The Arthurs: the classic walks

[Biggles]

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!

[ILUVSWTAS]

Lots of info on this site regarding the Arthur, use the search engine and you will find all you ask......

like this...

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3709

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3322

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3075

[ollster]

I did the Arthurs in 1996 as my first long walk after doing the Overland Track and a couple of small overnighters.

I carried about 28kgs (dry) and spend 8 days in fear and pain. Between 3 of us we had a k-mart tent and a bivvy bag. It was great!

[Son of a Beach]

I've done the Eastern and Western Arthurs on two separate trips, and later did the whole lot together (plus a fouth trip to just Lake Oberon with the wife).

On the long combined walk, we were on the track for 12 days. It rained during 11 of those 12 days, despite a perfect weather forecast for no rain statewide for the entire time we were away. I have had good weather there for parts of the other trips, but that area is capable of defying the weather forecast completely, so be prepared. For the last few days of our walk, there was a clear line in the sky just to the East of the Arthurs, with black on the Arthurs side and blue across the rest of the state.

[Azza]

I carried about 28kgs (dry) and spend 8 days in fear and pain. Between 3 of us we had a k-mart tent and a bivvy bag. It was great!

lol, Knowing what we know now.. You should give yourself a smack around the ears...
We should probalby highlight - don't do the arthurs with a K-Mart tent and probably don't carry 28kg unless you can help it...

A winter traverse is not necessarily the epic you might think. Its achievable by mere mortals.
Years ago I got dumped on by snow at High Moor, we awoke to find everything frozen - tent, coat, boots, pack etc. Track was buried.
We went over the Begary Bumps no problem and navigate out from Haven Lake in pea soup..

The epic - was the walk back to the car.. we decided that we're going home today and nothing was going to stop up.
Head torches went flat (don't buy cheap batteries), we're stumbling around in the dark for hours, didn't reach the car till midnight. 14hr day..
At which point the first thing I did was drive the car off the road and crashed into a ditch.

As for tent bound - well I've never really been one to wait around for the weather to improve. The thing about Tassie weather is its always on the change.

[Biggles]

Somewhere I read that pack hauls and roping has been used by some parties in the Arthurs. One gets the impression from colourfully written trip reports that walks like the Arthurs are not for mere mortals. The Arthurs, or maybe to the Lake Oberon overlook, is something I'd like to do one day in the future, and probably with those who have been there several times before and know it well. The weather seems to be, at best, pot-luck and I do appreciate that the Arthurs quite likely have a weather system all their own. Anybody got some dramatic photos of this landscape? All I have is a Western Arthurs image by Ted Mead showing an autumnal storm approaching — dark, brooding, atmospheric and utterly dramatic — a truly wondrous scene, and doubtless, an unsettling one on that exposed ridge.

[Bap]

I did the Athurs in 5 days, on the night of the third day we went up Mt Columba to see what the sunset was like and saw this (see photo). It took about 5 minutes and we couldn't see more than 10 metres in front of us and hammering down with rain, and it stayed like that for the rest of the trip.

We took a rope but didn't use it, I can see where people would have to use rope though.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Nice Pic! Had a similar experience at High Moor. 4 lovely days, then an awful night. We had a damaged tent from the wind and ended up walking out to the car fro there the next day took 14+ hrs....

Also took a rope expecting to use it, didnt even end up taking the pack off in any places though.

[Son of a Beach]

I've used ropes to pack haul once each on both Western and Eastern Arthurs the first time through, but didn't use the rope in the same places next time through (but did use it one different place). So the need to use ropes and pack haul is variable depending on the people, the conditions at the time, etc.

Nearly clobbered my mate with his pack when trying to lower it down to him and it wouldn't go past a particular rock half way down. I had to lower it progressively faster and faster on each attempt until I was nearly throwing it down at him to get it past the rock.

[Nuts]

Ahhh, you try to clobber them as well as sending them up the wrong valley

We spent a few days (now perhaps 15yrs ago) wandering around in the Western Arthurs bumping into things before a hasty retreat to Scotts Peak, plan to get back there very soon!

[Biggles]

BAP's photo is suitably impressive to me; atmosphere and a reflection of the area's rugged character. Doesn't look very sheltered to me, as if any good sheltered places exist up there for tents, or are you at the mercy of the weather anywhere you put camp? As I laid eyes on it, I was struck just how rugged the landscape is and it sort of begs the question, "how did they get there?" (then, LOL!, "what the hell are they doing there!?"). Is that a tent site, hut or something else visible in the right lower third? Would still love to see a sunrise or sunset pic over the Arthurs.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Tent platforms at High Moor in that shot. they are present at all the major campsites as well as pod toilets. there is a very good track all the way through the Arthurs which is very easy to follow.

Did you check out the links on the second post?? Theres a few sunset/sunrise shots in amongst them.

[Biggles]

By dint of mention of 'pack hauling', does this imply that there is abseiling involved e.g. getting down from a ledge to the next level/section of track?
It occurred to me there is probably a risk of injury somewhere (I have read, I think in WILD, about walkers banging knees, shoulders and falling heavily on ankles), but that would be about examining personal capacity rather than taking on a difficult route in a cavalier fashion.

Very interesting that the Arthurs (or parts thereof) should be domesticated with tent platforms. I'm even more interested in doing a trip there — but, ah, no great hurry!

[ILUVSWTAS]

Besides Federation in the Eastern, there is no sections at all where technical climbing is involved. some scrambling is required, But even in these sections it is not exposed or airy. There was no time whatsoever I was fearful for my safety.

[Biggles]

Tent platforms at High Moor in that shot. they are present at all the major campsites as well as pod toilets. there is a very good track all the way through the Arthurs which is very easy to follow.

