Bogong High Plains region tracks

[paidal_chalne_vala]

I have walked up from the the bend in the road on the Hollow way near the seasonal winter gate all the way up The Granite Flat spur track to the summit of Mt. Bogong. You can come in on suitable 2 WD from the Omeo highway .Take a chain saw just in case.
It is still not as demanding in terms of walking as the Staircase spur or the T spur are.

Long spur and /or Mulhauser spur combined with the upper section of Long Spur offer options approaching Mt. Bogong from the eastern side coming in from Mitta Mitta. I prefer these routes but the
driving time is longer and a 4 WD / AWD SUV would be the best form of transport to reach the trailheads.
I don't remember the Quartz Ridge being that bad in terms of endless huffing and puffing , swearing and knee torture. I walked down it and then up it again on the same weekend using the Hollow way / Granite Flat Spur route to access the summit and leave our cars somewhere sensible.The Quartz Ridge is VERY SCENIC. You can combine it with a route that takes in Timm's spur and/or The Grey Hills. I have walked all of those routes .
.

[Baeng72]

Today I tried to climb the Murderhorn.
It didn't end well. 4 hours bushwalking (part way up, and return to car), 7 hours driving.
I learnt a few things, it's important take note of the temperature at the bottom of a big hill as well as the top and to remember in the Southern Hemisphere the sun is in the North and may affect a North facing spur on a sunny, hot day.
Very different comfort level compared to Bungalow spur, which felt cool and shaded up until the hut ruins.
It was *&%$#! hot and carrying a pack up a steep track leads to Rafa Nadal levels of perspiration and overheating.
Anyway, I need to start early to avoid the heat, lose a truckload of weight, do it on a cooler day. Or all 3.
A happy snap of the beasty....

Murderhorn

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Are you trying to say you had a go at walking up Mt.Bogong ? I am going up via Long Spur next week. I will report back. We will be starting at Mt. Wills .

[Baeng72]

Are you trying to say you had a go at walking up Mt.Bogong ? I am going up via Long Spur next week. I will report back. We will be starting at Mt. Wills .

That's the one!
After seeing the bugger from Tawonga lookout all I could think of was the Murderhorn from an episode of the Simpsons.
If only I could get Sherpa's to drag me up as Homer did...

[Anotherjonesy]

Thanks lophophaps.

I was meant to be doing the aawt in November, but alas lockdowns and track closures have put an end to that. I was hoping to do similar Kilometers each day as what I would be on the AAWT.

The circuit I've come up with is pretty taxing, but that's what I'm after, an outdoors camping bootcamp to burn off lockdown laziness...
Day 1- mt lock carpark- to cope hut area
Day 2- cope hut to big River crossing on Timms
Day 3- Timms - over Bogong, and down back to the aawt ,over big River at t spur up to ropers
Day 4 - ropers to Bogong jack saddle
Day5- Bogong jack saddle to Blair's hut
Days 6 Blair's to feathertop then back to the carpark.
150kms, should have me hobbling for a week afterwards.

Of course if it's recommended Big River will be to high at t spur crossing I'll have to come up with a new plan.

Best follow up with what I did..
Finished yesterday, a very enjoyable walk, with a few strenuous moments...
Day 1- left early arvo and headed to just past cope hut . Completely unfit so huffed and puffed and stopped a bit coming out of cobungra gap. One Brumby seen early on.
Day 2 - headed down to Big River saddle and camped up there, was a mistake as a mystical strong wind appeared after dark and blew for 6 hours shaking the tent violently. Best bet is to camp down on the river, better spot anyway.

Day 3 - up quartz ridge, wasn't to bad, got harder up the top with my unfitness. Great weather on top of bogong , cracker of a day. Then headed back down to meet the AAWT, plenty of trees down on T spur. Wasnt much left in the tank by the time I got to the river, was a challenge getting up Duane spur by late in the arvo but eventually trudged into Ropers around 7pm, cooked!
Day 4 - had an easier one and made my way over to tawonga huts, great little spot!
Day 5- down to Blair's hut, then up Diamantina spur. Character building in the heat! Set up camp at Federation around 3pm and had a rest, then the mobs started arriving, big Friday night crowd. Climbed feathertop for the obligatory sunset shot
Day 6- back to the car , passing at least 100 day walkers along razorback. It's fair to say everyone is treating each weekend as there last after having most of there year taken from them in Melbourne.

