Howitt Spur-Mac Springs-Helicopter Spur 8-9th Jan
Posted: Mon 10 Jan, 2022 10:22 am
After having a taste of Mt Howitt area, I had a chance to go up again.
I had wanted to go via Howitt Road, but wasn't sure of road condition and there'd been heavy rain forecast in the preceding days, I decided to enter via Upper Howqua again.
Turned out the rain didn't happen, and several people I spoke with had driven their 2WD cars in that way, avoiding potholes, but passable...
Day 1, Upper Howqua to Mac. Springs.
When I got to 31km marker on Circuit road, a tree was across the road.
I don't carry a chainsaw, so turned about, thinking I'd head the other way around the circuit.
A few minutes later I saw some vehicles approaching, flagged them down and let them know the track was blocked.
They had a chainsaw, so I followed them back and they cleared the road. Thanks guys!
They were going down to pick up some people who'd walked a section of the AAWT.
I was starting later than I'd like in the first place, then the road cleared delayed things more.
I walked up Howitt Spur, about the same time as 2 weeks ago, but didn't feel as fatigued when I got to Mac Springs.
I was sweating buckets all the way up, but otherwise it was good.
I saw 3 Alpine copperheads, one made me jump as I thought I'd stepped on it, another was right near my foot looking like it wasn't impressed with me.
I was thinking of going somewhere else before evening but it was getting late (late start & delay), by the time I got to Mac. Springs and a few drops of rain started, with a forecast of 4mm of rain & possible thunderstorm, so I decided to camp.
When I was getting water, I thought there must have been a bushfire for a second, as a white cloud billowed up over the saddle between Mac. Springs and Mt Howitt.
I worked out it was rising cloud, or fog.
It soon enveloped the whole area and stayed until early morning, when it receded back into the Wonnangatta valley.
Day 2, Mac. Springs to Upper Howqua
I left Mac. Springs about 7am, the fog had cleared, no clouds above.
When the Terrible Hollow became visible, you could see a 'sea of white cloud' eveloping the Razor & Viking and heading off in the distance.
I dropped pack at the Crosscut and walked a bit, didn't go far, but the views were great.
The Howqua valley was clear of cloud.
I wanted to push on to Mt. Magdala, and then see how far I would get before deciding how to get back down that day or stay another night.
There's a nice campsite between Big Hill & Mt Magdala, and I think a red marker on a tree indicated where to head for Hellfire Creek, but I didn't check it out.
I felt good so far, and wasn't until the ascent of Mt. Magdala I started to feel it a bit.
The break for a view at Hell's Window was much appreciated, as well as the chilled breeze.
The hardest thing is when you're below the treeline, there's barely a breath of wind and with the sun at it's peak, I really felt hot and was sweating heaps again.
After Mt Magdala, I slipped on loose stones a bit on the way down and fell once, nothing terrible, just annoying.
I spoke with 2 young blokes who were doing a 7 day trip from Upper Howqua to the Viking via dry creek anticlockwise (I think).
They'd ascended Helicopter Spur the day before, realized they'd left something, so went back down leaving packs behind, got what they were missing, and went back up. Hard work.
The day was warming up (or felt like it) and the climb/walk up to Bluff Track was slow and hot and I was feeling it.
By this stage I'd decided I was going to get down the Helicopter Spur or die trying.
PCV had suggested walking along the Bluff track to Bluff Hut, staying the night, then heading down Bluff link as a way to get down, but I was starting to run low on water and wasn't sure where to find it near King BIlly 1 and was starting to suffer from the walking/sweathing/blisters/chaffing that it felt like heading back to the car the shorted route would do.
The Bluff road was hot and boring in that section anyway.
Anyway, I found some water near the campsite at the top of the Helicopter, there was a big puddle, with water about 5cm deep, so I filtered a bit.
The March flies were becoming a pain, and drawing blood a lot.
I sprayed 40% deet on my clothes & arms. That only seemed to inflame them, as they kept trying to distract me and drawing blood down the Spur.
I started heading down the Spur, wasn't sure of the route at first, as people seemed to have walked out various ways leaving trails (or animals?).
