With the ANZAC Day long weekend approaching I thought I'd have a go at a 3 day solo trip in the Grampians. There are only 4 gazetted overnight walks on the Vic Parks website so without any prior knowledge of the area it was a case of pick one and hope for the best. I chose the Fortress/Mt Thackeray loop for no particular reason other than the walk to the first campsite was reckoned to be just two hours so it meant that I didn't have to get up at the crack of dawn to begin the drive over to Halls Gap.
I did as much searching as I could on-line and even rang the parks office for specific information about the walk but there wasn't much forthcoming. I couldn't buy a map locally so decided I would just have to drive over, buy the map from Brambuk and make the decision on the fly.
Halls Gap is about a two and a quarter hour drive from home and I ended up arriving at Bambruk around 11.30am on ANZAC Day. I bought the map, went through the registration procedure and was told I was only one booked in so far. I received some vague directions on how to get to Harrops Track and was a bit alarmed to hear that it was about an hour and a half drive to get there. That being the case I decided I'd better get on my bike and leave the map reading till later.
Harrops track is right on the western edge of the park and it is quite a trek to get there. I arrived in the car park just on 1pm to find half a dozen cars already there. So much for being Robinson Crusoe. The walk starts just across the road through a gated management track that has a sign declaring the Fortress to be 4.3kms and a 2 hour walk.
The first 300 to 400 metres of the track is through energy sapping soft sand at the end of which the track begins to climb steeply through hard, stony country. I had asked at the office if there was a chance of water along the way and was told that they had very little rain and that I should carry enough for the three days. I usually count on 3 litres per day so the thought of carrying 9 litres was not very appealing. I had read on this forum that there were some creeks which may or may not be reliable so in the end I compromised and took 4.5 litres. The extra water along with 3 days worth of food meant that the climb up the hill was much more strenuous that I would have liked.
I normally love going uphill but this was a serious climb with a full pack and I was blowing plenty of steam. It really was slow going and even when you reach the top the track along the plateau was quite tortuous making it difficult to get any pace up. The only time I wear a wrist watch is when I am walking but on this occasion I had forgotten to bring it and my phone was turned off and buried deep in a pocket so I could only estimate my progress. It seemed to be taking a long time to cover 4.3kms.
Eventually I reached a very steep and loose descent which was quite eroded from previous walkers but fortunately I had walking poles which made it a lot easier and safer. At the bottom of this descent you round a bend and there in front of you is a lovely flowing stream with a reasonable supply of good water. Just above this is a series of rock overhangs and a sign declaring it to be Oasis hiker camp.
There was a party of 6 including a couple of kids who had reached the cave just moments before me. They were intending to camp here as it had taken them 3 hours to reach this point which is understandable with kids. Oasis is not marked on the map but Deep Creek camp site is. Apparently they are the same. The creek beside Oasis is not Deep creek but a tributary that flows into it - Deep Creek is marked on the map flowing through the valley below and crosses Harrops Track near the car park.
I was told that it was now 2.45pm which means I had only been walking for an hour and 45 mins but it certainly seemed longer. The Fortress camp was marked on the map as being a fair way further still so it was unlikely that I would reach it in the suggested 2 hours. I was also told by these folk that there was a couple of blokes just ahead on me who were heading that way so we said our goodbyes and off I headed again.
Leaving Oasis (Deep Creek) camp the track climbs steeply between huge sandstone escarpments and continues up for 500 metres or so. Within about 15 minutes I came across the two other blokes taking a breather half way up the slope. They had their pack off and looked exhausted. We had a bit of a chat and they suggested they would make their way to the Fortress although they had seen quite a few climbers in the area and were concerned that the Fortress may be crowded. Given the time of day I didn't think we had any option but to push on to the next camp and take our chances and with that I left them to finish their rest and continued on.
Eventually I reached the top and then followed the track as it levelled out and turned and twisted its way along the plateau. After about a kilometre I finally came to another series of rock overhangs and a sign proclaiming Fortress Hike Bush Camp. Yippee!
To my surprise there was no one there so I picked the best spot and made camp. I fully expected the other two blokes to turn up but as time went on it seemed that I was to have the place to myself.
