While travelling through Australia I discussed Tasmania with another hiker. Frenchman’s Cap, a hike in Tasmania, was in his Top 3 hikes. Naturally, I was intrigued and wanted to explore it for myself. After completing the Overland Track I wanted something more challenging. From what I’d heard, Frenchman’s Cap was the hike I was looking for.
Seven days after completing the Overland Track I found myself in Strahan, a tiny seaside town an hour and a half from Frenchman’s Cap Trailhead. The weather had been suspiciously perfect the last five days and the forecast showed three more days of sun with slight showers on the second day. A little rain never hurt anyone and I decided to tackle Frenchman’s Cap the next morning.
Day 1
During the days prior I had terrible luck finding a gas canister. Every market and hardware store within 50 miles didn’t seem to have one. I couldn’t hike Frenchman’s cap without one, so my last resort was to try and buy one at Lake St Clair Visitor’s Center. Thankfully they had loads of extra canister’s donated by people from the Overland Track and I got one for free.
It was hazy but warm as I started my 14 km hike to Lake Vera Hut. Although long, the day consists of mild ups and downs and winds through a good combination of buttongrass and forest. About 4 kilometers in it’s easy to get excited when Frenchman’s Cap comes into view for the first time.
The first day is enjoyable but up until a few years ago this was not the easy part of the trail. This section used to be called the “Soddon Loddons” because a hiker could easily be waist deep in mud while trudging through the buttongrass plains. Several years of trail maintenance took place and the “sodden” part of the trek no longer exists. It’s been replaced with easy meandering boardwalk.
Since the majority of the first day is easy-going it’s a shock when the very last section suddenly turns into a vertical climb. I made my way up through the steep temperate rainforest, panting away. Just as I began to wonder how much farther it was to the top the trail flattened out. It’s easy to catch your breath on the next half kilometer though. Newly maintained trail runs across lovely buttongrass plains until the final descent to Vera Hut.
The hut is comfortable and there is a little jetty hanging over the stream behind it. I ate dinner on the jetty and mingled with other hikers until it was time to sleep. In the middle of the night we were woken up by an incredible thunderstorm. I went out to bring my boots inside and was amazed by the sheer amount of water flowing around the hut. If this had been a desert we would have been stuck in a flash flood!
During a restless sleep I realized I didn’t pack my rain pants. The thought ran through my mind over and over again until I was convinced that not only did I not pack them but I hadn’t seen them at all. The only place they could have been was hanging on the clothesline at my hostel. Big whoops!
Day 2
I had been warned that this day was the most challenging, so I kept my spirits high as I left the hut. The trail runs next to Lake Vera, over giant moss-covered logs and around waterfalls. Then suddenly the trail steepens and goes through beautiful green forest for about three kilometers. These three kilometers felt like miles, especially when it began to rain again. It was calming to watch the water fall from the slopes and cliffs along the trail. It rained nonstop and I flew up the trail as quickly as possible without slipping. I kept convincing myself I was almost at the top (big mistake), but the incline seemed endless.
The ascent stops abruptly when the trail opens up over Baron Pass and offers beautiful views of the surrounding peaks and lakes below. However the pass is out in the open and the wind was relentless. Even though the rain had paused I didn’t stop for a much needed break because the wind chilled me through and through (why did I forget my rain pants?! Arg!).
From here the trail runs along cliff face with a mixture of rock scramble and flat parts. It’s a very exposed section and at this point I became frustrated with the weather when it began to rain again. This is never a good spot to be in but it happens to the best of us. There had been a cold, sharp rain the entire day and my mood plunged.
My view
The trail turns up steep wooden steps and I began to meet people coming from the other hut. “You’re almost there!” someone said enthusiastically. They got my hopes up but 1 kilometer later it was still pouring rain and I still wasn’t at the hut. My raised hopes quickly became deflated.
I knew I was close when the trail began to slope down, and kept my eye out for Lake Tahune. I never did see the lake and after what felt like hours (more like 30 minutes), I finally made it to the hut. The lake is not visible from the hut but there is a path leading down to it.
