OT August Traffic

[kermitbindy]

Hi all,

Long time reader first time poster.

My question is: Is anyone going to be on the OT next week?

[tasadam]

G'day, welcome to the forum.
I've seen 2 posts of people intending to do part of it.
HERE and HERE.
Are you looking for any specific info? Or just wanting to know whether to look out for fellow forum members?

[kermitbindy]

Thanks tasadam for the welcome and the links.

I was just curious what sort of numbers were on the track at that time of year I guess.(I'm all sorted with trip prep etc.) I was there in August last year doing a few day walks and saw a couple heading off on the track and felt an overwelming feeling of jelousy.

[tasadam]

I recently (last weekend) spent 3 nights at New Pelion hut.
Thursday night there were 3 people there, they said there was one other person the night before, a Canadian from Burnie doing the traverse himself.
Friday we had the hut to ourselves.
Saturday there were two German lads doing the traverse.
Didn't see anyone else on the walk. We went in and out via Arm River track.
That's a far cry from the "finer weather" period where you can get up to 34 (I think) a day plus organised tours.

[kermitbindy]

Yeah tell me about it...I first did the track back in 1995 summer and it was not too bad then, but then I did it again on new years eve 2002 summer and there were people everywhere (huts were over capacity).Not that it bothers me I always use a tent anyway. By the sounds of your snapshot last weekend there won't be too many people around anyway. Don't get me wrong I love meeting new people on walks but on some walks... like this one I am specifically going to experiance isolation.

[kermitbindy]

Photos from said trip. Lots of nice snow but not too much wind-PERFECT

[dee_legg]

Hi kermit,
what dates did you do it?
looks amazing!
I'll be there in a few weeks time

[frank_in_oz]

Photos from said trip. Lots of nice snow but not too much wind-PERFECT

Looks just how we want it in mid September when we head off.

btw, are those Yowies?

[north-north-west]

*drool*
I wonder if I can get a pair of snowshoes and two weeks off work, starting Friday . . .



***as if!

[dee_legg]

Yes, very much drooool and with the next three days of snow forecast hopefully it will resemble this on the 11th of sept when i'm headed there.. without snowshoes... hmmm

[kermitbindy]

We did it from the 04-08 to 11-08. We got a fair bit of snow on the first two days and then again a couple of days later, I would have to say we were very lucky as we did not have a lot of rain or really bad weather. It was the third trip for my wife and I and we only passed a group of people on day two and some private hut maintanance people on day four, so all in all we had the track to ourselves and stayed at every hut with no one to be seen. Yes the photo does show me in Yowies, I would recommend these to anyone in winter. I walked for a hour without them in powder like knee deep snow and it was exhausting. (we hired ours from Paddi Pallin Launceston) I went back to Cradle mountain a week later to do all the day walks we missed and all the snow had melted.

Attachments

This is before it really came down.

[corvus]

Nice pics kermitbindy ,did you work out why there was a top door at Kitchen Hut glad you a safe and happy trip ,helps to be prepared
Incidentally how much did you Yowie hire cost.
c