Waterfall Valley to the Forth River

[Cloudstone]

Hi All,
I am frustrated by the OLT being fully booked out well into next year - I’m sure I’m not the only one.
So I’m looking at planning an alternative OLT route unencumbered by the booking system and not breaking any of the rules while I’m at it.
I think it’s possible by linking bits of the Arm River, Lees Paddocks, Ducanes, Pine Valley and on to Lake St Clair. The obvious hole in my plan is getting from night one camp on the Barn Bluff track down to the Forth Valley to link up with Patons Road - which would then take me up to Pelion Plains.
My question is - does anyone have experience or info on following the Hartnett Rivulet from Waterfall Valley Hut down into the Forth Valley? It’s a trackless 10km and 700m descent. Or maybe off the back of Emmett into the Forth Valley?
It’s just an idea at this stage - but might become reality in Feb or Mar next year.
Cheers and thanks,
Ax

[Mechanic-AL]

Hi Cloudstone

I can understand your frustrations and hope you find the info you are requesting. But you are basically asking for a blueprint to circumvent the booking system which i'm pretty certain would be frowned upon by some.
Perhaps if you asked for info via PM's you might do better.

good Luck

Al

[Paul]

Maybe another option is to leave the OLT at the high ground just beyond Holmes Lake, then continue to Hydrographers Hut passing by Lake Agnew and Lake McRae. Then follow Commonwealth Creek down to Forth Valley / Patons Road.

Paul.

[Cloudstone]

Thanks Mechanic Al - i take your point. Maybe I should talk about this in terms of a stand alone walk rather than in the context of the OLT. It would be an epic route.
Cheers,
Ax

[Cloudstone]

Hi Paul,
My reading of the OLT rules are that you can’t go beyond WVH without an OLT pass - otherwise the route you describe would be a good one.
Cheers,
Alex

[L_Cham_67]

My reading of the OLT rules are that you can’t go beyond WVH without an OLT pass

Walkers are allowed as far south as the Lake Will turnoff if not walking the overland. You'd only really go that far south though if heading towards the Hydro Hut, or taking the alternative route to Mt Inglis.

[eggs]

The Hydro Hut / Lake McCrae area does not require an OLT pass. But you are expected not to camp at the main Waterfall Valley hut / camping area.

[Cloudstone]

Thanks for the info re how far you can go without a pass 67 and Eggs - the route via McCrae and Hydro hut looks "easier" than down the Hartnett Rivulet.
I just read your post from 2016 Eggs and it looks like it's a scrub bash out to the Hydro Hut - and I can imagine the steep descent to the Forth would be tough even with gravity on my side.
Hoping for some nice weather early next year to give it a go.
Cheers,
Ax

[Paul]

It isn't a scrub bash from the OLT to Hydro Hut - if you keep to the high ground/ ridges. The last small section of dropping off the high ground to the hut has some waist high vegetation..

Paul.

[eggs]

For people walking the OLT, it is "scrubby" heading to the hut.
But it is mostly very easy - working through low grasses and shrubs and winding through button grass sections.
It was waist high shrubs at the east end of the ridge, but our mistake at the end of that ridge was to go too directly for the hut, ending up in about 8 foot scoparia for a short distance.
Following the more open section towards the southern lake would have avoided that.

The scrub / button grass varied working back along Lake McCrae and then back to the OLT, but it was not really a scrubby walk.