Bushwalk Australia

Hi,

Looking at doing the OT Solo somewhere in October, I have never done it before and from what I read there are heaps of side trips(both overnight and quick** ones). I'm curious on what peoples favorite itinerary is? I don't have a restriction on time, except for the food i can carry.

I would love to hear about the side trips people do and what nights they camp where to make these happen. I defiantly want to do Mt Ossa (weather permitting)... and maybe Pine Valley.

Look forward to hearing your stories:-)

** Quick meaning day walks...

Side trips as day walks can also be difided up into 2 categories, side trip to do in between destinations, eg climbing Ossa on the day you walk between Pelion Hut and Kia Ora. And Side trip as a day walk, a whole day climbing for example Mt Oakleigh from Pelion Hut as an extra day to add to the trip.

I still don't get why people climb Ossa without a pack at all, and just carrying a water bottle and maybe a nut bar. Not for me... You go up Ossa and your pack is at Pelion Pass, you are pretty vulnerable, too much so for my liking without any gear. I understand most would do Ossa as a side trip en route therefore don't want to carry all their gear up Ossa, but I have seen many people take next to nothing with them. We did it as an extra day, starting from and returning to Pelion Hut. What a day it was too... Image here and here.

That issue aside, walks that may be considered - Cradle Mtn, Ossa (long way up), Oakleigh, Pelion East, Pelion West (harder), Thetis (harder), Pine Valley, some waterfalls like Hartnett...
If you wanted to visit Acropolis or Geryon or Walled Mtn or the Labyrinth, staying at Pine Valley would be required.

That's a rough start, out of the head anyway.
They're all covered in detail in a very worthwhile book by John Chapman, here.
Another book, cheaper and only has the areas that interest you in this topic, here.

Hope that helps.
Adam.

Hi farkewie - yes, there are heaps of side trips. You'll find lots of info. in the Overland Track Reference pages http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=597 As you're going solo, do check out all the safety stuff - we don't want to lose you!

At that time of the year - in fact at MOST times of the year - your options are going to be determined by the weather conditions on the day, and even on the HOUR. That said some of the "Do It If You Can" list would include:

Cradle Mt summit
Barn Bluff summit
Mt Oakleigh
Mt Ossa summit
Mt Pelion East
D'Alton, Ferguson and Hartnett Falls
Pine Valley
The Labyrinth
The Acropolis

If you were very keen on huge mountains with garage-sized boulders, then you could add Mt Pelion West. If you want to experience some magnificant myrtle beech forest, the forest beneath Cathedral Mt., and up the Mersey River from Hartnett Falls, is very special. For a very different (and muddy and leechy) finish to the trip, you could go up over Byron Gap from Narcissus and back via Lake Petrarch and the Cuvier Valley. It's a bit overgrown, so you'd want to know how to navigate with a compass and/or GPS. But it saves you the cost of the ferry, and is more interesting that going along Lake St Clair.

But as I say ... it all depends on the weather. Fashion your trip around that, grab what you can, and I reckon you'll be sure to enjoy yourself

cheers

Peter

Fancy me missing Barn Bluff....

Thanks Guys,

I have order the info pack including John Chapmans book; I'm just interested in other people experiences too.

I really like the look of Barns Bluff and I would like to summit Cradle Mountain, This is my fist trip alone and I am pretty exited about setting my own pace and seeing LOTS

NB: Weather permitting...

Lake Marion and the Gould Plateau are worth visiting, too.

I would strongly recommend Lake Will. Quite good track in as far as the lake. Different story for the track around to the falls.

k.

Nah, the bit from the beach to Innes Falls is the best part. All that lovely squelchy, leech-infested mud. It's the real Tasmania.

I'd really really recommend going up Mt Oakleigh, really love it up there. BUT you have to make sure you go right out to the spires at the Western End, otherwise its a nice view, but not as awesome.

To summarise: do every side trip possible. If you have the time.