The country that the track passes through is absolutely spectacular and as you follow the trail you get glimpses of a magnificent gorge with these incredible sculptured sandstone cliffs and pagodas all around. To really take in the view however it requires that you climb up onto one of the many sandstone platforms and, as I walked along the track I realised that this was what I should do. However, with a full pack on this was an unappealing thought. I had clung to the notion that, as it was only a 2 hour walk to the Fortress, I would have plenty of time to make camp and then go back and have a look around. The reality of course was that it had been an exhausting three hour walk and by the time I got to camp and set up I just couldn't face walking back a kilometre or so to take in the best views. The Fortress camp is hemmed in at the back by cliffs and at the front by tall trees and in the late afternoon it takes on a gloomy appearance which further dampened my spirits. Anyway, there was always tomorrow to go back and have a look.
Now that I was in camp I could really have a good look at the map and see what was in store. Apart from the anomaly of Oasis being referred to on the map as Deep Creek, the short notes about the walk also suggest that on leaving the Fortress camp you follow the plateau for a kilometre before dropping down off the range. This is not the case. The Fortress camp is at the end of the plateau and the track leads directly from that point - downwards.
Reading the map I learned that the track from the Fortress descended down 600 to 800 metres or so to Deep Creek where it joins and old 4WD track which in turn leads onto Victoria Range Road. Victoria Range Road as it turns out is a formed 4WD road which allows travelers to drive a circuit taking in Mt Thackeray and eventually link up with the Goat Track. As soon as this realisation struck I lost all enthusiasm for continuing. I really loved the walk up to this point. It was relatively hard and challenging and reasonably remote. Certainly you will only get to see the Fortress close up if you walk as there are no roads up there. This is what I call bushwalking. Trudging along a formed road that you could just as easily drive along is not my cup of tea especially when you have to carry everything you need to make that cup of tea! Anyway I thought I'd sleep on it and decide what to do in the morning.
At the sound of kookaburras I had a sneak peak out the window of the tent and saw that it was another clear day. By the time I got out of the tent however a pea-souper had rolled in along with some light rain. So much for taking in the views today!
The thought of slogging along a road for the next two days coupled with the uncertainty of water points just wasn't doing it for me so I decided to retrace my steps to the car, drive along Victoria Range Road to see what I was missing and then find somewhere more interesting to walk.
So I headed back through the mist to the Oasis camp only to find that the group I had spoken to had already packed up and left. There was however 3 other couples all camped under the same overhang so it must have been a cosy night for all concerned. And there's me on the other hand up at the Fortress on my Pat Malone. Like winning the lottery really.
Two of the couples I spoke with at Oasis were intent on doing the full loop. I explained my decision that I thought it might be a bit boring and after a bit more banter we said our farewells.
The climb out of Oasis is a challenge but after that it is plain sailing. I caught up with and passed the family group and shortly after my two old mates that didn't make it to the fortress. They said they had run out of puff the day before and did the best they could with a makeshift camp off the track a bit. We walked back to the cars together and it was a shame they hadn't made it to the Fortress as they would have been good company.
Back at the car I headed up the Goat Track then around to the Vic Range Road. The only section of the circuit walk that you can't drive (apart from the Fortress track) is the Hut Track. This was an old 4wd track which is now closed to vehicles. Vic Range Road is a series of ups and downs that eventually leads up to the high point of My Thackeray Hiker Camp. This camp is right on the road and despite being signed as a "hiker" camp it was dominated by 4wdrives, camper trailers and a tent that would make Ringling Bros proud. The road itself has little in the way of views and I did not notice any water points either. In walking this section are not going see anything different to what you would if you were behind the wheel of a 4WD.
Not long after Mount Thackeray I came across the first couple I'd met earlier trudging up the hill and a little further on the second couple I had spoken to. As I wound down the window to say g'day one of them said, "you're right mate, it is boring but what can you do?" I had last seen them at 10am and it was now 2.30pm and they still had a way to go.
Having driven the road I was not sorry about my decision to curtail the walk. It is disappointing to me that in such a vast and rugged landscape Parks would design an overnight walk that gives you 4 hours of wilderness followed by 10 to12 hours walking on roads. I appreciate not everyone would agree with me on this but it is certainly not my idea of bushwalking.
I would highly recommend the walk to the Fortress as either a long day walk or even better as a short overnighter staying at Oasis and taking your time to really explore the area.
I will be back to the Grampians first chance I get and I hope that I can find a long walk that provides a true bushwalking experience.