Mt Arthur fire track to Crowsnest?

[Drew]

I'm planning a 4 day BHP circuit for Easter, starting at Bogong Village.

Day 1 - Bogong Village to Johnston Hut (or Edmondsons), via Spion Kopje fire track.
Day 2 - Johnston Hut to Tawonga Huts (or camp sooner if we don't get that far).
Day 3 - Tawonga to Bogong Jack Hut with Jaithmathang and Fainters side trips.
Day 4 - Bogong Jack Hut to Bogong Village.

Just wondering if Spion Kopje fire track is the best option, or whether Mt Arthur fire track could work - looking at the map and google satellite the off-track section from where it swings nth west to Crowsnest looks short and easy enough. Looks more direct and maybe a couple of km shorter than Spion Kopje track.

Anyone familiar with those two tracks, and that particular spot? Worth the off-track option or not? I was first planning to go from Howman's Gap but PCV's warning about lots of crawling under fallen trees up a very steep gradient changed my mind.

Thanks

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Recent reports suggest that all approaches to Mt. Arthur have become scrub bashes but the Quartz ridge track was cleared by PV not long ago.The Jungle gym up towards the Spion Kopje fire track from Rocky valley creek is thankfully not much more than 1 km from the creek to the fire track .It is best to do it when you are fresh as we were. To have to do that after slogging it along on foot for 18-20 kms , at the end of the day , that would have been cruel.

[andrewp]

Just wondering if Spion Kopje fire track is the best option, or whether Mt Arthur fire track could work - looking at the map and google satellite the off-track section from where it swings nth west to Crowsnest looks short and easy enough. Looks more direct and maybe a couple of km shorter than Spion Kopje track.

I'm a bit confused about where you mean, as the Mt Arthur track does not go to Crowsnest. I assume you mean to head off-track where it crosses Spion Kopje creek and then goes back down to Clover Dam by a circuitous route, and go up the spur to Crowsnest and then to join the Spion Kopje track. I think it would be very hard work as it's extremely steep, rising 650m in 1.5km, and probably very thick particularly down the bottom end. I seem to remember it's quite scrubby as you climb to Crowsnest from the Grey Hills, but of course there's a track. I would guess Spion Kopje track would be the quickest option, but you may want the challenge of bashing up the spur.

[Drew]

I assume you mean to head off-track where it crosses Spion Kopje creek and then goes back down to Clover Dam by a circuitous route, and go up the spur to Crowsnest and then to join the Spion Kopje track.

Yep, that's where I meant. I think you're right though. It does climb a bit more steeply than I first thought. I might relish the challenge, but my partner doesn't share my enthusiasm for such challenges, so I think it's best skipped on this walk, especially on a day that's already fairly tough. I just thought it looked like a fairly obvious shortcut and wondered if it might be a commonly used route.

Thanks.

[north-north-west]

I'm a bit confused about where you mean, as the Mt Arthur track does not go to Crowsnest.

It does if you follow the firetrail and then the walking track all the way to Arthur and then the Grey Hills track to the Spion Kopje junction.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

By doing as NNW suggests you will be adding some more distance and elevation gain through some overgrown routes and will be ready to crash out by the time you reach Warby corner.

[Drew]

Yep, definitely won't be going that way, way too far. I think though that NNW was just pointing out that the Mt Arthur Track does actually go to Crowsnest, just in an indirect way.

[Drew]

From Little Spion Kopje I could see the route that I would have been attempting to the Crowsnest. It would have been a thoroughly bad idea!