"Guys, thanks for all your help and support and encouragement, everyone else seemed to just dismiss us as stupid, reckless and crazy and thus you were different. Thanks again …… Roger".

The trip.

Roger Chao and Steven Fordyce, both students at Monash University, recently completed in Tasmania the first mid winter unsupported full traverse of the western and eastern Arthur’s, combined with an ascent of Federation Peak.

Carrying 5 weeks worth of food (no food drops) and full snow and ice gear, harsh conditions, combined with the short days (they left on July 23rd 2006 the day after the shortest day) meant that progress was very slow.

The Arthur’s and Federation Peak climb in summer are challenging enough with a heavy pack but when combined with deep snow, freeing conditions and zero visibility in full winter conditions, it made for a very serious undertaking.

The maximum recorded temperature during the trip was 4 degrees, with deep snow (above shoulder height when sitting in the tent) make navigation (no cairns or tracks visible) very difficult, not to mention lugging heavy packs through deep snow.

Highlights of the trip were getting stuck out on the West Portal on an ice encrusted rock ledge after losing our way due to poor visibility. This meant that we had to "camp" by anchoring ourselves with prussik cord to branches and rocks to sleep on the exposed ledge where it was around 8 degrees, literally just hanging by our makeshift harnesses and sleeping standing up.

Other highlights include descending Moss Ridge in very heavy snow (had snowed continuously for the week leading up to it) which created many surprising and treacherous obstacles.

Starting from Scott’s Peak Dam, we finally completed the western Arthur’s traverse in 10 days and camped just below the Devils Thumb (above Thwaites plateau) for a few days until the weather was fine enough to ascend Federation Peak.

Due to the conditions, we ended up down climbing in the dark, when the gullies had turned to rushing waterfalls, just pouring icy water down inside our jackets.

Once we got to upper Bechervaise, we were then snowed in "once again!" for 4 days in a row before deciding to make a push for it (after being sick of being tent bound for so long!).

Once down Moss Ridge it was just easy walking out to Farmhouse Creek. All in all it was a great experience with many moments that will linger in our memories, though we didn’t get many views, the experience of just being out there was awesome and a reason why we do what we do, just to experience nature purely as it is.

After eating their first decent meal in weeks and cleaning up a disgusting mess that was living in their packs after 5 weeks of sodden hell, their feat was reconised with Australian Geographic magazine's Young Adventurer of the Year award going to the Chaomeister.

Fitting ....