Anyone trekked Mount Anne and Pandani Shelf, Tasmania?

[shelltree]

Hi all,

It's been awhile...probably because I've been doing this silly assignment during every waking moment the past few weeks :rolleyes: but it is finally DONE and Thursday should tell me for sure whether I know what I've been rambling on about or not :P

So I am focusing on far more exciting things, which is our 3 week trip to Tasmania in March :D

I have been doing a lot of research and plotting all the locations we want to visit on a huge map and completely forgot about having seen some absolutely breathtaking shots of a place called "Pandani's Shelf". I stumbled across it the other night again and immediately began researching to see if it was possible to visit and get some photography of such an amazing and untouched place.

The more I researched, the more my hopes plummeted :sadeyes: Every recollection by every person who had walked the North East Ridge and got to Pandani described the journey as pretty perilous. Only signed by bright coloured flags and cairns (which I have no idea what they are!), not to mention phrases like "battling through head high scrub", "take a right at the sinkhole" and "I made sure I kept a strong footing while ascending the steep hill as I still have a lump on my leg from 10yrs ago when I fell 10m and hit my leg on a fallen tree" had me pretty concerned about even attempting this.

But does it look amazing! Even the opposite side of Mount Anne, the "Eliza Plateau" side would be awesome.

Just wondering if anyone has done the walk or can provide any helpful information? Is there anyway to get there under safer conditions or are there tours or some sort? We wouldn't want to camp over night but wouldn't mind a full day hike if it meant seeing such amazing wonders!

Any help would be greatly appreciated! :) Or if you have any other suggestions for me to add to my ridiculously length list of locations, I'd be glad to hear it.

Thanks guys!

Shell :)

[Octane]

Cairns are piles of rocks used as markers.

Can I come with?

H

[shelltree]

Thanks H, I'll know what to look for when I dare attempt this :P

And of course you can come! So long as Jase can play with your rz67 and you protect me from Tasmanian Tiger Snakes :D

I just found out it cost $100 to use the Overland Track in Cradle Mountain NP :sadeyes:

[StephenM]

Hi Shelley,

I haven't done the Mt Anne circuit (which takes in the Pandani Shelf and Lot's Wife), but I have done a day walk up the the Mt Eliza plateau about 20 years ago. The views from up on the plateau are great, with most of the SW peaks in view. Also great views over Lake Pedder and Lake Judd (600m below the cliffs on the southern end of the plateau). The day walk to Lake Judd is also supposed to be great, but I haven't done that one. If you don't want to camp then there's no way you'll get to Mt Anne in a day. Mt Anne also requires a fairly high level of fitness and experience as it has some very steep rock-hopping in places (as does the last bit of the Mt Eliza plateau).

An alternative alpine day walk that still provides great photographic possibilities if the Tarn Shelf circuit at Mt Field NP. This can be done as medium day walk, or extended a bit to take in the Tarn Shelf - Newdegate Pass - K Col loop (a full day walk). The latter version provides stunning views to the peak of Mt Field West in good conditions. If you want I can lend you my copy of the book "100 Walks in Tasmania", which provides track notes for all the good walks.

A day trip to the South West is still worthwhile even if you don't do Mt Anne. The attached photos are from my trip after Christmas. The first is taken from a little way up the track to Mt Eliza (had the kids with us, so only climbed for about 30 minutes) and shows the views over Lake Pedder. The second is looking up to Mt Anne from the Scott's Peak Dam road.

Hope this is useful. Let me know if you want more info!

Cheers,
Stephen

[shelltree]

Hi Stephen,

Thanks very much for all the info mate, I really appreciate it and sorry for not getting back to you sooner! Have decided we will leave the Pandani Shelf for a second trip to Tassy when we are more prepared time wise and fitness wise :P

I will keep the Mt Field walk in mind though, if we have enough time. I am still plotting everything out on a huge map and doing up a list of distances and each location we intend to visit (in order) so when I get to the Mount Field locations I will see how we are looking for time :) Once I know exactly what we are doing, I may borrow that book to get some more great ideas.

For now I have almost 2/3 pages of places we want to visit so I think we will be pretty set! Just saw amazing shots of Pandani's Shelf and wanted to know if it was at all possible to do in a day. But alas!

Oh well, next time :)

[acropolite]

I think that's only in peak season, the parks site is down ATM but you may want to check against your dates. I have a mate who is a mad keen landscape photographer, I'll ask him for recommendations. http://www.davidtasker.com/gallery/main.php

[gary]

Hi Shelley,

Though I haven't done the particular walk you mentioned, it gave me reason to
Google the track notes out of interest and I am glad you have decided not to
tackle it as your first Tasmanian wilderness walk. Hopefully you will get there
one day, possibly accompanied by some experienced walkers or after you have
gained some more experience yourselves.

When you asked what a cairn was, that says don't go on this particular walk. :)

Generically, just to get your head around what some of these more demanding walks in the
Tasmanian wilderness can be like, by way of example in summer it can
range anywhere from oppressive heat to snowing. Sometimes all in the same day.
I recollect on one walk I took it went from fine to snowing on Christmas Day
and I am talking hypothermic cold where you need to be able to pull
a down jacket and ski pants out of your pack and don them and then navigate
through very low visibility. Other times of the year you
can anticipate deluges of rain. Where the track notes mention button grass
bog, in some of these in Tassie, when it gets wet, you can find yourself knee
deep or even groin deep in mud (http://www.panoramio.com/photo/2004803). It can suck your walking boots off. You
find yourself trying to hop between button grass tufts. On the leeward side
of mountains there can be dense forests with fallen trees covered in moss
which you can find yourself battling to climb up and slide over in the pouring rain
and then once on the side of the mountain, find yourself clambering over giant
slippery boulders trying to look out for that next elusive cairn.

The more popular walks tend to have tracks that are largely self evident and
better marked. But even on these, anticipate that the weather can very rapidly change,
so make sure you pack for a broad range of contingencies.

What ever you end up doing, despite it being a small state on the map, keep in mind it usually takes
longer than you think either by road or by walking to get where you want to
go and back compared to equivalent "as the crow flies" distances on the mainland.

I remember when I first went down in the '70's, a Mobil road map of the state still had
some areas of the southwest marked as "These areas still largely unexplored". :lol:

[shelltree]

Thanks for the info Phil and Gary, by the sounds of things I'm very glad we aren't going to attempt this just yet :eyepop: We would definitely go with experienced hikers, otherwise I doubt we'd make it out alive LOL. One day... :) it all sounds adventurous but a little intimidating as well!

All of the walks, especially high in the mountains have warnings saying "It can rain or snow any time of year". I really hope we see snow :) Got my spray jacket ready and poncho for the rain and two pairs of good thermals and fleece jumpers, thick jeans and a good, thick ski jacket. I really hope it's enough because I'm a bit of a frog when it comes to the cold. I remember when we stayed at Ron's place one time and it got down to 7 degrees outside and I slept in a ski jacket LOL. I haven't really experienced anything cooler than that, except when I'm rugged up in a nice, heated bed for the night :P

We are hiring a camper van and trekking around for 3 weeks, we have so many places we want to see but that all depends on how many nights we want to stay in certain spots.

The temps for Cradle Mountain area are already starting to drop. Seems to be between 2 and 8 degrees most afternoons/evenings and it's suppose to be Summer! Would really like to go to Dove Lake for some astro photography but we might die of the cold. Will see how we go :)

I am so excited!!! :D