Overall a great walk, very enjoyable, and hard at times. What I was looking for, time outdoors and a fitness shake up! Gives me a better understanding of what to plan for in the AAWT next year with big ascent times, etc

[Baeng72]

Great effort anotherjonesy!
I was at Fed Hut a week ago and it was pretty full with people mostly coming across the razorback.
I think everybody is wondering if the virus will strike back, so making the most of opportunities, event if fitness isn't there, *cough*.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

" Big River saddle" is located near Mt. Wills before the start of Long spur. Do you mean Bogong Creek saddle a.k.a the Old Helipad?.( Near the Quartz Ridge and Mt. Arthur).

[Anotherjonesy]

" Big River saddle" is located near Mt. Wills before the start of Long spur. Do you mean Bogong Creek saddle a.k.a the Old Helipad?.( Near the Quartz Ridge and Mt. Arthur).

Sorry you're right, bogong creek saddle I meant ...to early in the morning !

[paidal_chalne_vala]

The Old Helipad can become a liability in terms of wind and rain and camping there. It is very exposed in bad weather. Dropping down to the flat area on the Timm's Spur side of the Big River crossing is more sheltered but it is a leech sanctuary.

[Baeng72]

If the forecast for Falls & Hotham is 10mm rain and winds up to 50-75km with possible Thunderstorm, what type of fun can be expected on top of Mt. Bogong?
I'm guessing type 2 to type 3, or if you're a nutcase, type 1.

[Lophophaps]

The weather should be similar relatively close to the forecast places. Also, as you get higher the wind tends to get stronger in bad weather. Above the treeline on any of the high peaks near there will most probably be wild conditions. I've had summer snow and blizzards, wind strong enough to send party members staggering.

[Xplora]

If the forecast for Falls & Hotham is 10mm rain and winds up to 50-75km with possible Thunderstorm, what type of fun can be expected on top of Mt. Bogong?
I'm guessing type 2 to type 3, or if you're a nutcase, type 1.

I have started in shorts and shirt but by the time I reached the open spaces at the top the wind had picked up and it was snowing. Ended up putting all my clothes on and trying to stop them blowing away as I got them out. Falls Creek forecast is close enough but you can go to Meteye and get an idea what the difference would be by selecting the exact spot.

[Lophophaps]

I've decided to walk up Mountain Creek to Camp Creek Gap, 6.3 kilometres and about 470 metres ascent from the gate. Can someone advise if the gate is at the red arrow below? Also, my map shows a foot track avoiding the road switch-backs at the end. If this track exists it's preferred as water should be in the creek a short way before Camp Creek Gap. Does anyone know if the track exists, or the best place for water on that walk?

Mountain Creek to Camp Creek Gap

Camp Ck Gap.png (422.19 KiB) Viewed 24661 times

[Baeng72]

The red arrow looks like it's a the small car park about a km from Mountain Creek, but that's sort of where the gate is, so maybe
My SV maps Outdoor recreation Guide and GetLost maps also show that short cut to Camp creek.
I didn't go that way, but up Staircase.

Gate at 36.42.6/147.15.32

Gate

[Baeng72]

The Gate is just at the first creek crossing.
Position of Gate on map (blue dot right next to 'Gate' on map):

Gate

IMG_2425 - shrunk.png (169 KiB) Viewed 24569 times

I can confirm you can take the shortcut from Mountain Creek road to Camp Creek Gap.

Start of shortcut track

Starts off with lots of ferns, a few young blackberries trying to get a hold of you, but you can easily follow the track.
After a few hundred meters, the track has been cleared, and it climbs pretty quickly (at first it seems level, but you climb from 950 to 1100m over that distance -according to my iPhone).
You pop out at Camp Creek gap and start of Eskdale Spur.

[Lophophaps]

Baeng72, thanks. I knew the gate was on a creek, but could not recall which one of the two near Mountain Creek. At this stage I'm looking at three options, from Mount Beauty taxi to
Mountain Creek - $35
The gate in the picture above $50 (needs an AWD)
Drive to Camp Creek Gap, $180 (needs a bigger 4WD)

Another option is to get as far as possible on the Camp Creek Road in an AWD, maybe the second junction, point two on the map below. This is half the climbing compared to walking from the gate. However, by the time I'm dropped at the junction I could be well on the road past the Mountain Creek Gate. Also, there's water on the shortcut track a short way from Camp Creek Gap. If I get dropped at point two on the map water will have to be carried further.

https://graphhopper.com/maps/?point=-36 ... =Omniscale

I may go to the beach.

