A hike around East Falkland

[LennyMac]

Dear All,

In early 2012, I am planning a hike around East Falkland- a clockwise, circular trek from Stanley, stopping in at Fitzroy and Bluff Cove, across to Goose Green, up to San Carlos then across the top, back to Stanley via Teal Inlet and Estancia.

The route is approximately 170 miles (270km) and I plan to walk about 15 miles a day over 12 days.

I am in the very early stages of planning but hoped that posters might be able to give me some advice on things I should be aware of or perhaps answer questions as they arise.

For example, as East Falkland is very sparsely populated outside of Stanley, I have some questions about resupply of water: with the aid of water purification and boiling, is it ok to drink water from streams? My research suggests that soldiers in 1982 had some issues with parasitic workms like Liver Fluke.

Also, I usually use a hexi stove and tabs- is anyone aware of the regulations regarding putting about 14 boxes into my checked luggage for the flight to Chile, prior to the flight to the Islands?

The wind. Does anyone have any experience of the wind that permates all of the literature on the Falklands and probably a great deal of the time I will spend on the ground?

I will probably have lots more questions and I appreciate any advice that the community can provide.

Cheers.

 

[Ogri the trog]

Answerd some of your question in the photography thread.

I'll help more if I can but my experience is a little older than most.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[lannyman8]

first of all look out for land mines, they flote in the bog and hence move over time so keep adleast 5 metres away from marked areas. the wind is awesome and strong and cold cold cold. you will no way be able to take that much hexi with you due to fire risk, you will have to get special permision for that or change your plans. im sure a stove would be better to because if it gets cold you may want a heat source in your tent (i take it your in a tent that is). water wise there is loads of it sitting around even in mid summer. i would say get a pump and spare filters for ease of collection and for when your on the move with your kit.

the weather is also erm pants and great all at the same time. when i was there in summer it rained snowed and was bright sun all in one day. they say you get all 4 seasons in one day IT'S TRUE........ also with the hexi the wind will affect it alot any you may need more than you think.

if i can help any more just say mate. i wish you all the best and it is a great place but just dont take any chances with the weather....

hope this helps....chris

 

[LennyMac]

Thanks for your posts, gents.

I am going to be using established roads over the route- there appear to be two main roads heading out from Stanley- Darwin Road to Goose Green and Darwin and North Camp Road between Stanley and San Carlos. Judging from Google maps and other sources, there appears to be a north- south road between the two, joining Darwin and Goose Green with San Carlos. As such, I will stay on the road as much as possible and camp just off them each night. Hopefully, the minefiields won't be too much of an issue.

I suspect carrying that much hexi would pose a problem and will seek information from air authorities about travelling with it. I have never used any other means of cooking so a stove will be a new thing for me. Lanny, you make a good point about hexis in wind though.

I will most likely be there from the end of Feb until early March (technically, the end of the southern hemisphere winter) but the advice about extremely variable weather is most appreciated.

 

[Melonfish]

ah the falklands, we kept that for strategic sheep purposes you know.

 

[Limaed]

Hi Lenny

Ive completed three tours of the Falklands (1 year in total) and would agree with everything Chris has said. I like the idea of your trek although without wanting to sound rude I think it would be quite a boring journey. Much of the Falklands is covered in rough tussock grass and although the islands do have a stark beauty to them they dont IMO have the same character as a Himalyan trek for example.
In my mind a better trip would be to hire a vehicle and move from settlement to settlement visiting all the wildlife sites and perhaps taking in some overnight hikes or climbing some of the hills on the island. I think the wildlife, fishing and the history are the Falklands's strongest attraction for a visitor. The battlefields are particulary intresting.
Feb-Mar is actually the start of winter not the end, the wind could be a real issue. On my last tour I only had a handful of wind free days. Some days it is incredible strong, do not underestimate its chilling effect at any time of year. Its actually quite dry in the Falklands though you wouldn't believe it!
Hexi would be my last choice for a stove, somthing like a MSR Whisperlite would be much better as it burns petrol. This is avalible in Stanley and possible in some of the settlements which saves you carting it down there. The RAF charters an aircraft that flies twice a week from Brize Norton to Mount Pleasant, it also takes paying passengers. This maybe a cheaper route then through Chile? The roads are generally very poor and would not make pleasant walking many have 2m ditches each side, the roads are a cause of many serious accidents each year. If I can answer any questions please fire away. Ed

 

[stretch3144]

I had a great tour down south in '96, and did a bit of day hiking. As some of the others have said - all 4 seasons in a day, and that wind!
Forget the Hexamine idea for fuel - you will not get it on the aircraft, certainly not in hold or hand baggage. It is a UN Class 4.1 flammable solid and has to be specially prepared, documented and shipped in accordance with IATA regulations (I'm an RAF mover and ship dangerous goods, etc for a living). A multi fuel stove such as a Peak or MSR will be a better bet. The locals are very friendly too, so scrounging the odd bit of fuel or supplies here and there shouldn't be too difficult.
As mentioned previously about the mines - stay out of the minefields; make sure you have upto date maps of the minefields; and do not tamper with any of the mine field warning signs (ie taking one as a souvenier) - this is a criminal offence down there and you will be prosecuted!
Best of luck with your expedition. I hope you get to visit Sealion Island as I saw Orcas offshore when I was down there.
Have a good time.

