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107 Track Omeo Hwy

PostPosted: Wed 09 Jan, 2019 9:35 pm
by jjoz58
Looking to put together a club walk, hut bagging, in a circuit from Mt Hotham. Out along the AAWT and back along various tracks. Anyone walked the 107 Track from Patons Rd to where it joins Kellys Track near the hut of the same name? If so what is the track like?

Looks like I will have to go back onto the AAWT, via the Langford East Aquaduct Rd, to the Youngs Hut Track, unless anyone can suggest another trail/track. I was hoping the Cope West Aquaduct Rd went further than indicated but it doesn't seem to on Google Earth.

Also does the Brandy Creek Firetrail branch off the Youngs Hut Track?

Re: 107 Track Omeo Hwy

PostPosted: Thu 10 Jan, 2019 5:47 am
by Xplora
Lots of questions but firstly, Patons Road does not exist. Track 107 is a great walk and used regularly by Mittagundi outdoor ed camp. Are you intending to get to the bottom of 107 coming from Cleve Cole Hut and the Long Spur? If so then you will have to scrub bash a bit and navigate a very faint track from the river crossing at Penders (Prenders) flat. What are the huts you intend to bag? How many days is this trip and when is it likely to happen? I can also help with the Cope West Aqueduct thing but will PM you some information later. How much off track navigation are you wanting? Finding Paling spur from Youngs (SEC) hut could be a problem so consider not doing Brandy Creek. Youngs is an easy diversion on the way to Dibbins. You could drop you packs and be down and back in an hour. How big a group? The walk is a mixture of management tracks, single track and fire trails but some good scenery to be had.

It would be a big walk but quite doable if you are mountain fit.
Diamantina hut - Federation Hut - Blairs Hut - Westons Hut - Tawonga Huts - Pretty Valley Hut - Cope Saddle SEC hut - Cope Hut - Wallaces Hut - Johnsons Hut - Edmondsons Hut - Ropers Hut - (Cairn Creek Hut? Difficult diversion) - Cleve Cole Hut - (Mt Wills Hut?) - Kellys Hut - Fitzgeralds Hut - Langford Gap SEC hut - back to Wallaces hut - Rover Lodge - Cope Hut again - Ryders Hut - Youngs SEC hut - Dibbins Hut - Derrick Hut.

I think I have them all in a doable loop. Would also need to know how far you expect to go in a day. If you have not been to the area before then there is a tendency to over-estimate. There are quite a few big climbs and depending on age and fitness it could take 7 days for an enjoyable walk, maybe more. I have other suggestions which could help but will leave them until I know more.

Re: 107 Track Omeo Hwy

PostPosted: Thu 10 Jan, 2019 7:50 am
by jjoz58
Group up to eight all will be very experienced walkers. I've done the AAWT twice and that section (Mt Hotham - Thredbo) a third time doing some alternate routes, including Cairns Creek hut, and not planning to go back to that hut with a group. Heading over to do the Main Range and Mt Jagungal in a circuit after this section.
Always walked down there in Nov/Dec and this trip will be the same.

Actually will be taking the AAWT almost to the Omeo Hwy crossing, where we will turn down an old telecom track that runs down too close to the Glen Wills Retreat, on the Omeo Hwy, for a night off and to pick up a resupply that I will leave there. That track I found in 2014. The owner says he will give us a lift down to the Mittagundi camp and we will pick up the 107 from there.

We will be starting from and leaving our cars at the Dinner Plains Hotel, so that is why I was looking at the Brandy Creek track. Topo map with the approx track on a GPS will see me through the Palings Spur area and down to the Cobungra River, where the track seems well defined, up to the Great Alpine Rd and back along the Hotham- Dinner Plains track picking up JB hut on the way.

I was planning on 9-10 days, so fairly easy going. Coming down from Qld, where out mountains don't rate so I don't want to push the group too hard. Off track navigation doesn't bother me as I consider myself an excellent navigator with 20 years in the Infantry and orienteering for the Army team and a civie club.

Happy for any more suggestions and I'll PM you my email if you like.

Re: 107 Track Omeo Hwy

PostPosted: Thu 10 Jan, 2019 8:26 am
by Lophophaps
Brandy Creek FT is easy to follow, if a little steep in places. At the bottom go upstream for 30 minutes to a good campsite at the foot of Paling Spur. Wear gaiters - the tussocks are quite high. Going up Paling Spur is easy navigation - up bearing north at the top. Navigation is harder coming down. At the ridge go west and north to the main pole line, pole 267. The hut is a short distance to the east. For variety you could return via Swindlers Spur. walk to Hotham and the drivers cadge a lift to Dinner Plain. Or maybe do a short car shuffle with cars at Hotham Heights and the Brandy Creek FT.

Re: 107 Track Omeo Hwy

PostPosted: Thu 10 Jan, 2019 10:48 am
by jjoz58
Lophophaps wrote:Brandy Creek FT is easy to follow, if a little steep in places. At the bottom go upstream for 30 minutes to a good campsite at the foot of Paling Spur. Wear gaiters - the tussocks are quite high. Going up Paling Spur is easy navigation - up bearing north at the top. Navigation is harder coming down. At the ridge go west and north to the main pole line, pole 267. The hut is a short distance to the east. For variety you could return via Swindlers Spur. walk to Hotham and the drivers cadge a lift to Dinner Plain. Or maybe do a short car shuffle with cars at Hotham Heights and the Brandy Creek FT.


Thanks for that I was going to go Clockwise so we finished at the top of Brandy Creek FT and walked back to Dinner Plains, but for variety I think I may do this the other way and still walk back to Dinner Plains. Always done the AAWT South to North, so it may be the go to try the other way.

Re: 107 Track Omeo Hwy

PostPosted: Thu 10 Jan, 2019 1:18 pm
by davidn3875
Just for consideration for an area that receives very few walkers, an alternative way to reach the 107 track is from Ropers Hut to Round Plain and on to Batty's Hut site. From there, following Batty Spur down to the junction of Wild Horse Creek and the Big River will keep an orienteerer on their toes. From there it is about 5 kms along an on-again-off-again walking pad downstream to 107 Tk which is a well benched track which is easy to follow up to Kelly's Hut.

Re: 107 Track Omeo Hwy

PostPosted: Thu 10 Jan, 2019 6:08 pm
by paidal_chalne_vala
I am walking in the area this week and will be covering the Young's SEC hut and Paling spur area. I will report back.

Re: 107 Track Omeo Hwy

PostPosted: Thu 10 Jan, 2019 10:18 pm
by jjoz58
paidal_chalne_vala wrote:I am walking in the area this week and will be covering the Young's SEC hut and Paling spur area. I will report back.
Excellent, thank you.

Re: 107 Track Omeo Hwy

PostPosted: Wed 16 Jan, 2019 2:07 pm
by paidal_chalne_vala
https://www.ski.com.au/xf/threads/palin ... -19.83648/

A Trip report and photos can be found at this link. Be careful navigating out there !.