Which trail

[EPICEXPLORER]

Every April me and my family head up to the Victorian high country. This APRIL are thinking of doing a 3 day hike.
I've come up with 2 ideas:
1: Start at Heathy spur, climb to Ropers hut on day 1. On day 2 hike down towards to Bogong creek helipad. Day 3: hike up to Mt Arthur, then walk along grey hills track to Spion Kopje, then descend to howmans gap and finish. (Car shuttle back to heathy spur)


Option 2: Start at pretty valley camp ground, walk along pretty valley road, walk off track to lake, Follow lake to heathy spur and climb to Johnson's hut. On day 2 walk from Johnsons hut to cope hut. Day 3: walk along to pole 333 and head back to pretty valley.

option 1 gpx https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/tra ... ab1ba24ef/
option 2 gpx https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/tra ... ab1ba24ef/

I want to know which one is better and if you have any other recommendations in the area ( NOT FHAC, DON'T WANT THAT MUCH CAR SHUTTLING. ALSO NO MORE THAN 14K'S A DAY)

[Camminata]

Both are nice routes, Day 3 option 1 Will be a tough slog across the Grey Hills expect some thick scrub on approach to Mt Arthur, I find it a grind the whole way to Spion, just thinking if its kid friendly...

[Lophophaps]

Ropers to the helipad will or should take a morning. The Grey Hills is a bit demanding in places, so it may be better to do this on the outward journey, leaving a road bash back, around 4 hours river to treeline. Rocky Valley Creek may be high, and then what do you do?

The second option does not quite gell with me. It's nice but I think that you can do better.

1 From Pretty Valley go west on the road and over the ridge. Where the road veers northish to Tawonga Huts, go north-west staying high off track to meet the Jaihtmathang track in the saddle at about 1760 metres. Bag Jaithmathang and either camp near the summit or go down to Tawonga Huts. There's a reliable creek a short way below the summit.
2 Back to the pole line, pole 333, south to pole 267 and Youngs Hut. Good camping, sheltered, water and a new toilet.
3 Up to the treeline at 1740 metres. If you have time, go west on the plateau to hit High Plains Creek at about 216118. Check out the falls, then go northish to the aqueduct. Water is available from the junction due west of Ryders Huts. From there it's about two hours to Pretty Valley.

Vary this as you see fit - heaps of options.

[EPICEXPLORER]

The second option does not quite gell with me. It's nice but I think that you can do better.

What about heading from Pretty Valley towards pole 333 then down Weston's spur and up to dibbins on day 1. over to cope hut on day 2 and finally past Wallace, across to the lake then on track back to pretty valley.

gpx: https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/tra ... 2c20f3550/

[EPICEXPLORER]

Ropers to the helipad will or should take a morning. The Grey Hills is a bit demanding in places, so it may be better to do this on the outward journey, leaving a road bash back, around 4 hours river to treeline. Rocky Valley Creek may be high, and then what do you do?

The second option does not quite gell with me. It's nice but I think that you can do better.

1 From Pretty Valley go west on the road and over the ridge. Where the road veers northish to Tawonga Huts, go north-west staying high off track to meet the Jaihtmathang track in the saddle at about 1760 metres. Bag Jaithmathang and either camp near the summit or go down to Tawonga Huts. There's a reliable creek a short way below the summit.
2 Back to the pole line, pole 333, south to pole 267 and Youngs Hut. Good camping, sheltered, water and a new toilet.
3 Up to the treeline at 1740 metres. If you have time, go west on the plateau to hit High Plains Creek at about 216118. Check out the falls, then go northish to the aqueduct. Water is available from the junction due west of Ryders Huts. From there it's about two hours to Pretty Valley.

Vary this as you see fit - heaps of options.

heading up from howmans would be hard, might stay with a varied version of option 2

[Lophophaps]

What about heading from Pretty Valley towards pole 333 then down Weston's spur and up to dibbins on day 1. over to cope hut on day 2 and finally past Wallace, across to the lake then on track back to pretty valley.

