The concept...
Easter, 2021
After completing other sections of the AAWT in multi day walks, namely, Rumpff Saddle to Mt Howitt (5 days), then Mt Howitt to Mt Hotham (6 days), this one seemed a natural to do. How hard could it be....after all, we did the Cross Cut Saw and the Dry Barrys in April....easy....perhaps....
A night at Mt Hotham, a good meal at the pub and we were ready to walk. Leaving my car at Hotham, near The General, we headed off with friends towards Omeo. An easy drive, the bit from Omeo to Glen Wills, however, was a little windy, to say the least. Not good for those of us that suffer car sickness. Well, the good news is, I kept breakfast down and we unloaded the car at the AAWT crossing. The adventure begins....
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| AAWT Track marker |
Follow the yellow triangle. Otherwise, look for flagging tape. Otherwise, look for tracks people have made. Or, based on the map, take a punt and walk. It works out in the end.
Day 1 - Omeo Highway to Big River Saddle
Distance: 10.4km or thereabouts.
Starting elevation: 1200m
Maximum elevation: 1757m
End elevation: about 1200m
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| From the Omeo Highway to Big River Saddle |
Initially, the first 2-2.5km is an easy ramble, along an old 4WD track. But, you do reach a point where the climbing starts. From the 2.5km mark, it becomes just up, until you reach the area of Mt Wills South, where it levels out a little. Time to regain a bit of breath, before heading up to Mt Wills proper. Bear in mind, we had 7 days of supplies on my back (well, breakfast and dinners, Carolyn had the lunches and the Trangia cooker). Track wise, quite clear, a few fallen trees to step over.
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| Carolyn on the track, approaching Mt Wills South |
The track from Mt Wills South to Mt Wills seemed to go on f..o..r..e..v..e..r.....
But, as we approached the top, we started to see the views around us. And what a beaut view it was, along with large slabs of rock to rest on.
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| Carolyn resting near the top of Mt Wills. |
At the top, was the hut itself. Inside, 2 bunk rooms, a pot belly stove and a general area, plus running water from the tank outside. Luxury!
After a brief stop, we headed down a 4WD track (Mt Wills Track), which heads in a NNE direction. A gentle decline made the walk easy. As it was, it was all downhill from here, to the camp site for the night, at Big River Saddle.
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| Mt Wills Track - a 4WD track |
Roughly 2km down Mt Wills Track, a yellow marker indicates a left turn, to the west. The footpad is fairly clear, and a few yellow markers give you a clue that this is the way down. For the next 2km we follow an ever steepening track. The main issue being lengths of bark on the track which prove to be very slippery. But we survived.
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| Somewhere, there's a track..... |
As we approach the bottom half of the walk, tall eucalyptus trees become the dominate species. The last few 100m, we noticed a fair amount of blackberry crowding the track and surrounds. This would be an ongoing theme for the next day. A road soon appears, indicating the camp site area.
A lone trail bike rider zooms past as I wait next to the road for Carolyn. Other than that, we had no company, which surprised me, as the road, Big River Road, is in good condition (2WD really), its Easter, and the road joins the Omeo Hwy probably 5-6km away. But I'm happy for the lack of company tonight. Just Carolyn and myself, in a beaut bush environment. Perfect.
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| Carolyn wanders the tall euc's midway down the track. |
There's a clearing on a bend in the road. In the pic below, the road is 20-25m to the right of the tent. As for water, John Chapman's book mentions water 500m down the Big River Road. While it is flowing well, its almost impossible to reach because of the blackberries. Plus, the route down (roughly 1.2 - 1.5m) is extremely challenging. Another source, about 180m in the opposite direction, is Mt Wills Creek, which flows across Big River Road. A short hike up from the camp site led us to this source. Get water from the uphill side, on the right hand side. Flowing well.
The call of the wild. While we have seen Alpine Dingoes on our walks, we haven't heard them before. A rather mournful call. Lonely in some respects.
My verbal blog, regarding the first days walking.
Day 2 - Big River Saddle to Maddisons Hut Site
Distance: 14.7km or thereabouts.
Starting elevation: 1200m
Maximum elevation:1775m
End elevation: about1700m
After a beaut meal, a good nights sleep, the pain of climbing Mt Wills was forgotten. I mean, it was only 10.4km. Yeah, a bit of a slog going up, but remember, going up a hill means going down a hill.
Long Spur was our challenge today. For nearly half of this walk, its 2WD / 4WD tracks of various stages of dis-repair. The end of the 4WD section was marked by a wooden bench. But more on that later.
The first few hours really just involve following a vehicle track. So, auto pilot on....and take in the views. There's a bit of up and down, mostly up, but nothing too dramatic.
Our first indication that the vehicle track runs out is the sign "The Long Spur" and the wooden bench. A good place for an early lunch.
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| End of the vehicle track, the start of the (overgrown) walking track.... |
As it is, there are 3 wooden benches in the next kilometer or so.The first, I can see it was probably dropped off by 4WD, the second, a few hundred metres, perhaps disassembled and carried, but the third is a fair distance to travel with a disassembled wooden table. Impressive!
