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Grampians Day walks. October 19-23rd 2019

PostPosted: Sat 26 Oct, 2019 9:36 am
by paidal_chalne_vala
https://www.ski.com.au/xf/threads/the-g ... st-4076826
A trip report and photos can be found at this link.
:-)
I must say the that The Staplyton Loop is now open after years of being closed but it has been rerouted so that it avoids any serious rock scrambling and cliff walking. It has become a risk averse management plan type day hike but still provides an adventure for the fit and more experienced walker. Take plenty of water and a sun hat.
There is now a section of metal walkway between the Staplyton campsite and Pohlner's Road. Track junctions have new green metal Parks Vic. signs with approximate distances to the next point.
The *&^%$#@! Ears is a must do day walk without all the nanny state steps, handrails, metal walkways and warning signs that plague many other walking routes in the Grampians these days.

Re: Grampians Day walks. October 19-23rd 2019

PostPosted: Sat 26 Oct, 2019 9:47 am
by CraigVIC
You could have done the hollow mt to stapylton traverse (stayplton ampitheatre) if the parks tracks are getting you down.

Re: Grampians Day walks. October 19-23rd 2019

PostPosted: Sat 26 Oct, 2019 10:30 am
by Lamont
CraigVIC wrote:You could have done the hollow mt to stapylton traverse (stayplton ampitheatre) if the parks tracks are getting you down.

Hey Craig I used to often bolt over from near Geelong at 5.30am and walk up Mt Abrupt watch the wedgies with a cuppa for a while -go to town -have smoko (a big cake) then head up Mt Sturgeon and watch some more wedgies with a cuppa, in town for lunch (a big lunch) and home by 3 or so. Threw up the tent down the bottom a few times in Winter. Five hours driving but used to love it! Used to see two or three people most of the time if that.
Then the sodding gentrification started, what two years ago? Not been back-will look at your suggestion tho' -ta.
Sorry for the digression PCV. :)

Re: Grampians Day walks. October 19-23rd 2019

PostPosted: Sat 26 Oct, 2019 6:22 pm
by paidal_chalne_vala
What is the Mt. Abrupt walk like now? I have not been up there for 2-3-4-5? years. Have Parks Vic. made it into a nanny state walk with hand rails, ladders, metal stairs , fences & umpteen warning signs etc.?
Off track walking is possible in the Grampians but good navigation skills are necessary.
At least the A##e's ears walk has been left untouched.
If you fish about on the Interwebby there are reports of traversing the whole range of the A**e's Ears including scrambling up the escarpment from the Northern face and ending up where I started on the Wallaby Rocks 4 WD track. Greg on "Hiking Fiasco" also has a trip report of the scrub bash up and down Signal Peak in the Mt. Abrupt area.

Re: Grampians Day walks. October 19-23rd 2019

PostPosted: Sat 26 Oct, 2019 7:44 pm
by CraigVIC
Lamont wrote:I used to often bolt over from near Geelong at 5.30am and walk up Mt Abrupt watch the wedgies with a cuppa for a while -go to town -have smoko (a big cake) then head up Mt Sturgeon and watch some more wedgies with a cuppa, in town for lunch (a big lunch) and home by 3 or so. Threw up the tent down the bottom a few times in Winter. Five hours driving but used to love it! Used to see two or three people most of the time if that.


I've daytripped up from Geelong and it's a fun day out but the early morning kangaroos are a bit heart in mouth up there.

You could do the stapylton ampitheatre with time to get home. There's various notes around including by glenn tempest. It's basically the opposite of what pcv is complaining about as it is quite dangerous in places. Mind you there's no hand rails or ladders on either the Major Mitchel Plateau or Mount Difficult after the new track works.

When I was up there recently I made my way down the escarpment below the briggs bluff track to see some falls. It was nothing that it would impress anyone. But I set out to do it, had few false starts and achieved it and really enjoyed myself which was a lot better than sitting on a rock stewing about how dumb all the people at mackenzies falls are. Plenty of space to make your own fun at the gramps.