I tend to be a bit conservative with times and distances. I've always found the journey from 1800 metres to Westons and Blairs to be a bit of a slog. Having gone down to Blairs then it's up to Cobungra Gap, then down to Dibbins and up again to pole 267, a lot of up and down for minimal gain Another option near there is to go to pole 267, Dibbins, down the Cobungra River to Paling Spur, up that to Youngs Hut and back to Pretty Valley.

Part of this is discussed at
viewtopic.php?f=37&t=41803

[Xplora]

There is certainly plenty of time to sort something out but what are you looking for in a walk apart from no more than 14k/day and not FHAC? Hard to work out a plan without knowing the base level experience and fitness. I agree with Lops, day 2 of option 1 would be very short. If your group don't mind some hills you could do the loop to Mt. Bogong. Distance is not always a guide to how hard things are. I tend to work on hours of walking while in the mountains instead of distance.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Any crossing of Rocky Valley Creek either at Howman's Gap or
at Spion Kopje fire trail before January will be iffy esp. after rain and possibly not safe/feasible.
By April it should be Okay.
BTAC will be clearing the foot track from Tawonga Huts up to Mt. Jaithmathang in late October 2024.
There will be sections of the BHP/ Falls Creek area closed in October due to feral pest control and shooting deer.
I walked the Falls Creek/ Mt. Nelse/ Mt. Bogong loop in April a couple of years ago and it was a five day walk for my group.
We left the cars at Watchbed creek.

[Lophophaps]

I made day two short as there are a lot of unknowns. Better a short day and the party can do more than a long day when they are struggling. Does anyone know which parts of the Bogong High Plains will be closed and when? Is there a link? I could not find anything on the PV website.

The seven day forecast
http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/forecasts/map7day.shtml
for Falls Creek has temperatures of -2 degrees C and snow.

[EPICEXPLORER]

What about heading from Pretty Valley towards pole 333 then down Weston's spur and up to dibbins on day 1. over to cope hut on day 2 and finally past Wallace, across to the lake then on track back to pretty valley.

I tend to be a bit conservative with times and distances. I've always found the journey from 1800 metres to Westons and Blairs to be a bit of a slog. Having gone down to Blairs then it's up to Cobungra Gap, then down to Dibbins and up again to pole 267, a lot of up and down for minimal gain Another option near there is to go to pole 267, Dibbins, down the Cobungra River to Paling Spur, up that to Youngs Hut and back to Pretty Valley.

Part of this is discussed at
viewtopic.php?f=37&t=41803

The track from dibbins to paling spur is only viewable on google maps, is it overgrown or something.

[EPICEXPLORER]

Anyway, any 3 day loop with 10-14k's a day ( when i say 14 mean nothing over fourteen.eight) thats scenic and has less than 700-800 vert per day is good. Any amazing ones? still thinking. ???

[Camminata]

Anyway, any 3 day loop with 10-14k's a day ( when i say 14 mean nothing over fourteen.eight) thats scenic and has less than 700-800 vert per day is good. Any amazing ones? still thinking. ???

I have no suggestions matching those requirements maybe someone else does?? but you could open the map and have a look be creative and work out a route that suits.

[EPICEXPLORER]

I think i'm good actually, found a route that suits well anyway

[paidal_chalne_vala]

The walking track that connects Dibbin's Hut with the bottom of Paling Spur was good to walk on when I did it with two other walkers
in late Dec. 2022(?).
It was marked with infrequent orange arrows and the Spatial Vision map shows the route as a grey dotted line.

Some Horsey people seem to use that route and they seemed keep the fallen timber cut/clear so that
the horses can get through.
That was a three night hike.
The route was using a car shuttle.
One car was left at Brandy Creek mine fire trail car parking area on the Great Alpine Road
and then we took the second vehicle to Mt. Hotham airport.
We walked around the airfield perimeter fence clockwise until we located the correct fire trail down to the Cobungra river.
After crossing the Cobungra River I used a map, compass and GPS to locate the route up to McNamara's hut .
The next day we walked over Young's top to Young's Hut.
Day three was Young's Hut to Dibbin's hut via Basalt Temple and then over Swindler's Gap to the bottom of Paling spur
and the STEEP slog back up the steep fire trail to
Brandy Creek fire trail car parking area.
The hike had a bit of everything in terms of scenery and terrain
and was character building in some sections where there was NO TRACK or
serious navigation was required.