Mt Field West Circuit Day 1
A spectacular ascent with lakes, scree, alpine peat and vast views
Mist sweeps across Clemes Tarn camp in spectacular evening light
Today’s hike of 6.5km (4mi) has 410m (1345ft) of cumulative ascent. Starting at Lake Dobson Carpark, you’ll sign the walker registration before following the lake’s shore, through pandani and then climbing to the ski clubs via a short section of dirt road.
Once higher, you’ll pass through snow gum, alpine heath and cushion plants with distant views and lookouts. Hikers doing the shorter Tarn Shelf Loop will leave Mt Field West Track near Rodway Tow, whereas you continue, crossing spectacular boulderfields up and over Rodway Range, with ever-expanding views.
The scree ends as you descend the western side; you’ll see the shining roof of historic Peterson Memorial hut beckoning you onwards. After a brief stop in the historic hut, you have only 500m to go along boggy track to Clemes Tarn, a spectacular but wet alpine campsite.
Hike statistics
How to Make Today Easier
Faster hikers will complete an out and return to Mt Field West in 6 - 9 hours, or hike the loop in two days, but we are doing a more leisurely multiday circuit that perfectly suits our readers (see Planning and Tips for an overview).
As is often the case for slower hikers, your best bet is a conservative itinerary (such as ours) and an early start. Slower hikers aren’t likely to skip across the scree as more agile hikers might, so allowing a full day to reach Clemes Tarn means you can take your time over the tougher bits and enjoy the views along the way.
However, should you arrive early at Clemes Tarn, you can set up the tent and hike your out and return to Mt Field West today rather than tomorrow. This shortens tomorrow and nicely evens out the distances, though you then make the first day the most demanding elevation-wise. This option wasn’t good for us because of the fog and rain on our Day One, but keep it in mind and make a decision when you reach the campsite depending on how much juice is left in the tank, and the weather at elevation.
Peterson Memorial Hut is for daytime visits and emergency nights only. When we hiked, two lads caught up to us the following day; they had spent the night in the hut loft after being battered by hail on the scree. However, your stunning campsite at Clemes Tarn is only a short distance further so you have plenty of time to get there and set up in good light.
Walk with Us:
After leaving your vehicle at Lake Dobson car park and signing the walker log in the registration hut, you'll follow the lake's southern shore for about 300m before branching onto Urquhart Track, a steepish shortcut that avoids a longer road walk. The circuit around Lake Dobson is beautiful and deservedly one of Australia’s Great Short Walks; you’ll see more of it on your return in two day’s time.
In good weather, you'll have great views across the lake, framed by billy pines and snow gums.
In summer, you'll notice many berries as bright as flowers. Here, Trochocarpa thymifolia...
and Cheeseberry (Cyathodes straminea).
Through pandani (Richea pandanifolia) on the steadily climbing track with a few roots and rocks...
... before you emerge onto the track leading to the ski clubs. This track is lined with wildflowers, so keep your eyes peeled for small treasures such as orchids.
Higher still and you're into snow gum territory...
... with their characteristically striped and swirled bark.
Potato orchid (Gastrodia sesamoides) on the roadside. No chlorophyll, so it exists in a parastitic/symbioic relationship with soil fungi.
Snowgum Track becomes ever more rough and rocky, but the views get better and better. Take your time!
First glimpses of Lake Seal, with Lake Webster beyond. Today, the cloud is lowering so there are no distant views. At other times, you'll see for miles.
But even with low cloud, the view from the lookout is breathtaking.
To the northeast with less elevation, views are more expansive. Between moorlands, scarred white tree fingers mark the 2019 bushfire. Unlike many Australian ecosystems adapted to fire, Tasmania’s subalpine eucalypts and pines regenerate poorly or not at all. Climate change is bringing more severe and frequent burns to these highly vulnerable areas.
Scree varies greatly from fine gravel to boulders as on Mt Field West Track. A few steps have been arranged here…
... but most of the time you simply make your own way from rock to rock, haphazardly following the orange poles. It’s fun, but your legs will have had a great workout by the end of the day. Trekking poles help.
You’ll also find plenty of boardwalk across sensitive heath and cushion plants, here descending towards Rodway Tow with its little day shelter.
View NNW towards Rodway tow and Tarn Shelf; the roof of the day shelter is peeking above the brow far left beside the tow shed. Tarn Shelf Track branches right, passes the hut and follows the eastern side of the tarns to Lake Newdegate: you’ll meet the track there tomorrow. It’s also a fantastic day walk option if you don’t have time for a multiday hike. For now, you’ll continue northwest along Mt Field West Track.
