I’ve been looking at one too, though am wondering if a bigger (wider) sleeping bag + liner(s) might suit and be a bit more versatile.
I did discover this company when looking for quilts however they’re on the rather expensive side.
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Easier for snakes to crawl away I reckon.
Oh they look pretty decent.
I was looking at some this morning at the Macpac store, but they seemed to be an extra layer over the sleeping bag, rather than the main blanket.
Being a side sleeper, sleeping bags have always been uncomfortable to me.
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Has anyone done the Great Strzelecki or from Licola up to Tali Karng?
Former seems fairly straight forward as overnighters go (pending a shuttle back lol) but so sure about the latter.
edit reading some reports sounds like the latter is more like a 4-5 day hike with some people saying it took 7 hours to go 5.5km!
Been in to Tarli Karng several times but not for a few years. It is a beautiful place. Always camped by the lake but the Parks Victoria site advises that this is now regarded as disrespectful. Says camp elsewhere. There are plenty of places along the river I guess.
Usually head in from Macfarlanes Saddle, about 13 km in via Gillio’s track. If you can do a car shuffle , head out via the Wellington River, which is a serious hike of about 19 km up and down the sides of the river gorge many times. From memory you cross and re-cross the river about 10 or 11 times.
Edit : 16 times apparently !
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I had planned to do a return loop from Licola (so coming in from the west via Mt Margaret) but apparently that’s the hardest way to get there as the track isn’t maintained by PV.
Sounds like that’s the toughest way in in any case. Just read a site describing it… Good luck !
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Haven’t done Margaret but have done the in and out from McFarlane Saddle twice and done the Wellington Traverse from McFarlane Saddle down to Tamboritha Rd, but that requires a shuttle, both were overnighters.
There’s 14 or so free campgrounds along Tamboritha Rd between Licola and the wellington river traverse trk start, some have pit toilets.
The 14th campground “Platypus” is just across the road from that track, or travel another hour or 2 for McFarlanes. Can camp there too & has pit toilet.
I’d prefer to come from McFarlanes saddle as its more downhill that way, but if you just want to see the lake, then the Wellington River trk way is more picturesque and interesting with the river crossings (nothing above waist deep).
With all the crossings, I used reef shoes & they worked well.
As mentioned you shouldn’t camp at the lake, there’s Nyimba camp (or Millers Hut) uphill NE from the lake.
Or there is a nice patch next to Wellington River where Riggals Spur Trk crosses.
If you’re coming from Mt Margaret, Chromite Mine Trk intersects with the Clive Lanigan & Riggals Spur Trk, so if you’ve already had a big day, best to overnight down there, prior to tackling the uphill valley of destruction.
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Braved a fair bit of rain which paid dividends down at Wilson’s Prom this week.
Beautiful last few days made the rain, wind and storms worth it. Couple of nights hiking in the southern section of the prom.
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Bit of cross-posting from the Travel thread. We are not hard-core backcountry hikers but we like to hit the trails when we travel. Should do more at home of course. These are from recent day hikes out of El Chalten in Argentina and Torres del Paine in Chile. 18-22km or thereabouts. Sharp ascents at the end. Poles needed on the descent for old knees like mine. Day packs only. You can hike the multiday W or O trails in Torres del Paine and stay in refuges, but we hired a car, stayed just outside the NP & drove in (watch out for punctures!). The town of El Chalten was founded in 1985 to compete with TdP and was situated for the trail heads to basically start from town. Pretty handy. I reckon these might rate as the most spectacular day hikes I have done anywhere.
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There’s something special about bodies of water surrounded by snow/ice at elevation.
Went up to Marion’s Lookout today for a look at a cloud shrouded Cradle Mountain. I really really need to get a bit fitter🤣.
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Right. I’m now well and truly into “middle age”. Past it actually, if we accept the current life expectancy is 85-ish, lol. But I have two aims - to return to Tassie for a motorcycle tour trip. And to get in condition to tackle the Overland Track. One is probably far more likely than the other…
Cradle Mountain and Barn Bluff off in the distance.
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If you do the catered overland trip, it’s much more physically accessible. And you get fresh bread and wine. Only carrying 10ish kg.
$$$ though…
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Not sure i’ll ever get back to the States but if i do, Angels Landing Trail at Zion National Park will be Number 1 on my List.
Been voraciously consuming content on the Youtubes on this hike, and it looks spectacular.
Half Dome would be a close 2nd.
Any lucky Blitzers completed either ?
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On one of my most arduous, emotionally draining and back breaking hikes. Just got through on the bare essentials…
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I’ve probably said it before but I had a group of mates do it with this service and they had good steaks and a bottle of lark dropped at as many camps as they could.
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Reminds me of the footage/reports from Everest these days.
There was a proposal to build a number of glamping hubs to be run by private companies for high paying toffs between Falls Creek and Hotham. I think it stalled, but not sure if it might still possibly happen; I sure hope not. There was a bit of uproar and lots of opposition to it a year or two back. I know the bloke who built Mittagundi and Wollangarra and basically devoted his life to getting people from all walks of life equal access to the mountains for the mental wellbeing of those people and to encourage their care for the mountains. He said at the time if the private glamping development got up, he wouldn’t be able to bring himself to go up there again…
A similar thing is going on in TAS with a proposal by a private operator to develop a high end fly fishing lodge for choppered-in toffs on an island in one of the Wilderness lakes (Malbeena?). Most fly fishers vehemently oppose this exclusivity in everyone’s wilderness.
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I didn’t find the glamping option had any negative impact on hiking the Overland Trail. It’s an additive thing, not preventing traditional hikers from doing their standard thing.
Maybe if you converted free campsites and cabins for paying users only, or block fishermen from using rivers that were traditionally accessible to all. But surely they’d just be building extra facilities and allowing a wider variety of people to experience the area.
I know the catered overland track option provides a less physically demanding option and gives more people get that epic experience. Makes more money for the region. Parks probably get more funding to improve the track. Win win. I know folks who have done it and they weren’t tofts.
Am I missing something here?
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