NNWs GPS track came in handy here!
Once the Spur starts, it's easy to follow, and soon enough was at the top of the Third (highest) band of rocks.
I went down the rocks with pack on, a little bit sitting on my bum, and lowering down until legs touched something firm, a little bit facing rocks gripping plants/rocks.
It felt a bit like I could slip and in hindsight taking off the pack and lowering would have made it easier.
Onto the 2nd band.
I found the dreaded chute, lowered the pack down, looked at the options.
The place I got stuck on last time didn't look enticing.
The V-shape seemed good and I noticed the slab in the middle which forms part of the V-shape had notch or step like features and would probably be the easiest way to ascend or descend facing the rocks.
I decided to go down into the V, and twisted under the gum tree while facing forward, and using hands and feet lowered myself down.
It was very simple, gravity helps a bit I guess.
I continued on, but was really feeling the exhaustion/dehydration and found on the last step I felt unsteady on my feet with the pack.
I took off the pack and tethering it with the cord I'd brought, would push it down a bit in front of me and slide after it, or walk down a bit and drag it down to where I was to get down the steep part of 1st band.
Ugly, slow, but effective.
Anyway, I've completed the Helicopter Spur (if going down counts)!
My phone died at about this point, so no more pictures.
After that, it was just a slow slog back to the campsite.
It took a long time to get down the Spur and a bit of suffering was involved, but the height/exposure thing never bothered me.
Weird. Maybe too tired to care?
About 13 hours from when I left Mac. Springs to I got to Upper Howqua with lots of 'photo' breaks, but not too many pack-off stops. Just snacking along the way.
I'm just slow.
I decided to drive home.
I got massive cramps in the hands just after I hit circuit road, so much so that I had to pull over for 10 minutes to keep stretching my hands out as they cramped into deformed fists....fun!
I'd been drinking sports drink and water with hydrolyte throughout day and had more in the car which I hopped into at the end of the walk.
They seemed to kick in, as after that only a few small cramps in the legs and arms on the way home.
I nearly hit a Lyrebird who thought it was 'road runner' just before Howqua gap.
Got home in 1 piece, so all good.
I had wanted to go via Howitt Road, but wasn't sure of road condition and there'd been heavy rain forecast in the preceding days, I decided to enter via Upper Howqua again.
Turned out the rain didn't happen, and several people I spoke with had driven their 2WD cars in that way, avoiding potholes, but passable...
Day 1, Upper Howqua to Mac. Springs.
When I got to 31km marker on Circuit road, a tree was across the road.
I don't carry a chainsaw, so turned about, thinking I'd head the other way around the circuit.
A few minutes later I saw some vehicles approaching, flagged them down and let them know the track was blocked.
They had a chainsaw, so I followed them back and they cleared the road. Thanks guys!
They were going down to pick up some people who'd walked a section of the AAWT.
I was starting later than I'd like in the first place, then the road cleared delayed things more.
I walked up Howitt Spur, about the same time as 2 weeks ago, but didn't feel as fatigued when I got to Mac Springs.
I was sweating buckets all the way up, but otherwise it was good.
I saw 3 Alpine copperheads, one made me jump as I thought I'd stepped on it, another was right near my foot looking like it wasn't impressed with me.
I was thinking of going somewhere else before evening but it was getting late (late start & delay), by the time I got to Mac. Springs and a few drops of rain started, with a forecast of 4mm of rain & possible thunderstorm, so I decided to camp.
When I was getting water, I thought there must have been a bushfire for a second, as a white cloud billowed up over the saddle between Mac. Springs and Mt Howitt.
I worked out it was rising cloud, or fog.
It soon enveloped the whole area and stayed until early morning, when it receded back into the Wonnangatta valley.
Day 2, Mac. Springs to Upper Howqua
I left Mac. Springs about 7am, the fog had cleared, no clouds above.
When the Terrible Hollow became visible, you could see a 'sea of white cloud' eveloping the Razor & Viking and heading off in the distance.
I dropped pack at the Crosscut and walked a bit, didn't go far, but the views were great.
