Suggestions for 3 day (2 night) Route taking in Mt Bogong

[plottwisted]

Any suggestions for a 3 day (2 night) hike taking in Mt Bogong Summit? Ideally a circuit or route with the same start and end point.
Planning on walking first weekend in May.
Thanks
K

[wildlight]

Perhaps up the staircase, to the summit, then back down via Eskdale Spur, car would be at Mountain Ck.
Could go as follows:
[list=]

Night 1 Bivouac Hut, Staircase Spur

Night 2:Michel (check spelling?) Hut, Eskdale Spur

Night 3: Return to Vehicle

[/list]

If you made good time, and weather, driving conditions for the trip etc favoured you- it might be feasible to make Cleve Cole Hut, visiting the summit on the way. It's a popular thing for the "first day" if conditions are good, and you started your walk form Mountain Ck in the morning, as opposed to driving up from say, Melbourne that same morning.
On the second day you could visit nearby Howman's Falls, then head out via Eskdale Spur camping in the vicinity of Michel-check-spelling Hut.
Third day- walk back to the car.

It's not summer- but you know that. daylight is short, weather can be wild at any time of year- more chance in May than earlier in the year- but I've been there even in June- and had three straight days of clear skies with foggy starts. Don't base your kit on weather in the lowlands the day before you leave.

Have a great trip.

Cheers
WildLight

[Lophophaps]

The above two walks are good. Be aware that the Staircase is a big climb and requires a lot of stamina. There may not be water at either Michel or Bivouac Huts. If you get to Cleve Cole you have 1.5 hours or so of exposed ridge to reach the top of the northern descents, and another 20 minutes to get below the treeline. In bad weather this two hours of walking could be quite arduous. I've had very bad weather on Bogong in early May, snow, sub-zero and strong winds. Plan for this. If the weather is good the above walks are brilliant.

[peregrinator]

The above two walks are good. Be aware that the Staircase is a big climb and requires a lot of stamina. There may not be water at either Michel or Bivouac Huts. If you get to Cleve Cole you have 1.5 hours or so of exposed ridge to reach the top of the northern descents, and another 20 minutes to get below the treeline. In bad weather this two hours of walking could be quite arduous. I've had very bad weather on Bogong in early May, snow, sub-zero and strong winds. Plan for this. If the weather is good the above walks are brilliant.

Michell Hut (correct spelling) had plenty of water in the tank in early February and there has been reasonable rainfall in the area since.

Some more ideas posted here recently:

http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=19385

http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=19428

But I think wildlight's suggestion is better given the possibility of wintry weather and the reduced daylight hours.

[Drew]

Or starting from near Falls Creek by the damn, along Heathy Spur track then along AAWT to Ropers Hut, down to camp by Big River (not loads of space but okay for a small group). Day 2 up over Bogong, down Quartz Knob to camp second night at Bogong Creek Saddle. Back to car via Timms Spur and retrace steps along AAWT and Heathy Spur. It is a longer drive to Falls though.

[plottwisted]

Hi,
Thanks for the ideas.
Cheers, K

[Lophophaps]

Or starting from near Falls Creek by the damn, along Heathy Spur track then along AAWT to Ropers Hut, down to camp by Big River (not loads of space but okay for a small group). Day 2 up over Bogong, down Quartz Knob to camp second night at Bogong Creek Saddle. Back to car via Timms Spur and retrace steps along AAWT and Heathy Spur. It is a longer drive to Falls though.

That can work in summer, but May is a bit marginal. There about four hours of exposed walking to Big River on the first day, a long exposed ridge over Bogong on day two, and another exposed walk back on the main pole line on day three. If bad weather arrives it may well be problematic to find a viable route back. The northern approaches work better as once at the treeline it's much more sheltered, with a hut on each ridge for defrosting.

[north-north-west]

You could always start on the Mt Wills track, follow the AAWT up Long Spur, over Bosseiai (spelling?) Hill to Cleve Cole, and back the same way. Some good camping spots on the spur and you have the added option of easy visits to Howmans Falls or Mt Wills as sidetrips. It's not a bad three dayer although it'd be a stretch if that time's supposed to include the driving.

[wildlight]

You could always start on the Mt Wills track, follow the AAWT up Long Spur, over Bosseiai (spelling?) Hill to Cleve Cole, and back the same way. Some good camping spots on the spur and you have the added option of easy visits to Howmans Falls or Mt Wills as sidetrips. It's not a bad three dayer although it'd be a stretch if that time's supposed to include the driving.

That's a very enjoyable walk, north-north-west. From memory the gradient isn't as brutal as the walk I suggested. And the forest is very attractive there, too. Lots of little grassy saddles on the Spur, although my recollection comes from a time way before the fires…

Cheers

WildLight

[north-north-west]

Yeah, I loved it. And it's probably the least used route up there so if anyone's looking for peace it's hard to beat.
The only steep bit is the section I call Sisyphus Spur: the lower part of the descent from (or ascent to) the Wills ridge when the AAWT peals off from the summit track. Briliiant views from along Long Spur, too.