mt feathertop to mt bogong walk

[crazy88]

Hi all
Im a looking to walk from Mt feathertop to Mt bogong taking in part of the australian alpine walking track.Has anybody walked this track before.
Any info on places to camp and how long it took etc would be great.

Thanks

[swills]

First thing, do it in summer first. Then you will have an idea of what you're in for. Snow drifts can be up to 2m. deep, exposed ridges and tops can be boiler plate ice, creeks can have thin snow cover, not to mention the white outs. Honestly if you haven't done the trip (walking, snow shoeing, x-c skiing?), then winter isn't the time to experience the area for the first time.

[alanoutgear]

I agree - if you aren't familiar with this area, then go in late spring or summer first. I've spent heaps of time on the high plains, Feathertop, and Bogong areas and while it is lovely in winter it can be treacherous as well. People have died here! Take nothing for granted and do the walk when the weather is good first. I'd go Feathertop, then down Diamantina spur and across the head of the Kiewa up to the Basalt Castle, then across the high plains past Falls Creek to Tim's spur down to Big River, then the haul up Quartz Ridge to Bogong summit and down the Staircase or Eskdale spur to Mountain Creek. I'd avoid Duane spur and T spur - hard to enjoy these whether up or down. An alternative route from Falls Creek to Big River is to walk out to Spion Kopje then follow the rough track north along the Grey Hills to the helipad above the Big River crossing. I definitely wouldn't do this part in winter as it is an exposed S-N ridge on the western edge of the high plains and it can get the worst of the weather. Where to camp - there is a sheltered campsite with water and toilet at the new hut below Feathertop summit (do we still call it Fed Hut?), then over to the high plains with plenty of open campsites, then camp at the bottom of Tim's spur on Big River before the climb up Quartz Ridge to the Hooker plateau and the Bogong summits (west and main). I'd walk around to Cleve Cole and stay there as it's a really nice sheltered campsite. I like this area in January because of the fantastic indescribeable views, the Bogong daisies, and those wierd yellow and black grasshoppers that love the high plains.

[crazy88]

Thanks for the info i have been up to feather top and bogong before in summer and winter, i was just looking for a way between the two,and how long should i allow, hoping to go some time in september. hope to use it as training for the western Arthur's next year.

thanks

[north-north-west]

The route you take depends on how long you have. Diamantina Spur, then Westons, Aquaduct track to the AAWT, or up Machinery Spur and over Loch and back down Swindlers before going back up past the Basalt Temple. Over the Nelses, and then either the Grey Hills and Quartz Ridge or Duane and T Spurs. It's good walking in September.
How are you getting to Feathertop?

[crazy88]

havent quite worked that one out yet. will probably do a car shuffle??

[north-north-west]

I meant the route. There are three main access routes, all with variations. Bungalow, north Razorback, south Razorback, Bon Accord, blah, blah, blah.

[MountainMadness]

We just walked the Feathertop/Bogong traverse on the weekend.

We climbed up from Harrietville, summitted Feathertop and camped at Federation hut on the first night. The second day we walked down the Diamantina Spur, climbed back up via Weston's Hut and Mt Jim, onto the Mt Fainter range and onto Bogong Jack's hut, where we stayed the 2nd night. The third day we walked down to Bogong village, up to Mt Arthur, back down to Bogong Creek Saddle then up Quartz Ridge to the Mt Bogong summit via the Hooker Plateau. Spending only a few minutes freezing our bums off at the summit we then literally ran down the Staircase to Mountain Creek Carpark.

Being early spring, there was still a fair bit of snow on the Feathertop/Fainter/Bogong ranges. Still a wicked walk despite the last day being a bit of a stretch (very sore limbs for the past few days).

Highly reccomended.......

[Justadnahost]

We climbed up from Harrietville, summitted Feathertop and camped at Federation hut on the first night.

Apologies, this is off topic and im unsure how to ask mountainmadness directly - I was wondering if you could tell me what conditions were like on Mt Feathertop? If there are no more heavy snow falls I'd like to do the Hotham to Feathertop razorback track in the next week or so. Would it be advisable to take snow shoes and crampons? Thanks in advance.

[trickos]

summitted Feathertop and camped at Federation hut on the first night

Is anybody familiar with any other campsites close to the summit of Feathertop? I am possibly looking at MUMC hut as an alternative, is there a nice campsite there? Or is it just a hut?
I would imagine all other possible campsites on the Razorback (as pointed out on the "Rooftop's - Mt Feathertop" map) would be fairly exposed to the elements.

[JohnM]

From memory there isn't too much around the MUMC site. You could put a tent up but it's nothing like Fed hut site.

I've stayed halfway along the razorback (when a party of about 15 invaded Fed) and found a nice sheltered grassy spot right on the track. No water though.

Unfortunately, the Fed site is the best around there, hence why it gets so busy.

[north-north-west]

I once got up there early enough in the day to see a bloke packing up his bivvy, right at the summit. Can NOT have been a comfortable night.

[Kinsayder]

I once got up there early enough in the day to see a bloke packing up his bivvy, right at the summit. Can NOT have been a comfortable night.

Those people are interesting. I met a guy one morning having done just that (in a tent though) near the summit. I asked him how/why/etc. He responded that he was testing out his new tent, that it went well and that on a previous attempt (I think with a different tent) they were taken by a huge wind and tumbled down the face some distance. He said that his wife didn't like that much. I could see her perspective.

[Moondog55]

I have bivvied on the summit more than once, I'm still waiting to see a sunrise tho, every time I have done it the weather socked in and there was to much cloud. Not any more uncomfortable than any other bivvie.
if you take a week to do the circuit you can leave the car at Harrietville, FT then razorback, up Bogong by one route down the other and return to FT via the back way via Westons