West Coast Walk

[FreeWalker]

G'day I'm proposing to do the west coast walk sometime around February 2013. I prefer solo thru walking on major walks such as Australian Alps walking track and McMillan track but the only Tasmanian experience I have is the Port Davey track. This was a relatively easy walk except for the MUD. After completing the AAWT last year I've been focusing on the west coast walk as my next challenge and experience which appeals to me. Other than John Chapman's information there doesn't seem to be much detail available on the track walk. Because of my lack of experience in Tasmania I am hesitating to walk the West Coast solo. I am looking for other experienced bush walkers who would be interested in attempting this difficult walk. There are three options to how it can be done.

1. Starting at Scott's Peak Dam walking via Port Davey Track to The Lost World Plateau diverting to Davey River Gorge and down to Bond Bay to begin the true West Coast Walk to Straun. Although only approximately 200km it will take up to 35 days. I believe its possible to do this thru walk unsupported with 20kg of food and a 7-8kg pack. Some might find this proposal a bit too much.

2. Same as option 1 but with a helicopter food drop around the half-way mark. The catch with this is it will cost around $2000 but spread over 2 - 4 people it will not be so painful.

3. Sea plane drop at Bond Bay and walking through to Straun unsupported or maybe with a helicopter food drop half-way

This walk will require a high level of fitness to complete successfully. I'm interested to hear any comments or anyone who might be interested to do it

[JamesMc]

On a scale from one to ten what you are proposing would have a difficulty of about nine. PDT and AAWT would be about one. You might be well advised to try something a little less adventurous first.

Be aware that John Chapman's track notes do not exaggerate the difficulties of the route, unlike some other tracknotes you may be used to.

JamesMc

[Ndevr]

Freewalker

Gotta love the ambition, and part of my morbid curiousity says go for it; but me thinks (in fact I know) you're severely underestimating the difficulty. You can't seriously consider Option 1, a 35 day walk with no food drop; and you'd be praying for the mud on Port Davey, that'd be like a travellator in comparison.

Good luck in finding an experienced walking/swimming/navigating companion. It won't be easy for such a long walk, but this is the most likely forum to do so.

Ndevr

[mjdalessa]

This third option would be quite a bit easier; barge to Birches inlet, I am told it can be shared with parks to lower cost. Tracks to Low Rocky Point, walk coast to wreck bay and then cross to Bond Bay with a sea plane out. Still a serious undertaking.

[tastrax]

Option 4 - settle for just a bit of the coast and help the environment at the same time

http://www.wildcaretas.org.au/groups_details/sprats

Or maybe get part way down the coast on one of these projects and then do the rest solo

[chapman]

Based on the experience you have outlined, I would strongly suggest you do not attempt to walk the west coast until you have more tasmanian experience on some of the more dificult routes. While I encourage adventure and pushing yourself, its all too easy to try something beyond your ability. On the other walks there are some fallbacks, both from being able to exit early and also there are others around to help by either giving advice, assistance or simply passing on messages. The west coast has none of those safeguards - you are literally on your own. Yes there are fishing boats around sometimes but the time you might need them is in storm conditions and in such weather they are unlikely to be next to the shore!

I also have another reason, one young walker who became one of our friends was similar to yourself. with minimal tasmanian experience he walked the west coast solo with no food drops and ended up a bit hungry but got through, he then liloed down the Olga River and Wanderer Rivers - successful but he had fine weather, the third trip was down the Davey River and in a storm and resulting flood he drowned. He was pushing the limits and when something went wrong he had no leeway and paid the ultimate price. We were walking the west coast at the same time (just the two of us) and we were in the same storm which flooded all the streams - however we have been in many tasmanian storms and we knew when we could move, we shortened some days, camped 30m above rivers on top of dunes and also knew when to wait for lower water levels, simply put, experience is only gained over multiple trips. Its best built up over time rather than learning it all in one go which sometimes does not work out well.

So I would suggest walking something like the the Southern Ranges to Precipitous Bluff then do some off-track walks before tackling the west coast. You will then have some of the required experience as you are bound to have seen some poor weather and also will have experienced tasmanian scrub and learnt how to find the easiest route through it. Note that if you are after any more information for the west coast than is in my guide then you should definitely not be there - for experienced walkers those notes are more than adequate and they are written that way to encourage only those with suitable knowledge to tackle the route. In your post you refer to the west coast as a 'track', sorry its purely a route with no markers and the majority of it has no tracks at all.

