Raging Reynolds

From the 4-6 August 2023 I went on a 3 day Hans Solo adventure to find the fabled Reynolds Falls in Tasmania’s North West. It was an epic journey covering 50klm and around 2200m of elevation. The temperature didn’t get over five degrees with nights closer to zero. The rain was solid for 2.5 days and everything I had, apart from bedding and thermals, ended up drenched.

However, all the rain meant the waterfall was pumping!! It was a powerful place to experience in those conditions and I will treasure the memory. The forest you traverse to get there was old, vast and a bit spooky but absolutely stunning. It was quite the experience being in there alone with the rain and mist swirling around me, I won’t deny that I was a little nervous at times but it added to the excitement of it all. Decision making when you’re alone is a lot different, there’s no-one to bounce ideas off so it’s important to be cautious.

The walk was challenging because there wasn’t a formed trail for most of it, just taped trees and vague pads. In many parts the tape had been claimed by the forest due to trees falling over so I lost my way and had to use the gps. It was also very steep and slippery, it took a lot of energy to get from point a-b and I wouldn’t recommend it for beginners.

After visiting the falls on day two I had a big feed and lay down in my tent, rugged up trying to keep warm. Emotions were high so I used notes on my phone to write the following account of my experience:

“Lying in my tent listening to the rain bounce off my tightly strung tent, I have to admit that it’s been a big coupla days.

After a turn of events I find myself with the opportunity to go camping by myself for the first time. Cruise in to Reynolds Falls alone I thought, 13ml of rain forecast and sub 5 deg celsius, better get it done I guess or I just end up wondering ‘what if?’.

Next minute I’m hiking through the rain up in Cradle country. Let’s set the picture, it was pissing down and I don’t care how waterproof something says it is, when you get 13ml rain in a Tassie rainforest ya getting wet. Plus it was bloody cold and within 30min I was completely soaked, only the heat I generated from walking hard was keeping me warm.

Holy Moses it was pretty though! Tassie rainforest doing its thing is my kind of thing and I love being around it let alone capturing it on my trusty Nikon Z7ii. The contrast and colours pop plus the sound of all that water churning through the forest is a feast for the senses. After setting out from Cradle Mountain lodge carpark the first climb up to the plateau got my heart pumping and kept me warm but once I hit the plateau the wind kicked in and it was very chilly. Of all the nasty weather we get in Tassie, I don’t like walking in the wind when it’s wet. You get so cold and it’s really uncomfortable and dangerous, hypothermia is a serious risk.

After a while I crossed the open plains and was able to get out of the wind a bit but there was no escaping the rain. There’s an old 4wd track that’s pretty easy going and a couple of creek crossings to get the adrenaline going and feet wet before you enter the forest. This is a place I’ll come back to visit, but on this day I was intent on finding my camp for the night, safety first 👍

The track gets a bit tricky in a few places and I had to pull out the gps a couple of times but eventually I found the first campsite. Being in the open it was flooded and not suitable for camping so I trudged on, a slip in the creek and a couple of face plants later I found the start of the old myrtles and things started to get steep. I decided to find a spot with as little overhanging branches as possible and setup my tent so I could get dry and warm. There’s no way I’m carrying my pack down, and more importantly back up that hill I thought.

Once my camp was setup and I was in dryn clothes again I pulled out the camera. The mist on evening 1 was swirling up from below and I spent a  while taking pictures before dinner. The conditions were perfect, the old growth forest around me would clear, mist up and clear again, photographers heaven.

This whole trip, apart from when I was in bed, I’ve been drenched from ear hole to ass hole. It’s been freezing cold but there are a few items worth mentioning that kept me cosy and saved my ass from shivering through an uncomfortable night. I also have a ‘Big Gear List’ that is worth a read if you’re planning on heading into conditions like this.

1. Hot water bottle - I must have reheated the water a few times but having this tucked into my puffer jacket made a huge difference.

2. Ocoopa hand warmers. One of these nestled next to my nasties was very nice to say the least

3. A good sleeping bag - my sleeping bag review is here

4. An insulated sleeping mat - so important! If you loose your heat through the ground you will freeze no matter what you do. An insulated mat with a proper R rating is vital.

5. Slippers - yep I took an old pair of uggies and they were fabulous

6. Thermals - I have a pair for every day just in case.

7. Puffer Jacket and beanie - no need to explain these.

Nothing stays warm all night in here apart from fire and that is a big no no. I was a little cold towards morning but it was freezing outside and I slept ok, so I was very happy with how my sleeping system held up.

The next morning I got up, had a big brekkie to keep me fuelled and set off around 9am. It was probably a bit late but it was what it was. From my camping spot to Reynolds was tricky, the distance was about 30klm and 1500m of elevation which is like walking up and down kunanyi but through the scrub. If you got lost out there, in that forest, in this weather, you dead. It would be a terrible way to go, freezing your ass off, alone and in the dark. If you’re reading this and thinking of heading out, make sure you’re prepared and have a GPS plus backup tracking and a PLB as a minimum.