[Baeng72]

There's definitely water below Camp Creek Gap.

Water crossing

WaterCamp1991-shrunk.png (320.27 KiB) Viewed 24546 times

[Lophophaps]

Thanks. The second creek, the one draining Eskdale, is 60 metres climb and 400 metres distance from the gap, viable.

[Baeng72]

Thanks. The second creek, the one draining Eskdale, is 60 metres climb and 400 metres distance from the gap, viable.

That's Mountain creek I think.
The cleared track goes down from Camp Creek gap to Mountain Creek. The messy stuff starts after that.
The picture above is the creek closer to the other end of the shortcut.
I'd forgotten about the 2nd creek, but I checked a failed time-lapse video I took and there's a brief moment where I cross it, and then the cleared track appears.
I'd say the climb is 100m or at least if felt like it.

[Lophophaps]

On close examination the second creek, the easterly one, is Mountain Creek. If I had a choice I'd rather have the climb cleared than the flat bit from the elbow to the creek. Can you please advise where the map came from? It's a lot clearer than GraphHopper or Google maps, both of which have very low contrast.

[Baeng72]

I might have confused the issue, so apologies if I've mangled what you mean.
The cleared section is from Mountain Creek up to Camp Creek Gap, the messy bit is from elbow to Mountain creek.
I started at elbow, where it was messy, heading east I crossed first (west) creek, then crossed Mountain Creek.
After that, the track was cleared up to Camp Creek gap.
The map is Google Maps.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mount ... 33!5m1!1e4

[Lophophaps]

Your information is very clear. Google maps has improved a little since I last looked, but it's still harder to read than need be the case. Grey text and grey contours are ill-advised. Add a grey background and it's worse.

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

Thanks for this. Ended up doing a 6 night circuit out of Bogong Village, camping at Bogong Jack (awesome spot), Blair Hut (after traversing fainters and jaitmathangs), top of Diamantina (after climbing Diamantina then heading out to Feathertop and back), Dibbins (via Razorback and Hotham), AAWT to Edmonson, then Cleve Cole. Really good walk - the least interesting bit was funnily enough the bit that overlapped the FHAC, particularly the slog along the aquaducts (hence the longish day from Dibbins to Edmonsons, just wanted to get it out of the way). Thanks again for advice - great area.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

You selected some excellent places to camp. I have camped at all those places. Water at Bogong Jack saddle is easy to find if you know where to look. Which way did you return to Bogong Village from Mt. Bogong ?

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

You selected some excellent places to camp. I have camped at all those places. Water at Bogong Jack saddle is easy to find if you know where to look. Which way did you return to Bogong Village from Mt. Bogong ?

Quartz Ridge, mt Arthur then black possum spur

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[paidal_chalne_vala]

What was Black Possum spur like? I have never walked that route before. Somebody told me it has been cleared/ recut.

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

What was Black Possum spur like? I have never walked that route before. Somebody told me it has been cleared/ recut.

Black possum is fine, just a fire trail. Mt Arthur track is steep and rough but all clear. There were 3 or 4 short sections where the scrub has grown over the track on the bogong Creek saddle side of Mt Arthur, otherwise all clear

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[CraigVIC]

My mate pulled out of our long weekend walk at the last minute so I ended up doing the walk I mentioned earlier in this thread, CC via the Staircase. Then Michell via the West Peak. Finally out via Eskdale.

As expected it wasn't the most satisfying route but I still enjoyed myself. Given the weather was perfect it was nice to have plenty of time to wander around on top and also explore Howmans Falls at leisure.

I was at the summit three times and 2 out of 3 a drone was going. Probably if I lingered a little on the other occasion another was sure to go up.

I was unable to locate the rocking stone although I had no idea exactly where to look.

There is water at all three huts and also running across Eskdale.

[bigkev]

Nice photos Craig, I can imagine it would of been a bit of a circus up there last weekend.

[CraigVIC]

Thanks BigKev, it wasn't too bad considering it was a long weekend. I guess it's gotten to the stage complaining about drones is like yelling at the wind. Could have done with one myself at Howmans, not the easiest falls to get a look at