Time needed for Southern Range

[Penguin]

Hi all

I am thinking of doing the Southern Range as part of a longer walk. John Chapman suggests 6 to 8 days from Lune River to Prion Beach.

What is other peoples experience for the time from Lune River to Prion Beach, including the side trip of Precipitous Bluff?

P

[Azza]

I think Chapmans times are a little high. The route appears to be very well established now and we're suprised how quickly we made progress.
I went through there in 2005 and it took us 6 days Lune River to Cockle Creek, the only long days were descending PB and wading the lagoon and
the final day across the South Cape Range. The route is fairly scrubby beyond Pindars Peak until you reach PB Low Camp.

From memory our days were:
Day 1 to near La Perouse
Day 2 to Leaning Tea Tree saddle
Day 3 to PB High Camp
Day 4 to Prion Boat Crossing
Day 5 to Granite Beach
Day 6 to Cockle Creek

btw. PB summit isn't really a side trip... its like 20 minutes from High Camp.
So depending how fast you walk its feasible to make Prion Beach in 4 days. 6 would be reasonably short days and allow you to do all the side trips.

[Penguin]

Thanks ALJSCOTT

You do make it look a little more realistic for us to do it on the time frame we have.

The question is how fast individuals travel. I understand that a Ferrari Scuderia is faster than a Fiat 500. but are they equally fast on rough ground?

P

[cwcom1]

I'd say 7 days is about spot on, maybe 8 at a comfortable pace with side trips.
6 days is achievable going at a very quick pace and sticking to the main track.
It would require a very early start on day 1.
The side trip to Mt La Perouse is worth the hike up there.

2 long days include coming down off PB and the other is crossing the cape on the South Coast track.

We did this in November and were slowed down by a large dump of snow the night before we departed.

Some pics of this trip:

http://www.craigcombes.com.au

[Penguin]

Some pics of this trip:

http://www.craigcombes.com.au

Great shots. We are not certain our aging bodies can match your pace. It is tempting to try but we have a deadline. So we will have to do some hard thinking.

[ollster]

So depending how fast you walk its feasible to make Prion Beach in 4 days. 6 would be reasonably short days and allow you to do all the side trips.

Azza, I don't recall doing any days longer than about 6 hrs - is that your recollection? I seem to recall being comfortably camped well before dinner time each night.

(Perhaps apart from the PB descent day, which I recall was 6+ hrs from High Camp to NR Lagoon, then another hour and a bit lazily walking through the lagoon).

[Azza]

Ollster - I remember the descent off PB taking quite a long time because you were whingeing about your knee
The wade down the lagoon took was quicker than expected, it didn't seem like an excessively long day.
But I reckon it was more than 6 hrs. I quite enjoyed that day and time sorta flew, it didn't seem that taxing either.

The only other longish day was the last bit of the South Coast track heading out from Granite Beach to Cockle Creek.

I think general consensus was that the entire trip was easier going than expected.

[ollster]

I remember the descent off PB taking quite a long time because you were whingeing about your knee

*cough* At least I didn't have a hangover most of the trip *cough*.

[Azza]

Ollster - that was the snowy ranges...

Just got back from walking the south coast track, with all the rain we've been having New River Lagoon is super full at the moment.
Water is right up to where the boats are parked on both sides.
Ran into a guy walking in to do the southern ranges traverse, had a chat to him for a while.
I really didn't envy him and the task of having to wade the lagoon.. Forgot to mention about the submerged logs as well...

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[ILUVSWTAS]

That "guy" wouldnt have been chatting to you halfway down the south cape range near granite beach would it??
I ended up walking to prion that day, Lagoon was down a fair bit by the following day only just over thigh deep at the major creeks. Was quite a cold wade though.
Got over PB and ran into some trouble just past kamaruka morraine (hail/sleet and had a nasty fall). Met a couple of guys coming back the other way so I decided to come out with them the way I came. PB is a tremendous mountain though and the views were superb!!

[Azza]

lol.. yea.. It would be.

Small world... actually I'm not that suprised. Glad to hear you made it, PB is indeed an awesome mountain.
Its up there as one of my most memorable trips.

kamaruka moraine and the section at the bottom where you come across from Mt Wylly I reckon is probably worst bit of the scrub.
I remember going through there in much the same weather as you described.
Muddy, scrubby, lots of indistinct pads. and those rather strange platforms at PB Low Camp.

Have they done anything about the upside down workmans shelter that used to be on top of PB?

[tas-man]

. . . . with all the rain we've been having New River Lagoon is super full at the moment. Water is right up to where the boats are parked on both sides. . . . .

When I was there last Easter, only the top of the anchorage post was showing and we had to "dive" to unhook the boat from the post! The plus was that we could almost row to the anchorage point on the other side - no hauling up the sand needed as all covered.
<EDIT> Found some photos from the trip that will be interesting to compare to others where the water levels were a lot lower.