That’s big, old forest in there. It’s absolutely stunning but totally unforgiving. Everything is so lush and green with the canopy reaching high up into the sky above you capturing every ray of light available. The crown shyness of the canopy is stunning and there is stuff falling apart everywhere. Rotten debri, ferns, waterfalls, cliffs, creeks, boulders and all the good stuff you need for an epic hike. Tell ya what though, and I repeat myself, I’d recommend making sure you have a good GPS and backup tracking system 🤙

After what feels like ages of punching through the scrub, scrambling up and down hills, through creeks, waterfalls, over logs and all the while paying attention and following the tape you arrive at the second campsite. This spot is a beauty, If I had a week to spend in there I might consider it but carrying a pack back up that hill would be shithouse. You really could spend some time in there, lost in photographers heaven.

The moment comes when you start a big descent, after all the rain it was more like a big mud slide. I went down on my ass but as soon as I started I knew I’d arrived because I could hear the power of the falls. I had to slide down the muddy bank bracing myself where possible but a bit of froth came out when I made it to the waters edge and saw Reynolds Falls absolutely raging, water was gushing out of the chute into the river below and the power of it all was spectacular. I made it and with all the effort and adrenalin a big ‘Fuck Yeah, Yieeew’ bellowed forth.

Its hard to explain but all the rain was coursing down the river and funnelling out the shoot in a raging torrent. I was in awe of the whole thing. Capturing the shots was really hard, the water was up to the edge and it took a bit of parkour to find a good composition. The rain and mist made everything wet and my lens wouldn’t stay dry. The dynamic range was made up of extremely bright and misty skies, bright streaks in the water and very dark bush and cliffs. Very tricky to capture and throwing a Haida 10 stop on the front of my camera made things event harder, gosh knows how many times i tried to dry the filter with my damp lens cloth. The shot has mistakes, I couldn’t get a frame of the ferms with correct shuter speeds and the shadows are very deep but It doesnt matter, it’s a representation of my effort and the scene I saw that day so I’m happy with it.

Eventually I took my pics and with a bit of disappointment made the decision to leave. I did my maths and knew I wouldn’t have a heap of daylight left by the time I got home. These are the moments you have to make smart decisions. Even though I had to rush and could have spent another hr or so shooting, if it took me longer than expected or I hurt myself on the way back I would be out here in the dark by myself.

Worth mentioning now is the mistake I made that day. If it got dark the only option I had to navigate through that scrub was the phone torch or my Garmin. Why? Because I stupidly left my headtorch behind, dumb. If you go out in the woods today, take a torch just in case because things go wrong and you must be prepared. I had my first aid kit, battery pack, PLB, space blanket, water, food and a dry top in a waterproof bag but no head torch.

That made me a bit nervous so I scrambled, squelched, dragged my wet ass back up them hills. I’m pretty fit but that was a decent hike, big hills and descents, climbing over stuff all afternoon and I was already tired by the time I left the falls, the final climb smashed me. However, after a massive climb through the greenest, misty, fungi filled, mossy, epic forest I got back to my tent wet to the bone and a little tired to be fair haha.

But very pumped.

I pulled warm, dry clothes on and had myself a little 2 min noodle feast before laying back to relax. Man that was a big day, I was nervous a couple of times but this comes from a healthy respect of the dangers around me. I spent so much time focusing on the trail I didn’t take many pics of it, i’ll have to come back again.

Man it’s pissing down and wet out there, I hope my tent holds up and doesn’t leak! True to form, the Mont Moondance didn’t miss a beat, it’s a sweet, solid, lightweight tent. This was a great camping trip and damn I had fun. It was an epic walk in a nice storm. All the challenges I overcame paid off and I’m pretty happy I saw those falls in full action.

Tucked up in my sleeping bag with a hot water bottle, Ocooma hand warmer, beanie, mittens, puffer, explorers and slippers on I can say this one took a bit of effort. Being alone was different, there were more moments I enjoyed the solitude than not and I’m definitely going to do it a lot more. I feel like this is the start of something new for me. There’s a different feeling and a stronger connection with nature when you’re alone. I wouldn’t say I’ve neglected my photography over the last few years because I’ve spent time in the wild places with friends but this trip made me realise that it’s time to double down and get shit done.

Extreme art, I love it and I’m going to do a lot more of it. Shout out to the old tree whose face looked in at me every time I looked out my tent. I appreciate you keeping me company old timer, listening to my concerns and not talking too much. Thanks for the memories, Reynolds it was wild and I’ll definitely be back.

Here are the pics from that trip. It’s worth mentioning that the main shot of the falls isn’t the best which is why I have included this video. When you see the conditions it helps explain things a bit, that’s a bit of an excuse I guess but it was raining pretty dam hard, I had to use a filter, the lens cloth was soaked and I was perched precariouslly on a log. 

It wasn’t the easiest, pretty bloody hard to be honest but Ill certainly go back to try again. Not a bad problem to have hey?!