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Christine Zelezny

Outdoor Human Kinetics

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RECENT POSTS

Three Capes Track | Tasmania
Off-Track Navigation in the Tyndall Ranges of Tasmania’s Wild West
Frenchman’s Cap: Type II Fun in the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park | Tasmania
The Larapinta Trail [Part II]: Crossing the Red Centre
Chocolate Cupcakes

christine_zelezny

Day 3/3 - Three Capes Track self-guided+free A s

Day 3/3 - Three Capes Track

self-guided+free

A simple quick pack up at Bare Knoll had me headed towards Retakunna Hut beyond which the trail continues towards Cape Huay.

This is the second cape on this trail. It’s stunning and worth doing the extra out and back section before getting back on the track to loop back to Fortescue Bay.

Note: Though the huts are off limits to self-guided trekkers, you are allowed to chill here and refill your water here as there is no accessible water at either of the two campsites designated for walkers doing their own unpaid version.

This day has the most amount of elevation gain and heaps of stairs. You’ll break a sweat as the trail navigates through a steep and thick wet forest.

Watch your time today if you intend on catching your pre-booked shuttle from Port Arthur back to Hobart. You’ll need to manage your time as you still have a hitchhike component to get through from Fortescue to Port Arthur.

This walk takes you back in time to Old Jurassic Park times 185mya. The flora and fauna sightings are exciting and the trail is so easy to follow and navigate.

If you’d like to complete the 3rd cape, that’s Cape Raoul, and can be done as a day walk (out and back). It’s been brought to my attention that there is a way to start your free walk at Denman’s Cove- it requires two things: bush bashing on a less defined path and also a hitchhike.

If you’re not comfortable with this, I recommend starting at Fortescue to ease your need for route finding.

Stats: 11km / 4 hrs / 700m up (NB. I forgot to stop my watch before getting a ride, so these are appropriately calculated approximates)

Three Capes Trail Notes - I completed the unoffic

Three Capes Trail Notes -

I completed the unofficial 3 capes track which is self-guided, free, uses tent pads, and covers only 2 of the capes.

There is plenty of information on the official paid Three Capes Track that uses huts (they are v. nice), but I barely found any info on the free version - so I went out and did it so I could write about it.

Day 1/3 involved a shuttle from Hobart to Port Arthur, a hitchhike from PA to Fortescue Campground (I dreaded this part), and finally, starting on the Old Cape Pillar track - not far down the road behind the visitors center.

It was a cruisy flat walk to my camp, where I pitched my tent at the Bare Knoll Campsite. There is a second site which people seem to discourage because it’s steep (up & down) to get to, there’s leeches apparently, and it’s just meh. I didn’t check it out, I cannot vouch for those facts.

Bare Knoll is epic. Beautiful new tent pads, lovely drop toilet and there was even toilet paper when I was there!

9.64km/2.58hrs/300m up/62m down

Day 2/3 - a relatively easy out & back day. Bare Knoll campsite to Cape Pillar & The Blade, with camp at BK again.

It IS a long day. Take a snack and a daypack with a raincoat, buff & gloves. It gets windy and chilly due to track exposure. Look out for black cockatoos and take in Australia’s highest dolerite columns.

19.30km/6.46hrs/666m up & down

NB: I have new information about completing ALL 3 capes for free, and will include that in the blog online-stay tuned.

- H O M E - I am back in Vancouver, British Colum

- H O M E -

I am back in Vancouver, British Columbia, safe and sound. I cannot thank my friends enough for the lovely messages of kindness and support during the last few days of being en route. Everything was smooth and seamless and I’m so grateful for that experience. Massive thank you to @aircanada for bringing us all home. I made it on the 2nd last direct flight home from Brisbane to Vancouver.

As I adjust at home for the next few days, I’ll be a little quiet but will get around to messaging everyone back in due time. Trail notes will resume slowly as well. I have heard, read, and seen that national parks are now closed in both Canada and Australia and my heart hurts for that. I understand the measures taken are meant to reduce the spread of this virus, but it’s a scary thought nonetheless that you can’t go out to NATURE- the healer. There’s more to this worth discussing but not on social media. Sending strength to all!

I am now on day 2 of my 14 day self-isolation. I have never sat still for that many consecutive days, so challenge accepted and hopefully RAIN-couver eases up a bit and I will run some yard laps.

The next lot of the trail notes coming up. But fi

The next lot of the trail notes coming up.

