Hotham to Falls Creek Alpine Crossing

[Stinus]

Hi everyone,
A few friends and myself who enjoy overnight hiking would like to in about a months time do the Alpine Crossing from Hotham to Falls Creek (We have heard this direction is the easier of the two). We have set aside 4 days for this trip as we are not in a rush and would just like to enjoy the walk. Do you guys have any recommendations for this trip? I suspect that having snow shoes will help out a fair bit.

Thanks,
Stinus

[Lophophaps]

Stinus, in early July it will be early winter, with deep snow very probable, especially on the lee sides. Early winter has blizzards. If you miss a now pole - some fall over and are not replaced - then you will struggle to find the next one in a whiteout. The huts are very basic. The descent to and ascent from Dibbins Hut involves steep ground with some scrub in places. Snow shoes or skis are essential. You must have a snow tent and a stove. Due to the possibility of bad weather, consider taking food for six days. Plan escape routes. The most obvious is to exit via Pretty Valley and Ruined Castle from either Mount Jim, Tawonga Huts or Cope Saddle. Another is to go to Falls from Langford Gap. In my view it's about the same difficulty both ways. However, starting at Hotham means that you get the Dibbins section out of the way, with mainly flat terrain from the treeline near pole 267.

Consider having a plan with a number of options, side trips. There are many nice places to visit in winter, or summer for that matter. Then if the weather is fine or good, you are ahead or behind schedule, you have options ready. For example, if you are ahead of schedule you may decide to bag the Nelses. Also have backup campsites, well out of the wind.

[Xplora]

Don't bother booking the platforms with Parks. Not required and nobody will check. Cope hut camping area can get windy. Four days is enough plus some. You are bound to get some bad weather no matter what and it could last 2 days. Lops' advice is good. I doubt the huts will be open for use as such. You turn up to one and there is already 6 people there then you can take the COVID risk yourself. With plenty of time you could take lots of side trips as Lops has said. Youngs SEC hut is a good spot to camp. It will cost you a couple of hours in total to get back to the main track. A diversion to Fitzgeralds hut will cost you about 3 odd hours all up and also a good spot to camp. Often there is a nice grassy spot available until the snow is really thick. So make sure you take snow pegs and normal pegs. Dibbins area may not have any snow at that time of year either.

[Rlgm12]

How much time will one need to do a snow traverse from Hotham to Bogong? Snow shoes only.

[Lophophaps]

Winter for Hotham to Mountain Creek (I assume that the trip will not stop on the summit) depends on a number of variables:
Start time
Snow conditions
Weather
Party fitness
Route
Snowshoes or skis
If skis, ability on them.

I'd allow most of a week, giving time to sit out bad weather. Timms Spur-Quartz Ridge is easier as it has more open ground and is gentler than Duane Spur-T Spur. Also, it's a lot easier to cross Big River higher up the river, with good campsites on the south side and a short way up the north side. One variable has been decided - snow shoes.

[Rlgm12]

Lophophaps,

Thank you for highlighting The options for Big River crossing.

When you say “good camp sites on the south side and a short way up the north side”

Do you mean along Quartz Ridge? Good campsites near Hooker Plateau?

[Lophophaps]

The highest High Plains campsite is above Whiterock Falls, but it could be a bit exposed, even if you go down in the gully in the lee of the slope. Some parts of the road to Big River are flat enough for camping but could be lumpy. Just before Big River on the High Plains side there's a good clearing.

The next reasonable campsite is at Big River Saddle, a short way from the Quartz Ridge turnoff. Going up Quartz Ridge there are a number of flat areas, with snow melted for water. There's a campsite on the treeline, maybe 1700 metres. The picture below is by Mark Oates from his winter AAWT article in BWA October 2019.

Above that it's exposed, nice if the wind is not blowing but not much fun in a blizzard. At a pinch you could drop off the east side and make a bench, but it's steep. You may get shelter in a gully that I believe is just north of Quartz Knob. Although the gully is reasonably flat and in the lee of the hill, if the wind comes from the south-west you will be hang gliding.

[north-north-west]

Quartz Ridge has good camping amongst the snowgums near the trig. That's the last decent sheltered spot. Camping is superb up top on snow, but it tends to get very windy.