Bushwalk Australia

Hi all

Hopefully this is my last OT question!

I read some advice on Facebook by someone who recently completed the OT to carry three litres of water on the first day (for the ascent up to Marion’s Lookout) which seems like a lot of extra weight. In any case, I am leaning towards going the Horse Track route. If the Horse Track, how much should I carry for ascent? I’m hoping to get away with filling just two 600 ml recycled Gatorade bottles at the start (between us we will carry some empty bottles though--enough to fill seven litres). Is 1200 mls to start enough? I read there are four creek crossings—two at the Scout hut and Marigold and Plateau--on the track. Is there any danger they have dried up in this hot summer?

Also should we filter water collected on the Horse Track on the first day? Alternatively, would we better off starting with as much tap water as we can carry filled from the tap at our accommodation?

Thanks again in advance to anyone who can answer.

I went this time last year and wished I had carried 3L on the first day. Some bright spark in our group said 1.5L would be enough... We had a hot/dry week though, so as always, tweak for the conditions. We just used Micropur tablets to treat water we collected on the track and from the tanks. They take 30 minutes, so by using 2 bottles, you always have water available. Not a lot of water around Mt Ossa either, but most other days you would be fine with 2x600Ml

Hi If you go up the recommended track there will be water at Crater Falls and Crater Lake before Marions Lookout.
One km past ML there is Plateau Ck which can run as a torrent or just a trickle.
If you plan to climb Cradle there's a beautiful fresh spring within 500m of the turnoff. However I can't verify that one in dry conditions.
About 1 to 1.5 km past Kitchen Hut there's a couple of streams which runs into Fury River.
Those always ( in my experience) have water. And there's a couple of great camping spots next to them ( if you find yourself coming very late in the day )
After that there's no water until WFV hut. I would definitely water treat them though.

You can also get water from the sink in the toilet at the kitchen hut. The drier area is from there to Waterfall. If you're slow and/or it's hot then fill up accordingly. Don't die.

I've never seen the creek at the head of Fury Gorge dry up. It's beautiful cold water that seeps straight out of the bedrock too!

Orion wrote:You can also get water from the sink in the toilet at the kitchen hut. The drier area is from there to Waterfall. If you're slow and/or it's hot then fill up accordingly. Don't die.

Can second this. There was water at the kitchen hut toilet in the first week of feb (when everything was super dry, before the rain)