Franklin Rafting River Care Project

12 days (Hobart)

Destinations visited: Australia, Hobart, World

Grading:

Moderate to Challenging level

Grading Definitions

Discovery & Cruising

These are our least demanding trips. These journeys of discovery and cruises involve little or no extended activity and are suitable for people with a basic level of fitness and good health. The itinerary may take place in remote areas (with basic facilities) and may involve long travel days on various types of transport. Sightseeing may be conducted on foot and all participants should be capable of carrying their own luggage from vehicle to hotel rooms. These adventures do not go above 2500m and rarely involve camping.
Suggested preparation: Once or twice a week, we recommend you walk on undulating terrain for an hour, for at least 2 -3 months prior to departure.

Adventure Touring

Suggested preparation: Two or three times a week, we recommend you walk on undulating terrain for an hour or more, for at least 3 months prior to departure.

Introductory

These trips involve trekking or walking, cycling, rafting or sea kayaking for up to five or six hours a day at a slow but steady pace and should never be misinterpreted to mean they are easy trips. These trips do not spend time at altitudes above 4000m and are usually a week in duration. You will need a reasonable level of fitness and good health.
Suggested preparation: 30 minutes of aerobic type exercise, (either cycling or jogging) three times a week for three months leading up to your trek. For trekking, hill walking with a daypack in variable weather conditions is also recommended. For a cycling adventure, road cycling twice a week for three months prior to departure is recommended.

Introductory to Moderate

These trips involve a combination of what is described in our INTRODUCTORY and MODERATE levels. The emphasis is on introductory activity with several moderate stages

Moderate

These adventures involve trekking, cycling, rafting or sea kayaking for up to 6 or 7 hours a day at a steady pace. These trips may spend successive days at altitudes not generally exceeding 5,500m and are usually between 10 and 15 days in duration. You will need a good level of fitness and be in good health.
Suggested preparation: 45 minutes of aerobic type exercise, three to five times a week for the three months leading up to your trek. Hill walking with a pack in variable weather conditions or road cycling is also recommended depending upon the activity you plan to undertake.

Moderate to Challenging

These adventures involve trekking, cycling, rafting or sea kayaking for up to 6 or 7 hours a day at a steady pace. These trips may spend successive days at altitudes not generally exceeding 5,500m and are usually between 10 and 15 days in duration. You will need a good level of fitness and be in good health. Suggested preparation: 45 minutes of aerobic type exercise, three to five times a week for the three months leading up to your trek. Hill walking with a pack in variable weather conditions or road cycling is also recommended depending upon the activity you plan to undertake.

Challenging

These adventures involve trekking, cycling or rafting in remote areas in variable weather conditions for up to 8 to 10 hours a day (possibly more subject to weather conditions and altitude). This may include spending successive days at altitudes not generally exceeding 6000m. These trips may often be over three weeks in duration. You will need an excellent level of fitness, be prepared to carry a daypack weighing up to 8kgs (and in some cases a full pack) and be completely comfortable in adverse weather conditions.
Suggested preparation: One hour of aerobic type exercise, four to five times a week for three to six months prior to departure. Hill walking with a pack in variable weather conditions or on/off road cycling is also recommended.

Entry Mtn/Exploratory Treks

These adventures are classed as expeditions. They involve either extreme trekking and or basic mountaineering. Expect remote and poorly defined trails in variable weather conditions for up to 12 hours a day (possibly more subject to weather conditions and altitude). This may include a number of demanding high pass crossings and evacuation may be difficult from remote areas. Suitable for first time mountaineers wishing to take the step from trekking into the realm of mountaineering. Prior experience trekking at altitude is preferable but not essential and you should be comfortable in adverse weather conditions. Prior technical mountaineering experience is not necessary. Terrain will involve low angle snow slopes. Ropes may be used during treks for glacier travel and steeper sections of ice and snow. When mountaineering, basic mountaineering instruction is given by our mountaineering guides.
Suggested preparation: For grade 8-10 mountaineering expeditions you will need to be very fit and healthy. A minimum of 1 hour of aerobic exercise per session, four to five times a week is essential. Running and cycling in hilly areas is particularly beneficial as are multi day walks on the weekends. This is the ideal time to try out your boots and other gear to make sure you are prepared and ready for your expedition. If you are considering Intermediate or advanced level trips, you will need to discuss your preparation leading up to the trip with our expert staff.

Intermediate Mtn Expedition

Participants should be competent and self sufficient in the outdoors and have experience in multi day trekking at altitude. Prior experience on an entry level mountaineering expedition is highly recommended. The terrain will involve low to moderate angle snow slopes and traveling on crevassed glaciers. Experience using ice axe and crampons is preferred but not essential.
Suggested preparation: For grade 8-10 mountaineering expeditions you will need to be very fit and healthy. A minimum of 1 hour of aerobic exercise per session, four to five times a week is essential. Running and cycling in hilly areas is particularly beneficial as are multi day walks on the weekends. This is the ideal time to try out your boots and other gear to make sure you are prepared and ready for your expedition. If you are considering Intermediate or advanced level trips, you will need to discuss your preparation leading up to the trip with our expert staff.

