Bushwalk Australia

Complete newbie here, so please forgive any errors. I’m planning a 6 day circuit from Mtn Ck as follows:

Day 1 - Mtn Ck to Maddison Hut Ruins via Staircase Spur
Day 2 - Maddison Hut Ruins to Edmonson Hut
Day 3 - Edmonson Hut to Tawonga Huts via 333, plus Mt Jaithmathang summit
Day 4 - Tawonga Huts to Spring Sadddle Hut Ruins
Day 5 - Spring Saddle Hut Ruins to Bogong Creek Saddle via Black Possum Spur
Day 6 - Bogong River Saddle to Mtn Ck via Eskdale Spur

I’ve done all of this walk three years in a row up to Tawonga Huts as I usually exit at Diamantina Hut via Diamantina Spur - Feathertop - Razorback. My question relates to Spring Saddle Hut Ruins as a campsite for night 4. I’d love something along this section that is “scenic” and has a water supply close by. Is there a better campsite enroute from Tawonga Huts that won’t make Day 5 too much longer than planned.

Anything else that is useful to know in terms of side trips e.g around West Peak would be much appreciated.

TIA

Having gone down Black Possum Spur, I don't envy you hauling a pack up it.
Only alternative I can think of to Springs Saddle is Bogong Jacks, but that's a fairly short day from Tawonga. Although you could go Edmonsons, Cope, Bundara, Jim, Tawonga, and then Jaithmathung the next day and continue along the ridge to the Fainters. Don't know how much scrub there is along there these days, but it's always been clear in the past when I used to do it.
There is a very steep, rough route down from Bogong West Peak to an old fire trail that runs around that side of the mountain. If the FT is even minimally maintained this does make for a good alternative route to repeating the main tracks back to Mountain Creek, but it does require decent conditions to make sure you stay on the right line going down the spur.

We just recently did the ridge line along Jaithmathang and it's not too bad, stick up high but some little thick bits to go through. definitely no foot pad so just depends how well you read your line along the top. Some nice camp spots with a few springs still running. Bogong Jack is a way better spot to camp than spring saddle.

Bogong jack saddle is a very scenic flat campsite. There is a spring just before the old cattle gate at Bogong jack Saddle on the Fainters Fire trail. It is not flowing enough to fill a bottle easily but with a pump up water filter it is perfect and reliable. The rest of your route sounds taxing but achievable. I must be getting old !.Last summer at Bogong Creek Saddle ( the old helipad) we met some people who did battle with ascending Black possum spur. They were scratched up, filthy and exhausted. They said there is no track and it is a steep dense scrub bash esp. with overnight packs on their backs.

Thanks everyone for your excellent advice. I did this over six amazing days just after Christmas (pre-fire threat / closure of the Alpine National Park).

It was 123km all up. Mountain Creek -> Mt Bogong summit -> Cleve Cole Hut via Staircase Spur (Night 1) -> Howman Falls -> Edmondson Hut (Night 2) -> Tawonga Huts via Pole 333 (Night 3) -> Mt Jaithmathang -> Mt Fainter North -> Bogong Jack Hut (Night 4) -> Bogong Village via Spring Saddle -> Mt Arthur via Black Possum Spur -> Big River Saddle (Night 5) -> Quartz Ridge -> West Peak -> Mt Bogong summit -> Mountain Creek via Eskdale Spur.

Sourced water each night for the next day where I camped. The exception was Bogong Jack Hut as it was likely to be difficult to source water from the spring there, so I carried water from Tawonga Huts (but also could have picked it up from along the Fainter Fire Trail). Turned out to be enough water from that spring to scoop it up with a shallow dish and replenish my supply, but was still glad I had carted from Tawonga Huts. Better safe than sorry.

Black Possum Spur was great and has been cleared within the last year - coming down the other side of Mt Arthur down to the helipad was a bit of a bush bash as it’s fairly overgrown (above head height in some areas) but other than that it was very clear.

Truly special area. Thanks again for your advice pre-walk.

Well done gumnut........pictures always tell a story.....

Agree, photos tell the story better

Nice pictures gumnut thanks for posting and lets hope that country still looks the same after the fire season.

Good one. If Black possum spur is now clear then I will give it a try maybe in spring 2020 after the XC ski season ends.

paidal_chalne_vala wrote:Good one. If Black possum spur is now clear then I will give it a try maybe in spring 2020 after the XC ski season ends.

This is the start of Black Possum Spur - it’s like this for most of the way. Only closer to the top does it become single trail and a little more overgrown but still easily navigated. The other side down from Mt Arthur is still fairly overgrown but there’s indication of recent clearing activity in progress by Vic Parks which should clear this.

I have crossed the Grey Hills from Spion Kopje to Mt. Arthur and down to the old Helipad. It was a bush bash for the first half of the descent down to the Old Helipad and then evidence of track clearing appeared .I have met other walkers who said the last half of the ascent up Black Possum spur track was a "never again" kind of deal :-0.
Maybe it has been improved somewhat.

Nice to hear that Black Possum Spur is cleared. I might consider this route for Easter depending on the fire aftermath.