Mt.Loch/Blair's hut/ Diamantina spur/ Razorback loop.Dec.'17

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Mt.Loch/Blair's hut/ Diamantina spur/ Razorback loop.Dec.'17

Postby paidal_chalne_vala » Tue 12 Dec, 2017 6:15 pm

A full trip report with photos is coming soon. The trek up the Diamantina spur on 10/12/17 in perfect weather was hardcore :-0 . PV have cleared the track the whole way. Camping at the top was sublime.
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Re: Mt.Loch/Blair's hut/ Diamantina spur/ Razorback loop.Dec

Postby paidal_chalne_vala » Wed 13 Dec, 2017 3:53 pm

On Dec. 9th 2017 at 0830 I met another VNPA walker in Harrietville and we drove up to the Mt. Loch car park in good weather. It was windy , clear and a bit nippy up there that morning so wind proof attire was donned and another walker appeared shortly afterwards and we set off to Mt. Loch. There was a spot of snow on Mt. Loch and someone had even done some ski turns on the two drifts facing south near the Mt. Loch summit. From the top we could see that Young's spur had some snow drifts along with Mt. Bogong and Mt. Feathertop. This struck me as being unusual for December.
The grandstand views of Mt. FT from Machinery spur were superb. We reached Red Robin Gap and started the switchback descent to the Red Robin mine. At the mine the water was flowing well and we stopped for lunch. There we said Khudaa Haafiz to the third walker who had to attend to other matters in Omeo that day.
The weather remained clear as we descended all the way to the Red Robin Battery. Ken Harris' lease has expired so we had a look around the old site where he used to live.There was some recently cut firewood near the public shelter with its wood burner and all.Maybe Ubiquitous Steve did that ?
We made it to Blair's hut at about 2 pm and set up camp in the meadows near the old hut.
PV from Mt. Beauty indicated in the log book at the hut they have done track clearing work on the Diamnatina spur.That seemed like good news to me because it was a bit of a bush bash when I went down that route in Jan. 2016.
Some other walkers were also relaxing at the campsite after descending via that said route. They looked well spent.
We scouted out the river crossing over the West Kiewa river and found that PV had cleared that track too as well as affixing a directional sign on the road on a star picket pointing to the quickest way to Blair's hut.
We just relaxed in what is a car free area and the sounds of the river flowing and the sight of the clouds rolling past were all very soothing.
By 9pm it was becoming dark and it was time to go sleep. In the course of the night I did get up and saw an amazing night time display of the cosmic bodies of the universe.
I woke up at day break and packed up and had breakfast. The dunny even had bog rolls pre stocked.
We did the river crossing ( boots off )and went to look at the Diamantina horse Yards. Ubi. Steve was camping there .He was manicuring the campsite with his whipper snipper. He was using his new picnic table for breakfast , the table that he installed. I had a chat with him and then we moved on.
The ascent of the Diamantina spur took 3.5 hours in clear weather. It was not especially hot and visibility was very good. The rocky scramble up at 80 degrees was as tough as The Bluff and /or Stanley name spur's rock scrambling sections.
Once we cleared that crab crawling section it was the notorious roller coaster style ascent which was relentless that progressively put us into a fog of fatigue.
I had to make myself walk to the campsite at the top.
There I collapsed into a heap. I was ROGERED.
On the way up the Diamantina spur on 10/12/17 we saw quite a few people descending but NO ONE ELSE was ascending on that Sunday morning.
PV have cleared the track all the way from the bottom of the walking route to the campsite at the top. It is very much a wide super highway with no bush bashing that just keeps on going up and up and up.
We flaked out at the top. The March flies were eating my feet and shins but I was too insensible to react.
After I ate lunch and set up camp , we went off to fetch water from the spring on the MUMC hut track. It was flowing very well , icy cold out of the rock.
The view from the spring of Mt. Buffalo was worth soaking up along with the quick litre that I guzzled down on the spot.
Back at the serene and quiet camp site it was dinner time. The view of Mt FT was sufficient . Neither of us had any desire or energy to climb up to the top. We could see people on the summit from the High Knob camp site , they looked like ants going up and down the summit ridge.
At sunset some lovely views of the Fainters appeared with the colours of dusk.
By dark it was time to crash out.
On day three I woke up at day break and enjoyed the first light and the all directional views early in the morning.
We were packed up and walking by just after 8 am.
By 1 pm we had reached the car at Mt. Loch car park , after having lunch on the Big Dipper and walking over the Mt. Hotham summit. The views from the Razorback of the Crosscut saw, Mt. Cobbler etc. were very good indeed. The views of Mt. Blue Rag and the Twins as seen from Mt. Hotham's summit were very clear too.
Overall it was a scenic and tough hike with excellent weather and plenty of water available en route.
paidal_chalne_vala
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Re: Mt.Loch/Blair's hut/ Diamantina spur/ Razorback loop.Dec

Postby paidal_chalne_vala » Fri 22 Dec, 2017 7:45 am

paidal_chalne_vala
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Re: Mt.Loch/Blair's hut/ Diamantina spur/ Razorback loop.Dec

Postby neilmny » Fri 22 Dec, 2017 7:54 am

Nice photos PCV.
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Re: Mt.Loch/Blair's hut/ Diamantina spur/ Razorback loop.Dec

Postby paidal_chalne_vala » Fri 11 Dec, 2020 12:50 pm

I am just revisiting this trip report. It has been three years since I went UP the Diamantina spur. I am still in no hurry to do that again!
paidal_chalne_vala
Lagarostrobos franklinii
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