Mt. Speculaton Road - current driving condition?

[Stew63]

Has anyone recently driven along the Mt. Spec Rd from Circuit Rd to Camp Creek? (Mt. Speculation)
I was wondering what the current road condition is for an R50 Pathfinder 4WD to Camp Creek for a food drop.
I have a good chainsaw.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

The " Staircase" on the upper section of the Spec. road before you reach the junction with the Cobbler road is well known to be a place where even the most gnarly 4 WD vehicles with major modifications have come to grief.
It is said that some track repairs have been done to the " Staircase" section of the Spec. road.
The rock ledges and the like are best tackled in a convoy of three 4 WD.s with recovery gear.
Your 4 WD vehicle would be better off coming in via Whitfield and Lake Cobbler and accessing Mt. Spec. / Camp Creek from there.

Even still there are some huge ruts, loose rock sections and wash outs where LOW RANGE 4 WD would be the best option between Lake Cobbler and Mt. Spec./ Camp creek .
Time is running out to do these supply drops. IMHO March is the time to do all of your supply drops for upcoming winter and spring trips into the Vic. Alps.

[Stew63]

The " Staircase" on the upper section of the Spec. road before you reach the junction with the Cobbler road is well known to be a place where even the most gnarly 4 WD vehicles with major modifications have come to grief.
It is said that some track repairs have been done to the " Staircase" section of the Spec. road.
The rock ledges and the like are best tackled in a convoy of three 4 WD.s with recovery gear.
Your 4 WD vehicle would be better off coming in via Whitfield and Lake Cobbler and accessing Mt. Spec. / Camp Creek from there.

Even still there are some huge ruts, loose rock sections and wash outs where LOW RANGE 4 WD would be the best option between Lake Cobbler and Mt. Spec./ Camp creek .
Time is running out to do these supply drops. IMHO March is the time to do all of your supply drops for upcoming winter and spring trips into the Vic. Alps.

Thanks for your reply Mr T. I sent ParksVic a specific email for a track update about this last week - but still no update from them.

[Xplora]

I have not driven this for a while but without the exaggeration, I would give the Staircase a miss and go via Cobbler. The road from Lake Cobbler I have done when pretty bad and a Pathfinder would be OK with that. Some work was done on the Spec Road to Camp Creek from the Cobbler Road a short while ago and being relatively flat that work should hold up for a while.

Work was done on the Staircase also but it washes out pretty quick. I have done that a number of times at its worst and also straight after being fixed. It is a series of rock shelves and fill in the ruts between the rocks the dozer puts dirt in that just washes out after a lot of rain. Going down it the first time I just kept my tyres on the top of the ridges in the rock.

Whitfield are pretty slow to respond still it seems. You could try calling Mansfield head office. The head ranger at Mansfield used to run Whitfield and there is usually someone in the office at Mansfield to answer the phone.

[north-north-west]

I've done the Staircase in a 2wd (going down) shortly after it was tidied up. Slow, but doable. I also once took the Hilux up there when it hadn't had any work done for far too long and it was slower and a whole world of pain that wasn't worth the effort.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Parks Vic. and their office at Whitfield are usually closed when I go there. The Ranger at Mansfield will answer his mob . ph. . I cannot share his number with you here.
It is not often that Explora gives the same advice as mine. So something must be wrong ;-P .
If coming from Melb. to Lake Cobbler then take the Hume Highway to Glenrowan and then cut across the back roads to Whitfield. The road from Mansfield to Whitfield is tedious and slow.

[Xplora]

Parks Vic. and their office at Whitfield are usually closed when I go there. The Ranger at Mansfield will answer his mob . ph. . I cannot share his number with you here.
It is not often that Explora gives the same advice as mine. So something must be wrong ;-P .
If coming from Melb. to Lake Cobbler then take the Hume Highway to Glenrowan and then cut across the back roads to Whitfield. The road from Mansfield to Whitfield is tedious and slow.

Just wondering if you have driven to Camp Creek or done the Staircase. Advice given from experience is different to that obtained from others so I would say it is not the same. So be pleased, nothing is wrong and the world is balanced.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

I have walked all of those routes and seen what the carriageway conditions
and terrain are like. I have taken my soft roader SUV down Rd. No. 3 and survived. I estimate that cautious use of these 4 WD tracks is wise.

NO the world is well out of balance and we are doomed so
just have fun
as we go down the S bend of : war ; poverty ; corruption ; greed ; apathy ; inequality ; over population and most of all global environmental destruction that cannot be reversed.

[Xplora]

I have walked all of those routes and seen what the carriageway conditions
and terrain are like. I have taken my soft roader SUV down Rd. No. 3 and survived. I estimate that cautious use of these 4 WD tracks is wise.

And once again we agree. Amazing. Cautious use of these tracks is recommended based on your level of experience and vehicle. It is all subjective. If Road No. 3 is the worst you have done then the Staircase would seem impossible without a heavily modified 4wd. Experience is actually more important than vehicle. A team of vehicles with recovery gear is not required to do the Staircase but experience would tell you that. Walking it is vastly different. I agree with NNW, for the purpose of a food drop I don't see any benefit going that way.

[Stew63]

Thanks for all the replies. I received a very friendly and detailed report on Speculation Rd's latest conditions and 4WD requirements (including The Staircase)
last Friday from the head ranger of Mansfield ParksVic office. He's given me his mobile number and email. He said have no hesitation to contact him about anything.

Awesome service.