Howman's Gap-Spion Kopje- Edmonson's hut -Rocky valley dam.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Hi
On the first weekend of October because the Prom is booked out completely I am looking at doing this route near Fall's ck.
Howman's Gap-Spion Kopje- Edmondson's hut -Heathy spur track
I plan to camp at Ed. hut for one night and then exit via Heathy spur track
I hope I can get my friend to come along so we can do a car shuffle . That would mean one car at Howman's gap and the other car at Rocky Valley dam .
October is unstable in terms of weather so of course I will come prepared for the worst but what about snow shoes and poles? Do you folks think I will need to bring them and use them for sections of the route ?. Early October in the High country in NSW ( Perisher, Charlotte's pass etc. ) is definitely snow shoe country.
I think this is a feasible route for two days and one night. Any suggestions or comments please hiking people.....???

[neilmny]

Will the BHP road be open to Watchbed Ck. first week of October?

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Hi, That is my next question. Will the BHP road be open in the first weekend of October?. If not then One could head from Howman's gap to Edmonson's hut on day one. On day 2 then I could go by Heathy spur track which comes down to Rocky Valley Dam much closer to Falls Creek village. If I can't get my hiking friend to come along then I will have to slog it down the road back to Howman's gap to get my car. It looks like about 12 kms per day with one unkind ascent at the start of day one where most of the huffing and puffing will occur along with swear words and a slow rate of progress until one hits the flattish top . How will the Rocky Valley creek crossing just out of Howman's gap be ? Will it be a torrent ?
I still wonder if I will need snow shoes and poles? What about snow pegs for the tent ?

[Avatar]

FWIW Here is my opinion:
The Rocky Valley creek crossing just out of Howman's gap will probably be in full spate, deep with no safe crossing.
I inspected this a couple of years ago as a trip prep and decided it might be better later in year. What's your backup plan?
I did a snowshoe with poles from Falls Ck the day after the season closed (parking there was free!) back in 2011 ie. October 1.
Magically low rates at empty lodges then too and they may let you keep stuff there for a night when you return.
BHP was still closed so I had a road bash.
I used snowshoes (1.6kg carry) with good effect from Mt Nelse through to a snowcamp at Ropers Hut but I saw a group -on a much longer journey below snowline-manage in boots.
Edmonson, Johnson, Fitzgerald and Kelly Hut were snow free.
There is a track from Falls Ck Falls, below the road, to Howman's Gap, but I have only walked a short section of it at the top.
You could try Bogong Village entry to Spion or go the other way up to Bogong Jacks and the Fainters. (Might be snow there too?)

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Hi. Thanks for the tip about the creek crossing. My friend is coming along so there will be two of us.
In that case we'll probably slog it up from Fall's Creek car park via
Heathy spur to Roper hut. We'll camp there and then head back out the same way the next day. I have not done that walk since summer 2012.
I will carry snow shoes and poles and snow pegs etc.
When does the ski season finish this year ? Will be have to pay to park? Will we have to carry chains for the wheels?

[neilmny]

Hi. Thanks for the tip about the creek crossing. My friend is coming along so there will be two of us.
In that case we'll probably slog it up from Fall's Creek car park via
Heathy spur to Roper hut. We'll camp there and then head back out the same way the next day. I have not done that walk since summer 2012.
I will carry snow shoes and poles and snow pegs etc.
When does the ski season finish this year ? Will be have to pay to park? Will we have to carry chains for the wheels?

The ski season ends 27/9/15 so yes you will have to pay. It will cost you $90.00 on line or $96.00 at the gate for a 1 night car park.
Don't forget google is your friend.

[andrewp]

The Rocky Valley creek crossing just out of Howman's gap will probably be in full spate, deep with no safe crossing.

When I was last there in Nov 2014 (Cup weekend) there was a 'bridge' of banked up flood debris. It didn't look like it was going anywhere soon. We didn't even get wet feet.

[scroggin]

Hi, That is my next question. Will the BHP road be open in the first weekend of October?. If not then One could head from Howman's gap to Edmonson's hut on day one. On day 2 then I could go by Heathy spur track which comes down to Rocky Valley Dam much closer to Falls Creek village. If I can't get my hiking friend to come along then I will have to slog it down the road back to Howman's gap to get my car. It looks like about 12 kms per day with one unkind ascent at the start of day one where most of the huffing and puffing will occur along with swear words and a slow rate of progress until one hits the flattish top . How will the Rocky Valley creek crossing just out of Howman's gap be ? Will it be a torrent ?
I still wonder if I will need snow shoes and poles? What about snow pegs for the tent ?

Avatar touched on the track form FC to HG. I was looking at it before the season,

viewtopic.php?f=37&t=20129&p=267603

Never got to do that walk. - next year

[paidal_chalne_vala]

I will take a quick look at the Rocky valley Creek crossing at Howman's gap on the way up or the way back but I think It will be plan B. Yes I looked it up. Falls Creek closes for 2015 ski season business on 4/10/15. $96 for an overnight car parking pass. Ka ching !
I am taking snow shoes , poles, snow pegs , etc.
I will do the Howman's gap via Spion Kopje trek to Johnson's hut another time. The same goes for the Bogong village to Bogong Jack hut and the Fainters trek .

