Mt Howitt access
vk3ase
Mt Howitt, crosscut saw,terrible hollow etc.
I note that the Tamboritha rd from Licola is closed due to
flood damage during the year. I have previously come
up from the Marathon Rd or the Moroka Rd (4wd).
Does anyone know if these roads are open at the moment and there is acces
to the Howitt car park.
Cheers
Dave
Paul Day
> I am going to do a before xmas walk and was considering
> Mt Howitt, crosscut saw,terrible hollow etc.
I was looking at doing the same a couple of months ago but Mt Buller
don't open The Circuit Rd until Nov. 1st (gave them a call to confirm).
But now I look a little more closely, it seems their re-openning
strategy around Howitt has been pushed back a bit.
> I note that the Tamboritha rd from Licola is closed due to flood
> damage during the year. I have previously come up from the Marathon Rd
> or the Moroka Rd (4wd). Does anyone know if these roads are open at
> the moment and there is acces to the Howitt car park.
Well, I was going to say to come in from Mansfield, but reading up on it
it now appears Upper Howqua from the 16mi mark, the Howitt Spur Track
and the Queen Spur Track are closed until Labour Day. And Circuit Road
is going to be busy and sometimes closed because of logging.
So coming in from the south... just about everything's closed until
Easter, Tamboritha Raod not until Summer 2009 and Moroka (if you were
keen for the ultra scenic route!) in Jan.
Basically, you're only choice up the NW of the ANP is The Bluff, Mt
Lovick and King Billy. The West Ridge up Buller has begun to recover
very nicely (walked it in May and again in Augugst - big difference) and
I notice they're openning up the AAWT in the area in Jan., so the fire
damage must be clearing up nicely.
PD
--
Paul Day
frank_in_oz
Hi Dave,
This post on Our Hiking Blog might help. Got a mate who was up there
Melb Cup weekend to post a bit of a trip report
http://frankinoz.blogspot.com/2007/11/mt-howitt-and-crosscut-saw-to-mt.html
Frank
Damage
>I am going to do a before xmas walk and was considering
>Mt Howitt, crosscut saw,terrible hollow etc.
>
Hi Dave,
You could certainly get to Mt Howitt via the Terrible Hollow/Crosscut
Saw from the Mount Speculation side, via Mt Buller/Circuit Road or
Lake Cobbler, assuming you have a 4wd.
Even if you don't, it's possible...any car should be able to get up
the Speculation Road until you hit the Staircase bit, and from there
it's a few hours of easy walking to Mt Speculation. Did that a few
weeks ago...
Regards,
- David.
vk3ase
The weeks before xmas are the best time in the high country as the days are
long weather good and the fires
have not started to take off (apart from last year) and few
people so you can do the more popular walks.
Actually this walk is a test of ultra light weight hiking
for a trip to SW Tas in the new year. Did it a few years
ago and found a lot of the stuff could be done away with
and would be happy to do without some comforts in order not to have to be
burdoned down with all that
weight that in any case was not as much as a lot of people carry. The idea
is to enjoy the walk. Should be able to
keep things down to 12Kg.
Will head off in the next day or so and work out the exact route i will
take.
Cheers
Dave
Roger Caffin
> Actually this walk is a test of ultra light weight hiking
> for a trip to SW Tas in the new year. Did it a few years
> ago and found a lot of the stuff could be done away with
> and would be happy to do without some comforts in order not to have to be
> burdoned down with all that
I trust you have been through the www.backpackinglight.com web site? The
current definition of SuperUltraLight (SUL) is 5 pounds base weight (without
food and water). That's POUNDS, not kilos. But you are right about the
excess people carry.
Cheers
Roger Caffin
vk3ase
is the main reason for doing these activities, in my case it is enjoying the
enviroment and the elements if the weather is bad that is part of the "fun"
.
Hate tents as they close you out of the natural scene and if it rains i
will put up a tarp, some times on a wild wet night you might get wet, well
so be it, Insects and such don't seem to bother me as much as some and i
have never had a snake come and visit me during the night.
A lot of good info on ultra light and stuff but most from
the US. I think the conditions in Southern Australia are some what more
benign so it should be easy for us.
