FKT: Svetoslav Kolev - Foss Lakes - Iron Cap Loop (WA) - 2020-09-07

Athletes
Route variation
Standard route
Multi-sport
No
Gender category
Male
Style
Unsupported
Start date
Finish date
Total time
8h 52m 54s
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I did the Foss Lakes loop starting from Necklace Valley TH and running on the forest road to Foss river TH. It was fairly uneventfull until Chetwoot lake, though there few micro route finding challenges as the trail is not super obvious at times. After Chetwoot, climbed to the ridge and tried to follow slighly below the ridge and then onto the ridge before Iron Cap. After/at Iron Cap is the most "difficult" route finding, as it appears that you can just continue east, but that route cliffs out (or there might be some hard scramble, that is not obvious from above). I lost few minutes bushwhacking my way to the normal route after which followed another bushwhacking session to get down from the Iron Cap north ridge. 

Views from Iron Cap were great and you could see the smoke to the far east as well as strong eastern wind. Within an hour the whole area was engulfed in smoke and I spend the last third of the run in the smoke. My lungs were a bit sensitive at the end.

It was totally solo effort, carried all my food. I had 2 half liter chest bottles, that I refilled numerous times. Water was plentiful, except around IronCap, but it didn't seem to be an issue as the wind was fairly chilling for the summer.

Last 8 miles were quite the struggle as the descent from Neckalce Valley to East Foss River valley was not very runnable (lots of roots and rocks). For the last 5 miles I was pretty tired already and probably bonked too.

Overall great loop. Highly recommended.