The distance from Lake Vera Hut to Lake Tahune Hut was only six kilometers (even though it felt much longer), and I was at the hut by 2pm. It was early and since nobody else had arrived I kept myself busy. I put on dry clothes, read several chapters of Grimms’ Fairy Tales, and napped until company showed up.
As the evening crawled on someone offered to teach me Bridge. Although it was thoroughly confusing it was entertaining and made the time go by faster. After a few hours of cards and a delicious freeze dried dinner, I went to bed mentally recharged.
Day 3
The rain had finally stopped but as I gazed up at Frenchman’s Cap it was shrouded in a dense fog. While we waited in the hut for the fog to clear the temperature gauge crept below 10 C and we lit the coal stove. It warmed us up but I started to get antsy sitting around for so long. The fog was stubborn and by 11am nothing had changed. Still, I hadn’t come this far not to bag the peak so began my hike to the top.
After a good rock scramble up the valley the trail turns into easy switchbacks. There is a sign showing the direction of the trail which I almost walked past. Upon further inspection I realized in shock that the arrow for the peak pointed towards a vertical rock wall. I thought it was a mistake but when I looked upwards I saw the cairns high above my head. This was in fact the trail.
This is the trail
I scrambled my way up the side of the mountain. The “trail” aligns with a small stream and my hands were cold and clammy by the time I reached the saddle. Snow was scattered around the peak and as I walked the last few minutes I realized the fog was not going to clear.
Not only was it foggy but the wind was intense at the top of Frenchman’s Cap. Typically I have no problem waiting until fog clears but today that was not an option. I had my down jacket and raincoat on, but the cold wind hurt my face. I huddled next to a little rock wall for 15 minutes before giving up. There was hardly 20 feet of visibility and I had doubts the fog would clear.
The hike down was uneventful, although scary while climbing down the steep, slippery section. Back at the hut I prepared a bowl of miso soup and relaxed my knee, which was aching from the climb. After a sufficient break I loaded my pack and headed back to the first hut.
About 10 minutes in I turned around and saw Frenchman’s Cap completely clear of fog. It only lasted a few minutes, but if I had waited another hour on the peak I would have had a good view. At this point though I didn’t care and instead I enjoyed the view into the surrounding valley. The rain had limited my view yesterday so it was a nice surprise today.
Unsurprisingly, one kilometer in it started raining again. While making my way down the steep section of forest I stepped on a rotten log which collapsed on me. My entire leg fell through the log but thankfully it only resulted in a large bruise. By late afternoon I was back at Lake Vera, and I’ll admit I was glad the hike was almost over.
Day 4
I woke up to no thunder, no rain, no wind, or no cold, and so enjoyed myself on this easy last day. It rained half way through the hike, but I knew the end was in sight and I always love hiking through buttongrass. The sun finally made an appearance in the last three kilometers of the hike, so I slowed my pace to enjoy the last bit of the Frenchman’s Cap.
You know the saying “be careful what you wish for.” When I had wished for a more challenging hike than the Overland Track I certainly got it. Not only was the trail itself more challenging, but the weather made a positive mood very difficult to maintain. I wouldn’t say Frenchman’s Cap is in my Top 3 Hikes, but I would say it’s a must-do as long as you have the experience.
When I learned to Scuba Dive I remember my instructor saying “Don’t expect every dive to be a good dive.” The same goes for hiking. Up until this point I had been fortunate with weather on my hikes and started to expect every hike to be a good one. It’s a bad mistake to make but it resulted in a good story to tell.
Oh, and I went back to my hostel the next day and found my rain pants hanging on the clothesline.
Interested in Hiking Frenchman’s Cap?
The trek is in Franklin Gordon Wild Rivers National Park, right next to Lake Saint Clair. It’s 46 km and takes 3-5 days to complete. Due to drastically changing weather I would recommend giving yourself a buffer day in case it rains or snows.
The first day is the longest but the easiest. The second day is the most difficult because of the climb to Baron Pass. The third day, or summiting Frenchman’s Cap, doesn’t take long but some sections are extremely steep.
Trail head to Lake Vera – 14 km, 6 hours
Lake Vera to Lake Tahune – 6 km, 4 hours
Lake Tahune to Frenchman’s Cap Summit – 1.5 km (1 way), 2 hours
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