That Mad Belgian

[tastrax]

Anything is possible...so long as you don't have to pay for it. Take away any rehab of the old tracks and its possible, even cheap some would say (after all it would only be about 10- 15km of track from Louisa Bay), but steep side slopes mean lots of benching and drainage. I also suspect the track into Louisa Bay would require a lot more more work if everyone went that way.

You are correct that old track 'design' was usually the path of least resistance and seldom took into account likely user number increases or maintenance needs into the future. Thankfully that era has passed.

[tastrax]

Completely different question....given he has been on a pretty strict food regime for 50 days how will Louis-Phillipe go if he is offered a steak at Cockle Creek? Could he even handle it ? After that long in the bush what would be a suitable first meal back in civilisation.

[Overlandman]

Links

http://www.louis-philippe-loncke.com

https://eur-share.inreach.garmin.com/louphi

[stepbystep]

Super solid effort. He's travelling like he's depleted, very understandably...he'd benefit from some bush tucker skills now, there's plenty of food on that coast!

[jmac]

Although this sounds gross to me; it’s what he’s asking for at present: “Sugar:chocolate,cookies,coke,banana. 600g to fill belly.”

Personally I can’t see what’s wrong with a few Moo Brew Single Hops and a dozen smoked salmon blinis with creme fraiche, a hint of horseradish and a sprig of fresh dill, followed by a really good home made spaghetti bolognese.

[north-north-west]

I'm not convinced that the track does follow the easiest and least damaging line - tracks up and down slopes=erosion. Its taken a huge amount of trackwork over decades to manage erosion on this section and this work is ongoing.

The Louisa Plains could easily be avoided by benching around the lower slopes of the Ironbounds, similar to the section of the PDT around the end on the W Arthurs or the section of the SCT around the NE end of the New Harbour Range. And the section through the rainforest would be shorter than the current descent through the rainforest.

More likely a (literal) case of path dependence - that once you have done something one way, you get locked in, and it becomes hard to change and do something different, even if that might be/have been a better option. In this case the early track cutters routed their escape route for shipwrecked sailors up an open lead and over, when erosion and large numbers of walkers weren't considerations, and we have become locked in through our past investments and the significant cost to reroute.

Go walk it and then walk your proposed route and have a rethink.

[tastrax]

Although this sounds gross to me; it’s what he’s asking for at present: “Sugar:chocolate,cookies,coke,banana. 600g to fill belly.”

Personally I can’t see what’s wrong with a few Moo Brew Single Hops and a dozen smoked salmon blinis with creme fraiche, a hint of horseradish and a sprig of fresh dill, followed by a really good home made spaghetti bolognese.

Ha ha, I will keep that in mind if I get down to meet him. I might even be able to get the key to Rangers quarters and he can have a shower!

[jmac]

Ha ha, I will keep that in mind if I get down to meet him. I might even be able to get the key to Rangers quarters and he can have a shower!

A shower would make it much more pleasant for Margot; if she manages to make an appearance!

[ILUVSWTAS]

What’s a track if there’s not an epic climb? Might as circle round and round on a beach or on the plain.

Yep, I agree. It adds a good bit of variety to this classic walk. Following the path of the shipwrecked sailors is a big part of it too I think.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Personally I can’t see what’s wrong with a few Moo Brew Single Hops and a dozen smoked salmon blinis with creme fraiche, a hint of horseradish and a sprig of fresh dill, followed by a really good home made spaghetti bolognese.

That's making me feel ill just thinking about it and I just had 1 day out walking.....

[north-north-west]

Checked in a Little Deadmans at 19:40. Rest and a meal or stopping for the night?

[Warin]

Although this sounds gross to me; it’s what he’s asking for at present: “Sugar:chocolate,cookies,coke,banana. 600g to fill belly.

Banana? It is Tasmania .. apples! A hot apple and cherry pie?

[stepbystep]

What’s a track if there’s not an epic climb? Might as circle round and round on a beach or on the plain.

Yep, I agree. It adds a good bit of variety to this classic walk. Following the path of the shipwrecked sailors is a big part of it too I think.

Most good walks have lows on the highs and the highs on the lows and vice versa The Ironbounds would surely be one of the sharpest memories for every walker to have completed the SCT...

[MrWalker]

Checked in a Little Deadmans at 19:40. Rest and a meal or stopping for the night?

