Mt Ossa day trip - 15th Apr

[Phil]

Well as Step by Step mentioned in a previous post, I threw on my sneakers and decided to go for bit of an adventure last week. I love running/jogging, and love bush walking, and every now and then I like to put the two together and this trip was one that I've been meaning to do for a while - up the Arm River Track, connect onto the Overland, summit Mt Ossa, and back out in the day.

I was fortunate enough to have a conversation with 'son of a beach' only a week before my trip to gather some more detailed information on the condition of the Arm River Track as he and his lovely wife had only just wandered up that way a few days earlier. This conversation put my mind at ease (it was more for my wife's sake actually!) and so I packed my gear and headed off in the dark from Launceston at 5am last Thursday morning.

I was on the track at 7am, reached new Pelion hut just after 9am, and found myself standing on the summit of Ossa at about 11:15am. As SBS mentioned, we were a bit clouded in on the top and had no views to the south or west. The weather would move from time to time to allow views to the north and east but on the way back down (around Doris), views were fantastic!

It was a perfect Autumns day for the trip with hardly a breath of air and we were able to enjoy sunny skies for most of the day (except for on Ossa ). I left the summit at exactly 1pm (after about 1.5 hours on the summit recovering from the trip in!) and made good time to be back at the car at 5:15pm.

Overall, I made better time than what I had forecast (about 4hrs each way) and thoroughly enjoyed the trip. Other than the obvious sections - beginning of the Arm River Track and from Pelion Gap to Ossa summit, I was able to jog large sections of the journey in, with the trip out theoretically being easier except for the fact that I was now working with a fatiguing body!

Here's a couple of my pics..........now for my next adventure??????

Phil

[Phil]

a few more pics.........

[Phil]

last one.

[SueOfTheSouth]

I enjoyed your report Phil, what a great day you had. I remember many years ago when our kids were quite young taking 6 hours just to get to the Douglas River, and that was with a lot of coaxing.

[Son of a Beach]

Well done Phil. I think you guys are crazy, but that's just because my body ain't cut out for that sort of thing. You even managed to get some great photos along the way, too!

[stu]

Yeah, nice work Phil, I do love those big day trips
I've heard about this new 'alternative' start to the Arm River track with less of the uphill sting that the main track has (the one that starts at the next road up from the regular road used to access the Arm River track); i'd guess this 'alternative' could have shaved a little more off your times?
It's a very good track these days, especially with the long sections of boarding around Lake Eyr area.
Again, nice work & thanks for sharing the trip report / photos.

[Phil]

Yeah, nice work Phil, I do love those big day trips
I've heard about this new 'alternative' start to the Arm River track with less of the uphill sting that the main track has (the one that starts at the next road up from the regular road used to access the Arm River track); i'd guess this 'alternative' could have shaved a little more off your times?
It's a very good track these days, especially with the long sections of boarding around Lake Eyr area.
Again, nice work & thanks for sharing the trip report / photos.

Hey stu

Yeah, someone else also told me about this track....I think he called it the 'Maggs track'? (well it's off Maggs rd anyway). I decided to take the sligthly shorter but much steeper Arm River Track as I have walked it before and knew what to expect.......and being that I had a time limit for the trip I wanted to make sure that I knew where I was going!!

The track is certainly much friendlier these days as you mentioned, hence beaing able to wear the jogging shoes; I remember doing it about 12 years ago.......there were some real muddy sections to play with back then!

Phil

[Nick S]

Yeah we used this track on a recent trip up Mt Pilinger. Definitely feels quicker and less of a climb than the usual Arm river track.
Some nice forest as well.

[Lizzy]

ohhhh you Taswegians are lucky little buggers with all those nice walks down the road!

[Phil]

ohhhh you Taswegians are lucky little buggers with all those nice walks down the road!

.......and all in a day's work!