Blade ridge and Nthwst face of Fed Peak

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Tasmania specific bushwalking discussion. Please avoid publishing details of access to sensitive areas with no tracks.

Blade ridge and Nthwst face of Fed Peak

Postby auspep » Fri 11 Jul, 2008 10:48 am

Hi,

I'm looking for all the info I can get about extended camp locations around Federation Peak, also any one with knowledge of good bivy ledges on the North-West face of the peak?

We are planning to hike in and set up a base camp and wait for a weather window to climb the Blade ridge and the North-west face. Heading down in the end of September/start of October.

Also like to know of the best way to get from Hobart to Scotts Peak Dam at this time of year. I know there are seasonal bus companies that run out there, but only in summer. Is there any other form of public transport, or would there be any people willing to help out for petrol money and a carton of beer?

Cheers

Peter
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Re: Blade ridge and Nthwst face of Fed Peak

Postby MJD » Fri 11 Jul, 2008 4:55 pm

I have a copy of "Federation Peak Guide" web pages that was on Jonathan Nermut's old Climbing Page. The main description is "This rough guide to Federation Peak mainly comes from the 1969 CCT Guide written by Reg Williams. The old guide used English grades, and where I am not sure of the grade of a route in the Ewbank scale I have included the English grade for reference, but treat all grades given with suspicion. Thanks to Grant Dixon and John Burgess for providing the original guide and route information. Any updated or new route descriptions will be gratefully accepeted. No liability is accepted for the accuracy of any of the information in this guide. Climbing at Federation is very serious undertaking."

For more recent information have a look at:

http://www.thesarvo.com/confluence/disp ... +available

If you still want what I have then send me a personal message.
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Re: Blade ridge and Nthwst face of Fed Peak

Postby scrub master » Fri 11 Jul, 2008 11:42 pm

All I can say here is good luck, you're going to need it - particularly at that time of year. Spring weather in Tas is noutoriously fickle. If it is at all possible, it would be better to delay your trip a month or two.

Detailed route information is available on thesarvo.com (along with some amazing shots en route) or Gerry Narckowicz's Guide "Climb Tasmania". I also have a copy of Reg Williams' original guide but thesarvo information is pretty much a word for word copy. I also have a copy of an old MUMC article of the original ascent which gives a bit of additional useful information. The grades of the routes are 17 for Blade Ride proper, 16 for the NW face and 18 for the direct finish

While I haven't been on the NW face, I have done the Golden Diedre on the NE (Bechervaise) Face twice which I can highly recommend if you find the NW face a bit intimidating when you get there. Talking to friends who have been on the face, the general opinion is not to bother with Blade Ridge. The first few pitches are very poorly protected and scary - scorparia bush runners on a slippery, scrubby face. The rock after this is also a bit chossy. The base of Blade Ridge is also very difficult to locate from the Northern Lakes. It's worth spending a day or two to get your bearings around the place. If you haven't already been there, I would strongly suggest you go to the top by the walkers route so you know the way down after the climb.

The best place to set up a base camp would be the platforms on upper Bechervaise Plateau which will take 4 tents at a pinch. Although , there is great camping on the western side at hanging lake and Thwaites, the forest chute track from this side is very overgrown and scrubby and very difficult to follow. Conversely, from Bechervaise it is a very open rock scree practically all the way down. From Berchervaise it is also possible to traverse into the top of blade ridge if you change your mind. From here, you also have easy access to all of the routes on the Bechervaise face.

If your primary aim is to climb on the peak, I would recommend coming from the east through Farmhouse Ck. While the Eastern Arthurs is a brilliant trip, it will take 3-4 days from Scotts Pk or the Huon Track (not recommended) whereas a strong party can be at Bechervaise in 1.5 days from Farmhouse.

As far as transport is concerned, depending on how many of you there are, it's not such a silly idea to catch a taxi from Hobart !!! If there are 4 or more of you, it actually works out cheaper than the bus, but you get to decide where and when you want to go. The company I used to use when I was a mainlander is Huonville Taxis. Don't bother with Hobart based companies - most of them don't even know where Geeveston is let alone Farmhouse or Scots Pk !

