Current water Falls - Hotham crossing

[Watertank]

I am planning to do the Falls - Hotham crossing next week - can anyone tell me if there is currently water where the camping platforms are? or in other places? Also I understand that the shuttle back from Hotham to Falls has finished for the season so in terms of walking back from Hotham to Falls - can that be done with just one night overnight on the way back? Thanks

[Lophophaps]

The only place with possibly marginal water is at Cope Hut. There's water in many places on the track and at campsites. Please note that there is no requirement to camp on the platforms. The ones at Cope Hut are very exposed and in bad weather you will get blown away. I suggest that you go back into the trees 100 metres; there's a nice stand of trees. From memory of you camp 100 metres away then it's legal. There is free camping anywhere except on or near the platforms.

You could do the walk there and back in five days, but it may be a bit much. Once past Derrick Hut the quality of the walking drops markedly. One option is to go to near Dibbins and then to Blairs and Westons, something like this
1 Falls, Heathy, Cope Hut
2 Jim, Cobungra Gap, Blairs
3 Westons, side-trip to Jaith... whatever it's called, Tawonga Huts
4 Pretty Valley, Ruined Castle, Falls Creek.

If you advise of your itinerary then it will be possible to comment. State the time you expect to start and want to finish.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

The cough cough heads, the Mt. Politically correct melanin enhanced cranium range etc.- = The Ni**er heads. There is water at Weston's hut piped down through a hose into a tap on a gravity feed from a spring. I was up there a few weeks ago.

[Watertank]

Thanks for the replies - that is very helpful - Lophophaps I have an open itinerary - however now looking at the forecast for next week I am reconsidering - storms including lightning for most of the week... also thinking of Tasmania but things don't look good there either...

[HarryS11]

Cope Hut also has a water source in the valley to the left of the track down from the carpark which is reliable.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

The trickle of water near Derrick's Hut at pole No. 91 would be almost dry by now. Unless it rains a lot the night before you rock up there. Swindler's spur is a real slog up hill from Dibbin's Hut. The route up hill past the Basalt Temple on the AAWT towards pole 267 is nothing too hard in comparison.

[Lophophaps]

Bother, I forgot about the Derrick water, or rather lack of water. Given that, my itinerary is looking more attractive - no point going past Dibbins Hut.

Watertank, if you can take six days then it allows a lot more flexibility to do a lot more. For example, you could climb Mount Cope and then head south or west in light scrub to the aqueduct, which will have water. Then go to Ryders Yards, water in the other aqueduct level with the hut, 5 minutes away to the west. Down to High Plains Creek, up the spur to pole 267, then south to the SEC Hut. Come back via Jim, Jaithmathang, Tawonga Huts and Pretty Valley. This is a four day walk, not too hard, many campsites. Go to Dibbins Hut and then Blairs and Westons, another option. From the end of Heathy Spur you could bag Nelse and/or go to Fitzgeralds Hut. There's slightly exposed camping south of pole 740, and a nice downhill walk after breakfast.

Think about an itinerary with options to take up if time and weather allow.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

You can go cross country coming up from Young's hut , go from near Pole 267 and go to Ryder's hut. If you are good with a map and compass you should be able to reach the aqueduct that leads to Ryder's hut. If you walk past Derricks hut going up the hill towards the resort boundary the next reliable water in the area would be on Machinery Spur at the Old Red Robin Mine. That could offer a walking route that might appeal to some people.

[Watertank]

Tasmania got the vote - I’m doing some day hiking away from the fires on the east coast. Thanks for the helpful replies and suggested itineraries - I will be back up in the high plains soon. WT

[CaptainC]

At Cope Hut you could also get water from the aqueduct.

[Xplora]

Tasmania got the vote - I’m doing some day hiking away from the fires on the east coast. Thanks for the helpful replies and suggested itineraries - I will be back up in the high plains soon. WT

Good call. Storms started on Sunday and have continued since. More to come until the weekend. There has been some good rain with the storms so no fires but rain has been heavy at times. I got out Sunday morning fortunately. Should be plenty of water around now for a little while but a doubt it is ever a problem on this walk. You will always be crossing some kind of watercourse at some stage every day or at least enough to not run out.

You can go cross country coming up from Young's hut , go from near Pole 267 and go to Ryder's hut. If you are good with a map and compass you should be able to reach the aqueduct that leads to Ryder's hut.

No real need for a compass, it is pretty basic but you will have to negotiate some boggy areas at certain times of the year. This is off track so a large group should spread out so it does not create another track. Staying on the pole line is probably the better option unless you like walking on aqueduct roads. The off track part is only very short in comparison.

[Lophophaps]

The aqueduct is a fair way from Cope Hut. There's also a few creeks on the other side of the road. If coming from the SEC Hut, at the treeline head NE for the crest and then east to descend a broken rocky slope at about 216117, nice camping, but being in a valley it may get cold. Go north and NNW to reach the aqueduct, and hence to Ryders. From Ryders go NE to cut the creek where one can jump across. Then up to the aqueduct, which is open and should have water. Up a rocky slope to Mount Cope. The navigation is fairly easy in fine weather, less so in a whiteout.