That Mad Belgian

[Nuts↑↓]

He wants to make the most of potential media opportunities. Says "I have Gopro clips in 4K: paddling, Mt. Ossa, Cradle Mt, bush-bashing, deep snow. Maybe community or dedicated person at Tas Tourism can help with media contact?"

I'm sure Luke and the Tourism Tas team will make the most of it.
Which part are you suggesting to promote. Louis and his meticulous planning? Wilderness dot watching (as entertaining as it is)..? Meeting bored and friendly local police?

[Overlandman↑↓]

Links

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

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

[GPSGuided↑↓]

Going back to Louis-Philippe's message from yesterday where he tried to dry his sleeping back using a stove. Is that even realistic? How much fuel will one need to burn?Short of hanging under the sun or in a warmed up tent, how else?

[Mechanic-AL↑↓]

I wonder if he is going to have the SCT to himself ?
He might pick up a few LouPhi groupies for company after Melaleuca.

Plenty of planes flying over the last week or so. I reckon a few early walkers are heading down that way.
Fixed the spelling there for ya too.....

Verry jeneros of Ya !!

[jmac↑↓]

Thanks for the messages about media suggestions so far; very welcome; will follow some up.

I've received another message; I'll paraphrase a couple of points: LouPhi will try to reach Melaleuca in 2 days, then the SCT in 4 days; "aimEndSundayNoonorEve.luckSatEve!"

Lou-Phi's inReach battery is down to an estimated 4-5 days, so I have suggested that he keep it off until he reaches camp tomorrow. That would frustrate us dot-watchers, but be better if he still has battery as he approaches Cockle Creek.

[Guido↑↓]

I have suggested that he keep it off until he reaches camp tomorrow. That would frustrate us dot-watchers ...

Good idea. I might actually get some work done here

[doogs↑↓]

I have suggested that he keep it off until he reaches camp tomorrow. That would frustrate us dot-watchers ...

Good idea. I might actually get some work done here

Excellent. I am not at work today so won't be doing much procrastinating/dot-watching.

Also I think he's being a bit generous with his times over the upcoming days. I'd suggest that Scotts Peak to Crossing River is a par score for walking, every day from here on in needs to be better than than par to meet his time-frame.

[MrWalker↑↓]

Lou-Phi's inReach battery is down to an estimated 4-5 days, so I have suggested that he keep it off until he reaches camp tomorrow. That would frustrate us dot-watchers, but be better if he still has battery as he approaches Cockle Creek.

I hope he turns it on any time he uses his boat.
If he collapses (from lack of food) on the track, we can find him, but if he drifts off down a river, or out to sea, while his beacon is off, we might never get his Go-Pro pictures.

[north-north-west↑↓]

I hope he turns it on any time he uses his boat.
If he collapses (from lack of food) on the track, we can find him, but if he drifts off down a river, or out to sea, while his beacon is off, we might never get his Go-Pro pictures.

Always the priority.

[wildwanderer↑↓]

Sorry to disappoint those who were hoping to get work done today...

It appears we are still getting location updates from the inreach. Was a location ping at 10.26am.

RESISTANCE IS FUTILE! >>>>>> https://eur-share.inreach.garmin.com/louphi

[jmac↑↓]

At least he's consistent in his dismissal of my suggestions.

I agree with Doogs, his pace should be faster if he wants to finish in 6 days; should have started at first light and hammered the pace today. He's only just rounding Mt Robinson at midday.

[north-north-west↑↓]

At least he's consistent in his dismissal of my suggestions.

You convinced him not to paddle the Gordon Gorge. That's a win.

[Warin↑↓]

if he drifts off down a river, or out to sea, while his beacon is off, we might never get his Go-Pro pictures.

Need an EPIRB for that - some of them at least float and activate when in water ..so put the memory sticks in a bag and attach to an EPIRB that will float away from the sinking vessel and 'we' can get all but the last days film/pictures. I bags not carrying it.

Last edited by Warin on Tue 18 Sep, 2018 5:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Guido↑↓]

Looks like he's aiming for a spot between Watershed and Spring River tonight. Realistically, at this pace, he won't make it to Cockle Ck in less than 7-8 days from there. I'd say get to Melaleuca, and take a day trip to Cox, and fly out. No point walking the entire SCT on an empty stomach.

[Warin↑↓]

I'd say

Yep. Lots of armchair advice...
Let him do his thing. He is in the best position to make the call, provided he is mentally ok. Best to wait and see.

If you want to do some thing different .. go do it

-------------------
Think he might be activation the inreach when he needs it .. for messages and/or navigation. No longer tracking himself.

