Bushwalk Australia

Hi Guys,

I am planning a 3 day circuit of Bogong in the coming weeks, hoping I could get some advice on camp spots and water (as well as general critique of my plan).

The plan is to drive up the night before and sleep in the back of the van so we can kick off nice and early for a big first day.

Day 1: Start off at Falls Creek and follow Healthy Spur Track until we hit the AAWT, from there hike up to Cleve Cole Hut (22km / 1200m ascent).
Day 2: Head off from Cleve Cole Hut, hike over the Bogong summit and down Quartz Ridge track to around Spion Kopje (19 km / 1120m ascent).
Day 3: Back to the car via Spion Kopje trail (13km / 600m ascent).

A few questions.
1. From reading old posts it sounds like we should be able to get water around Cleve Cole Hut and Spion Kopje. How reliable is this, any advice on good water sources we should be looking for?

2. How’s camping around Spion Kopje, aby advice on a good camp spot somewhere around here? The plan is very flexible so any modifications are welcome.

Here is a map showing the rough plan

You're crossing Big River on Days 1 & 2, so you should get water there (especially day 1).
Cleve Cole Hut has a tank I believe, but there's also a creek/falls between the turnoff from the AAWT & the track to Cleve Cole which might be a detour.

There's been some reports that the chain across Big River is broken on your way to Cleve Cole which could make the crossing a bit tricky.

Not sure on Spion Kopje but you there's meant to be good camping at Bogong Creek Saddle on day two. That would turn day 2 into your short day though and leave a longer walk back out to the car.

I've camped once between Warby Corner and the Crows Nest/Grey Hills turnoff. There are a number of open flat patches just below the fire trail. Water is from small pools nearby. It's a little exposed from the north, but good apart from that.

Great views (this is a little down the hillside from the camp):

north-north-west wrote:I've camped once between Warby Corner and the Crows Nest/Grey Hills turnoff. There are a number of open flat patches just below the fire trail. Water is from small pools nearby. It's a little exposed from the north, but good apart from that.

Great views (this is a little down the hillside from the camp):

What a cool photo!

Great advice guys, thanks so much for your inputs!

indented wrote:There's been some reports that the chain across Big River is broken on your way to Cleve Cole which could make the crossing a bit tricky.

Not sure on Spion Kopje but you there's meant to be good camping at Bogong Creek Saddle on day two. That would turn day 2 into your short day though and leave a longer walk back out to the car.

Has anyone been there recently? Any idea of the status of the chain/height of the river?

They are some long Gonad crushing /sore feet / aching knees type days. The chain at Big River at the Bottom of the T spur is reportedly broken. You could cross Big River at the Bottom of Timm's spur( easier/ shallower) and pick a different route.
You will find water:
in pools near the Spion Kopje aqueduct. I would filter the water there.
At CC Hut
at Big River
at The Bottom of the Quartz Ridge track near Bogong Creek saddle
a.k.a the old helipad, flowing under the Big River Fire track through a pipe.
There is water in the creek at the junction of the T spur and Long spur before you take the route to CC Hut.

When you go past Roper's hut to descend Duane Spur ( 700 M. vertical descent :-0 ) to Big River you will find water in Duane Creek down behind Roper's hut.
The walk from Roper's hut to CC hut will take all day . The 700 M. vertical elevation drop followed by the 700 M. elevation gain will not be fun.You may find you will be walking in the dark to get from BHP road/ Heathy Spur/ Roper's hut/ Big River/ CC Hut.
There is a small campsite at the bottom of the T spur for people who run out of day light or energy &/or painkillers/patience/ sanity.

paidal_chalne_vala wrote:They are some long Gonad crushing /sore feet / aching knees type days.

Thanks mate, for some reason those seem to be the days I enjoy (well all except the aching knees).

I figured I will be optimistic, see how I go, and if its too hard I can adjust campsites to follow the trip report which inspired the trip:

viewtopic.php?f=37&t=9253

paidal_chalne_vala wrote: There is a small campsite at the bottom of the T spur for people who run out of day light or energy &/or painkillers/patience/ sanity.

There's also a good tentsite not far from the trig on T Spur. Just past it, from memory, in a small saddle. But no water (I had to melt snow).

Ubiquitous Steve told me that in his salad days he walked from Mulhauser spur camp up to Long Spur and over to Roper's hut for Lunch and a snooze ........
and back in one day . for *&^%$# sake!!
:-0

butter-nuts wrote:Hi Guys,

I am planning a 3 day circuit of Bogong in the coming weeks, hoping I could get some advice on camp spots and water (as well as general critique of my plan).

The plan is to drive up the night before and sleep in the back of the van so we can kick off nice and early for a big first day.

Day 1: Start off at Falls Creek and follow Healthy Spur Track until we hit the AAWT, from there hike up to Cleve Cole Hut (22km / 1200m ascent).
Day 2: Head off from Cleve Cole Hut, hike over the Bogong summit and down Quartz Ridge track to around Spion Kopje (19 km / 1120m ascent).
Day 3: Back to the car via Spion Kopje trail (13km / 600m ascent).

A few questions.
1. From reading old posts it sounds like we should be able to get water around Cleve Cole Hut and Spion Kopje. How reliable is this, any advice on good water sources we should be looking for?

2. How’s camping around Spion Kopje, aby advice on a good camp spot somewhere around here? The plan is very flexible so any modifications are welcome.

Here is a map showing the rough plan

I've camped near the trig on Spion Kopje before. It's mostly knee high alpine scrub with patches of lumpy snow grass in-between although that said the lumpy snow grass tends to mould around the body somehow and normally makes for a reasonably comfortable night

The view from Spion Kopje down to Falls at night is pretty sweet... obviously grab some water for camp - there is good water out in the direction of Mt Nelse, maybe a kilometre?? from Spion Kopje.

Cheers Kevin

Baeng72 wrote:Cleve Cole Hut has a tank I believe, but there's also a creek/falls between the turnoff from the AAWT & the track to Cleve Cole which might be a detour.

CC hut is fed by a spring to a tap inside. During dry summers the spring will stop running but it has been wet so all should be good. You won't need the chain at Big River unless you manage to go immediately after a big rain. My guess, right now, it would be below knee height of short person. The majority of day one (distance) is easy walking and you will cover some ground quickly. Falls to Big River crossing will be quick if keep moving. I have done the reverse in half a day.

Get water at Bogong Creek saddle (bottom of Quartz) before climbing up Mt. Arthur. No water on the Grey Hills. At the end of the Grey Hills you will see the Spion Kopje ridgeline and there is a creek running between the two. There is also no track across to the Spione Kopje track from the end of the Grey Hills track so just make you way through the low scrub as best you can until you hit the track. Turn left and you get to an old aqueduct where you will find water and a nice sheltered camp area near a culvert crossing.

Xplora wrote:
CC hut is fed by a spring to a tap inside. During dry summers the spring will stop running but it has been wet so all should be good.

Apart from Cleve Cole hut water, I was thinking there was a Camp Creek which may have falls (Howman's falls?) between the AAWT turnoff & Cleve Cole Hut. But I haven't made it there, so I have no idea.
In any case, if you have to leave the track to find the water, it's easier to get it at Cleve Cole.

There's water at Cleve Cole atm, also flowing well at the junction to Howmans falls