We find the boat half submerged and held under water by its tether!

Almost across the lagoon for the first trip.

View of lagoon crossing from PB side.

Last edited by tas-man on Sun 18 Jan, 2009 1:50 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Indeed it is a small world! great to meet some people on the tracks that frequent this site!! I met 2 others!

Didnt see any shelter on PB at all? Awesome views from the top especially Federation and Pindars! Could see the tower on Mt Wellington!

Yeh I was under a time restriction, got a bit nervy after a couple of falls was quite pleased when 2 walkers come the other way, was nice to follow some people out...

[Azza]

Found this workmans shelter on top of PB, its actually upside down you can see the gas bottle connector at the top..
Looks like they must of had a few issues trying to place it and its gotten dropped in a hurry.

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Opps....

[ollster]

Lol.

That was certainly a surprise when we got up PB (almost as much as the intricate paving stones on the approach...). My guess is that it blew over. It would explain the tethers that have been placed their "after the fact", considering they probably didn't want it blowing over again and breaking more stuff. Still, I'd really like a full explanation!

[GraemeSpedding]

We had to turn around on approch to PB this summer due bad weather, but intend going back in Jan 2010. Just wondered what the climb downPB to the lagoon is like? Any suitably scarey photos available?
The scrub beyond Pindars certainly is a little thick but the track is def fairly easy to follow even in cloud and rain. Frustrated not to finishthe trip
Cheers
Graeme

[ILUVSWTAS]

Walk from PB to lagoon isnt too bad. Taped track bit vague in places but can be picked up again with minmal scouting.
my only advice watch out for the limestone area lots of bracken growing over it makes it hard to see where the stones are i tripped and fell coming down there and still have a nice scar smack bang in the middle of my forehead........ bled all the way back to prion beach.....

[ollster]

Any suitably scarey photos available?

Not scary at all, IMO. I (being a notiorious chicken around exposed bits) was pleasantly surprised.

It is hard work getting down though. I think we spent the better part of 6 hours descending, and it left my knees pretty swollen.

[Penguin]

Any suitably scarey photos available?

Not scary at all, IMO. I (being a notiorious chicken around exposed bits) was pleasantly surprised.

It is hard work getting down though. I think we spent the better part of 6 hours descending, and it left my knees pretty swollen.

My feeling as well. I am hopeless at descending but if you take your time it is all straightforward. 1,000 meters down is a long way down, but we did low camp to New River Lagoon easily in one day.

The tough bit IMO is the scrub bash through the scaparia before Mount Wylie.

A great trip. I will post our photos soon.

P

[tasadam]

Day 5 to Granite Beach
Day 6 to Cockle Creek

Granite Beach to Cockle Creek in a day? Too fast for me.
But then we did start at Cockle Creek, so full packs prepared for 9 days were a bit heavy.
Still, going up the muddy slope the first hour or so after Granite beach towards Cockle Creek, isn't that going to be fun!!

The water appears by the standards shown above to have been quite low when I was there.
3 photos demonstrating the fun I had dragging boats around.
Time of year - 19/11/2008.

A long way to drag the boat

crossing1.jpg (30.14 KiB) Viewed 18473 times

This far - now I can start paddling.

And back again... Then flip it and tie it up. All good fun!

[Taurë-rana]

We had to turn around on approch to PB this summer due bad weather, but intend going back in Jan 2010. Just wondered what the climb downPB to the lagoon is like? Any suitably scarey photos available?
The scrub beyond Pindars certainly is a little thick but the track is def fairly easy to follow even in cloud and rain. Frustrated not to finishthe trip
Cheers
Graeme

My main memory from about 20 years ago is of it being absolutely incredible forest. I don't remember it being difficult, just a relief to be going down. Mind you, my knees were 20 years younger and never hurt then.

[Azza]

The descent is not scary at all, just takes a while.
There are no steep scary bits, somehow it manages to find its way down a bit of a gully and then traverses along under the cliff faces before heading down through the forest to the lagoon.

Granite Beach to Cockle Creek in a day? Too fast for me.

I'd tend to agree now...
At the time we're pretty keen to get home and I've stayed numerous times at South Cape Rivulet, so whats another couple of hours?
It was the first time that I'd done the South Cape Range - and lets say I was a little suprised by the state of the track.

Cheers

Aaron

[ILUVSWTAS]

Granite to cockle??? BAH!! try Prion to cockle in one day 13 half hrs 26kg pack

Did the south cape ranges in 4 hrs 20mins!!!!

[ollster]

Granite to cockle??? BAH!! try Prion to cockle in one day 13 half hrs 26kg pack

Did the south cape ranges in 4 hrs 20mins!!!!

Survivied on coal and urine, and kept warm by sleeping with wallabies! AND WE LIKED IT!