

I can't find it on their website at the moment, but I noticed recently that restrictions for non OLT walkers needing to access off-track routes have eased significantly. Some folks must have been quietly lobbying. There were 2 main changes that I remembered. One was that you can now walk from Narcissus to Du Cane Gap, as long as you don't stay at Bert Nichols. The other one I now forget. It might have been making it legit to visit Proteus during permit season.

Hydro Hut is now a legit target during permit season. Pelion West from New Pelion was always permitted and Proteus is only a teensy bit further north along the track. In fact, when I was heading out after knocking off Proteus I bumped into a ranger at Douglas Ck bridge and they had no issue with my having been up there.

[Tortoise]

Thankyou for your replies. Am I correct in saying that Parks won't allow you to go anti-clockwise now ie no walking allowed north from Narcissus beyond the Pine Valley turn off. So getting up to Du Cane gap is not allowed.

They discourage it but I don't think it's actually verboten

No longer discouraged, as above. i.e. you can now do the Du Cane traverse anti-clockwise.

[Tortoise]

Found it:
https://parks.tas.gov.au/Documents/OLT% ... elines.pdf

Keep reading after the red bit requiring you to let them know your intentions, as there are lots of exemptions to this as well.