Forrest McCarthy on Tasmania’s Overland Track
Hyperlite Mountain Gear’s Ambassadors are the testers, critics and storytellers of our products. They put our gear through the paces in the worlds toughest playgrounds and give us critical feedback which helps us drive product development. They also help us spread the good word about our backpacks, tents/shelters and accessories — while regularly making us jealous of what they’re doing in the field. This past winter Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ambassador Forrest McCarthy traveled to Tasmania with his wife Amy McCarthy to take on the Overland Track — one of Tasmania’s premier hiking routes. Read on for the report . . .
The Overland Track is Tasmania’s premier walk and attracts hikers from all over the world. The track winds its way through CradleMountain – Lake St Clair National Park traversing a vast wilderness of exposed alpine plateaus, tranquil lakes, and dense forests of beech, pine and gum. The entire track is within the 1.38 million hectare Tasmanian World Wilderness Heritage Area and home to unique wildlife including: kangaroo, wombat, wallaby, possum, quoll, Platypus, Echidna, tiger snakes, and Tasmanian Devils.
In early February of 2013 Amy and I were blessed with three days of fantastic weather and followed the track from Dove Lake to Lake St Clair, a distance of 65-kilomters. Stopping for the night at Lake Windermere and the Windy Ridge Hut we enjoyed side trips to the summit of Cradle Mountain and Tasmania’s high point — Mt Ossa.
Summit of Cradle Mountain
High Alpine Plateau
Camping at Lake Windermere
Lake Windermere and Barn Bluff
On Route to Pine Forest Moor
Wallaby
Pelion Hut
Snow Skink
Summit of Mt Ossa
Mersey River Valley
Du Cane Hut
The historic trappers hut was built in 1922
Our Tasmanian Overland Track (map care of Google)
Forrest McCarthy
Winter 2013
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