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| Lunch stop at the table |
After lunch, we headed off for the final 6km to Maddisons Hut Site. It was a mixed bag, walking wise. Once again, the walk trended up and down, with up being the dominate aspect. Blackberries appeared along sections of the track, with dense scrub making it hard work.
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| Heavy going on the Long Spur track |
At one point a couple of kms from the wooden benches, we descend into a saddle, which gave us a breather.
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| A brief respite of the uphill walk, Carolyn descends into a saddle |
Climbing out of the saddle, we could see the last long climb of the day, Bossiaea Hill. As we started the climb, we had clear views of the Long Spur and Mt Will in the distance. It always strikes me, when walking for a few days, that the path you have traveled, can be seen fading off into the distance. And this was only day 2!
Bossiaea Hill is a fairly moderate climb. The views make it worth while. The track curves around to the left, never really reaching the top, but traversing around.
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| View from the start of Bossiaea Hill - middle right is where we started |
Once we slip around Bossiaea Hill, the final downhill section appears, along with snow poles, which will be with us all the way to Mt Hotham. As we wander down the open plain, a creek line on our left becomes apparent. Ultimately, this is our water source at the camp site. We did notice a couple of patches where brumby or deer had wallowed and muddied up the creek. This was about 500m before the camp site.
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| Final downhill track to Maddisons Hut Site, and snow poles appear |
Maddisons Hut site, a little cosy, if you have more than 2 tents. A couple had already setup camp at the site and when we scouted around, we found another spot 100m along the track, towards Cleve Cole. In the end, while happy to be social, we moved to this new location. In the photo below, the walking track is only 5-7m below the tent. But we didn't expect too many others. A few groups came in late, but most were heading to Cleve Cole hut, 2km away.
One thing about clear weather conditions, is the ability to just unpack stuff where and when you feel like it....as seen in the photo below. Completely different when its raining, and you're franticly trying to keep everything dry.....you have to think strategically....how to pack things, then unpacked, to minimise getting wet.
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| Camp setup, dinner on the boil. Maddisons Hut Site is 100m to the left of frame |
Day 3 - Maddisons Hut site to Ropers hut
Distance: 8.4km or thereabouts.
Starting elevation: 1700m
Minimum elevation: 1050m << Yes, a long way down....
Day 3....the big one....I've hiked for over 30 years but not yet done Big River. So, it was weighing on my mind. The first 1.6km of the walk is easy. A nice stroll in the Snow Gums. We start to head down a ridge line.
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| The Big one..... |
A fairly clear walk. In the far distance, the Bogong High Plains beckon. In the immediate distance, the top of the ridge still shows, with a gentle saddle to wander.
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| Carolyn heads through the Snow Gums on T Spur |
The views of Mt Wills were inspiring. We were there, days ago. But that's one heck of a valley dividing us and the Bogong High Plains.
Hmmm......
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| Wonderful views of where we started from. Mt Wills, middle of frame |
Meanwhile, I note a number of the track markers were made from old (beer?) cans and nailed up. If it saves carrying them out.....
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| Anything seems to make a track marker these days, even old cans, squashed and nailed up |
By now, the Snow Gums have given way to a taller forest, indicating our drop into a lower altitude. Now, the walk heads down more steeply, zig zagging some of the way, in other parts, just straight down. Careful foot placement becomes paramount. And time seems to drag on, with the tops of tall trees still appearing below. The sound of the running river starts to be heard.
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| Heading down..... |
The canopy of the surrounds becomes dense, but the track is wide and clear. I did note on the way down that someone had been here in the past couple of weeks with a chainsaw. Freshly cut fallen trees. Sawdust across the track. An impressive hike in with such gear, I thought.
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| Carolyn on the final, steep section of the track |
The last 100m are flat and take you past an area that one could pitch a tent. But it would be crowded. Looking across the river, flowing with reasonable vigor, I see lots of 1m long sticks on both sides of the crossing. A sharing scheme appears to be in place, with people using, then leaving on the opposite bank.
Carolyn, being the lover of water (and a white water kayaker), quickly pointed out a path though the knee deep water, as it bubbled past. Parts of the river looked challenging. But, we are here now!
Quickly shedding my shoes and pants, I tucked them and my phone into a waterproof storage back, attached it to my pack and put on my rubber kayaking shoes (they have superb grip in these crossings). And away I went. The water was cold....to be expected....and with the help of two sticks, I managed to make it across without any drama. Close behind was Carolyn. I was hoping to get footage of the crossing, but not to be, next time 😀
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| Finally, Big River, a beautiful sight to see, and splash in |
Note: The chain which would normally assist with the crossing was broken. You can see it in the image above, wrapped around the log on the right.
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| Carolyn's rubber kayaking boots and wading pants |
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| Me, just relieved that we made it! |
After the half hour of mucking around in the water, it was back to the serious bit, getting up Duane Spur. In some respects, I'm a "give me a hard, steep climb, but lets get it over..." type walker. Duane Spur isn't really like that, unfortunately! It goes hard for 2/3 then dips down, then just wanders on f..o..r..e..v..e..r.... Or, at least it seems like that. The last km is tantalising, as we meander through snow gums, bushy bits that open up, then close up again.
