The Thumbs from (near) Adamsfield in 7.5hrs.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Stepbystep and I recently took on a fairly tough daywalk, THE THUMBS. thinking we would need up to 10hrs for this walk, it was a bit of a worry from the start when we realised we would not be able to get the Adamsfield key from PWS until 9am. We arrived at the gate to Adamsfield at around 10am (after missing the unmarked road at first for about 500mtrs) and started along the degrading road to Adamsfield. Keeping a close eye on the GPS and seeing the target get closer and closer, the road eventually became what I judged as unpassable. Little did I know SBS was a very experienced (or just mad) 4wdér and as I was on the verge of saying "well we walk from here" we were bouncing thru ditches humps, thru mud large puddles and some steep sections and actually made it to the end of the road!! Setting off at 1030am I really thought we had no chance of making it.
Got to the top of Packers Spur quite easily (the fire a couple of years ago has really wiped alot of this area out) we set off for the top of the ridge.... Little did I/we know this was a big mistake as we soon came across some very steep sections that at first seemed unpassable. A bit of a scrub bash and sidle down some steep sections saw us drop off the ridge and for the next hour we were over under around and through the scrub and cliffs. until we came very very close to the edge of the first ridge. The Summit was still 2k's away thru most of this and the target seemed quite unreachable.
Eventually we made it to the end, only to nearly step on one of the largest tiger snakes I have seen, another scrub bash thru some very thick growth and we made it to the saddle leading to the ridge the summit was on. this was about 2-2.5 hrs into the walk. Once we got to the gulley underneaththe big thumb the walking was much easier and we were soon on the major saddle leading to the summit. SBS decided this was enough for him and took a vantage point to take a couple of wonderful photos of me on the summit.
Once up top I noticed we could have gone around the western side of the ridge and avoided all the cliffs, and most of the scrub. This was the way we went back and in fact it was over an hour shorter than the way up!
7.5 hrs total to an amazing brilliant peak!!
Ok less talk more pics....

[ILUVSWTAS]

more,

[ILUVSWTAS]

And more

[ILUVSWTAS]

And the Pictures of me SBS kindly waited at the saddle to take

[flyfisher]

Great shots ILSWTAS and sbs . Thanks for sharing this frequently visited area with us.

I've been to Adamsfield 4 times but have never climbed the Thumbs.

ff

[ILUVSWTAS]

No probs FF it's my/our pleasure trust me!
A special thanks to SBS for the 2 shots of me on the summit. He was actually saying he wanted a new camera, and this must be true because the first creek we came to he threw it in the creek! Well threw his whole bag in actually, Well replace the word throw with "it fell" and your closer to the mark.... Pack was open at the time and Camera headtorch and food bags all went straight in the drink

[tazz]

Fantastic images,interesting terrain.

[flyfisher]

Could you see Mt. Wellington from up there or was it cloudy. I'm pretty sure I've seen the Thumbs from Wellington. I used to think it was Frenchmans, then I realised it leant the wrong way.

ff

[stepbystep]

Great report ILUVSWTAS, but I think you're using different adjectives to the ones I would use !

Wow, pretty tough 'walk'....the scrub bashing was more than I was prepared for but was really happy to tag along with someone used to such conditions.
In hindsight I'm sure I could have taken the summit as I was soooooo close, but being a pretty cautious type I'm always happy to make the journey rather than the destination.
In fact pretty proud of my decision making, I was concerned I wouldn't have the legs to make it back in daylight and had no interest in 4WD-ing out in the dark.
Also when walking with others I believe it to be really important to take their goals into account and I hope I took the lead through enough of that scrub to help ILUVSWTAS to the peak , and the last thing I wanted was for my companion was to be concerned I wouldn't make it back(I had the car keys)

Once again in hindsight I would have cruised home as we got back to the car just after 6pm, but if I'm in unfamiliar territory discretion is definitely the best option.
SWTAS tells me we did 1700m vertically over 18km which impresses me
The scrub-bashing well, that was pretty confronting and my knees and forearms are still screaming, but for me 'stepbystep' every trip into the wilderness of this amazing island is a learning experience and super glad I took it on.

Despite my best efforts my crappy camera has survived yet another near disaster and I still can't justify buying a new one

In conclusion, it's my experience that if you are a little out of your depth, that's ok, just so long as you know how to swim. A great day in the SW.

Cheers, sbs.

P.S. Not too sure about Mt Wellington ff, from the saddle Mt Field plateau seemed to obscure the W range, but perhaps ILUVSWTAS saw a bit more

[MJD]

Nice pictures of one of my favourite peaks. Sounds like you had fun.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Definately up there with one of the best so Far MJ!!
That shot titles a little bit verticle, shows the kind of terrain we were in, still cant believe how easy it was on the other side of the range, pity we couldnt see that at the time..... would have saved us an hour or so!!
And Stepbystep did a fantastic job in my opinion and definately could have made the peak in the end!

Wellington was definately visable!! As was Frenchmans, Weld, Picton, WOJ,

[stepbystep]

Definately up there with one of the best so Far MJ!!
That shot titles a little bit verticle, shows the kind of terrain we were in, still cant believe how easy it was on the other side of the range, pity we couldnt see that at the time..... would have saved us an hour or so!!

Funny the decision making when you're out there, even I knew with my little experience that the Western slopes of all the mountains in Tas cop the harshest weather which should in theory keep the scrub lower(although perhaps tougher), didn't cross my mind until we decided to head back that way

Update on the camera, seems to have lost some functionality The Thumbs just may have been it's retirement walk!

sbs

[geoskid]

Good stuff fellas - Did you two guys already know each other, or is this another BWT 'fostered' meeting of like people?
Either way - good stuff and thanks for sharing - inspirational.
Happy Walking
Geoskid

[stepbystep]

Nah mate,
got to know each other amongst the scrub and clifflines of The Thumbs!
A bit of 'sussing out' via PM's, it's a great forum for such meet-ups. Really hard to do in 'the real world'.
Hope to meet up with more of you over time, always happy to walk
sbs

[corvus]

Glad to read you met up on the BWT Forum and that it worked out just like "The Strollers" hope you have many more like we have .

[Ent]

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[stepbystep]

Best of luck selecting a new camera Stepbystep.

Damn thing has recovered full functionality It took 6 days to recover, one function at a time, should add the Olympus C-460 Zoom happysnapper to the bombproof gear list.
Amazing.....it was totally submerged.