Advanced Mtn Expedition

These are our most challenging expeditions. Clients must have prior mountaineering experience. Most are participatory expeditions & involve load carrying, setting up of camps, cooking and campcraft. Altitude is generally greater than 6500m. Some of these expeditions also involve “technical” climbing and are for experienced alpine climbers / mountaineers only. Technical expeditions involve steep climbing at high altitude (including rock climbing). Participation on one of these expeditions is subject to acceptance by one of our high altitude mountaineering guides.
Suggested preparation: For grade 8-10 mountaineering expeditions you will need to be very fit and healthy. A minimum of 1 hour of aerobic exercise per session, four to five times a week is essential. Running and cycling in hilly areas is particularly beneficial as are multi day walks on the weekends. This is the ideal time to try out your boots and other gear to make sure you are prepared and ready for your expedition. If you are considering Intermediate or advanced level trips, you will need to discuss your preparation leading up to the trip with our expert staff.

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Raft the mighty Franklin River and contribute to the protection of a pristine wilderness

The Franklin River is renowned for its pristine wilderness as well as its world class white-water rafting. World Expeditions pioneered commercial rafting on the Franklin with the first commercial raft descent in 1978 and ever since has contributed to every campaign to protect this magnificent river. Whilst the river environment is close to pristine, in recent years our local guides have spotted isolated outbreaks of noxious weeds such as blackberry on the riverbanks. Join in this river care of the Franklin as this project works with Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife to remove these weeds and ensure that the Franklin River remains pristine. Of course the safest way to travel the river is a trip guided by World Expeditions in a white-water raft, so this trip is both a classic rafting expedition and a positive way to contribute to the care and custodianship for one of the worlds greatest wilderness rivers.

Highlights

Experiencing one of the few great frontiers left in the world - the Franklin River
Rafting down the river in an 'expedition style' manner supported by excellent crew and equipment
Being one of the privileged few to have experienced this relatively untouched wilderness areas and to work to save it from encroaching noxious weeds

Itinerary

Pre trip briefing

A pre-trip briefing will be held the day BEFORE departure at 2pm sharp at Snowgum Equipment store at 104 Elizabeth St, Hobart (03) 6234 7877. This briefing will be conducted by your guides so that they can advise you on any last tips and help you with packing and minimising your gear. Please make sure you bring all your clothing and gear.

Day 1 Transfer to Collingwood Bridge, begin paddling

An early start today. We leave Hobart at 6.00am and drive to our put-in point at Collingwood Bridge. We aim to be there around 12:00 noon. Here we'll inflate and load our rafts. Before getting on the water the guides will provide a safety briefing and instruction in paddling the raft. Our destination this day is the junction of the Franklin and Collingwood Rivers or downstream to the Aesthesia Ravine.

Day 2 Raft to Irenabyss

Today we will tackle the Log Jam, Nasty Notch, Descension Gorge and float calmly through the Irenabyss and camp just either side of the river below the gorge.

Days 3-5 Rafting the Upper Franklin, weed control work

This is a long day, with some interesting paddling on the way with numerous campsites to be found on this upper stretch of the river. We will begin searching the riverbanks for isolated outbreaks of Blackberry and other weeds. Where possible we will remove the weeds by hand and encourage regeneration of the natural vegetation.

Day 6 The Great Ravine

We reach the Great Ravine and the first major portage at the Churn. There are also some difficult sections along the river prior to reaching the Churn. We camp at Coruscades Camp within the Great Ravine.

Day 7 The Great Ravine to Rafters Basin

Takes us to the Rafters Basin and out of the Great Ravine. We paddle and portage through Coruscades, Livingstone's Cut, Thunderush and the Cauldron to the Mousehole. It is only a 2km paddle now from Mousehole to Rafter's Basin where we camp for the night.

Day 8 Propsting Gorge to Newlands Cascades, weed control work

The Black Forest or Newlands Cascades is our destination, depending on weather. If it's raining, Newlands Cave is the place to be, and we camp under an impressive, large rock overhang. Today's we paddle through Propsting Gorge and some of the Franklins best rapids. After lunch, Newlands Cascades, the longest rapid on the river, will have to be negotiated en route to the campsite.

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Day 9 Rafting the Lower Franklin, weed control work

Straightforward paddling to Blackman's Bend through the deep temperate rainforest of the lower river that was protected by the environmental protests of the early 1980s.

Day 10 Kutakina Cave and the Lower Gordon River, weed control work

Our camp tonight is at Sir John Falls on the Gordon River, about 5 km downstream of the junction of the Gordon and Franklin. On the way down the last section of the Franklin we will be passing by Double Falls, Big Fall and spectacular limestone Verandah Cliffs.

Day 12 Transfer by yacht in the morning to Strahan

In Strahan we are met by our bus, which will transfer us back to Hobart. Arrival in Hobart may vary from late- afternoon to late evening. We usually have a group farewell dinner this evening.

Additional Information

Inclusions

11 breakfasts, 12 lunches and 11 dinners
rafts and experienced guides
all rafting and safety equipment
all equipment for environmental work
waterproof storage for personal gear
all group camping equipment including shelter, stoves, catering equipment and foam sleeping mats
group first aid kit
transport from Hobart
an emergency satellite telephone
wetsuit and paddling jacket hire

Summary

8 days rafting
1 day sailing
3 days community project
11 nights camping

Trip Main Activities

Rafting
Community Project

Group Size Min

Group Size Max

Accommodation Summary

Equipment Required

Specialist gear required will be outlined in a comprehensive gear list as part of the pre-departure information kit that is provided on booking. Space is at a premium on this trip so please adhere to this list.

What You Carry

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USD$2,720

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