Did you check out the links on the second post?? Theres a few sunset/sunrise shots in amongst them.

Just backtracked and found them.
Even more impressed!

[Azza]

By dint of mention of 'pack hauling', does this imply that there is abseiling involved e.g. getting down from a ledge to the next level/section of track?

Mostly just short ledges on steep ground never anything much higher than 2 metres or climbing up through gaps in rocks.
Some people are confident to climb around with their pack on, while some people feel more confortable lower or lifting their pack with a thin piece of rope.
It a lot of cases you could probably just pass your pack to a friend.
Moss Ridge on the Eastern Arthurs in one where it's definately easier to lower your pack in a couple of places.

The difficulty of the walk has decreased dramatically since the early days when it was just a vague route.
The track / pad is so well worn these days that you never hear of anyone getting lost on the ranges.
More likely injuries - the rough terrain can be hard on the knees for some people.

Most camp sites are reasonably well sheltered... except for High Moor in the photo where you can take a bit of a pounding.

Weather wise - well its all just part of SW Tassie...

Worth getting a copy of John Chapmans SW Tas Guidebook if you want more details on the route.

[pazzar]

The difficulty of the walk has decreased dramatically since the early days when it was just a vague route.
The track / pad is so well worn these days that you never hear of anyone getting lost on the ranges.
More likely injuries - the rough terrain can be hard on the knees for some people.

I can vouch for that one - I can't imagine getting lost up there, but its not a nice place to get injured, especially when mother nature puts on a wild show.

I cant wait to go back there, not solo this time though. Looking forward to the summer!

[Son of a Beach]

I was camped at Goon Moor when another group was passing through, and it was only in talking to us about who else had passed through that day that they realised they were missing somebody from their group who should have been ahead of them.

After over an hour of searching a wide area with lots of shouting from all directions, they eventually located him. He was rather lost, having taken a wrong turn and found himself on the wrong side of the steep ridge behind Goon Moor.

The track is quite easy to follow, but sometimes people managed to get lost anyhow.

[Biggles]

What is the route in? Methinks it's from Scotts Peak Dam...across the Arthur Plains (?) then...up and up and up... One post mentions an 11 hour slog across the plains, so it sounds a bit like the Sodden Loddon crossing to French. Cap... Yes it's probably some years back now that what I read about the Arthurs made it seem for all intents and purposes like a vague, trackless, alien but nevertheless satisfying landscape fit only for fools and angles to tread. Apparently not so today! The risk of injury though is a bit of a worry in such a remote place but I guess all parties manage OK with care, dunno about solo walkers though. The landforms in the photo records are quite dramatic and for the life of me I cannot imagine what is involved in traversing the amusingly-named Beggary Bumps, which look more like huge mountain peaks in their own right!

Chapman has a growing presence in my library and I lap all the info up, but also like to bounce ideas of others who have been out there, not taking everything said or written as gospel (though it seems very accurate info). Now to go and fetch the SW Tassie tome...

[pazzar]

The traditional way across the range starts at Scotts peak, then requires a 3-5 hour walk on a boggy Port Davey track to the base of Alpha Moraine, which is on the western side. The alternative is walking along the Huon track from the Picton River to the track up Kappa Moraine to the east

[DaveNoble]

I have some photos of the range here -

http://www.david-noble.net/Tasmania/Art ... thurs.html

and

http://www.david-noble.net/Tasmania/Art ... hurs2.html

they show it in a variety of conditions - weather wise and different seasons.

Dave

[Biggles]

OMG, Dave, there goes a decades-long record of great beauty. I dips me lid.
Are they 35mm, 120 or 5x4 images? There are some stunners, there are more that are quietly sublime, and more still that vigorously stir the soul. *&%$#! marvellous. I reckon 1975 no tracks existed anywhere and that getting around the Arthurs was by word of mouth and rough-drawn maps scrawled during late night gin and tonic sessions in the bowels of musty bushwalking clubs. Well, even bicycle touring clubs had such nights...

[DaveNoble]

All of these images are from 35mm slides. Later images on my website (but not on those pages) are digital. Back in 75 when I did my first traverse - there was a rough track all the way through the range. Some parts have not changed too much - eg Centaurus Ridge and the Crags of Andromeda. In a lot of places - there was no marked track - just a series of leads with lots of cairns. There were a lot of false leads - especially in places like the Beggary Bumps. And in those days - high level air drops were permitted (I think up to about 75. We had low level drops on our first trip - eg Junction Ck and Craycroft Crossing) . So there were dropping zones on Peak 4 (Hesperus), High Moor and Promontory Lake (WA) and Goon Moor and Hanging Lake (EA) - and also big piles of rusting air drop drums.... 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 the 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). Back in 75 when I did my first trip - we took 4 walking days for the Western Arthurs (plus one day stormbound at Lake Oberon) and walked up the Eastern Arthurs in one day from Pass Ck - times much the same as now.

Dave

[ILUVSWTAS]

I love the wintery shots, Snow like that on the Arthurs is not something many people get to see up close and personal.

[north-north-west]

There was no time whatsoever I was fearful for my safety.

Given the company you sometimes keep, that's rather surprising.
Also rather worrying . . .

[ILUVSWTAS]

Classic, tis true, I went thru the Arthurs with a very responsible and sensible young fella from the forum in NickS

[north-north-west]

Ahhh, and he managed to rein in your wilder excesses? Or did you behave yourself to set a good example?
Either way, that's good.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Yes I was very well behaved. Not a single drop of plonk on board!
I did run around like a hyperactive child bagging every peak I could see though...

[north-north-west]

He should have blindfolded you.

[ILUVSWTAS]

hehe yeh that would have made Proycon and Capricorn more exciting.