Stretch

 

[SCOMAN]

Answered some of the questions on the photography thread. I've looked out my FI map it's 1:250000 and if I remember it right it was the best I could get. I may have the military 1:50000 but I may have ditched them or they may be classified. Looking at your proposed route I would have to agree with Limaed it may be boring unless you enjoy the solitary life. Fuel will be a problem, water may be a problem, the small lochs you may have seen on a map are as the description says 'ponds' most are not deep enough to swim in, the military had a 'sailing club' in Gull Island pond and occasionally couldn't sail dinghy's because of the depth of water. I'm unsure of liver fluke other pubs could tell you that. If you do go bring a fishing rod, a type of trout was introduced from Chile and my boss used to come back with 5-6 regularly, it ensured an invite to the wardroom for dinner. There are significant mussel beds too that are great and were enjoyed with no problems. Darwin house used to do teas with lovely cakes and buns but that was 8 yrs ago. I have a mate down there at the minute who could check on what mapping is available locally if you like. If i think of anything else i'll get back to you

 

[The Cumbrian]

It's been 16 years since I was there so I can't help much with your route, but as well as the wind which has been mentioned, don't forget about the strength of the sun. Because of the almost constant wind, you won't feel yourself burning until it's too late. I had long hair in those days, and where my hair was parted the skin burned to a crisp.

All the best, Michael.

 

[SCOMAN]

That's a good point about the sun I forgot to mention it. If you go in March you should be okay but from Nov up to Feb the hole in the ozone down there is right over the FI, this means you get bad burns and I mean really bad burns and quick. The wind as Michael mentioned is also a challenge, I've seen 50knots of wind not gusts but constant wind for a full day. This wind with the sun fries you, I had 2 of my lads hospitalised overnight because they didn't put the suncream on. I was sure I had a book on walking in the FI but can't find it, I'll have another hunt over the weekend.

 

[LennyMac]

Thanks to all who have replied with answers and suggestions thus far.

My plan is simply to hike on the major roads out of and back into Stanley, and along a single secondary road between Darwin and San Carlos. I appreciate the 'boredom' aspect, but it is the challenge of doing the miles that drives me (pardon the pun!) to hike the 170 mile route. I am advised by the Falklands Tourist Authority that the roads are safely away from the minefields and that minefields are well marked. It goes without saying that I won't be straying into the minefields for souvenirs and won't be looking for battlefield relics either.

A point well made about the sun, and especially about the wind. Having spent some 25 years in the antipodes, I am well versed in good practice regarding sun screen. The wind I will just have to get used to! I am would like to take a good quality goretex jacket so if anyone has any suggestions about makes or links to appropriate clothing sites, I would very much appreciate it.

I will be contacting the Tourist Authority today about the drinkability of the water and about the sorts of stove fuels that will be available. Stretch, what is a 'Peak' and an 'MSR'?

Thanks again though for all your posts- much appreciated (and so much to arrange!).

 

[Retired Member southey]

peak stove

msr stove

hope this helps dude,

 

[crazydave]

as with the rest, there's no such thing as a summer down there, but if you can get a sheltered spot in the dunes away from the penguin stink then you will burn, might be better now the ozone hole is filling back up. to test waterproofs then get someone to jetwash you as the rain is horizontal down there. the summers are probably akin to the weather we have at the moment here or at cape wrath in summer, there's no shelter to be had that isnt man made as trees do not exist outside the settlements and there are no dry stone walls to snuggle up to, the wind is pretty constant too so practise cooking in a pit. you'll also struggle to keep dry so get a good drill going, high leg boots at the very least, look after your feet and take a woolly hat which is the national dress down there and go back to the wet kit dry kit spare kit method of doing things.

it is boring on foot but stunning by chopper as its just miles and miles of tussocky grass, foot swallowing peat and bird burrows. I did the march to stanley as part of our deployment as resident infantry company back in 89 and it was both memorable and miserable. the mine fields are mostly marked and are around the settlements but they cant remove them without literally sifting every inch of sand and peat as they are made of plastic and are about the size of a tuna can, underground they pose less threat and they are designed to maim not kill, its worst around stanley but you will have to liase with the locals to plan your route. they are supposed to move the boundries out a few feet a year to allow for the movement but only do it every 10 years or so as they gave them a wire marker in the first place.

