Walk recommendation 3-4 days

Victoria specific bushwalking discussion.
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Victoria specific bushwalking discussion. Please avoid publishing details of access to sensitive areas with no tracks.

Walk recommendation 3-4 days

Postby Huntsman247 » Fri 27 Sep, 2019 8:24 pm

Hi All,

I'll be travelling from Melbourne to Canberra way at the end of November. I'd like to do walk in the Victorian Alps ideally above the treeline.
3-4 days long on footpad or offtrack. I have a strong aversion to firetrails.
I'd like to be able to camp above the treeline. I'm reasonably experienced and equipped.
I haven't really done much at all in Victoria so looking for recommendations. Happy to detour but don't want to go too far out of my way.
Thanks in advance for all the suggestions!
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Re: Walk recommendation 3-4 days

Postby Xplora » Sat 28 Sep, 2019 6:58 am

In the Bogong/BHP/Hotham area you are going to get a firetrail (management access track) at some stage of a long loop walk but that should not deter you.
Mountain Creek, the Staircase to Bogong and then Cleve Cole Hut day one. Howman Falls (detour) T spur to Big River and up Duanne spur to Ropers (lunch) then you have road for a bit to the Spione Kopje track, pick up water at the old aqueduct and then navigate to the Grey Hills (no track linking but you will see it and just find a way through the heathy scrub). Mind the ants but some great spots to camp (waterless) on the Grey Hills or if you still motivated, continue to Bogong Creek saddle (good water). Next day up Quartz ridge to Bogong and back down to the car. You could stretch it out to another day easily depending on side trips and walking pace. Spione Kopje track has some nice spots to camp also if you don't make it to the Grey Hills.

Side trip, drop the pack at the top of T spur and head up to Bossiea hill and grab a look at the Long spur. Great views to the Main range and elsewhere (allow 1 hour return at the most).

Another would be Bungalow spur, Feathertop, Diamantina spur to Blairs (on a road now for a bit) to Dibbins Hut, Swindlers spur to Mt Loch carpark (then more road), Razorback and down Bon Accord. Option from Blairs to Westons hut then pole 333 and follow the AAWT to Dibbins with a detour to Youngs SEC hut. Less road this way and puts you above the trees a bit more.

Both options would not take you too far from the main road south.
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Re: Walk recommendation 3-4 days

Postby paidal_chalne_vala » Mon 30 Sep, 2019 12:10 am

Crossing Big River at the bottom of the T Spur during the snow melt period could be interesting. If you plan to cross Big River then the ford at the bottom of Timm's Spur /Big River Fire trail could be less challenging.
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Re: Walk recommendation 3-4 days

Postby Xplora » Mon 30 Sep, 2019 5:31 am

paidal_chalne_vala wrote:Crossing Big River at the bottom of the T Spur during the snow melt period could be interesting. If you plan to cross Big River then the ford at the bottom of Timm's Spur /Big River Fire trail could be less challenging.


By the end of November the T spur crossing should be fine unless you get a monster rain event at that time and by all means do Timms spur if you like more walking on boring roads. A few hours more walking on boring roads I should say. As I said, it is hard to avoid some road, firetrail or management track on BHP but you can still keep it to a minimum.
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Re: Walk recommendation 3-4 days

Postby ChrisJHC » Mon 30 Sep, 2019 11:10 am

Hi, Huntsman,

Although it's not above the treeline, consider the "Great Dividing Trail".
It's a well-laid out trail and you should be able to fit in a number of sections that would fit your itinerary.
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Re: Walk recommendation 3-4 days

Postby paidal_chalne_vala » Mon 30 Sep, 2019 1:59 pm

Closer to Canberra in NSW is the K.N.P. The options for bushwalking there in November are endless and the chance to camp above the tree line and navigate away from Fire trails is something some people leap at in the K.N.P. .
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Re: Walk recommendation 3-4 days

Postby Huntsman247 » Mon 30 Sep, 2019 8:12 pm

Thanks the replies. I'll check them out as soon as I can.
Although not opposed to KNP I've been there before and wouldn't mind doing something over the boarder.
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Re: Walk recommendation 3-4 days

Postby Walk_fat boy_walk » Wed 02 Oct, 2019 2:22 pm

Mansfield isn't far out of your way.... You could do one of a couple of circuits from, say Upper Howqua? Eg. Helicopter spur to Magdala, Howitt, Speculation, Cobbler and down... some shortish stretches of fire trail but mostly single track? Or use the Howqua feeder to tap into the "Viking Circuit" which is basically just the AAWT from Howitt to the Viking then down south Viking to the Wonnangatta and back up Zeka Spur (that last bit is on fire trail, but after a couple of hours can go off track again). That circuit is normally accessed from Howitt Plains via Licola but accessing from Upper Howqua means you can do it as a detour on the way to Canberra.
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Re: Walk recommendation 3-4 days

Postby paidal_chalne_vala » Wed 02 Oct, 2019 7:41 pm

Also near Mansfield the big loop of The Nobs/ High Cone/ onto Mt. Clear and the King Billies over to Mt. Lovick and The Bluff and back to the car at the Upper Jamieson river via the Refrigerator Gap Track( a 4 x4 track).The Spatial Vision Buller Howitt Map is the one to get for that area. You will need a suitable car ( a Subaru AWD or RAV 4 will get you down to near the Clear Creek trail head). The period before Xmas is best for walking out there because that is when water is easier to find. Bushwalking Victoria are doing some track clearing on the Stanley name spur ( a route that takes you up to the Cross Cut Saw) with some VMTC volunteers in late Nov. so that track will be better to walk on then. I am not sure if they are clearing the whole thing coming in from near Mt. Stirling on the Circuit road or just from the intersection with the Queen's spur road ( a disused overgrown logging track ).
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