by Lophophaps » Wed 13 Sep, 2017 8:10 pm
It's good to be a bit conservative when starting on overnight walks, and then you can get to know your limits. Also, if you make better time than expected you can set up camp early and do something meaningful, like have a nap or a cup of tea. Roads are closed all over Victoria and other places for winter; you just have to pick your spots.
The high plains in spring is lovely. There's a number of good tracks and walks, and due to the open nature of the place you can go pretty well anywhere. Fainters is possible as a weekend. Start at Bogong Village, then up for about five hours to Bogong Jack saddle for lunch. Another few hours and you are over Fainters with water in a few creeks and camping anywhere, low in shelter in bad weather, higher more exposed in fine weather. However, this is 1000 metres up and over 12 kilometres, so maybe another day.
By driving for another 40 minutes you get past Falls Creek and can go pretty well anywhere. Park at the Cope Hut turnoff, and go west under Rocky Knobs to Pretty Valley. Pick up the pole line to Tawonga Huts. You can go to Tawonga Huts for the night or stay high and go to the saddle south of Mount Jaithmathang, side-trip. Then go back to the packs and head south to Mount Jim and camp near there or, if the weather is bad, head for Youngs Hut. This is about 16 kilometres plus the side-trip if camping at Youngs Hut, but most is easy reasonably flat walking, and you can stop in a number of places. The second day is much shorter, just follow the poles, and maybe a side-trip to Mount Cope. This can be approached from the Cope East Aqueduct. It's easy navigation in light scrub - up. When up becomes down you are at the summit. There's a track on the east side, then north to the car.
This is a reasonably straightforward walk, navigation not too hard, easy off track sections, able to stop in many places, several huts to hide in, camping fairly high possible in good weather, reliable water, handy to shops, schools and public transport, renovated in ... sorry, I thought I was at work. The main negative is that it's a long way to go for a weekend.