John Chapman

[ollster]

Thank God John Chapman posted... we've had crazy plans like this before from people with basically zero experience in the area/conditions and they have ended in failure.

Please read and consider:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2977&

Good luck to you if you go through with it, you'll need it.

[ollster]

Well, this has gone mighty quiet... one post wonder?

[FreeWalker]

Thank you for all of your constructive comments. Definitely food for thought. I didn't really introduce myself. I'm a 44 year old from Sale, Victoria and have been walking Vic & NSW Alps since 1985 after completing an Outward bound course from Mt. Kosciusko to Marlo (Orbost). North of Licola and Dargo are my favourite areas. About 6 years ago I found that I had exhausted most of the Alps tracks and started attempting off-track routes.

In relation to the post, my options were purely an exploration of the possibilities. Unsupported from Scott’s peak would not be a pleasant experience and not my personal choice. With one food drop it sounds a lot better. I've taken heed of your advice and decided to put the full west coast walk forward two years to allow time to gain more Tassie experience.There's bushwalking and then there's Tasmanian bush walking. My focus is still west coast but with a trial run. Around February next year I would like to attempt a walk from Cape Sorrell to Hibbs Lagoon. Depending on how I feel I would leave a cache at Hibbs Lagoon and push on to Endeavor Bay and maybe Shingle beach, but unlikely. Then return to Cape Sorrell. Company would be greatly welcome but would try this solo if I had to. South-west cape and Southern ranges look like good walks to gain some experience.

It had been months since I last read John Chapman's track notes on west coast. Upon thoroughly re-reading them I realized that there is all the information one could want and don't underestimate them at all. Some of the river crossings sound particularly scary even if one is a strong swimmer. If anybody can suggest any more good lead up walks it would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

P.S
Riding down the West Coast Rivers on a Lilo is one of the most reckless things I’ve ever heard of. Still sad though.

- Freewalker

[JamesMc]

Hi FreeWalker,
I'm also a Victorian walker in his forties who is pretty much bored with the walking options north of the Strait. There's heaps of walking to do in Tas without going overboard.

BTW liloing down rivers is a pretty standard way to access lowland wilderness in Tasmania. Think rafting to Franklin but on rivers too small for a raft. I'm aware of one Tasmanian who has rafted or liloed virtually every river on the island.

[tas-man]

<snip>
There's bushwalking and then there's Tasmanian bush walking.
<snip
- Freewalker

Spot on! That's the benefit of discussion on this forum. Enjoy your trip your planning and future Tassie walking experiences.

[wallabyroo]

Apologies for the late posting of some comment on this proposal but I have only just signed up tonight- i have come across the site whilst researching information for a trip down the Wanderer river in 2014.

The notion of a 35 day walk is exciting in concept- i know because my brain was in this excited state back in 2006 when i was going to try and do the west coast in one hit- but as most posts have highlighted the west coast is something else. After researching the area and based on the important fact neither I or my 2 mates contemplating the trip could not get the time off work in one hit, split the trip into 3 sections.

1. Bond Bay to Birches Inlet - walking the 80k's out from Cowrie Bay to the ranger station and picking up a pre arranged charter boat back to Strahan.

2. Low Rocky Point to Hibbs Lagoon- trip abandoned at High Rocky point due to extremely poor weather resulting in a walk out at Birches inlet again

3. High Rocky Point to Hibbs Lagoon and finally Hibbs Lagoon to Strahan. The section between High Rocky Point and Hibbs is the toughest- we averaged 200 metres an hour in sections through the scrub here. Navigation is extremely difficult in sections and magnetic fields in places dont help too much either.

Not a solo trip but then why do something if you have nobody to share the adventure & pleasure with- anyway!!

The West Coast is definitely the best wilderness experience and requires tuning into a number of key weather factors to be successful along with company to share the load.

[Paul]

Hi Freewalker,

Did the trip from Melaluca to Cape Sorrell back in 2008 - took 26 days.

I can give you some first hand information if you wish to PM me.

Cheers,

Paul.