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| And now the other side of the equation....going up! |
In my spare time, between breaths, I noticed a wombat burrow on the side of the track. Active, from the looks of the diggings.
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| Wombie burrow on the track. Active, from the looks of it |
Looking back across the valley, T Spur loomed large. That's one big lump to walk, up or down, but we had done it.
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| T Spur, as seen from Duane Spur. That's one big lump |
Ropers hut - Finally, we noticed the toilet first, then the hut, further away. Arriving at about 4pm, there were two other pairs camping in the area, both gathered around a tent. Without even putting down packs, we joined in the conversation. One couple had been here for a couple of days, the other couple, Adam and Bec, were doing the entire AAWT from South to North. This was day 35 for them, but they had started from Federation Square and, on foot, spent 5 days trekking to the start of the walk! They were planning to take 60'ish days for the trek. Why rush....enjoy.... 😀
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| Ropers hut, a great camp spot |
T Spur and Big River. Short but sharp.
Day 4 - Ropers hut to Ryders hut
Distance: 25.6km or thereabouts << And yep, a slog.
Starting elevation: 1710m
Maximum elevation:1860m
End elevation: about1660m
The ramble, before breakfast and coffee.... 😁
Today was regarded as an "easy day". Walking the relative flats after 3 days of hills and mountains. And in some respects, it was easy. All of the track in this section is either gravel road or well worn walking path. So, set the auto pilot on, brain off, as far as real navigation goes, and enjoy the scenery with beaut, sunny conditions.
Leaving Ropers we had a last visit to the water source, Duane Creek, with its small gushing waterfall, and ice cold water. Such a treat.
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| Mt Bogong sits in the distance |
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| Defeated by the ascent of Mt Nelse North, we head back to the packs |
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| From the Bogong High Plains road, the track continues.... |
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Ryders hut area. No one around. Tranquil. While we could see the huts from Cope Saddle, as a shiny structure, the map and GPS showed different tracks to get there. Easy, once you know how. While we could have stayed at Cope Saddle, it was far more scenic to walk the 2km or so. Its a flat walk, so just slip into auto mode and enjoy.
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| Ryders huts - the serenity |
What's not obvious to finding Ryders hut is the left turn, where an old aqueduct heads east (the red arrow on the map below). This wasn't on the map I had or on the GPS (however, it is on the online map supplied by Plotaroute, which is how I can show you....after the event). I had a gut feeling that we turned left, so we went that way, and completed the loop before realising that we had gone past the hut. Water was another issue, as the only place to fill up is from the aqueduct. And this was the only place in the 6 days that we filtered the water. While it was flowing, we felt more comfortable in filtering and UV'ing the water (I'm not a fan of the tablets, the magic UV wand has been fine).
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| Turn left at this point for Ryders Hut |
Yep, a long day of walking.
Ryders, a magical location.
Day 5 - Ryders Hut to Dibbins Hut
Distance: 12.1km or thereabouts.
Starting elevation: 1660m
Maximum elevation:1784m
End elevation: 1351m
Today really was an easy day. Only 12km or so, then a stretch downhill. It was a quiet night. No sounds to alarm us. But a very wet tent from condensation. Inside also suffered from the drips. My brand new Mont sleeping bag getting a little damp near the feet area! But, inside the bag, toasty warm.
Todays walk involved a big loop around Mt Jim then a drop down to Dibbins hut near Cobungra gap. After the past 4 days of pushing it, today, with much lighter packs, since we've eaten most of the food, today was a day to enjoy.
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| Ryders huts |
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| Zoom meeting, Bogong High Plains style |
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| Intersection of the AAWT and Tawonga Huts track. Mt Jim in the background |
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| Just keep following the yellow triangle.... |
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| Signs..... |
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| Just follow the poles. |
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| Mt Jim to the left, Mt Cope middle of frame. |
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| The drop down Bassalt Temple is easy at first. |
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| The track down Basalt Temple soon narrows. |
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| From Dibbins, looking up to Basalt Temple. A lot of up in that view. |
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| Dibbins Hut |
The Bogong High Plains are big.
The things you see....
Basalt Temple....
Day 6 - Dibbins hut to Mt Hotham
Distance: 8.8km or thereabouts.
Starting elevation: 1351m
Maximum elevation:1782m
End elevation: 1680m
With the car parked down near the pub (The General), we made a detour at about the 4km mark. We could have headed to Mt Lock carpark, then walk the remaining km's along the road. Or, plan B, turn left and head down the Huts track, past Spargos hut, down to Swindlers Creek and up to the road. We took plan B.
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| Ah, the Alpine Walking Track signs, love 'em |
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| Interesting spiders we saw on the climb up from Dibbins. |
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| Talking a few pic's before the final stretch. We were "over there" not long ago. |
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| Descending to Spargos Hut (in the clear patch) |
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| The view from the pub, as we had a beaut lunch, and a few ales. |
