Cuvier Valley track conditions

[Happy Pirate]

Does anybody know the current condition of the Cuvier Valley track to Lake Petrach and Byron Gap?
I was hoping to do a loop walk this weekend camping at Lake Petrach and then at Echo Point, but I've never walked this track.
Cheers, Steve

[Son of a Beach]

It's a long time (more than 10 years?) since I've done it, but even back then, there was no track at all for much of the way. Walking through trackless button grass plains is exhausting. Up, down, trip, mud. Some scrub bashing around the side of the lake too.

[north-north-west]

Southern part of the track is reasonably well marked now - aluminium posts, usually with arrows. Gets a bit vague in a couple of spots but as long as you keep your wits about you getting to the southern end of Petrarch is easy enough. Section immediately in from the turnoff is a little overgrown but not too bad. North of the Petrarch beach it gets a bit trickier, mostly because of the lack of markers. The pad through the forest is reasonably clear but then there's a dodge and weave through higher and thicker shrubs that can be more awkward to follow. Pick a lead and, if it peters out, backtrack. Once on the open ground towards the north of the lake it gets a lot better and clearer, but parts of the track up to Byron Gap are very muddy. Like, leg disappearing into the sludge up to the knee muddy.
If you get to the beach early enough, you can move on and camp at the northern end, on the grassy flats just below the trees. If you'd rather camp at the southern end, it pays to take the time - if you have it - to check out the route to the north to make sure of it. Only takes ten minutes or so to get to the end of the thicker vegetation.
Don't know about the forest part of the descent to the OT because last time up the Cuvier I went out over Manfred, but it's often a bit of a mess; tends to have a lot of treefalls and sometimes unreliable markers. Just have to hope that that section has been taped recently.

The buttongrass bits will be wet, but it's nowhere near the bogfest it used to be.

[IDP]

As of Easter this year: From the OLT to Byron Gap is reasonably clear
Some tree fall but enough of a pad and some markers to not make it problematic

[Happy Pirate]

Thanks, good to know. Guess I'll just have to give it a try.

[Niftynomad]

In Jan 2023 we descended into the Cuvier from Franlin Tarns area. Some areas of thick off track, and some open forest walking. We descended to the north of Lake Petrach and crossed the Cuvier River into the remnant/final'ish' button grass which has some random stakes/sticks in it. An hour of pfaffing, prodding and poking around the'entrance' to the forest and we found the old track. Yes, there are some bog holes in the button grass further up towards the saddle,that are not large/broad, but deep. And the odd treefall to work around...
But it's basically an easy track up the to the saddle, where we parted southwards to Olympus and Lake Helen. At least 3 tent sites up there in different spots, buts it's a bugger to get water up there. There is a wee trackside creek, but we had to dig soakwells and wait for clear water. That route up Olympus has some fair scrub work intermingled with plenty of human/animal pads and sandstone outcrops to gain before skirting round the west side boulder fields to gain the summit. Don't rush to ascend, lest ye spend considerable time on the Olympus Ridge Strewn boulder towers.
Route descriptions can be found on this forum. There is also tape to follow for the first 500 to 750m?

Good luck to anyone heading up there. The summit Ridge and descent to Helen/Oenene are worth it.