But first, a few little things you can add to each day to keep healthy:
.
► zinc—immunity boost
► bone broth—as a concentrate or homemade ► garlic—raw
► vitamin c—camu camu is a great source
► omegas / essential fatty acids (nuts, fish, seeds, oil)
► apple cider vinegar / warm lemon water / chlorophyll to alkalize the body (add to water)
► st Mary’s thistle to keep the liver function optimal
► jing—medicinal mushroom to soothe the nervous system
► manuka honey—excellent active properties to ward off bacteria/inflammation/etc.

sending ᨏ love

I’m sad that popular huts have now been closed,

I’m sad that popular huts have now been closed, including Frenchman’s Cap, Overland, 3 Capes, etc.

I’m so grateful for my time spent in Tassie. It was a true home away from home month and half, during which I trekked like crazy, lived the minimalist life that I have learned from a lot, and have met some of the most incredible people in my life thus far. I’m blessed at the helping hands who have reached out and made my experience and time here one hell of a positive one. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

And though my days are numbered here in Tas, and Australia in general, I have a heart full of treasures and memories.

On health: while nature is our greatest healer, let’s still remember that during this time, if we can spend time on the sun in our yards and maintain social distance, we are still doing our soul good.

Summit Shelter - We passed Tahune Hut and set off

Summit Shelter -

We passed Tahune Hut and set off for the summit. Just before we left I mentioned how enticing Tahune hut was to stay in versus the summit! I mean, a half a million dollar investment in this national park hut with USB ports, does sound good right?? But we were after something else. Something a little more type II adventurous! We only considered the hut as a back in case some horrible storm rolled in.

We took care to not set up on sensitive environment, so there weren’t many options to set up a more protected camp. We set up based on the direction of the wind but when that changed halfway through the night, there wasn’t much we could have done to augment our set up. Certainly not in the middle of the night!

There may not have been a storm but there was WIND. Non stop vicious 50-80km winds slapped against our A-frame @seatosummitgear tarp. We camped well below the summit but the area was exposed.

A combination of howling wind, a viciously flapping tarp, hiking poles giving out, and crisp cold air passing through our nostrils made this one wild and sleepless night. It was horrible and hilarious at the same time.

Sparks were flying between the sleeping bag and tarp contact, more flew between our fingers and anything we touched as we tried to fix the tarp, and the heavy stones holding down our tarp and securing our poles also had other plans. We were defeated. Our tarp was shredded by morning.

Pro tip: follow the wind patterns & account for changes in wind direction. Use a heavy duty tarp like (@tiergear_tasmania or @terra_rosa_gear - both local Aussie companies) if you want the adventure or simply sleep in a bivvy near a wall face to ensure some improved protection from wind elements. If you use a bivvy just still set a small tarp for rain protection.

It is possible to have a more positive experience from summit sleeping! Just don’t do what we did. Or maybe do, cause it’s still fun (kinda...)! We were after an adventure and we sure as hell got one. With laughs and baggy sleepless eyes, we descended the summit the next morning to enjoy morning tea in Tahune’s cozy quarters.

Frenchman’s Cap Trail Notes - A fast packing co

Frenchman’s Cap Trail Notes -

A fast packing collaborative adventure with @coachjoshwood // this involved building video and photography content, gear testing ( @seatosummitgear ) and bagging one epic summit.

Day 1- meandering through cool forests, crossing roots and climbing natural steps, passing around two lakes and two huts, had us reconnecting to the natural world, once again.

This landscape is home to pencil pines, fagus, sassafras, varnish gum, myrtle beech, snow berries and fairies aprons. It’s a diverse ecosystem and environment full of beautiful sights and smells.

Pro tip: always pack a puffy and buff for the summits. It gets cold up there 😬

24km, 9.19hrs, 1713m ascent, 706m descent. We descended to set up camp just below the summit.

Tomorrow I’ll share how our shelter system and some tips and tricks when considering summit shelters.

Next up: Frenchman’s Cap | An epic 3-5 multi day

Next up: Frenchman’s Cap | An epic 3-5 multi day executed over 2 days.

This trip was about 3 things: fast-packing & gear testing, a physical challenge, and bagging one new badass peak for @coachjoshwood and I 💪 before he got flooded with real work & life stuff, eh?!
.
The next few posts will cover the area’s epic scenery, lightweight tips and tricks, equipment hacks & reccos, and my good old trail notes.

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