Staircase Spur

[Robbiefishing]

Today I took on staircase spur, on the side of Mt Bogong.
Right from the start I only intended on hiking as far as bivouac hut. I took my wife and kids to Mt Beauty to visit my inlaws, and had arranged to drop them off on my way to the Mountain Creek campground.
Before departing my inlaws house, I made sure I raided my father inlaws prized mandarin tree, stuffing half a dozen fresh balls of vitamin C into the side pocket of my backpack. They came in very handy as I climbed the steep spur.
I parked at the main Mountain Creek campground and hiked up to the start of the staircase spur track. I headed up staircase spur track which started off steep. Then continued to be steep....and remained steep until about half a kilometer from the hut.....then it because insanely steep. Well, insanely steep by my standards.
I had to stop and catch my breath once or twice.....
Anyhow, it was a delightful walk and I made it up there quite comfortably after a few hours of panting and puffing like an old steam-train. .
When I arrived, there was a gentleman in there with the fire going. It turns out that he is the guy that volunteers his time to walk up the track with a chainsaw and clear the fallen trees from the track, as well as cut plenty of firewood for the hut.
Thanks to his efforts the hut was toasty warm and I got to sit in front of the fire in my T-shirt and enjoy my lunch before returning back down staircase spur. What a knee-shaker of an experience that was!
This is the second time I have walked to bivouac hut. The first time was about 12 or 13 years ago. I have never been past it and continued climbing further up the hill, however I am planning on doing that soon.
I was well prepared for the walk I done, however I was not equipped to venture on past the tree line into the fog. To walk up there without the right equipment is just asking for trouble. There are genuine accidents such as what happened on Mt Bogong last week, and then there are avoidable accidents caused by stupidity. Had something gone wrong....I would have fallen into the latter.
Anyhow, here are a few photos from my little adventure, I hope you enjoy them.

[neilmny]

A walk well worth doing if you have the legs for it, talk about up hill........not to mention down hill
Nice pictures Robbie, the one of the inside of the hut is my favourite.
It was good to bump into you on the way. Neil.

[Travis22]

Nice job Robbie. Its certainly quite the task going up and down the Staircase, now imagine doing it with a 20-30kg pack on! I take my hat off to the BC skiiers who can get up there with all their skiing equipment etc.

A night up top if the big fella in winter is certainly on my bucket list.

Travis.

[neilmny]

12kg was enough for me on a day walk Travis. I bumped into a skier with full gear who was on his way down and was wondering why he was sweating so much, then I made the trip down....hard yacker, my knees were not happy.

[Robbiefishing]

Thanks Neil and Travis. Hey Neil, I was my pleasure to bump into you. Don't forget my offer of catch a cod when the season reopens in December. I would love to take you out.
Hey Travis, I was looking at some of those extreme dudes. All happy to stop for a chat, carrying their skis and snowboards. My pack was quite heavy with spare dry clothes, water bottle, and all of my camera gear in it. I can only imagine how heavy their packs were.

[Travis22]

Some of the folk i went up there a couple months back with (to place food drops up top for winter) were out there the same weekend as you. With a board etc her pack was 30kg.

Speaking of fishing, i just spent the weekend out around Ritchies Hut on the Howqua - didnt realise its history and id imagine its quite popular still these days with keen fishermen. (Have you been in there before?)

Travis.

[neilmny]

I'll bet you took the high track to Ritchies Travis, we went in earlier this year I think it was and we took the low track.....12 river crossings later It was well worth the effort. We got up close a couple of times with the local Copperheads on the way out on the high track. Fortunately they are a quiet sort of critter and didn't end up testing or tasting our gaiters.

[Robbiefishing]

Hey Travis, I have been to that area quite a long time ago mate. I am not sure if I have actually been to Richies hut or not, but I don't believe I have. From memory, we went to Bluff hut and Sixteen mile hut.
The Howqua use to be a fantastic trout fishery. Many of Victoria's trout fisheries are struggling these days due to a number of factors. In all honesty I am not sure how the Howqua is fishing. I know there were 3 rivers stocked with mature brown trout last year in an attempt to kickstart some wild trout fisheries. 1 was the Ovens River, and two were down that way. I am not sure whether it was the Howqua or the deletite that got stocked.

[Travis22]

I'll bet you took the high track to Ritchies Travis, we went in earlier this year I think it was and we took the low track.....12 river crossings later It was well worth the effort. We got up close a couple of times with the local Copperheads on the way out on the high track. Fortunately they are a quiet sort of critter and didn't end up testing or tasting our gaiters.

You guessed it Neil.

We started at 7mile in the dark and tried to get to 8 via the low track, only to be forced to turn around 100m from 8mile for reasons now clear Back to the upper track and we followed that in and out. Such a beautiful spot and we had the place to ourselves for the weekend. So no river crossings for us this time, but i did go for a swim Saturday arvo

Travis.

[Diamir]

I've fished the Howqua the past 3 years for average results. An electro-fishing study found less than 100 browns in more or less the entire fishable length of the river.
Without stocking and with rising water temps things don't look good. But anyway on the positive side,great shots Robbiefishing. The last time I made the push for the summit of the big fella I had a good 25kg of kit in the old Lowe pack and was met with a whiteout for my troubles. Camped near the summit and spent the night copping it from gusts. The weather really hits hard and fast.

[Mortar Art]

Staircase sure is steep ... or rather, a good steady incline leading up to the hut, but where it really starts to shine is above the tree line:



Someone I was hiking with (I've got blue on me down below) took this the same week you were there.

[Hishy P]

We put in a line at ritchies hut over easter but didn't see a thing.

Years ago I tried staircase spur with a loaded pack on (tripod, bulky camera, etc) in summer. It took me around 8 hours I think to get to cleeve Cole and I was absolutely wrecked. Had to take the next day off and chill out around cleeve Cole, which was beautiful anyway.

I wasn't very fit or physically well prepared so it was a monster of a walk and a tough learning experience. I went up and down a couple years ago with a day pack and that was much easier.