Cheers
David Springthorpe
You probably know it all already, but go to www.cmw.asn.au for an article and
web links (click 'ULTRALIGHT GEAR') from the resident CMW ultralight gear freak.
vk3ase
My Bare pack wieght is around 5kg so i am getting there.
After this walk i will know what else to toss out.
John Chapman
marking the AAWT track from Catherine Sadddle through the Razor and
Viking to Barry Saddle. Please dont remove the tape markers - they are
essential at present for track workers to go in in 2 weeks time to cut
all the logs and clear all the fire debris off the track. Track workers
are not walkers and need plenty of tapes to make sure they dont get
lost. We ran out of metal triangle AAWT markers and parks intend to rip
down the tapes and put up more spaced new AAWT markers as soon as new
markers get made. Without the tapes the track is currently impossible to
follow. I knew where the track went hence why I was in helping parks
mark it.
Parks intend opening all of the AAWT soon - at present they have
remarked some long sections between Mt Wills and the Cobberas and are
working at clearing much of the regrowth from the 2003 fires and some of
the fallen timber from the 2006 fires. It seems some significant funds
were allocated by the government for repairing fire damaged tracks
recently hence the activity.
Regarding roads, the road to Cobbler Lake from the Rose River is open
and suitable for 2 wheel drives - needs care but is OK. Also you can
come in from Stirling on the Circuit Road - they are doing some logging
and sometimes close the road for a few hours as they load jinkers
however if you know how timber workers operate its easy to miss the
closed times. Basically use the road in the afternoons and at night and
its nearly always open - the timber workers start very early and finish
by early afternoon most days. According to the ranger the roads are also
open down to Binadaree Hut and along the river to the Upper Howqua Camp
- from there you can climb directly up onto Helicopter Spur or its a
short walk to the base of Howitt Spur. The road from the Circuit Road
down to the King River is also fine at present for almost all vehicles.
Past the river up the Staircase to Cobbler Lake - at present its very
rough and 4wd only and if you value your 4wd or are at all tentative
about big rocks then dont use it - it took us almost an hour to drive
down it and the ranger knows the road - it was the roughest he has ever
seen it as recent thunder storms and flash floods in the last 2 weeks
have caused significant damage. As for Brocks Road from the Upper
Jamieson into the Howitt Car Park - the ranger has not driven it for a
few weeks and was not sure whats its currently like given the damage he
has seen on other roads recently.
My information is the Tamboritha Road will be closed for a long period
as there is no road formation left through some gorge sections.
Note - if walking in the area expect to get pretty dirty from burnt
sticks and logs - the ash has not yet washed off. Some of the area looks
like it has been nuked but thats the exception. Overall, it will return
to something like its former state in a few years.
John Chapman
vk3ase
a news group can be. Will be heading off now and if i find more information
during the walk will post it when i get back.
Cheers
Dave
Paul Day
<snip>
Nice post John - appreciate the info! And kudos for being involved in
the restoration of the AAWT. :)
PD
--
Paul Day
http://www.enigma.id.au/
Paul Day
Dave, did you end up going on this or is it planned for one of the next
two weekends? Would be interested a in bit of a TR when you get back.
vk3ase
of the alpine track i had not been on before. From the Howqua Track Low
saddle road junction went up to Mt McDonald around over the Nobs
to Mt Clear and back to the Jamison River.
The treck up to Mt Mcdonald is very steep and the 5k takes quite a while
with a few rock faces to climb up so i would not recomend it to those who
hate hights but a very
impressive peak once you get there. Mostly ridge walking the rest of the way
but a few low saddles to give you lots of exercise. Lots of flies so it was
a bit unplesent, forgot
to take the nets to put over the head. If you stoped for a break the flies
drove you mad so one had to keep going
and wait for evening. I think i prefer to walk in the cooler
times as over a perticular temp i lose energy.
Getting back to the valley from Mt Clear was bit of a problem as due to
regrowth missed the track and ended up going down a creek. I knew it would
have to run into the Jamison River some time and that it has a road
alongside it so after a few hours found our way out.
The light weight gear i had worked fine for the 3 days
and can be fine tuned more.
Very quiet along the rivers and you could take your pick
of sites but would be becoming busy now.
Cheers
Dave