VIC ALPS TOUR - Easter 08
We left Dubbo at around 7.30pm and headed south through bands of storms. We stopped around midnight and found a spot to stop on the side of the road just north of the border. In the morning we woke to chilly temperatures and headed off into Victoria, through Corowa, Wangaratta and off up the King Valley. We were discussing the fact that we had forgotten to buy hot cross buns when we passed the service station in the last town before the mountains, Whitfield. The servo was also a bakery and as it turned out it was a bloody good one. We enjoyed a lovely home made sausage roll each then left with half a dozen hot cross buns.From here it was onto the gravel and up the north side of Mt Cobbler. It was a steep, windy but relatively easy drive up to the Cobbler Lake. From here the track was described as 4wd only. They usually misuse this description but in this case it was pretty spot on. We even passed a forester that had to call it quits before the end of the track. The track took us to the north side of Mt Speculation. Here we parked the car, packed the bags and hiked out toward the Cross Cut Saw. Once we hit the ridge top the wind was freezing but we pushed on. Eventually our lack of fitness caught up with us and we called it quits on Mt Buggery (named after what it did to us on the way up).
We hadn't passed anyone else all day but once we set up the tent people started appearing from everywhere and we were lucky to have set up in a good spot before the crowds came through. Most we walking the opposite way to Mt Speculation for the night. The spot was sparsely treed with plenty of firewood and nice views. We ended up having to share our camp site with another group. We had the best spot with a fireplace and had the fire going a treat. We offered to share the fire with the other group but they didn't seem to interested. I thought they were the anti fire type because they were giving me funny looks when i'd walk past with loads of wood. After spending a few hours shivering away the other group finally built up the courage to ask us to share our fire. Turns out they were ok in the end and were actually pro fire.
Views south from our camp site to The Cross Cut Saw, Mt Howitt and Mt Magdala
As the sun went down the clouds rolled in. It got cold and windy very quicky after this.
We got up early the next morning and headed further along the ridgeline to the Cross Cut Saw. It was a great walk along a narrow ridgeline most of the way. We had 360 degree views of the surrounding mountains including Mt Buller, The Bluff, Magdala, Howitt, Feathertop, Bogong, Buffalo, Speculation, Cobbler, Stirling etc.... There were steep slopes off in all directions. They'd be great skiing in a good snow year.
Mirandah on the Cross Cut Saw looking north to Mt Buggery, Speculation and Cobbler.
Looking south along the ridgeline to Mt Howitt.
Looking east to the Viking and further off in the distance to Feathertop and Bogong.
A couple of randoms walking along the ridgeline with Mt Buffalo plateau in the background.
Again our lack of fitness took it toll so we aborted plans to head further to Mt Howitt. We walked back to the campsite, packed up and then walked back out the car. We both pulled up pretty sore at the end of the walk. The 1.5 hr drive out the dirt track back to Whitfield seemed to take forever. Once there we revisited our friends at the servo/bakery where we treated ourselves to a pie and sausage roll each - just to ensure there was not net benefit from the walk we had just done. Bloody good food and coffee again.
From here we decided to head over to check out the Mt Buffalo plateau for something new. Another very nice drive and we were up there. Again the views were spectacular. Unfortunately camping spots were pretty much non-existent, but we weren't going to let that stop us. We found a nice grassy spot for a fire that was only about 20 m from the road but quite well hidden. We had a nice fire going, beer and all that when the friendly park ranger stopped to investigate why a vehicle was parked on the side of the road at night. He scoped around with his spotlight but didn't manage to spot us in our strategically located depression. The full moon hid the light from the fire also. We ended up driving a little further up the road to sleep in the car park at "The Horn". "The Horn" is the highest rocky outcrop on Mt Buffalo plateau. After a bit of drizzle overnight we woke to reltively clear skies. We walked up to the top of the horn for sunrise and it was pretty good.
Sunrise over Mt Bogong (Victoria's Highest mountain) from The Horn
View back down the road from The Horn
View of "The Cathedral" from The Horn. The closest we got to church all Easter! There are ski lifts on the southern slopes of The Cathedral.
Mirandah in the picnic shelter below The Horn with a nice view south.
From The Horn we headed back down the road to the Chalet and the gorge. A very impressive granite gorge with a vertical drop of around 200m. We saw some hard core climbers sleeping on a portable ledge half way up the gorge wall!
Huge granite gorge at Mt Buffalo.
Climbers sleeping on a ledge on the gorge wall - see yellow coloured rock on the right of the shot.
Mirandah and the view into the Ovens Valley.
We decided to cook breakfast in the park. Whilst we were cooking the friendly park ranger paid us a visit. He wanted to know if we had camped illegally in the park. We spun a bit of a line and he told us that "we had committed an offence" and that he could fine us $150 each for illegal camping. We pleaded ignorance and he let us of with a warning. Next time we'll have to hide the car off the road also!
After breaky it was time to bogan it up for the rest of the day. Bushwalking gave way to 4wding. We headed over to Mt Bogong to sus out winter access roads. We drove up Mountain Creek valley and onwards up the Granite Flat Spur. Most of the track was tame but there were a few pretty dicey steep rutted out climbs that made the trip interesting. We got to the end of the track (a short distance from Mitchell Hut) then turned back. From here we drove back to the road, picking up a buggered parks victoria guy on the way back down and taking him to his car.
The Hilux takes on an unburnt section of track below Mt Bogong.
From here we drove back to Bright and then up the Stoney Tops track. Another great track that ends up on a ridgeline just below Mt Feathertop. We camped at the end of the track. We fired up the camp over and cooked a very nice lamb roast, baked potatoes and vegies. All served on a bed of beer of course.
Classic bogan habbitat. Beer, roast dinner, a view (and the mrs getting another full beer out of the car for you - what more do you need!
We had plans of walking to the top of Mt Feathertop on Monday morning but we woke to low cloud and drizzly rain so we decided to give it a miss and head home instead.