tourism is a huge market down there now with the cruise ship, wild fishing and some hikers so the locals have embraced their needs, when I came back we had a couple of dozen tourists on our flight which meant we had to moderate our language and they were searched at brize. I dont know if you can still fly raf down there but it might be worth asking. the army will also have someone you can talk to and maybe arrange the hexi if you want some. they are paranoid about peat fires though and we spend two weeks doubling back and forth to one spot where it was presumed one of our patrols had set one going.

water isnt an issue just open your mouth for long enough chemically the rivers are good and there will be some contamination from wildlife so a boil or filter should do. the main issue down there during the conflict was bad education as you had regiments full of city boys stomping around an area they didnt understand, water bottles were filled by making a stamp which involved jumping up and down on the peat till you get a suitable depression like a big sip well and then filling up often without giving it time to settle so you have acid water mixed up with mud and sheep poo which would often have too many puritabs added causing the inevitable gastric convulsions next morning.

it might be feasible to have words with the local plod as they pretty much know everybody and see if you can send care packages to farms/settlements en route as the local supply boats have a monthly cycle generally with acopper on board doing the wild west travelling justice type of thing. the locals are a friendly bunch as long as you dont call them bennys or stills, the FI company store in stanley is expensive but they have pretty much everything and the post office will hold parcels of gear if you check with them first and allow it to be inspected, you could send hexy via sea if the army wont supply it. liquid fuels then you are reliant on buy in stanley and carry the lot as very few of the settlements have a pump or rely on the locals to be kind enough to sell you some diesel or petrol, I'd be inclined to go up to the wilder areas of the country for a week in winter and see just how much fuel I used. most locals still cut peat started with paper or grass and we used a lot of hexy on patrols even when not on arctic rations

 

[tierradelfuego]

Hi

In 1999 I cycled from Ushaia to Punta Arenas (Argentina/Chile), about 500 miles, not too far from the Falklands, so might be able to help a bit.

I can't remember exactly what dates we did it but it was meant to be the local summer. However it didn't seem too summery! The worst problem we had was the wind; it was relentless, a constant headwind seemingly, some days we were lucky to keep five mph all day, we were making about 50 miles per day but were putting out the energy for 100 easily! Riding into valleys or past hills was great as we got some shelter but that doesn't last long. I also got wicked windburn around my eyes that I thought would be permanent as I didn't know what it was lol. I had windproof gloves and a Pertex cycling jacket which really helped. After a while the wind starts seeming personal and I was near to tears sometimes!

It was cold as well, one night I put my watch and camera on the floor of the tent and they were both dead in the morning, though the batteries recovered later that day. My colleague left his boots in the tent porch and they froze so that he couldn''t put them on and he had to ride that day in sandals. The only luck we got was that it didn't rain, which I was dreading along with everything else that was going on. If we had got wet I think now that we could easily have got into a very dangerous situation very quickly.

Water; some days it was everywhere, other days nothing, ended up drinking from a puddle at the side of the road once I was that thirsty.

Fuel; I brought a trangia stove but couldn't get fuel, ended up trying some weird fluid called "windamente" from a shop in Ushaia that burnt so hot it distorted the trangia burner. Also as mentioned had to dig a pit once and put the stove in it due to the wind. My colleague brought a MSR multi-fuel stove which was much better (in petrol stations he was taking so little they let him have it for free!)

Food; due to all the effort we were putting in and the cold we were constantly hungry, so we were always nibbling biscuits when we stopped, got sick of them in the end, too much sugar not enough protein/carbs. You may need more food than you think.

It was such a tough trip that I gave up smoking for ten days to improve my fitness and barely thought about a cigarette the entire time!

In the end I had to pull out due to developing an RSI in my hands from constantly changing gear all the time coping with the headwinds.

Land-mines; we crossed the Argentine/Chilean border once or twice, they have laid land-mines and have wire fences and signs but the signs are worn from the weather and were in Spanish so it was only later we realised what they were indicating ...

DOGS; we had a nasty couple of run ins with local dogs, carry a stick!!

It was a great trip mainly because it was a crash course in what to do and what not to do when cycle touring so I learned a lot. However, it was very hard work.

Hope that helps

 

[LennyMac]

Dear All,

Once again, thanks for all the offerings- I am slowly compiling this information and making notes.

So far, the thrust of the informations seems to be that as a hiking experience, it will be barren, boring, continually windy (with the threat of sunburn) and generally harsh, with potential fuel and water problems, plus there are minefields to be wary of!

However, undeterred, I plan onwards!

 

[Retired Member southey]

Everything an adventure should be, have fun mate.

 

[LennyMac]

In case anyone has any updated information that might be useful since last October, I have booked my flights. The only thing that will stop me now is cowardice!

As I am going to be following the roads, can anyone provide information about the frequency of rivers, streams, creeks etc. I will be carrying 6 litres initially and I have some information from the Falklands Tourist Authority that there are generally streams all the way around and I hope to be able to fill up in Goose Green and San Carlos.

Cheers.