Feathertop region 4 day walk

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Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby Mr Bean » Wed 10 Oct, 2018 10:34 am

My partner and I are planning a 3-4 day walk around the Mt Feathertop region over the Melbourne Cup weekend. We have a question about the Bon Accord Track and camping (and water access). Our options are.....

A medium 3 day option is:
Diamantina Hut -> Razorback to Fed hut (night 1 camp)
-> Razorback down Diamantina Spur -> Dibbins hut (night 2 camp)
-> up Swindlers Spur and over Mt Hotham, back to the car at Diamantina Hut.

A harder 4 day option, which we would prefer, but I'm not sure about the camp location for day 3, is:
Harrietville -> Bungalow Spur -> Fed hut (night 1 camp)
-> Razorback down Diamantina Spur -> Dibbins hut (night 2 camp)
-> up Swindlers Spur and over Mt Hotham -> head down Bon Accord Spur (night 3 camp ** is there a reasonable camp site with water along this section? **)
-> back to the car at Harrietville.

I have walked most tracks in that region, but Bon Accord is one that has always been missed by me.
Thanks.
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby Drummo62 » Wed 10 Oct, 2018 12:08 pm

It is a great 3 or 4 day walk. Some options on this thread viewtopic.php?f=37&t=27560

I did almost the same loop you are proposing in Feb this year but Day 3 was Dibbins - Hotham - Razorback - Fed Hut. Day 4 was then back down Bungalow to Harrietville.
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby Mr Bean » Wed 10 Oct, 2018 12:36 pm

Drummo62 wrote:I did almost the same loop you are proposing in Feb this year but Day 3 was Dibbins - Hotham - Razorback - Fed Hut. Day 4 was then back down Bungalow to Harrietville.


Thanks for that Drummo62. That route you mention was an option, but I thought Bon Accord might be worth a go. Searching this site (after my initial post) did pull up this...... viewtopic.php?f=46&t=17064
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby Xplora » Thu 11 Oct, 2018 5:36 am

You would probably find yourself doing all of Bon Accord and not camping. The better camping is toward the top and you could be there early in the day. Otherwise the plan is good. The 3 day option needs no tweeking.
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby Mr Bean » Fri 12 Oct, 2018 9:24 am

Thanks Xplora, I did wonder if the BA route was doable in one day. Depending on how we are travelling, and we may just dawdle between Dibbins and Diamantina (climb Mt Loch, explore the area a bit, etc), and get water in the gully below the hut at Diamantina, then camp at the BA hit site. My partner seems content NOT to head home, and would rather sit at the top of a mountain, or near one ;)
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby Xplora » Sat 13 Oct, 2018 4:42 am

Mr Bean wrote:Thanks Xplora, I did wonder if the BA route was doable in one day. Depending on how we are travelling, and we may just dawdle between Dibbins and Diamantina (climb Mt Loch, explore the area a bit, etc), and get water in the gully below the hut at Diamantina, then camp at the BA hit site. My partner seems content NOT to head home, and would rather sit at the top of a mountain, or near one ;)


Walks with no time pressure are great. Fed hut to Dibbins is not a hard day either and you can do Feathertop in the morning plus a side trip to MUMC hut if you like. BA spur is long and better to do without time pressure. Still very doable in a day from Dibbins. There will should also be the odd bit of snow about to enhance the photos but no enough to make the going tough.
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby scroggin » Thu 18 Oct, 2018 9:15 pm

A 3 day walk ive done previously was Mt Loch carpark to Federation hut via Razorback and visiting Feathertop. To Towonga Huts via Diamantina Spur and Western Hut and up mt Jaithmathang. Then back to the carpark following the AWT visiting mt Jim and Loch along the way.you coild easily turn it into a four dayer
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby Mutley » Wed 24 Oct, 2018 7:57 pm

Planning a very similar walk soon. Harietville to Fed Hut, Fed Hut to a camp on Bon Accord Spur, then back to Harrietville, Does anyone know the water situation around Fed Hut and on BA Spur ? (Or collect snow runoff ?)..Cheers...
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby Lophophaps » Thu 25 Oct, 2018 7:59 am

The Federation tank should be okay. If not there's reliable water a short way below the hut just off the track, and on the Tom Kneen Track about 10 minutes from the summit track. You may wish to consider camping short of Bon Accord. From memory there's not much flat sheltered ground on Bon Accord until you go down a fair way. If you collect water at the hut or a spring, go along The Razorback for an hour or two, plenty of good sheltered campsites. Then do a side trip to the top of Bon Accord. This minimises how far you have to carry water.

