Region : Tasman Peninsula
Length: Very long (4 days)
Difficulty: Very High
Climbing quality: High
Overall quality: 3 stars
Late Feb 2026
Benny Plunkett (Unsupported)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cape Pillar
Even before completing my first unsupported multi-day traverse (Chasm Creek to Eaglehawk neck), Fortescue Bay to Cape Pillar really appealed to me. Many stars had to align in order for me to feel confident to tackle this notoriously fickle coastline.
When I first kayaked this coastline it occurred to me that there may be enough fresh water sources to make a four day traverse feasible. Tassie experienced an unusually dry summer which had me questioning whether it was the summer for it. Fortunately, the Tasman Peninsula received 5-10mm of rain right before a potential weather window appeared on the horizon. The forecast wasn’t ideal although it appeared manageable for 3 days and slightly questionable for one day. Shoutout to Hamish Jackson and Kai Friele for asking all the right questions and assisting with weather forecasting. It really did make the world of difference being able to bounce off a couple of salty sea dogs.
Dialling in my gear setup has been an interesting experiment. A few game changing items are as follows; La Sportiva TX 2’s, S2S Spark 1, Klymit UL sleeping mat, Need Essentials sleeveless 2mm wetsuit & my trusty 12L Salamon running vest.
Now that’s out of the way, shall we begin.
Day 1 forecast - 30-50 km/hr SW wind all day, 1.5m SW swell all day.
Fortescue Bay to The Monument - Long
I departed Fortescue Bay at 8am just as it began to rain. Today’s agenda was to retrace the stretch of coastline that Danny Wade first traversed from Fortescue to Cape Hauy. Indeed a worthy day out in of itself and a great way to ease into what lay ahead. There was quite a few short swims but just enough fun climbing to make it worthwhile. First water source was located just around the corner from North West Bay. Pennicott came and got up in my grill as I traversed around into the dolerite fortress towering above the infamous Totem Pole. I began getting spanked by the SW wind that was wrapping around the Cape and questioned whether I should bow out at the only reliable exit point on the entire traverse. I figured I’d push on and reconsider my life choices the following morning. After a frustrating search I found a flat-ish bivvy ledge across from The Monument.
Day 2 forecast -
The Monument to Corner of Munro Bight - Long
Today’s forecast was the best of all four days so I aimed to be on the move by sunrise. A marvellous sunrise cast its colours across the southern sky and the thought of retreating went by the wayside. At least for now anyway.. The bomber dolerite made way for a surprisingly strong siltstone. The siltstone began to take a real toll on my skin but it was hard to resist taking on some of the unique rock features along this fascinating and often neglected nook of coast. In particular, I passed through two phenomenal archways, the second one may just be the most spectacular archway I’ve seen in Tasmania. It’s riddled with caves and had a beautiful traverse line along much of the right side of the archway and it continued on around the corner.
I found three different water sources along the east facing stretch of Munro Bight. The most reliable one being Wugahlee Falls. The rugged coastline offered slight reprieve as the day went on and I managed to run on quite a few short sections. I clawed off an abalone right before I reached camp which lifted my malnourished spirits more than you’ll ever know. Olive oil is one of the most weight effective ways of getting your fats in and it doubles nicely as the secret ingredient to accompany fresh abalone. I’m not sure I’d really want to traverse with anymore than 4-5 days worth of food so I envision foraging being an important piece of the puzzle in future unsupported traverses.
Day 3 forecast-
Corner of Munro Bight to Cathedral Rock - Long
Another sunrise start was on the menu as I raced to cover as much as ground as possible before the strong NE winds kicked in after lunch. This day was the most challenging of the lot. It wasn’t necessarily any more technical although the sustained exposure to the elements began to ware me down. There were plenty of skittish seals about so I slapped my leg as a friendly way to announce my arrival. Where possible I opt for a wide birth around the colonies to ensure the seals don’t feel overly rushed to get out of the way. Stampeding into their space can startle them into uncontrolled summersaults to the sea. I genuinely feel a bit bad at times for awaking them from their slumber and then I’d remind myself how the Salmon Farm industry has been getting away with killing them for years which makes our encounter feel insignificant in comparison. A 30-50km/hr NE wind settled in and brought some sloppy seas with it. After a pivotal water refill and my first rays of sun I decided to push on in search of shelter near Cathedral Rock. Gee it was a grind getting to Cathedral Rock before dark.
Day 4 -
Cathedral Rock to The Trident - Medium
The fourth and final day had arrived. I didn’t get a wink of sleep all three nights and it crossed my mind to call it quits by taking the climbers exit at Cathedral Rock. That would’ve left a skid mark on the experience so I slithered into my soggy clothes and started with the sunrise. I’ve written in depth about this stretch of the Cape Pillar coastline in the trip report titled ‘Cathedral Rock to The Trident’. It’s one of the most exposed and remote stretches on the Tasman Peninsula. I was reminded; just because the conditions are somewhat stable at Cathedral Rock, doesn’t necessarily mean the conditions will be stable on the second half of the traverse. This 3-4km section would have to be one of the most intimidating stretches of coastline in the country. The tallest sea cliffs in the southern hemisphere tower above you as you make the first committing swim beneath the almighty Chasm. In saying that, with the right conditions, it is surprisingly manageable.
2-3m+ Southerly seas had battered Cape Pillar for the past few days which meant the bottom 5m of rock was quite damp. Traversing through the half way archway as a seal swam beneath me was a memory I’ll have for life. If the seal were 5-10 seconds later, I may’ve landed straight on it as I struggled to traverse through the iconic archway. As I wrapped around the corner, the southerly swell reminded me that it’s never over until it’s over. There are 2-3 ominous 50+m swims on the back end of the traverse. The amount of moving water had me shaking in my boots and I was getting very vocal while wrestling my way up the kelp ladders. Don’t let my distress deter you. I’m sure it would be a completely different experience with calm conditions, sunshine and company. I completed the final swim which ended at the obvious ridge line 100m east of the Trident. I bush bashed my way up the ridge and popped out near the helipad at about 11am. The exit ridge isn’t a walk in the park but it really wasn’t too sketchy second time around.
Weary-eyed and wobbly, I waddled out on to the Cape Pillar track and began the run back. Just down the track I stumbled upon a bunch of deaf ladies. We got yarnin’ and I was bombarded with questions. It’s rare that I feel like my friends and family truely understand what traversing is all about. Ya just don’t know until ya know, ya know? It seemed like the old ducks understood the alure of it all. Seeing the women’s priceless reactions was a much needed reminder of how lucky we are to be able to experience the curveballs the coastline has to offer. The underlying intention of this trip wasn’t obvious to me in either the preparation or execution phase. Don’t get me wrong, there remains a curiosity around the possibilities of this form of adventure and a deep desire to find calmness amongst the chaos of it all.. The women helped me realised what it was really about. Connection. Connecting with the coast and ultimately trying to build a deeper connection with myself. My perspective began to shift out there. The ocean isn’t out to swallow me up. The waves will only ruin my day if I let them. You can curse the wind or let it share the load. It’s never the weathers fault. I can either curse the weather or collaborate with it.