World’s first Tasmanian Winter traverse

We’ve just heard today that the Explorers Club member Louis-Philippe Loncke has completed his intense unresupplied crossing of Tasmania.

His journey took him from Penguin, in the north, to the South Cape, a distance of around 550 kilometres. Sometimes hiking through snow up to his waist with wet clothes hanging off his body.

He slowly rationed his food on his trip so that he had only a handful of nuts to fuel the last leg of his journey.

Battling with exhaustion, Louis’ decision making skills were impaired; he burnt a hole into his tent with his camping stove and nearly drowned when rafting down the Derwent river. When faced with a submerged log, he tried to paddle over, instead of manoeuvre around the obstacle and his raft was swiftly trapped underwater. He nearly lost his life in the ordeal and his day bag was carried off down the river with his camera lost in the current.

“I obviously made a lot of good decisions, or I would not be alive,” he said.

Through his ordeal he lost 15 kilos and his mental health also suffered.

“On this kind of expedition you lose a lot, you lose some personality, that’s still out there.”

Louis Philippe Loncke will work with scientists back in Europe who are researching decision making under stress in extreme environments.

His 52 day expedition is a world record crossing of Tasmania in winter.

His article on ABC news is here: http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-25/belgian-louis-phillipe-loncke-completes-tasmanian-traverse/10300306?pfmredir=sm