Bushwalk Australia

Hi all,

Long time lurker, first time poster. Enjoyed and gained much great information so thank you all.

After some advice in relation to tackling Champions Spur track, our friend lost something of value and sentimental along this track when they hiked down. We are heading to the area in the next few weeks and might attempt a hike to try retrieve the item. We have a good idea of the location of the item (Rough GPS coordinates of the spot), being about 6km from the start of the track or about 1.5-2km from the top at Razorback. I suspect its located not to far into the area in which the fire trail has ended and the bush bashing to top at Razorback starts.

What are peoples thoughts on the best/easiest way to this point?

based on some of my research I feel going up would be quicker and safer instead of attempting to find the track descending from Razorback. This would also allow us to drive/park our car at the base and set way points on our GPS going up at intervals. I also know last few hundred meters is steep and with no track.

Is there any ability to drive a 4WD along the start of the Champions Spur (E Ovans track)?

There would be two of us, fairly fit and experienced walkers with decent gear in packs (preparing as if to camp for the night if required).

I did read a recent thread here about the Spur, but after as many opinions, thoughts, criticisms, warnings reality checks (be brutally honest if needed) as I really don't know how achievable our attempt is.

Thanks

It is from a Big Kev's report , it is an impenetrable jungle. I have given up on the idea of going near it !!

As PCV says, from Big Kev's recent experience it is going to be a tough slog. Looking for a needle in a hay stack will be easier if you are moving slowly, and ascending Champion Spur that is what you will be doing. I do not believe that the 4WD track is accessible heading to the foot of the Champion Spur. Good luck - you certainly wont find is unless you give it a crack. A friend of mine lost his wedding ring paddling on the Tambo River, and I was back there 10 days later and was successful in locating it.

Hi Guys,

No hope of getting a 4wd to the base of the spur, the track along the river is only a very rough single pad nowadays (where it exists at all).

Nav is definitely easier going up but when I went up all the scrub was leaning down (from the snow I'm guessing) so I was pushing through the scrub against the grain. Unless the object that you are looking for is actually on the old 4wd track on the spur I'm thinking it would be pretty hard to locate it, even with a GPS - visibility was down to only a couple of metres in the regrowth in spots. That said you'll never know if you don't give it a go.

Cheers
Kevin

Somebody told me at the Mt. Bogong Club working bee last weekend that DEWLP have sent a bulldozer up Champion spur fire track until the last 2 kms below the top. It could be worth having another go at this hike but doing it as a descent from Twin Knobs.

paidal_chalne_vala wrote:Somebody told me at the Mt. Bogong Club working bee last weekend that DEWLP have sent a bulldozer up Champion spur fire track until the last 2 kms below the top. It could be worth having another go at this hike but doing it as a descent from Twin Knobs.

It would be easy to miss the top end of the dozer line going down. Better to go up and map it first.

More institutionalised vandalism?? What is the benefit of a dozer line when there is not a fire threatening?

Supply line to the proposed glamping lodges???????

There was a bulldozer line to that point 3 years ago when I did Champion Spur from the top, so its been there a while.

I am still interested in doing this hike if the Bulldozer story is true. Apart from this route I have walked all the major routes in both directions, up and down in the Mt. FT. area.The route could be XC skiable , going down hill , but I would have to trek it on foot first

I have now walked the Champion spur route and I did it going down. I took my chances with finding the Fire trail and after some time indeed and some worried moments I did find it after all. It is very steep. My thigh muscles are still very sore. Finding a lost article out there in the trackless scrub would be nigh on impossible.