I think he's stopped for an early night. Then he's sure to make an early start tomorrow.
He has about 42 km to go, so that makes two reasonable days to finish, although they will need to be 10-hour days.

[GPSGuided]

Super solid effort. He's travelling like he's depleted, very understandably...he'd benefit from some bush tucker skills now, there's plenty of food on that coast!

This was asked a while back but some consider this to be 'resupply' and to be 'damaging' to the environment.

He'd be buggered after that 900m Ironbound ascent and descent. Not surprised he is setting up camp at the first opportunity. Fantastic effort!

[GPSGuided]

Duplicate

[Overlandman]

Although this sounds gross to me; it’s what he’s asking for at present: “Sugar:chocolate,cookies,coke,banana. 600g to fill belly.”

Personally I can’t see what’s wrong with a few Moo Brew Single Hops and a dozen smoked salmon blinis with creme fraiche, a hint of horseradish and a sprig of fresh dill, followed by a really good home made spaghetti bolognese.

Keep him away from the strawberries

[Overlandman]

Day 49

21 Sept. Good, confident start. Up Ironbound, wind at the summit so strong, threw me to the ground. Stopped at 8pm, feet hurt, rash. Need rest! Drysuit wet inside, taking it off tomorrow, back into normal clothes.

Go Lou-Phi

[Orion]

This has been so much fun to watch. And aside from a photo or two and the InReach map it's entirely a text report.


Re: The pedanticism of the winter definition.

Technically the equinox is at a specific time. This year it occurs at 11:54am on Sunday. It could be close.

[geoskid]

Technically the equinox is at a specific time. This year it occurs at 11:54am on Sunday. It could be close.

My understanding is that he has achieved what he set out to do, and is now simply exiting.

[north-north-west]

Technically the equinox is at a specific time. This year it occurs at 11:54am on Sunday. It could be close.

My understanding is that he has achieved what he set out to do, and is now simply exiting.

Yep. As soon as he hit the coast at Freeney, he completed a north-south traverse.
A fair bit of his original projected route and almost all the sidetrips have gone out the window, but the coast to coast item has been ticked off.

And that reminds me. Is the "temporary alternative track" east of Milford Ck still being used or has it been rerouted? He will not enjoy that if he has to do it.

[Orion]

Belaboring the somewhat pointless point a bit but on his website he announced a "Tasmania Winter Trek" that starts in Penguin and ends at Cockle Creek. Although the line clearly traverses from the north coast to the south there's nothing in his announcement about it finishing once he touches the southern coast.

[north-north-west]

He announced a lot of things, but the idea was to complete the first unsupported and unresupplied north-south traverse.

If you're going to be pedantic, the first time he changed his original projected route that announcement became null.

[beardless]

Links
https://eur-share.inreach.garmin.com/louphi

http://www.louis-philippe-loncke.com

Go Lou-Phi

Thanks for doing this so many times overlandman

[mikeb]

I see he has walked The SCT before ( https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iMC8WW0yek0 ). And has walked the section east of Prion Beach twice. Must be nice for him to be back in familiar territory and might make the decision to walk at night easier.

[jmac]

9:20AM and no movement yet. The longer he delays departure today, the less likelihood of getting within striking distance of finishing tomorrow, at least at a civilized, media-friendly and supporter-friendly hour. I wonder if he’s forgotten how solid the South Cape Range is, and how few camp spots exist between Granite Beach and the Rivulet.

[bushwalker zane]

I see he has walked The SCT before ( https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iMC8WW0yek0 ). And has walked the section east of Prion Lagoon twice. Must be nice for him to be back in familiar territory and might make the decision to walk at night easier.

Poor lil' echidna at the 2:15 minute mark.

[north-north-west]

...how few camp spots exist between Granite Beach and the Rivulet.

Last year I marked at least four between the Rivulet and the top of the South Cape Range. Not that all would be easy to find in the dark, but two in particular are very obvious.

[jmac]

Fair enough, and a solo tent is easy enough to pop up just about anywhere.

[Orion]

If you're going to be pedantic, the first time he changed his original projected route that announcement became null.

I don't see it that way. It would be an incredible stretch to call his effort null even if he had called it quits a week ago. My pedanticism was feigned. I think the quibbles about him picking up a headtorch or the the definition of winter miss the point. He's in his own category. Who carries 7 weeks of food, never mind a boat, in their packs in the wilderness?

Is there anybody else out there doing what he's doing?