Bushwalk Australia

Does this 'arctic blast' coming on the weekend rule out a visit to Mt Bogong? We have all the needed winter equipment besides ice axe and any kind of shoe shoes or crampons.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-n ... -australia

It will be cold. If it snows and this freezes there could be traction problems. I cannot see enough snow falling to warrant snow shoes. Instep crampons and axes could be needed. The main problem is the wind, especially above the treeline. All the spurs are exposed from around 1500 metres. Michell Hut has an entry about a party that had to crawl from the high point at pole 1272 all the way to the treeline, around 300 metres lower and 1.2 kilometres in distance. It may be impossible to move above the treeline. With a dusting of snow and fog it could be a whiteout. See this
http://www.bom.gov.au/vic/forecasts/fallscreek.shtml

One option is to base at Bivouac or Michell, limiting commitment.

I would give the Alpine area esp. The Big Fella ( Mt. Bogong ) a miss this weekend with the exception of Mt. Baw Baw on Monday at dawn which could be a good Op Shop Rock hopper XC ski morning on possibly 10 cms of snow or more.
As LOPS has suggested basing yourself at one of the huts on Mt. Bogong in the tree
line could be the best case scenario. I read that entry in the log book at Michell hut about actually crawling along the Eskdale spur and being picked up and thrown by the wind .
It did seem like an ordeal that I would be happy to forgo .

Thanks guys, appreciate it, that rules that out! The Staircase is a gnarly spot even in moderate conditions, hey.

Why not go and walk into Ricthie's hut on the Howqua river?. Take a bow saw , get the fire going and enjoy being dry and warm away from modern madness?. Take a chainsaw for the fallen trees that will come down on Brock's road in the wind and rain. My chainsaw is being mended .Do not try to drive a 2 WD car down that dirt track to 8 Mile flat if it is wet.

Strictly speaking the cold air coming from Antarctic is not an Artic blast . The Arctic circle is a long way North from Australia.