Or have I misunderstood your trip? I thought you meant go back the way you came. Do you mean continue down Bon Accord to Harrietville? If so you will need to carry water from the hut or nearby to last until you reach Harrietville - there is no water on Bon Accord until the creek at the bottom, and I'm unsure if this is potable.
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby paidal_chalne_vala » Mon 29 Oct, 2018 7:03 pm

If you are crossing Washington Creek at the bottom of the BA spur be aware that spring snow melt may make the creek crossing interesting and there is a log you have to balance on and walk over. There is no water along the BA spur until you hit the bottom. It is unlikely you will find snow to melt along the upper BA spur. It gets the afternoon sun and mostly melts in September. The BA spur goes on for bleeding ever!
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby Mutley » Tue 30 Oct, 2018 8:29 pm

Thanks guys for the info.
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby Mr Bean » Wed 31 Oct, 2018 9:23 am

Thanks for the info folks. Just out of interest and an option, is the BA old hut site area flat enough to camp?
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby paidal_chalne_vala » Wed 31 Oct, 2018 6:20 pm

You could get two tents in at the BA spur hut ruins site. In Mid winter there would be enough snow there to melt in order to cook rice/pasta/ noodles/ cous cous and refill a drinking container. Otherwise it is as dry as a crisp.It has been a few years since I went up it and down it on the same weekend in September.
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby Mr Bean » Thu 01 Nov, 2018 7:39 am

paidal_chalne_vala wrote:You could get two tents in at the BA spur hut ruins site. In Mid winter there would be enough snow there to melt in order to cook rice/pasta/ noodles/ cous cous and refill a drinking container. Otherwise it is as dry as a crisp.It has been a few years since I went up it and down it on the same weekend in September.


Thanks for that. We have a few options, depending on water at Diamantina (in the gully). But I'm keen to do BA this year, before I get too old ;)
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby Lophophaps » Thu 01 Nov, 2018 7:56 am

I would not count on water at Diamantina Hut. It may be flowing but being just below the road could be suss. I suggest carrying water from Derrick Hut, the last reliable potable water that I am aware of on the route you are taking.

If you start early enough you could get further on the first day. Harrietville to Federation Hut is about four hours, lunch. Climb Feathertop (an hour return), then go down Diamantina Spur, three hours. It's a short walk from there to Blairs Hut, or camp at the Horseyards.
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby paidal_chalne_vala » Thu 01 Nov, 2018 5:37 pm

There is good water at the Diamantina Horse yards and it is close to the bottom of the Diamantina spur. Carry a pump up water filter at all times.
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby Mutley » Tue 06 Nov, 2018 4:52 pm

Just an update from this weekend. Water tank at Federation Hut almost empty, but will have probably changed after today’s rain. We had 50 ppl at the hut Saturday night, and a trail running event through the camp early Sunday morning. The place was like Bourke Street !!! Also, saw 2 dogs at the hut on Sunday. Very friendly and well fed. Think they may have walked up Bungalow Spur from harrietville ??
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby paidal_chalne_vala » Wed 07 Nov, 2018 7:13 pm

Dogs are banned in the Alpine N.P..Which part of that sentence do they fail to comprehend?. I never camp at Fed.hut in green season. High Knob is much better but you have to carry water in or fetch it from the spring at the MUMC track.
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby crollsurf » Wed 07 Nov, 2018 9:35 pm

Maybe the dogs were banned from playing Fortnite over the long weekend and thought it was a good idea!
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby Xplora » Thu 08 Nov, 2018 5:17 am

paidal_chalne_vala wrote:Dogs are banned in the Alpine N.P..Which part of that sentence do they fail to comprehend?. I never camp at Fed.hut in green season. High Knob is much better but you have to carry water in or fetch it from the spring at the MUMC track.


Dogs are smart but not sure they can read the signs that tell them not to enter the park. A hound turned up to Cleve Cole hut one working bee weekend, complete with tracking collar. It was well cared for and curled up by the fire for the whole time. Now the people who took it out may have received some curt comments on the way by people who did not understand the dog arrived in the part of its own volition.
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby paidal_chalne_vala » Thu 08 Nov, 2018 7:14 am

Dogs cannot read but nor can their owners it would seem. We met someone coming up the Staircase spur last year who had his dog with him.I told him " DOGS ARE NOT ALLOWED IN THE NATIONAL PARK".
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby Mr Bean » Thu 08 Nov, 2018 11:02 am

We planned for a 4 day walk (Harrietville -> Bungalow Spur -> (day 1 - camp at Fed hut) -> Diamantina Spur -> (day 2 - camp at Dibbin hut) -> Swindlers Spur -> (day 3 - camp at top of Bon Accord) -> BA spur to Harrietville).

But, nature intervened and while the showers were okay on Monday, the threat of a torrential down pour on Tuesday made our minds up to push on from Dibbin hut to BA and Harrietville. With a couple of diversions, we knocked up 29km for the day. Bon Accord seemed to go on forever. Washington Creek was an easy crossing (shoes off).

And yes, did see the 2 dogs at Fed hut on Sunday morning. Plus the shopping trolley that someone brought up, with a BBQ inside. And the wild dog at Cobungra Gap area. An interesting weekend. I'll post a report with pic's when I get my act together.
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby Mr Bean » Thu 08 Nov, 2018 11:06 am

Oh, the 2 dogs were there because of the organised race that was on Sunday, Harrietville to Feathertop and back. They seemed to have followed some of the runners up.
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Re: Feathertop region 4 day walk

Postby Mutley » Sat 17 Nov, 2018 8:02 am

Yes, I am guessing the dogs just followed the runners up Bungalow Spur. And I also witnessed the “Vic market” 2 wheel shopping trolley, used to transport a big square gas cooker and CAST IRON frying pan, to cook some huge sausages. Made the surrounding dehy diners salivate !!!!
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