Razor back to Mt Bogon walk

[Chunky59]

hi

I have not done much bush walking recently but want to take my 19 year old son on a walk that is a bit longer than the standard 3 day long weekend walks that i have done previously. Back in 2006 i did walk the overland track in 8 days

I was thinking of starting at Harrietville walking up to the start of the Razor back, across to Mt Feathertop (which i have done a few times before) and then on to Mt Bogon.

A few questions

1. Can you walk from Feathertop to Mt Bogon and if so how long would it take and how hard is it

2. If i was to get to Bogon how can i get back to Harrietville to get my car, is there a bus service from the bottom of bogon that can take me back ?

3. I was thinking of doing this in late November or late Jan. would this be ok to do then?

Any help would be much appreciated

Chunky 59

[Kinsayder]

Hi Chunky. I'm surprised that this hasn't been fielded yet. I'll do my best but I'm happy for anybody to pull me up.

1. I guess the short answer is; yes, you can walk from one to the other. The longer is that the general starting point for Feathertop/Harrietville to Bogong would be a little further up the road toward Hotham at the Mt Loch Car Park. You can start at Harrietville but I'd think that might add two days and two extra climbs. So, assuming you mean to start from Mt Loch, you head along the AAWT to Derrick Hut, to Mt Jim then off to Langford Gap (you're basically heading toward Falls to start with). From there to Ropers, then Cleve Cole Hut and then Bogong and pick a spur to descend on (Eskdale or Staircase). How long? It depends, theoretically it's 5 but your pace might differ. You might like a rest day too. How hard? I've done sections and spent a lot of time at both Feathertop and Bogong but I've not strung the whole thing together (I should be around October of next year) but I'd put it as moderate but solid. I'll put in two rest days when I go, but I like to lounge around and read in nice places, so that suits me.

2. No idea. Car shuffling is the ideal for that but obviously that can be difficult or impractical. Hitching is another thought. I've no idea of buses. You could probably get one from somewhere near(ish) the Mountain Creek camp to Bright and then another from there to Harrietville. Maybe leave the car at Bright to start with and bus to Mt Loch instead.

3. Late November would be better in my mind. More reliable water, less concern over creepy crawlies and less fire risk than January.

There are some books that you should look into. Bushwalks in the Victoria Alps by Glenn van der Knijff has this walk (divided into two sections, do not use his maps though), there are some others with details of the AAWT that are really helpful. Get a good map and study it.

I hope this helps a little. Good luck with your plans. If you have any other questions, let me know.

[north-north-west]

From Harrietville you have two main routes up to the Razorback:
Bungalow Spur, which is about 9km of steady uphill to Federation Hut and gives you easy access to Feathertop;
and Bon Accord Spur, which is about 10km to the road end of the Razorback, at least half of which is more or less level, which means the uphill bits are steeper and harder work. That track also gets less maintenance than Bungalow, and you'd have to do an out-and-back for Feathertop. Once at Diamantina Hut on the road, you just follow the AAWT over Hotham, down Swindlers etc etc etc to Maddisons, then turn off it and up to Bogong and down to Mountain Creek. Or you can take one of the alternative routes (such as Spion Kopje, Crows Nest, Grey Hills and Quartz Ridge) to the summit.
(It is also possible to scrub-bash down from Feathertop North Peak, cross the river, head upstream on the old logging road and then follow the track up past Weston's Hut to the AAWT junction near Mt Jim. Would be harder work now with all the regrowth than when I did it, and you need to be sure of your navigation to avoid taking the wrong side spurs on the decent. But it's fun.)

Getting back to Harrietville would be the tricky bit. There are buses though it would need a change or three.

Even in January there's plenty of water on most of that route, with the exception of the Razorback itself. But that's only a half day.
Time depends on how fast you walk and for how long each day. Possible itinerary, without any really long hard days:
Day 1) Harrietville to Federation to Feathertop, camp at Federation.
Day 2) Federation to Cobungra Gap
Day 3) Cobungra Gap to Cope Hut
Day 4) Cope Hut to Bogong Creek Saddle (via Grey Hills and Arthur)
Day 5) Over Bogong via Quartz Ridge & down to Mountain Ck via Staircase Spur

That breaks up the climbs nicely. Water available at all the campsites, and huts at most in case you don't trust your tent.

[madmacca]

1. Buses. There is a bus that runs 3 days per week off season Bright-Harriettville-Mt Hotham-Omeo. There is also the Vline bus from Mt Beauty-Bright-Wangarratta. If you are not doing a car shuffle, my advice would be to leave your car in Bright, get the Alpine Way bus to Harrietville/Hotham. You would need to walk/hitch back from the base of Bogong back to Mt Beauty to catch the bus back to Bright.

2. Another alternative to the great suggestions above would be to get the bus to drop you at Dimantina Hut just short of Hotham (they would probably do this by request), take the Razorback out to Feathertop, then descend Dimantina Spur to the east, before picking up the AAWT at Mt Jim (via Weston's hut) or alternatively via Cobungra Gap/Dibbins Hut.

[ryantmalone]

I did this walk a few years ago, jumped on the Vline from Melbourne to Mt Beauty, and got a taxi from Mt Beauty to Mountain Creek. Although, I walked this in the opposite direction, here's what I did:

Day One: Mountain Creek to Bivouak Hut (Was late in the day, started walking around 3pm)
Day Two: Bivouak Hut to Big River via T-Spur.
Day Three: Big River to Wallace Hut via Mt Nelse
Day Four: Wallace Hut to Blairs Hut via Cope Hut, Mt Cope, and Lake Spur (where Westons Hut used to be)
Day Five: Blairs Hut to Federation Hut via Diamantina Spur
Day Six: Federation Hut to Harrietville via Bungalow Spur

To get back to Bright, I ended up hitching a ride with someone I met up at Federation Hut, however the taxi from Harrietville to Bright didnt cost me more than 30 - 40$ from memory.

If I were to do the same walk again in reverse, but drive in, I would probably park at Mountain Creek, and arrange a taxi to Mt Beauty in time to get a bus through to Bright, then from Bright, a Taxi to Harrietville. Cant remember if busses run that way or not, but worth a look for sure. Might cost a bit in taxi fees, but its the most straight forward way I've done it.

As for the walk, its an incredible walk. One of the best that I have done, and hope that you thoroughly enjoy it. Do not miss Feathertop, or the climb up/down Diamantina.

[north-north-west]

There are regular buses all through the snow season from Bright through Harrietville and up to Hotham.