Lost World Circuit - 8th January 2013

With bushfires still burning on the Tasman Peninsula and elsewhere, something of a weather change was on the way. While overall it wasn't much, and didn't douse the fires, I think it was very welcome in minimising their further spread.

I was going to walk to Thark Ridge, but the wind was very strong at the top of the mountain, so I opted for a more comfortable circuit from The Chalet to Lost World, which includes a couple of segments of track I haven't been on before. Isaac had said he and a friend were going to down from the top (the normal access route), and I thought I might be able to meet up with them.

Hunters Track descends steeply below The Chalet, and comes to an intersection with the Old Hobartians Track. This essentially continues descending in the same direction, whereas hunters Track at that point zigzags back towards Junction Cabin. The Old Hobartians Track continues on downwards, stimulating weird thoughts like "what goes down must plod back up". Just after the track crosses the upper reaches of Newtown Rivulet, a marked track heads off to the left. The sign warns that the track is rough. This is the track which climbs steeply into Lost World. The climb is on boulders in patchy forest. The track is well marked with red and yellow paint marks, although Isaac tells me these can be hard to locate in deep snow. He and Michael had an "epic" climbing from here through Lost World in snow previously. The climb does go on for a while, and can be slow given the need for a little scrambling, but it suddenly emerges on the fallen columns below the cliffs of Lost World. The spot is marked with large cairn.

Lost World is worth a bit of exploring, and I previously provided some information here. Care is required amongst the boulders. To continue, the "track" basically heads right, straight across the "flatter" part of the area and finds a path around the cliffs on the right. The track to mount Arthur and the road at Big Bend then climbs steeply up alongside Lost World. The track emerges on the road, and a short walk down the road returns you to the starting point. All up, it's quite an enjoyable circuit, with some small challenges as you scramble up the boulders.

The day I was there recently it commenced to pour with rain as I arrived at Lost World. No sign of Isaac, so I called out. Sure enough, he rang me a minute later. They had retreated as the rain came down, making the rocks slippery. With only two seats in a ute, they didn't even wait to give me a ride down the road. Given the rain, I didn't pause to get the camera out, so I'll just provide this panorama acquired a few years ago, until I can get back there and get some up to date photos.

Lost World panorama, taken in Jan 2008.