The Arthurs: the classic walks

[north-north-west]

It all adds to the challenge.

Proycon? Is that anywhere near Geyron?

[ILUVSWTAS]

Oh dont you start on my spelling PLESE!!!

[NickD]

Of my past 26 days on the Arthur Range I have had 25 days of good weather!! In Feb last year, we climbed Federation during the heat wave, 5 out of 5 good days. Then I went into the Western Arthur's (my second traverse) in May/June 2009, expecting the worst but instead, the North West/East copped all the bad weather and we scored 9 days straight of pearly blues!!! I went to Federation this year again in February, 12 days on the range, 11 days were pearly blues!!

Of course I left out my first visit to the range, January 2008 when we had 5 out of 8 days of rain and two days tent bound at Lake Oberon! The rain didn't ease but growing impatient we continued to High Moor anyway! I slipped on the wet quartzite and put a hole in my Gore Tex, but by the time we got to High Moor the weather improved and we had a beautiful sunset.

My favourite place in the world.....

[tas-man]

How many Tassie walkers have traversed the Arthurs E—>W (or vice versa)?
So, what are the big walks of the Arthurs and what do they involve in terms of logistics, hazard, views, dangers (e.g. notable points of significant hazard) and opportunities? Some walkers no doubt have crossed the Arthurs in winter (I've read about that in WILD some years back); others, too, in every season. How many of you have come away with surreal photographs of autumnal storms, blood-red skies followed by eerie, monochromatic pea-soupers that have trapped you, tent-bound, for days on end? I'm interested to know of peoples' experiences and memories of this engimatic Tassie range. It's not for me to kit up and go out there and walk it; lots of other ground to cover long before that distant ambition!

Biggles, to get a "virtual" feel for the WA's, check out this video section from the Launceston Walking Club's 2006 "Do You Know Tasmania" Show. If you want to get a more D&M experience, kit up in your Gortex and stand in a cold shower while watching it on your laptop. http://www.youtube.com/user/LauncestonW ... RPOZWyH0mY

[durks]

...[snip]... Back in 75 ...[snip]... And there were route notes available - gestetner printed notes on many SW walking areas - Eastern Arthurs, South Picton Range, South Coast Track, Mt Anne Circuit, PB, Western Arthurs. Typically they had about half a page of route notes for each day's walk and info on water and campsites. They were produced by Hobart Walking Club and commonly available from bushwalking stores (eg Paddy Pallins, Sydney).
Dave

That's very interesting: I didn't know that such info was available freely then; I'd always imagined it was being passed around samizdat style by those in the know.

I'd be very interested to see a sample scan of any such notes you may still have, just to compare what's available now with what was available then.

[DaveNoble]

...[snip]... Back in 75 ...[snip]... And there were route notes available - gestetner printed notes on many SW walking areas - Eastern Arthurs, South Picton Range, South Coast Track, Mt Anne Circuit, PB, Western Arthurs. Typically they had about half a page of route notes for each day's walk and info on water and campsites. They were produced by Hobart Walking Club and commonly available from bushwalking stores (eg Paddy Pallins, Sydney).
Dave

That's very interesting: I didn't know that such info was available freely then; I'd always imagined it was being passed around samizdat style by those in the know.

I'd be very interested to see a sample scan of any such notes you may still have, just to compare what's available now with what was available then.

I have placed a scan of the Western Arthurs Route Guide online at -

http://www.david-noble.net/Tasmania/Guides/Guides.html

Look for classic sections - eg from Lake Oberon "climb the Pegasus" (yes - thats all it said, not how to do it), and the "incredibly steep but fern covered slopes" leading off Mt Capricorn.

As well - there are a few bits of old maps that I have added for interest.

Dave
(If people from the Hobart Walking Club don't want this online - then I'll be happy to remove it)

[stepbystep]

I have placed a scan of the Western Arthurs Route Guide online at -

http://www.david-noble.net/Tasmania/Guides/Guides.html

Look for classic sections - eg from Lake Oberon "climb the Pegasus" (yes - thats all it said, not how to do it), and the "incredibly steep but fern covered slopes" leading off Mt Capricorn.

As well - there are a few bits of old maps that I have added for interest.

Dave
(If people from the Hobart Walking Club don't want this online - then I'll be happy to remove it)

Classic stuff Dave thanks for sharing. I'm planning my first traverse this summer, can't say I'd be quite as confident if that was all the info I was given, fascinating stuff though.

The reference on the POW map to Olegas' spirit bottle - do you know what this is all about?

[DaveNoble]

The reference on the POW map to Olegas' spirit bottle - do you know what this is all about?

Just an annotation I made on the side of the map - noting the campsite used by Reg Williams and Olegas Truchanus on their earlier traverse of the range. I think it was common for Olegas to mark his some of his campsites with a stick stuck in the ground and a small empty spirit bottle being placed upside-down on the stick (Ok - perhaps not the most environmentally friendly thing to do!). I heard later that this was the campsite where an old book had been left with some money hidden in it. We didn't know about the book or the money. Another party - Chris Cosgrove and Peter Blackwood (also from Sydney) passed by the campsite earlier than we did - and they did know about the book and the money. Peter Blackwood even read the book - but didn't find the money (a 5 pound note I think). I think we all heard later that the money was glued between two pages of the book! An interesting tale.

Dave

[stepbystep]

The reference on the POW map to Olegas' spirit bottle - do you know what this is all about?

Just an annotation I made on the side of the map - noting the campsite used by Reg Williams and Olegas Truchanus on their earlier traverse of the range. I think it was common for Olegas to mark his some of his campsites with a stick stuck in the ground and a small empty spirit bottle being placed upside-down on the stick (Ok - perhaps not the most environmentally friendly thing to do!). I heard later that this was the campsite where an old book had been left with some money hidden in it. We didn't know about the book or the money. Another party - Chris Cosgrove and Peter Blackwood (also from Sydney) passed by the campsite earlier than we did - and they did know about the book and the money. Peter Blackwood even read the book - but didn't find the money (a 5 pound note I think). I think we all heard later that the money was glued between two pages of the book! An interesting tale.

Dave

The stuff of legends, the tale of this book has fascinated me since I heard it, and as a film-maker I would love to document a search for this book, maybe one day.....

[durks]

I have placed a scan of the Western Arthurs Route Guide online
...[snip]...
As well - there are a few bits of old maps that I have added for interest.

That's really interesting: thanks very much for posting it.