That Mad Belgian

[bernieq]

My guess is that he'll make Granite. It's a near full moon, patchy cloud (it seems) and 30kt wind behind him.

I can't imagine why he doesn't inflate the pack-raft and paddle along the coast - he'd reach Cockle tomorrow

[mikeb]

I can't imagine why he doesn't inflate the pack-raft and paddle along the coast - he'd reach Cockle tomorrow

Short answer: *&%$#! big surf - a 5-6 m swell at present

[mikeb]

Now he’s targeting Surprise.

Beginning to look like a battle scene from Star Wars with all the orange and red lines.

[Warin]

I can't imagine why he doesn't inflate the pack-raft and paddle along the coast - he'd reach Cockle tomorrow

Short answer: *&%$#! big surf - a 5-6 m swell at present

Took a hour to row that short bit of Prion. Could be the weather .. or he is done in, or both.

At this stage .. looks to me like a Monday exit. But a day either way would not surprise me.

[north-north-west]

Took a hour to row that short bit of Prion. Could be the weather .. or he is done in, or both.

The "I wonder..."s of this are fascinating. Would it be quicker to do the three time row in the dinghies, or inflate the packraft and paddle that across? Give and take of time on either option.
Someone needs to go down there and experiment.

[AndyR]

Someone needs to go down there and experiment.

Only valid if they do the 40 odd days first

[doogs]

Took a hour to row that short bit of Prion. Could be the weather .. or he is done in, or both.

The "I wonder..."s of this are fascinating. Would it be quicker to do the three time row in the dinghies, or inflate the packraft and paddle that across? Give and take of time on either option.
Someone needs to go down there and experiment.

Packraft for sure. You can paddle down river a fair way to save walking.

[north-north-west]

Took a hour to row that short bit of Prion. Could be the weather .. or he is done in, or both.

The "I wonder..."s of this are fascinating. Would it be quicker to do the three time row in the dinghies, or inflate the packraft and paddle that across? Give and take of time on either option.
Someone needs to go down there and experiment.

Packraft for sure. You can paddle down river a fair way to save walking.

You're moving the goalposts - I meant specifically crossing at the usual spot at Prion. Otherwise, sure, if the river is where it's shown on GE, you can paddle to Milford and pick the track up there, or even go a bit further and pick up the old pad to the Prion East camp.
Although he didn't do that - he's crossed at the usual spot, which is what got me wondering.

[jmac]

Packraft for sure. You can paddle down river a fair way to save walking.

Yes I agree; that is a sweet stretch of river to paddle; brings you right down to the mouth and the steep steps up from the beach; but I can imagine in his exhausted state that the effort to get it out and inflate may not have seemed worth it.

Here are some packrafts at the mouth: http://www.irenabyss.com.au/galleries/s ... obile=true

[MrWalker]

if the river is where it's shown on GE, you can paddle to Milford and pick the track up there, or even go a bit further and pick up the old pad to the Prion East camp.
Although he didn't do that - he's crossed at the usual spot, which is what got me wondering.

I had assumed he would save 2 km of walking by paddling his own boat, but he seems not to have done that. He may have felt that blowing the boat up by mouth was not worth the effort.
We definitely need some experiments here. But I think we can skip the 40 days wandering in the wilderness first.

[Axie77]

Took a hour to row that short bit of Prion. Could be the weather .. or he is done in, or both.

The "I wonder..."s of this are fascinating. Would it be quicker to do the three time row in the dinghies, or inflate the packraft and paddle that across? Give and take of time on either option.
Someone needs to go down there and experiment.

Packraft for sure. You can paddle down river a fair way to save walking.

The staircase from the old track is still there. But he is probably not aware of that.

[north-north-west]

Here are some packrafts at the mouth: http://www.irenabyss.com.au/galleries/s ... obile=true

Lovely set of shots there. Is it necessary to abseil the cliffs near the falls, or can one walk down through the forest at the side?

[farefam]

Hopefully he got further than the pings are showing tonight. If he has sore feet it would explain why his average speed on the Port Davey and Sth Coast tracks has been so much slower than I'd have expected, and why he was so much quicker paddling (after taking into account being low on food). Just hope he doesn't have blisters, otherwise I'm feeling for his pain still ahead (and the lovely mud on top of South Cape Range). I suspect he won't exit until Monday afternoon at the earliest.

[jmac]

Lovely set of shots there. Is it necessary to abseil the cliffs near the falls, or can one walk down through the forest at the side?

Walk; river left. Steep but safe.

[NickMonk]

Looks like he's definitely finished for the night, at the eastern end of Prion.

