The Cobberas

[peregrinator]

Good call north-north-west. It so does have that Cobberas flavour- up on the ridge after walking up from the Playgrounds. Nice shot dplanet- you've really captured some atmosphere there- the photo says a lot! Well done!

So said Wildlight on the recent Grampians topic. Prompting this new topic.

I'm hoping to walk in the Cobberas region soon. Can anyone offer opinions about this approach from the south compared with ascending from the west from Cowombat Flat Track near Bulley Creek? Note, I'll be solo therefore car shuffling won't be possible.

My old (1981) copy of the CMA Suggan Buggan sheet (which I obviously need to replace) shows a track heading north from the Playgrounds. I assume that would no longer exist. (Note recent discussion about Razor-Viking Wilderness "tracks"!)

[wildlight]

Hi Peregrinator

It's a great walk up from the Playgrounds- an old fire track can be followed for most of the way up to the ridge, and when it can't be seen, you're starting to get up into that high, snow grass and snow gum country. Once you ascend to just below the ridge line, there a small flat areas where you can camp, and "generally speaking" (especially after this rain!!) there is surface water about on the southern end of the first "flattish" area of the ridge. It's as though the water drains west from those rocks on the edge of the ridge and accumulates in soaks on the first flat piece of land it can find.

You won't have any trouble getting up there- nor should you have any problems on Limestone Rd.

It's a decent day to Cowombat Flat - I would (in my state) do it over 2 days. Someone like north-north-west (who clocks some awesome times) would most likely be able to do the traverse in just over half a day.

As you head north along the ridge, making for Cowombat Flat, the vegetation thickens up. The eastern "edge" of the ridge is quite rocky. It's really spectacular photography there- try to get right up to Cleft Peak if time, weather and light are looking favourable. There is a spur which runs kinda west to the Cowombat fire trail not long after the first "saddle", it provides a ready exit off the range if you need one, the going is quite good.

But why would you want to leave?

Still, it's handy to know.

Marching out along the fire trail from Cowombat Flat is straight forward-literally- flat and quite mundane compared to the ridge trip. There were a couple of gently flowing creeks crossing the fire trail as I recall.

Of course down on Cowombat Flat, regardless of the state you find yourself in at the end of your traverse… (Vic or NSW…) you have the very young Murray River from which to drink as you think, and contemplate pizza or similar ASAP after exit.

cheers

WildLight

[north-north-west]

I've done the full traverse a few times, both from Bulley Creek and the Playground. Playground is my favourite route. There are tons of brumby pads through there and you just pick up the most convenient ones.
Best route is from the campground, there's an obvious track on the left, heading north along the western side of the flats. Follows the creek for a bit, then you curl up onto the ridge and follow it north to Cobberas One. Drop down to the obvious saddle to the north, side trip up to Middle and Cleft, then back down and westish to Moscow - the pad crosses an open flat that usually has plenty of small pools - another good campsite.
If you go up Moscow, the best thing is to once again do an out and back - the ridge traverse there is fun, but it's very easy to get the line wrong on the northern end and find yourself too far west, on the wrong side of some rather awkward rocks. If you do stay on that ridge, keep as far to the east as you can and start your descent - north eastish - well before you get to the end.
Route up to the southern end of Cobberas Two is easy, goes over a couple of small grassy ledges, good camping, summit has a small cairn, great views. Then a very easy ramble through more grassy snowgum country to the northern end, which has a few possible routes up, all of them short but sometimes a bit awkward scrambles.
To get to Cowombat, the best route is via a steep descent past some rocks more or less north eastish - you can see a small open flat marked on the map, not far from Mountain Trout Creek. Then pick up the very well used brumby pad beyond that that curves back towards the main part of the flat.

For me, all that was a long day. Left Playground very early morning, hit Cowombat knackered about 11 hours later. But it was a brilliant day, except for getting my knee stuck while scrambling up the northern summit of Cobberas Two.
To get back, follow the MVO to Bulley, then brumby pads due east up the ridge and down the other side. There's a really neat little rocky knob on the ridge that makes a great lookout. Pads wind a bit on the other side, but I didn't have any navigational problems - helped that the weather was good and I'd been up there a few times before.

Enjoy. One of the wildest parts of the Victorian Alps.

ps: I'm not fast, wildlight, I just don't stop much.

[peregrinator]

Thanks to WildLight and NNW for your advice. I'm only now getting close to making that trip, so apologies for not responding earlier.

NNW, I'm not clear about your starting point:

Best route is from the campground, there's an obvious track on the left, heading north along the western side of the flats. Follows the creek for a bit, then you curl up onto the ridge and follow it north to Cobberas One.

I walked in to The Playgrounds quite a few years ago after climbing Rams Horn. Didn't have time then to go up to the Cobberas but explored the Playgrounds area and can't remember seeing anything resembling a campground and an obvious track going north. I've just bought the Willis 1:50k Vicmap and a northbound track from 020175 is shown as Road Permanently Closed. The old Suggan Buggan 1:50k had a track in a similar location. Is this the vicinity of your track? Of course if I can't locate it I guess the best route is just "up a creek".

From the map it looks like the easiest emergency descent route to Cowombat Flat Track would be the ridge WSW from the saddle south of Cobberas Number Two. Is that the one you are referring to WildLight?