The Howqua valley was clear of cloud.
I wanted to push on to Mt. Magdala, and then see how far I would get before deciding how to get back down that day or stay another night.
There's a nice campsite between Big Hill & Mt Magdala, and I think a red marker on a tree indicated where to head for Hellfire Creek, but I didn't check it out.
I felt good so far, and wasn't until the ascent of Mt. Magdala I started to feel it a bit.
The break for a view at Hell's Window was much appreciated, as well as the chilled breeze.
The hardest thing is when you're below the treeline, there's barely a breath of wind and with the sun at it's peak, I really felt hot and was sweating heaps again.
After Mt Magdala, I slipped on loose stones a bit on the way down and fell once, nothing terrible, just annoying.
I spoke with 2 young blokes who were doing a 7 day trip from Upper Howqua to the Viking via dry creek anticlockwise (I think).
They'd ascended Helicopter Spur the day before, realized they'd left something, so went back down leaving packs behind, got what they were missing, and went back up. Hard work.
The day was warming up (or felt like it) and the climb/walk up to Bluff Track was slow and hot and I was feeling it.
By this stage I'd decided I was going to get down the Helicopter Spur or die trying.
PCV had suggested walking along the Bluff track to Bluff Hut, staying the night, then heading down Bluff link as a way to get down, but I was starting to run low on water and wasn't sure where to find it near King BIlly 1 and was starting to suffer from the walking/sweathing/blisters/chaffing that it felt like heading back to the car the shorted route would do.
The Bluff road was hot and boring in that section anyway.
Anyway, I found some water near the campsite at the top of the Helicopter, there was a big puddle, with water about 5cm deep, so I filtered a bit.
The March flies were becoming a pain, and drawing blood a lot.
I sprayed 40% deet on my clothes & arms. That only seemed to inflame them, as they kept trying to distract me and drawing blood down the Spur.
I started heading down the Spur, wasn't sure of the route at first, as people seemed to have walked out various ways leaving trails (or animals?).
NNWs GPS track came in handy here!
Once the Spur starts, it's easy to follow, and soon enough was at the top of the Third (highest) band of rocks.
I went down the rocks with pack on, a little bit sitting on my bum, and lowering down until legs touched something firm, a little bit facing rocks gripping plants/rocks.
It felt a bit like I could slip and in hindsight taking off the pack and lowering would have made it easier.
Onto the 2nd band.
I found the dreaded chute, lowered the pack down, looked at the options.
The place I got stuck on last time didn't look enticing.
The V-shape seemed good and I noticed the slab in the middle which forms part of the V-shape had notch or step like features and would probably be the easiest way to ascend or descend facing the rocks.
I decided to go down into the V, and twisted under the gum tree while facing forward, and using hands and feet lowered myself down.
It was very simple, gravity helps a bit I guess.
I continued on, but was really feeling the exhaustion/dehydration and found on the last step I felt unsteady on my feet with the pack.
I took off the pack and tethering it with the cord I'd brought, would push it down a bit in front of me and slide after it, or walk down a bit and drag it down to where I was to get down the steep part of 1st band.
Ugly, slow, but effective.
Anyway, I've completed the Helicopter Spur (if going down counts)!
My phone died at about this point, so no more pictures.
After that, it was just a slow slog back to the campsite.
It took a long time to get down the Spur and a bit of suffering was involved, but the height/exposure thing never bothered me.
Weird. Maybe too tired to care?
About 13 hours from when I left Mac. Springs to I got to Upper Howqua with lots of 'photo' breaks, but not too many pack-off stops. Just snacking along the way.
I'm just slow.
I decided to drive home.
I got massive cramps in the hands just after I hit circuit road, so much so that I had to pull over for 10 minutes to keep stretching my hands out as they cramped into deformed fists....fun!
I'd been drinking sports drink and water with hydrolyte throughout day and had more in the car which I hopped into at the end of the walk.
They seemed to kick in, as after that only a few small cramps in the legs and arms on the way home.
I nearly hit a Lyrebird who thought it was 'road runner' just before Howqua gap.
Got home in 1 piece, so all good.