Re: Grampians Day walks. October 19-23rd 2019

PostPosted: Tue 29 Oct, 2019 12:28 pm
by Eremophila
I haven't been up Mt Abrupt since early last year but prior to that it had remained pretty much unchanged since I moved to the area in 2013.
Mt Sturgeon had a small section of stone stairs constructed in July 2017, not sure what the purpose was, perhaps to prevent erosion. No handrails as yet. There is currently some safety bunting blocking off the secondary summit.
Sturgeon is popular with the lycra brigade on weekends, can get particularly busy on a Sunday when the weather is nice. You could have 15 cars in the car parking area and plenty more arriving as others leave. The parking area will need to be extended in the near future.

Re: Grampians Day walks. October 19-23rd 2019

PostPosted: Mon 01 Jun, 2020 12:04 pm
by Drew
CraigVIC wrote:You could have done the hollow mt to stapylton traverse (stayplton ampitheatre) if the parks tracks are getting you down.


I'm going to head up to the Gramps this week for a post-pandemic stretch of the legs. Planning to do Mt Difficult circuit as an overnighter and looking at Mt Stapylton for a day walk. Is this traverse you speak of just an off-track stretch to join Hollow Mountain onto the Stapylton loop?

Re: Grampians Day walks. October 19-23rd 2019

PostPosted: Mon 01 Jun, 2020 6:57 pm
by bigkev
Hi Drew, this is a link of the traverse that Craig is talking about I think. You are right it links the top of Hollow Mountain (Echoes Block) with Mt Stapylton. One of the best short walks in Victoria I think...although you need to be comfortable scrambling.

Cheers Kevin

https://goinferalonedayatatime.blogspot ... pians.html

Re: Grampians Day walks. October 19-23rd 2019

PostPosted: Mon 01 Jun, 2020 8:04 pm
by Drew
bigkev wrote:Hi Drew, this is a link of the traverse that Craig is talking about I think. You are right it links the top of Hollow Mountain (Echoes Block) with Mt Stapylton. One of the best short walks in Victoria I think...although you need to be comfortable scrambling.


Thanks Kevin. Happy scrambler here provided it's not wet. Is it easy enough to figure out the route? I think a friend might have that Glenn Tempest book so I could borrow that...

Re: Grampians Day walks. October 19-23rd 2019

PostPosted: Tue 02 Jun, 2020 1:57 pm
by bigkev
Hi Drew,

You can see the top of Stapylton from the top of the Echoes Blocks. There are a few ways to get there and they are all fun, you shouldn't have too much drama staying on course. For the most part stay high, only really drop down to cross some chasms. Mr Tempest has good notes for Hollow Mountain to Stapylton. Tyrone Thomas has notes for the other direction in one of his old books.

Cheers

Re: Grampians Day walks. October 19-23rd 2019

PostPosted: Wed 03 Jun, 2020 6:41 am
by CraigVIC
Tempest is the master of understatement, 'negotiate an awkward two-meter drop,' no worries Glenn! Haha. There's not much chance of getting lost as the general direction is clear. Tyrone calls it the walk of a lifetime. That's overstating the case but you'll feel like that in the moment when it's done. Great fun and pretty gripping.

Re: Grampians Day walks. October 19-23rd 2019

PostPosted: Sun 07 Jun, 2020 1:18 pm
by Drew
CraigVIC wrote:Tempest is the master of understatement, 'negotiate an awkward two-meter drop,' no worries Glenn! Haha. There's not much chance of getting lost as the general direction is clear. Tyrone calls it the walk of a lifetime. That's overstating the case but you'll feel like that in the moment when it's done. Great fun and pretty gripping.


Well we didn't end up getting the chance to do the traverse in the end. My partner's had an infected toe that decided to flare up on Wednesday morning so plans were changed a bit - no Mt Difficult overnighter and nothing too ambitious. It turned out well though. We finally got to see McKenzie's Falls (with plenty of water and no crowds), as well as The Balconies, then with toe feeling slightly better we did Mount Hollow and Mt Stapylton. Having summitted both I'm now eager to get back to connect the two! I reckon it's the most stunning part of the Grampians.