Looking back the way we’ve come.
More boulders. They’re getting bigger! And look at that view!
And bigger! But it’s easy scrambling. Follow the red blazes and orange stakes.
You can see that Geoff hasn’t even bothered to stash his poles. Yes, it’s scrambly, but with a conservative itinerary you’ll find it eminently doable.
Nearing the top of the Rodway Range, the terrain flattens into a wide boulderfield know as the Lion’s Den.
Grand views of Walker and Backhouse tarns nearest, and large Lake Newdegate behind (you’ll pass its northernmost tip tomorrow). Furthest away is Twisted Tarn, which you’ll also see closeup tomorrow.
Nearly at the top!
Low cloud swirling over the peaks makes for a moody ambience and spectacular lighting, though you have to be quick to catch the fleeting splashes of sunshine. Last view of Lake Seal for today…
Because now there is more scree to descend; it’s the most challenging rock-hopping of the hike, but it’s only a couple hundred metres.
Then there’s a boggy section across K col to Peterson Memorial Hut; you’ll see its shining roof from afar.
When on track through cushion plants such as this, it’s essential not to deviate from the trampled area. Walk on the rock stepping stones or plug through existing mud, avoid that tempting green mat. These plants are extremely sensitive to foot traffic, and form the base for other plants to grow. When they are gone, erosion happens quickly in such a rocky, high-rainfall environment. And because we aren’t in a hurry, we have no excuse: we have the luxury of picking our way on rocks wherever possible.
Alpine leek orchid, Prasophyllum alpinum, but then no more pictures as the rain comes bucketing down.
We rush inside the hut, grateful for its shelter (this picture is taken a little later when the rain briefly eases).
Lunch inside the hut; my editing has brightened and warmed the image considerably. It is dry in here but very cold and when we are first inside we can barely hear each other over the hammering of the rain on the roof. Above Geoff and the corrugated iron ceiling is a loft for extra sleeping. On the wall either side of the window fascinating snippets of historical and geographical information describe both hut and region.
When we leave the hut, we see a sign on the outside of the door that we had not noticed in our rush to get out of the rain: no fires are permitted inside.
Upon leaving the hut, it is cold, rainy, foggy and windy. It’s easy to head off across scree and heath in the wrong direction: the track arrives on the southeastern side of the hut but continues on the northern side. Unable to spot any poles, we first assume they are hidden in the mist, but then check our map and GPS: we are too far south. Apparently many hikers make this mistake! Once on the right track, the marker posts are still barely visible but the campsite is just a few hundred metres away.
We spend a good twenty minutes scouting various footpads around the tarn for the best campsite. Don’t bother: the best (only) ones are the most obvious, a little cluster right beside the tarn’s southwest shore. As you can see, there may be no views!
What is less obvious is that this terrain is challenging for non-freestanding tents, particularly our XMid Pro which dislikes lumpy ground. To the far right of the image is a puddled surface: that is slightly wetter but a little flatter than what we are pitched on, with deep hollows between humps of cushion plants and heath. The water table is just an inch or two below the surface, so every hollow is filled, not least because a rock substrate lies another inch or two down. This means that the Pro’s shallow bucket floor, combined with its mesh, is difficult to get right, especially when pitching low as is preferable in windy, wet weather. In some spots, the mesh touches the ground and, when it’s very windy, the drenched mesh flicks water up into the tent as it is buffeted by strong gusts. This is not an issue with the double wall XMid.
In places stakes don’t penetrate fully; loose rocks are few, though several have been left by some desperate camper. The rain has momentarily eased but it’s extremely windy, a good 25 knots, and this turns out to be one of the most challenging pitches Geoff and I have ever done. However, with a good backup hut just a few hundred metres behind us, we can safely test the tent (and ourselves!). After half an hour using double-staking, rocks and bushes, we get the tent tautly pitched to our satisfaction with all guylines deployed and no chance of anything budging during the night.
And then suddenly, spectacularly, the mist clears, and the rain, and a grand vista opens up across the tarn to The Watcher to the right and Naturalist Peak to the west. It is magnificent. The lumpy surface that presented such challenges is just visible along the bottom edge of the tent and you can see more lumpy ground on another site far right, but the effort has been worth it! And tomorrow’s clear forecast promises even more views!
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