The Southern Prom is often over run with people during peak holiday seasons and long weekends whereas the Vic. Alps are big enough for everyone. Conversely the 2015 Labour day long weekend at MacAlister springs was horrendously over crowded.

[north-north-west]

I've done the Rocky Valley Creek crossing in October. 'Interesting' is the term that comes to mind - but it wasn't particularly dangerous. Not even knee deep, just flowing hard and fast enough to make me very careful.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

I was at Roper's hut on the w/end (3,4 /10/15).There was nobody else there. My hiking friend had never been there before.
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.Overall the new long weekend in early October is good for escaping to the BHP. The Prom was booked out and the BHP were almost deserted. The views from the top of Mt Nelse of the snow clad main range in NSW were fab. The visibility on both days was just superb.
How is it that the unnamed point on the topographical map of Spion Kopje is 1894 M. and the named official summit is lower? The lifts were still turning up at lego land a.k.a Falls Creek a.k.a Ka ching resort. We had to pay winter rates for overnight parking. :-0

[neilmny]

And the pictures PCV?????????

[paidal_chalne_vala]

I used film so I will get the pic.s back next week and upload some from the CD I usually get with the prints . I will put the pic.s onto a photo sharing website. It was good weather for photography.

[neilmny]

Film???????....film???????....what is this film
I'll look forward to seeing them PCV the BHP is a wonderful area to walk, my favourite.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

https://picasaweb.google.com/1135880762 ... PlainsTrek

Pictures shot on film of a superb weekend up on the Northern leg of the BHP.

[neilmny]

https://picasaweb.google.com/113588076264681197691/342015BogongHighPlainsTrek

Pictures shot on film of a superb weekend up on the Northern leg of the BHP.

Hi PCV - When I click the link I get a "Sorry, that page was not found." error.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

https://picasaweb.google.com/1135880762 ... PlainsTrek

[neilmny]

https://picasaweb.google.com/113588076264681197691/342015BogongHighPlainsTrek

Still getting the same error here PCV. The link looks like it may be incomplete.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Hi
I messed with the " who can view this link" thingy. Try it again or I will put the facebook link up.
https://picasaweb.google.com/1135880762 ... PlainsTrek

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =3&theater

[paidal_chalne_vala]

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 157&type=3

[neilmny]

The new link worked and they are a great bunch of photos PCV. Thanks for the link.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

[Drew]

I'm thinking of a circuit starting from Howman's Gap on Cup Weekend. I'm imagining that with snow pretty much all melted by then and the dry spring we're having, crossing the creek near the beginning/end of the walk is unlikely to be problematic unless there's heavy rain.

Anyone think this is an unwise assumption to make? As a back up plan we could drive further up and start from Watchbed Creek, but it would be a pain to waste time descending as far as the creek and then having to turn around...

Thanks

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Snow melt will be at its apex by Late October . I am psyching up for a fully pumping river crossing at Big River that weekend.

[Xplora]

Many years ago in early November I attempted a crossing of Big river at the bottom of T spur. The note in Cleve Cole hut book the previous day said someone was going that way and I did not see him return so I figured it was OK. He must have been a bit heavier than me or he is somewhere down stream. I made several attempts holding onto the chain and the river was picking up my legs. I could not get a firm footing so eventually that voice in my head, which I now listen too, started screaming at me saying this was stupid. I walked back up to Cleve Cole and the next day walk over Bogong to Quartz in a white out. Please be careful. The river is not up too high at the Omeo Highway but there is still of lot of snow to melt and the melt has been a more gradual this year because we have not had the rain. There was some good rain last week though and a bit more this week expected. The BHP road I am told will open around 1/11. They are wanting it to dry out a bit as it was such a poor job of sealing and it gets very soft through winter.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Hi
We will hike down to Big River from Roper's hut and see what the conditions are like at Big River . If It is dangerous to ford the river then we'll have to turn back to Roper's hut. I was planning to drive up to Watch bed creek and a leave a car there . If we have to hike from Windy corner then that is what will happen.
I am a large and broadly built unit ( 188 cms tall .94 kgs body weight plus 25 + kgs on my back ) so we'll see what the deal is but always better safe than sorry.
However I have other walkers in my party who are keen to hike this route too , but as the leader I will decide what is in the best interests of everyone and their safety and well being.

[Drew]

Snow melt will be at its apex by Late October

I would have thought that with all the warm weather the snow would be mostly gone. But I guess the lack of rain makes a difference. I was up at The Bluff a week and a half ago and there was hardly any snow left on Buller (although I know there's usually more snow in the Falls and Bogong area).

If anyone heads up there before Cup Weekend it would be great to hear how both rivers are flowing.