Bushwalk Australia

Am camping at Mountain Creek on the weekend.
Any info on the walk to Bogong summit?
Do-able in hiking boots?

Have only been up in summer so am unsure of spring conditions...
cheers
Steve

Probably. 10 days ago there was snow from just below Michell Hut , which is about the same altitude as Bivouac Hut, I think. The top sections of the spurs can get icy, dependent on weather conditions and time of day.

Photo from last weekend of top of Eskdale looking towards the top of Staircase

Another view..

so your opinion on boots only ascent next weekend?
My friend has snow-shows but I'm a SS virgin...
Steve

Snowshoeing is easy to learn on the fly. The hard part is coughing up the money to buy them.

Normally I am able to walk up onto the top of Bogong in my telemark boots, however I always carry crampons, coz if the top ices up it would be impossible to safely get back down - the top of Staircase and Eskdale would be a long slide. An alternative is snow shows. Whilst you would probably be perfectly fine in walking boots, it's planning for the times when you wouldn't be that is important, which is why we always carry crampons.

A

Hallu wrote:Snowshoeing is easy to learn on the fly. The hard part is coughing up the money to buy them.

Exactly.
She has sooper-dooper Canadian imports.
I don't even have tennis racquets...

Oh well. We'll get as far as we get....

Steve

The snow on Bogong is like cement at the moment. That from a friend who walked in this week (and out and back in). It may soften when temperatures increase over the weekend. Crampons would be more useful than snow shoes in these conditions and always better in the mornings when things are still frozen. Walking on this stuff with snow shoes is like walking on rock. The club are having their end of winter clean up at Cleve Cole so it will be busy this weekend.

You can hire snowshoes for around $30 for 2 days. Just stop at Rays in Myrtleford on the way up. Better than tennis racquets but much cheaper buying your own snowshoes and only using them once!

Rays in M/ford hire out MSR lightning ascent snow shoes .The ones with the heel lift . They are good. You will need poles too !!!
Try before you buy. I rented for 5 seasons in a row and then bought MSR revo explore snow shoes and the tail extensions.
I am buying (not renting) crampons this summer for next white season.
Tell me how you get on. I am heading up to Mt. Nelse next weekend for one last snow shoe trek for 2015.

Thanks for the replies.
As it turned out she had her little boy with her so no summitting possible.
Nice to be around Mountain Creek again though.
Will keep in mind the advice for next time
cheers
Steve

She does have awesome snowshoes with built in crampons and

It's well and truly doable without snow gear now,but I strapped my crampons on for one snowfield on the way to the summit (via staircase) not sure about the other routes. Well and truly melting and feeding the streams now.

I was at Roper's hut on the w/end (3,4 /10/15) Mt. Bogong from Duane spur looked well covered in spring snow. From Mt Beauty it looked almost bare. The high plains were patchy but we had to put the snow shoes on going up Heathy spur and the south side of Mt. Nelse on the AAWT on Sat. on the hike in.

The warm air is melting the snow rapidly. Some back country skiers based at Edmonson's hut were skiing on the Face of Mt Nelse that you can see from Johnston hut . They also left tracks on Spion Kopje. It was sunny and good to be out and about up there. The Fainters ' summits looked still snow clad. They could be an early October snow melt hike option in 2016.