I think I've prattled on enough for now. Good luck with your trip planning. I hope you have a successful trip. If you need any more information then drop me a personal message and I'll see what I can get out of my climbing friends. As already mentioned, climbing on Federation is a very serious undertaking not to be taken lightly but I would have to rate it as one of the best things I have done down here.
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Re: Blade ridge and Nthwst face of Fed Peak

Postby auspep » Mon 14 Jul, 2008 8:31 am

Thanks for the info people! I have thoroughly read all the stuff on thesarvo, cheers.

I have checked out the other access from farmhouse creek, well, had a look at google maps. Would this mean, from Geeveston taking the C631 (Arve Rd) out until Picton Rd then following this down to the end? Is this an actual signposted bushwalk? ie will we know when get to the start of the trail?

I know about our very slim chance of success, but, what else are you going to do in uni holidays? We would love to put the trip back a few months, for better weather, but we are heading to NZ for the summer at the end of Nov.

Also these Huonville taxis? Are they operating in Hobart or do you need to pre-organise them to pick you up?
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Re: Blade ridge and Nthwst face of Fed Peak

Postby Son of a Beach » Mon 14 Jul, 2008 10:29 am

auspep wrote:Is this an actual signposted bushwalk? ie will we know when get to the start of the trail?


I can't remember how well signposted it is, but the Moss Ridge track from farmhouse creek is certainly a well defined track, and is visually easy to follow (physically not so easy - lots of over/under/between trees, and mud-cliff climbing).
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Re: Blade ridge and Nthwst face of Fed Peak

Postby Azza » Mon 14 Jul, 2008 1:52 pm

Forestry likes to open / close gates from time to time depending on which area they're logging.
So there are a couple of ways to get through to Farm House Creek.
There are two bridges across the Picton than can get you through to Farm House - one of them will / should always be open.
Last time I went down they're they'd shut the usual route that I'd always taken in the past, it threw
me for a while but they had chucked a couple of hand painted signs saying Farm House Creek
this way. It ended up crossing the Picton near where the Huon track starts, then it links up with
the southern bridge further down. I don't know if any of this is shown on the Tasmap's 25k.
Anyway once your on the right road (South Picton Rd - I think) you drive until you can drive no further.
The original bridge at the end of the road got washed away and its now just a foot bridge.
Track starts right hand sign at the other end of the bridge. There aren't any signs from memory
just some tapes and a sign in box not far up the track. btw - Weather is gonna be nasty that year.

Cheers

Aaron
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Re: Blade ridge and Nthwst face of Fed Peak

Postby scrub master » Mon 14 Jul, 2008 3:46 pm

Huonville Taxis as the name suggests, operate out of Huonville but they will do a pick up in Hobart (or at least they did a couple of years ago when I last used them). If it's still the same mob that run the show, they are very friendly and sympathetic to the bushwalking cause. They are in the yellow pages, just search for Taxis in Huonville.

Yes you take the Arve Rd from Geeveston to the Tahune Airwalk - thanks to Forestry it's now a sealed tourist highway all the way, then the road you want to take is the West Picton Rd and is signposted as "access to the Huon Track" or something similar - it is not shown of the 1:25000 topo maps between Riveaux Rd & the second bridge. The old access via the east picton rd has been locked for a couple of years now and the second bridge is closed supposedly due to safety concerns, more likely to keep people from seeing the devestation Foresty are causing in the area (sorry, couldn't help getting on my soap box there for a minute).

When we were there at Easter this year, the track was in fairly good condtion, except for the usual patches of tea tree swamp and the forest along the Cracroft to Cutting camp is a pain with tall heavy climbing packs - but that's all part of the experience! Also keep an eye out for euro-wasps which are starting to infest the area. They may not be too bad at that time of year, but there is a big nest right by the rock that everyone stands on to get the first good look at Feders
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