30peaksin30days Part 2

[South Col]

First week down and 7 peaks completed. I have written trip reports for each of my hikes which can be found on my blog. Sorry I'm lazy and only so much time I'm willing to spend in front of a screen hehe.
[url]30peaksin30days.wordpress.com[/url]
Now the real fun begins next week with a 4 day hike from Bogong Village up to the Fainters around the Bogong High Plains (BHP) along to the Nelse group and Spion Kopje and then down to Bogong again. Its then down to the Howqua to do the Bluff with some mates. Big week/Weekend.
Just curious does anyone have any Beta (info) on the Coberras and/or Pinnibar and Gibbo? Would be much appreciated.
Thanks James

[north-north-west]

Cobberas is a doddle. Drive in to the Playground and follow the brumby pads up from the campground or, if you don't have a vehicle capable of getting in there, just go to the Cowombat Flat carpark, follow the MVO until you're at whatitsname Creek (just past where the AAWT comes in from Limestone) and follow the pads up to the ridge and then north. If you're only doing No 1, you return the way you came, or if you're doing No 2 as well you continue north (doing sidetrips to Middle and Cleft) before heading a bit westerly with a quick toddle up Moscow and, once past the summit, either drop down west directly to the MVO (steep and the vegetation tends a little to the prickly side) or continue further north over the next high point and then curve down a bit NE then back nth to the Flat via Mountain Trout Creek.
Cowombat Flat can be reached in a day from either starting point even by someone who isn't all that fit (I've done it) although knowing the terrain helps. Easy return the next day along the MVO to the carpark or, if you started from the Playground, to the creek where you climb back east over the ridge.

Does that make sense? I'll see if I can dig out a GoogleEarth image of the route.

[north-north-west]

Okay, this is the loop from the Playground. The blue dots - running counter clockwise from the bottom right are (roughly): Playground campground, Cobberas one, Middle, Cleft, Moscow, Cobberas Two, Cowombat Flat, Bulley Creek turnoff.
It is best not to do what I did (continuing north along the ridge from the highpoint of Moscow) but, if climbing Moscow, doing it as a quick up and back before continuing north on the lower line. The higher route involves a fair bit of of ducking and dodging on the northern end to get past some rather annoying cliffy bits. It's quicker and easier to avoid carrying a pack though all that.

[South Col]

Thanks for the Beta "north-north-west. Its a big help. I don't have a 4WD, will I be able to get to the Native Dog Campsite ok? My car is not afraid of dirt roads and dust lol. Also upon reading some trip reports, it seems most people have to bush bash, but on my map there is a trail? Also is it possible just to do a there a back in a day or is shorter and quicker to head back to the MVO and take it back to the campsite? Thanks for the help.

[north-north-west]

There are 4WD tracks into both Cowombat Flat and the Playground. The former is MVO/walkers beyond the carpark (which is less than 2km from Limestone Rd, from memory) and the latter is a seasonally closed public track. There are plenty of brumby pads on the ridges, but no walking track.
Native Dog is fine - the Limestone/Black Mtn Rd is good gravel all the way, as is the road into the Cowombat carpark. I've done part of the Playground track in a 2wd but if it's deteriorated much since I was last up there it's not a good idea to try it.
There's a parking spot on Limestone Rd just down the hill a little way from the start of the Playground track.

If you're just doing Cobberas 1, the quickest & easiest route is to start at the Cowombat carpark, go up to the ridge from near Bulley Creek, and follow the pads to the summit rock (which is a fun scramble). That would mean diverging from my route a little over half way along the line between Bulley & the Playground. If you want to do the other peaks, it would be a bit of a stretch to try the whole loop in a single day. You might be fit enough to do it easily but you could also end up having to finish in the dark - of course, walking back along the MVO at night is easy enough.

I have walked into the Playground from Limestone Rd, but I don't recall how long it took.

[peregrinator]

I agree with NNW's information. I can add that the walk from Limestone Road to The Playgrounds is about 45 minutes, and it is not possible to do it in 2WD.