[geoskid]

Is he done for the day? Man, he must be struggling now.

[mikeb]

Has backtracked - looks like he has decided to stop for the night - or lost the track

Looking for the track, a campsite or lost gear?

Must be buggered. Has started targeting Osmiridium.

[crollsurf]

He'll be right. Probably stop off before Cockle Creek to wash his cloths.

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

[mikeb]

Osmiridium is is. Sleep well Louphi. Another big day ahead tomorrow.

[jmac]

day 50 - part 1-22 Sept. Last test, write, repack, taking care of my feet. Left late.
Finished crossing with the raft at 6pm. Walking in the forest with the
flame of my lighter. Lost the track then light battery died. Bushbashing in
the dark to reach previous point.
#Tasmania

[mikeb]

duplicate post

[north-north-west]

"Day 50 - Part 2
Took battery pack to charge lighter. Fell in a pool with mud above the knees. Trying to reach South Cape Rivulet tomorrow, ending at South Cape on Monday, reack Cockle by midday. Not there yet. Will need food & scale at Cockle."

Mud up to the knees - oh yeah, he's on the South Coast Track alright.

[mikeb]

Presumably he means South East Cape on Monday. Found this trip report: http://ajwatton.customer.netspace.net.a ... 0walk.html
Looks like there’s not much of a track and he’s underestimating how long it will take.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Presumably he means South East Cape on Monday. Found this trip report: http://ajwatton.customer.netspace.net.a ... 0walk.html
Looks like there’s not much of a track and he’s underestimating how long it will take.

South Cape Bay he would be referring to.

[mikeb]

Presumably he means South East Cape on Monday. Found this trip report: http://ajwatton.customer.netspace.net.a ... 0walk.html
Looks like there’s not much of a track and he’s underestimating how long it will take.

South Cape Bay he would be referring to.

No, I think he means SE Cape - that has always been part of his original plan:
http://www.louis-philippe-loncke.com/20 ... -trek.html

[MrWalker]

He is clearly not functioning well. He did his Stress test yesterday, but those are always done on days that are multiples of 3, so not due on day 50.
We should tell him to do a test this morning or the results of all the tests will be invalid.

Then he says he used his raft to cross at Prion, but didn't use it to save 2km of walking.
Due to his late start he spent about 4 hrs wandering in the dark, doing a section that could be done in 2hrs in daylight.

However, his plan now does seem almost reasonable. He has set himself 17km for today, which should be possible in about 10hrs.
Then he will have 11km to finish off on Monday. That will take him around 6hrs, so I can't see him making his planned "Cockle by midday".

[ILUVSWTAS]

Presumably he means South East Cape on Monday. Found this trip report: http://ajwatton.customer.netspace.net.a ... 0walk.html
Looks like there’s not much of a track and he’s underestimating how long it will take.

South Cape Bay he would be referring to.

No, I think he means SE Cape - that has always been part of his original plan:
http://www.louis-philippe-loncke.com/20 ... -trek.html

Hmmm ok my bad, indeed he does. Wants to finish the trip with a bit of pain perhaps? If he does to The Rivulet today, he wont get back to Cockle via the cape by midday Monday! More likely very late Monday/Early Tuesday.... unless of course he comes across the new track to the cape being cut by Ian *&%$#! Johnston...

[north-north-west]

Presumably he means South East Cape on Monday. Found this trip report: http://ajwatton.customer.netspace.net.a ... 0walk.html
Looks like there’s not much of a track and he’s underestimating how long it will take.

South Cape Bay he would be referring to.

No, I think he means SE Cape - that has always been part of his original plan:
http://www.louis-philippe-loncke.com/20 ... -trek.html

He hasn't been following his original planned route for yonks. Almost all the other sidetrips were abandoned. I can't see him making the sidetrip out to SE Cape, especially given his low speed along the track since the two 12 hour days.

[mikeb]

However, his plan now does seem almost reasonable. He has set himself 17km for today, which should be possible in about 10hrs.

Good to see him get an early start for a change - he might even be able to push on past SCR.

[Warin]

However, his plan now does seem almost reasonable. He has set himself 17km for today, which should be possible in about 10hrs.

Good to see him get an early start for a change - he might even be able to push on past SCR.

A late finish today will mean a late start tomorrow. OK? Now that I have said that he'll finish late and start early

I told you so An excellent reverse prediction

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After yesterdays wandering around in the dark he may have realised that he is better off in the light of day.

I think TasTracs has it right - Rivulet tonight and Cockle Monday. I have my fingers crossed.

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Looks like he wants a weighting scale at Cockle, probably for himself and another one for his pack. As well as food of course.