Fed Peak, Western & Eastern Arthurs

Trip Overview

Join us for a challenging 11-day (105 km and 7000 m elevation gain) circuit in the Tasmanian Alps. We will take in the Western Arthurs, Eastern Arthurs, Federation Peak, and Arthur Plains. This hike is a difficult exploratory hike, so I will only be taking people that have comfortably completed a hard hike with me before. Most days will be strenuous, so we will start hiking at 7 am on most days (except on the Federation Peak ascent when we will start at 6 am). The hiking party (including the leader) will be limited to four people and the $305 deposit for the charter minibus is non-refundable. Please don’t book flights until I confirm that we have enough people and that the trip is going ahead.

Note
The Federation Peak climb side trip is entirely optional. The participants are required to get themselves informed about the Federation Peak climb and undertake any necessary training and practice before the trip. The climb is regarded as high risk and the participants who decide to do the climb are doing it at their own risk. Refer to day 7 of the itinerary below for more details.

An approximate itinerary is shown in the table below, the distances and times (which exclude rests) were taken from John Chapman, “South West Tasmania”,6th edn, 2017.

Itinerary and Walk Descriptions

AllTrails map

https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/western-arthurs-huon-river-to-hanging-lake-2e65f2f

Distance: 105 km
Elevation gain: 7,000 m

You will need to book a flight to Hobart on Friday, 30 January so that you have sufficient time to buy any food and gas cannisters that you need. We will spend the night in Hobart. At 7:30 am on Saturday, 31 January, we will depart by chartered minibus to Scotts Peak Dam, arriving at 10 am at the start of our hike.

Day 1 (Sat, 31 Jan) – Scotts Peak to Lake Cygnus (16 km)

We start from Huon River campground walking 8.4 km to Junction Creek. Another 7.3 km sees us climbing 700 m to begin our journey through the Western Arthurs, past Mt Hesperus to reach Lake Cygnus, where we camp for the night

Day 2 (Sun, 1 Feb) – Lake Cygnus to High Moor (9 km)

We walk for 4.2 km to pass Capella Crags, Mt Hayes, Procyon Peak, and Mt Orion before reaching Lake Oberon. We then climb 200 m to reach Mt Pegasus, descend and climb again to reach Mt Capricorn before reaching High Moor, our camp spot for the night.

Day 3 (Mon, 2 Feb) – High Moor to Promontory Lake (9 km)

We pass Beggary Bumps, Mt Taurus, Haven Lake, Lake Vesta, and Lake Juno before reaching Promontory Lake, our camp spot.

Day 4 (Tue, 3 Feb) – Spare day (in case of bad weather)

Day 5 (Wed, 4 Feb) – Promontory Lake to Pass Creek (13 km)

We sidle The Sculptor, climb the Phoenix, then descend before climbing Centaurus Ridge and climb again to the Crags of Andromeda before descending steeply to Pass Creek campsite.

Day 6 (Thu, 5 Feb) – Pass Creek to Goon Moor (6 km)

We head south through the Eastern Arthurs, climbing 500 m to reach Boiler Plates. We continue past The Dial, and Stuart Saddle, before reaching Goon Moor, where we camp.

Day 7 (Fri, 6 Feb) – Goon Moor to Hanging Lake & side trip to Federation Peak (8 km)

An early start will see us sidling The Gables, and climbing both Four Peaks 1 and 3, before passing the Devils Thumb and reaching the turn-off for Hanging Lake, our campsite. We will then drop packs at this junction and stop for an early lunch.

We will then take day packs to summit Federation Peak via the Direct Ascent, leading to a 200 m ascent over exposed quartzite. This optional side trip requires scrambling and climbing ability and full exposure comfort. The Sydney University Bushwalking (SUBW) club has both a description and video of the Federation Peak ascent. (SUBW’s approach to the base of Federation Peak is from the Bechervaise Plateau instead of the Hanging Lake junction.)

After descending Federation Peak we retrace our steps to our dropped packs and head down to Hanging Lake for the night.

Day 8 (Sat, 7 Feb) – Spare day (in case of bad weather)

Day 9 (Sun, 8 Feb) –Hanging Lake to Stuart Saddle (7 km)

We retrace our steps through the Eastern Arthurs, passing Devils Thumb, Four Peaks, and Goon Moor before reaching Stuart Saddle, our campsite.

Day 10 (Mon, 9 Feb) – Stuart Saddle to Seven Mile Creek (19 km)

We pass the Boiler Plates, Pass Creek, and The Razorback. After reaching Cracroft Crossing we turn north-west before reaching Seven Mile Creek, our campsite.

Day 11 (Tue, 10 Feb) – Seven Mile Creek to Scotts Peak (20 km)

We continue to the Junction Creek Campsite and then retrace our steps from the first day to arrive at the Huon River campground. We will catch a special charter minibus at 4 pm for the drive back to Hobart.

Parks Pass

We can either get a vehicle Holiday Pass for $95.50 (which covers up to 8 people) or get individual passes for $47.75.

Transport

You will need to arrange flights to and from Hobart, but please don’t book flights until I have confirmed that the trip is going ahead. Transport to and from the hike location is by chartered minibus and will cost $305 per person, which includes the club’s $15 administration fee and is based on four hikers. (The charter company, wildernessexpeditions.net.au/wilderness-transport, charges $580 each way.)

Booking

Booking is required for this walk. Please indicate what similar walks you have done recently (i.e. in the past few months) to give the leader confidence that you are capable of doing this one. Refer to Walking Grades which, in conjunction with the walk description, will help you assess whether you have the required walking fitness and experience to do this walk.

The Leader will confirm your acceptance on the walk, or not, via email. The leader will provide details of where and when to meet.

Trip Price:
Members: $305 + Booking fee (nil) = $305.
Non-members: $305 + Booking fee ($12) = $317.

Payment:
Members and non-members are required to pre-pay the trip price for this event.
You can pay by Paypal or credit/debit card.

Cancellation:
If you need to cancel, please advise the leader as soon as possible, so that someone else has the opportunity.
We will only be able to provide a refund if we can find a replacement for you.

What to Bring

• All the equipment, clothing, food and water you will need for the walks and overnight stays (refer Trip details above).

Refer to our Gear Checklist page for more details, or discuss with the leader. If you are not properly equipped, the walk leader can decide not to let you participate on this walk.

Emergency Club Contact

The emergency club contact for this walk is Ken. The leader can provide you with the contact’s phone number, if you wish to pass this on to any friend/family member who may be concerned if you return late.

Safety and Ambulance Insurance

We strongly recommend that you have Ambulance cover. If conditions are hazardous, the walk may be cancelled. If any doubts at all, check your emails the night before and the morning of the event. For more details refer to Safety.

Still have questions?

Check out Joining a Walk.

Check out Weekend and extended walks.

Contact the leader using the Enquiry form, above the Booking Request.

YHA Bushwalking Victoria

walking since 1939

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