{edit} Humm the inreach site now has all his waypoints... don't know what is going on, but it is back to the usual.

Last edited by Warin on Tue 18 Sep, 2018 8:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[crollsurf↑↓]

Cops thought he was in reasonable condition. He has 5 days of half rations and should have another 5 slow days of no food in him, so I think he'll make it

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

Last edited by crollsurf on Tue 18 Sep, 2018 5:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Nuts↑↓]

I wonder if he has that choccy bar left, a week on that would make great press... perhaps he can find one caterpillar..
but does he have a copy of Great Expectations?

[wildwanderer↑↓]

I wonder if he has that choccy bar left, a week on that would make great press... perhaps he can find one caterpillar..
but does he have a copy of Great Expectations?

The next day, he would take another tiny nibble, and so on, and so on. And in this way, Charlie would make his sixpenny bar of birthday chocolate last him for more than a month.
Taken from Chap 1, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Hey if Charlie can do an entire month then I reckon Lou-phi can do 7 days. Battle of the Titans!

[doogs↑↓]

day 46- 18 Sept. I completely underestimated the distance compared to what the notes of my map say. 1 gaiter dead. Tried to repair the airmat again til 4am, but it's still leaking. Backpain. Starting rationing tomorrow.

#TasmaniaWinterTrek

Hard day at the office yesterday for Lou Phi. Hopefully he has a better day today. Allez!

[ILUVSWTAS↑↓]

I completely underestimated the distance compared to what the notes of my map say.

How often do we hear that when walking in Tasmania!

[doogs↑↓]

I completely underestimated the distance compared to what the notes of my map say.

How often do we hear that when walking in Tasmania!

I still do it EVERY walk!!

[bushwalker zane↑↓]

I completely underestimated the distance compared to what the notes of my map say.

How often do we hear that when walking in Tasmania!

All too often! I've been watching a bit of a YouTube channel called Darwin on the Trail https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC18exdGWh7piVWisrnDXiZg, he does lightweight hiking videos in the states. He just finished the PCT and was regularly pulling 30+ miles a day. I can't help but wonder how he'd go on our standard of track in Tasmania

[bernieq↑↓]

Looks like an early start today.

He has a waypoint on the Spring River. Maybe planning to paddle from there all the way through Bathurst Harbour to Melaleuca ??

[MrWalker↑↓]

Looks like an early start today.
He has a waypoint on the Spring River. Maybe planning to paddle from there all the way through Bathurst Harbour to Melaleuca ??

He'll need to do something special to get more than his current 17km/day. At that rate he would not make Cockle Ck until 25th.
He has about 17km to Bathurst Narrows so would be camping there tonight at his usual walking speed.
But if he is moving soon after 8 and can actually paddle along the river then he might get to Melaleuca tonight. Or he might end up stuck in the river.

[wildwanderer↑↓]

Looks like an early start today.

He has a waypoint on the Spring River. Maybe planning to paddle from there all the way through Bathurst Harbour to Melaleuca ??

I dont know the area but he Spring River looks fairly broad from the sat photo so he could start paddling from there ? Weather forcast has South westerly winds today at 15-20km/h. So he wont have a tail assist wind.

[Azza↑↓]

If he makes it into the Harbour - Claytons Corner might be a good options for tonight.
Closer than Melaleuca.
A house with maybe even a mattress, just what his back needs. Would that break his rules?
I wonder if he is aware of it, not shown on the Garmin InReach Maps.

[jmac↑↓]

I haven't paddled the Spring, but based on my experience on numerous small SW rivers I suggested by inReach on Monday evening that he walk around the riverine scrub for about 600m from the bridge and put in at the first wide bend. The idea was to get on the water early today after starting at first light yesterday to reach the bridge in a day. Monday's forecast indicated today would be the best day for paddling, with winds strengthening to 35km/hr again tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how he adjusts his plan to the underestimated distance and changing weather.

[jmac↑↓]

Azza, I was thinking of Clayton's too! Luxury accommodation; but would he use it?

It doesn't take long to paddle a packraft from there to Melaleuca, and at least that section is protected from the wind.

If he's to stay on schedule for 23rd he really needs to pass straight through Mel and push on to Louisa River the following day. Seems unlikely given recent pace and energy resources.

[bushwalker zane↑↓]

Looks like he's left a waypoint to let us know he's had to swim a high creek at 10:57am.

[wildwanderer↑↓]

He has reached spring river. Spending alot of time at the start of it and has started a new track.

Is the intial part of the river navigable by packraft? The sat photos show it quite densely packed with undergrowth. The waterway starts to widen after 1 km though.
Anyway seems he is bashing the packraft though it.