Bushwalk Australia

Hey,

I start the OLT on Monday and was going to add on the WOJ. Now I'm starting to doubt myself...

1) is it hard to follow the Lees Paddocks track from Pelion?
2) is it hard to follow other tracks that get me across to the good bits of the WOJ?
3) should I come back the same way or come back via the never never?
4) how many days would I need for the WOJ section?

To clarify...I would say
1) I have plenty of hiking experience, incl. fairly physically demanding hikes but ones that always seem to be well signposted.
2) have a full suite of gear,
3) can carry 2 weeks or so of food plus cold weather
gear and all bits n bobs (albeit uncomfortably).
4) have little/no off track walking experience (except when it's accidental)
5) wouldn't really know how to cross a river but I believe you do it at the widest point??
6) will be walking alone but do have a plb
7) no idea how to navigate but as long as my phone works I can use my MapOut app.

Not sure if I'm underestimating a) myself or b) the difficulty of this adventure.

The tracks marked at tasmap are all reasonably easy to follow Suz. The Lees T/O is within meters of a registration box (as a marker) near the eastern end of Lk Ayr. Similar ups and downs from the high country as you found/mention at PV. Can't think of much that would flood to be a worry (apart from Mersey perhaps), a few small creeks and overflowing tarns maybe. I'd want at least 5/6 days myself.

Thanks Nuts Maybe I'll head out along Lees from Pelion and see how I go...can always turn back I guess.

Do you have John Chapman's Overland Track book? It has excellent descriptions of the links between OLT and WoJ.
If you have limited off track experience there are plenty of places to lose the track around Reedy Lake and through to Lees. It's an unmaintained pad with lots of trees over it. Forestry marked it with red and yellow triangles before it became national park about 20 years ago. No maintenance since.

Given your experience and your qualifications for the walk, I would be hesitant to recommend the long detour to the Walls.
I have not been through Lees or the Never Never, but the Never Never in particular looks outside your envelope. [But there are some details on this site if you search for it]

I think it is your note about "well sign posted tracks" and "walking alone" that concern me the most with this suggestion.
But if you can handle Lees Paddocks, and are prepared to follow very basic tracks [few sign posts], then a road walk to the Walls carpark and then into the Walls via Solomons Jewels and return via Lakes Adelaide, Meston, Myrtle and Bill could work.

Suz wrote:Thanks Nuts Maybe I'll head out along Lees from Pelion and see how I go...can always turn back I guess.

That's the way. Please don't take my comments as complete, including advice on what you should do. Sound sensible enough, so that's a good start
Eggs may be right, and, especially solo, this is all a step up from The Overland Track grade. Also, there's some nice country, and it's just well worth a separate loop walk alone on it's own.

I find myself wanting to agree with TT, he doesn't come here often and seems to have a lot of experience. It's been some years and there may be more trees down and more braids around Reedy Lake. I had thought to mention that may be, relatively, the worst 'track' section you'll encounter but I don't recall anything too difficult, from having done it a few times. You'll likely encounter some trees down going up to Lk Bill or on the other climbs as well. Some friends went in via Lees a few weeks back, I can ask them regarding the current state if overly concerned?

I would say that the Lee's/'Venetian Blind' track is marked on tasmap at 1 : 25k, not necessarily any need for a book. Like Mersey, if you struggle past the lake you are just following water down, from the southern end of the buttongrass clearing in this case. If you continue to head downhill there's a whopping great paddock that's going to be really hard to miss. It's the safest, best marked and, a bit of extra climbing aside, easiest route you'll find of the several most mentioned (which is why I mentioned it). Nothing particularly hard in some others but it's going to be even safer coming back the same way

Thanks everyone. Maybe I'll use the Lees track with the section around Reedy Lake as my litmus test for whether to turn back or not. Hopefully tho, I can make it and not carry an extra weeks worth or food for nothing.

I was in there a few weeks ago. Lee's is in a pretty interesting state at the moment, as it hasn't had much use since the road has been washed out. Even the ART section is noticeably rougher. Lots of trees down in the first section from Pine to Lee's Hut, and the main pad can be quite vague at times around Reedy Lake as TT mentioned. For the most part, it's far from a marked track - with only tapes and the occasional arrow/poles reassuring you're still on course. Nothing like the OT.

Although the Never Never essentially just follows the river shores - don't underestimate the navigation element still involved. I've heard of a few groups/people being mislead around Junction Lake coming in via the Never Never and after coming south from Cloister Lagoon.

Even if you do get down Lee's no probs, onto Meston & into Walls - you're looking at approx. 3 days one way to reach the best bits of the park.

For all the faff that it's worth with this in mind - I would recommend a separate trip all together once the Mersey Forest Road access has opened back up - unless of course you're up for the adventure and don't mind skipping the Pelion Gap/Mt Ossa section of the OT

The Walls - Lake Ball - Lake Adelaide - Meston - Myrtle loop would be the best suited extended walk for ease of navigation.

I think Suz had departed Weetbix456 (good input nevertheless).

Hey all...umm so I gave up my quest to tackle the WOJ from Pelion. After about 3k on the arm river track I noticed my gaiters were covered in leeches. Pulled about 20 off me that morning. That was enough to make me consider leaving the trip to another time, a week of leeches was not on my agenda

A good helping of Bushman (Deet) on your gaiters will deter them totaly.

The 80% stuff in a green tube works really well.

Cheers Flyfisher

Haha! I like Flyfisher's suggestion -- I've not heard that before. One time through the Never Never, I had to use water to get the gaiters off my son's legs. We managed to get so many leeches down our gaiters that when the blood dried the gaiters were stuck to our legs!

I'm sure there are dreadful leech stories out there though...

Steve.

Oh, yes, well, hey, there's leeches!
Alternatively a bit of a snake fest along there in good weather so...

FF - would the 80% deet not breakdown the waterproofing on my gaiters? Worth trying tho if it isn't too damaging to gear.

Gross Sacooke...that is the worst leech story I've ever heard!

There were plenty snakes in there Nuts. In my 3k stroll I came across one tiger snake that appears to live under the duckboarding and another (largest tiger snake I've ever seen) slithered away into the bush right beside the track.

I never bothered wearing my gaiters at all until I came to tassie ...and started off in the Tarkine.

But at least they want nothing to do with me, unlike the leeches, for whom I am like the passing Mr Whippy van to kids in the street. Oh well...I have never felt so popular I suppose.