Is this the Track?

By: Jenica Camalush

By KAVU

April 2^nd, 2024

The first sign of spare time always finds us immediately packing and heading off into the mountains. Living a transient lifestyle out of our camper van has granted us with more free time than most; always being on the move, pointing out new beaches to swim at, new peaks in the distance to summit, and a new view to wake up to virtually every day.

When we arrived in Tasmania and were first met with the mountain ranges of the incredibly remote Southwest National Park, we were in absolute awe.

The way the peaks danced in the sunlight of the early mornings, glistening as the light slowly made its way down, sweeping out across the valley until it hit our feet where we sat, coffee in hand, eagerly awaiting the start to each day. We immediately knew we would be tackling some far more technical hikes here than we had ever done before.

And then, before we knew it, the planning for our five-day, Western Arthurs Traverse began.

Setting off to trek through a region that rains 250 days of the year already required us to be more prepared than we typically were. So, when a weather window opened up last minute, we frantically packed 7 days of food, and found ourselves setting off at sun-up the following morning.

Entrance Fees: Valid parks pass Registration: Mandatory

Distance: 53.2km lollipop circuit. Time: 5 – 7 days

Elevation gain: 2,526m. Grade: Grade 5 – High level of experience required

Facilities: Helicopter bucket drop toilets. Few tent platforms. Water resupply in lakes/tarns – self filtration system required

Day 1: Scotts Peak Dam/Huon Campground - Junction Creek Campground.... 7km

This was what the track was like for nearly the entire first day of the Traverse.

The first day was literally just mud. Mud, mud, mud, and more mud! Although the easiest day of our Traverse, (flat ground, less kms, etc), it was definitely not the most fun – but hey, every chaotic bit of a hike just adds to the overall adventure right ??

Also worth mentioning; we began our journey already knowing that this would be the first ‘real’ hike we had ever done. Real, in that it was remote, it was subject to drastic weather changes, and it would require full body scrambling that would push us both mentally and physically more than any hike we had done before! We ALSO went in with the mindset that if it became too steep and/or treacherous, we would turn around and retrace our steps back. "No use getting yourself killed or injured on a mountain because you pushed your limits too hard". It’s important to know when to stop and say “hey, at least I tried and gave it my all.”

Day Two: Junction Creek Campground - Lake Oberon.... 11.5km

After an easy walk the day prior, this was where the real ascent up to the mountain range began. It started off innocently, zigzagging through flat button grass plains until we reached the base of the mountain – then up, up, up we went! After all the hard efforts, (we were at our heaviest pack weight, I might add), we were greeted by a wide open plateau, and another flat stretch of track to rest those poor leggies before the next climb begins.

The last seemingly daunting task before we could set up camp – and perhaps our first taste of the difficulty in the days to come, was the final descent down to Lake Oberon. Incredibly steep and slick, this descent was our first test to see if we'd be able to carry on, or if we would have to camp it out and return the same way. Trust me, if you are unsure at all in this section of the track, it gets MUCH more challenging. So be smart, and only take on what you know you can handle!

Day Three: Lake Oberon - High Moor.... 4.3km

Below is one of the first sections upon leaving camp at Lake Oberon. Rope is not a necessity, but is definitely recommended, and you very soon see why....

Welcome to the first real challenging day of the Traverse ! 4.3kms doesn’t sound like much, I agree, but when you are hauling heavy packs over terrain as steep as this, these short distances can easily take you all day – and it very much did. Luke even had to help me with my pack in a few spots so that I could scramble my way up afterwards not having to worry about being pulled backwards off the steep cliffs!

We found ourselves on a super fun section during day 3 that took us THROUGH a hole between these massive boulders. This hole was JUST big enough to fit our packs, but we still had to take them off and push them through before we got ourselves up, as it wouldn’t fit both! This was probably one of my favorite “wtf, is this the track?” moments of the entire Traverse!

Day Four: High Moor - Haven Lake.... 3.8km

Following our previous night's epic sunset.... it was equally breathtaking to bask in the early morning's Alpenglow.

Although one of the smaller distance days, our next leg was the most grueling section of them all, filled with a vast series of steep ascents and descents known as the “Beggary Bumps.” They are incredibly challenging, and equally awesome, to hurdle your way over and through.

Once we made it through the bumps, our next challenge was at a little part of the track known as the “Tilted Chasm.” If you purchase a map beforehand, the “Tilted Chasm” will even be labelled alongside summits and campsites, and is one of those places deserving of being properly featured on a map. As we got there, we wondered if we'd somehow taken a wrong turn? I am here to tell you.... "We haden’t.... this WAS the trail, and it was f*cking S T E E E E P".

We hardly even got the camera out through this day of the track at all – the photos pictured above and below are stills taken from video footage on our GoPro! We set off at 8am on this day, and arrived at camp around 4pm..... and it was only 3.8kms!!

If that doesn’t show you how precarious this section of the trail is, I don’t know what does.

Pro Tip: Some people pack rope and haul for this part of the trek specifically. And although you can get through without it, it never hurts to be prepared and carry items that could potentially keep you feeling safer. You may need help from a fellow hiking buddy, or if alone, might need to throw your bag in some spots with fingers crossed it doesn’t roll off the cliff. Either way, take care of yourself out there !!

Day Five: Haven Lake - Huon Campground / Scott's Peak Dam.... 21.8km

This was another big, and chaotic day to finish it off ! Most people do not hike from Haven Lake right out to the end, but instead, stop at Junction Creek Campsite (making the route a 14.6km day rather than the 21.8km we took on). We were prepared to stay another night if needed, but when we got to the first camp and refueled with some lunch, we were keen to just finish it off.... and to crack into a couple of cold beers we had waiting for us in the van.

So, away we went... carrying out our biggest day of distance yet while walking for nearly 10 hours straight. After finally making it, even stepping up into our van was hard, and required every once of our remaining strength.

Honestly, just wow.

What an absolutely brilliant experience! It was incredibly challenging, both mentally and physically. But, through all the ups and downs, highs and lows.... we always came out smiling. To us, that's KAVU.

This epic journey has made us so proud of our newfound strengths, and we will remember this incredible adventure for the rest of our lives.

A huge thank you to anyone and everyone who took the time to follow along on this adventure! If you enjoyed taking on this hike with us in the form of a photo blog, we also have a very low-key YouTube Channel (see link below) where we documented this incredible experience in the form of a 3 part video diary – follow along if you’re interested!

In other exciting news, we are currently gearing up to tackle the five-month-long trek from the Mexican border to the Canadian border – otherwise known as the PACIFIC CREST TRAIL!! We’d be stoked to have you join us on our socials!