Anyway, apologies if this is too rambling, I'll add videos as I've already prepared them and took few standalone photos.
I completed the lollipop sort of circuit from Falls Creek to Mount Bogong on the 4th and 5th of November.
Day 1 - About 21km
I drove up to Falls Creek from my outer suburban lair, arriving at Watchbed creek just before 9:30am.
After the obligatory faffing about packing stuff properly and checking gear is in order, I set off direction of Roper's Hut.
I didn't have a plan, and had up to 4 days to spare if I needed it.
I haven't done a proper walk since Mt. Koonika in mid-September so was wary of how unfit I was, and how much my legs might get soreness after a few days, so was leaning towards less than 4 days.
After a warm up going along the Big River Firetrail, I saw the AAWT/Hotham Pole line join the trail, then shortly after, Marum Point track.
Sometime shortly after I could see a hill rising behind a ridge, which turned out to be Mount Nelse.
I then passed the pole lines to Johnston and Endmonson hut and the track rose up onto the mount.
I kept moving and made to Mount Nelse North/Spion Kopje Firetrail/Mount Nelse West not long after.
It was nice rolling country with lots of peaks like Hotham and Feathertop in the distance and the big Fella straight ahead with the summit ridge enshrouded.
I got to the Timms Spur/Ropers Hut junction and headed for Ropers.
I had lunch at Ropers and was feeling ok, but it hadn't been hard to that point.
After lunch, I started down Dwayne Spur.
I ran into a bunch of young fit blokes just before the spur drops down, and they were either leaning over or sitting down catching their breath.
After a quick chat, in which I ascertained that Dwayne Spur and T Spur were worse than Staircase Spur in the opinion of these guys who'd come up Staircase the day before, I set off.
It was pretty steep down, but thanks the to selfless, heroic efforts of PCV and his track-clearing minions, the track was clear.
About halfway down, it leveled off, and even went up a bit before it started steeply down toward the river.
Nearing the river, I passed some guys coming up the zigzags in the track, and asked about how bad T Spur was.
I was starting to feel it in the legs, and thinking I may be in a bit too deep here.
But my plan was just to push on past the point of no return, which I'd done by then, as I didn't fancy walking back up Dwayne Spur, and just had to accept it might be hard.
I reached the river, the chain was up, and crossing was simple.
The water level was above the knee, almost mid-thigh.
I had a decent break once across, and then began the slog uphill.
Getting on the spur proper was a job, steep with zigzags in the track.
I got there in the end, and the slope wasn't as bad, but I was pretty much stuffed, so it was just walk a few minutes, stop for a breath, and repeat.
The sun was out at this time, and little breeze down low, so a bit hot too.
The track was pretty clear, which was good, as I'd hate to have had to negotiate fallen logs and all that.
Nearing T Spur Knob, the incline steepened a bit, which was not what I would have requested, so took a while and lots of mini-breaks to catch breath to get up there.
It was a bit stuffed, to put it mildly when I got to T Spur knob, and by this time/altitude a fog had descended, so at least it wasn't hot.
In fact, I pretty much had to put on fleece,beanie and gloves to ward of the chill soon after.
There was another short climb after the knob, then a couple of kms of easy walking, save a few fallen trees to the junction of T Spur track and Long Spur/Mount Bogong.
There was a little creek there, and I might have thought about camping, as it was just on dark, and someone else had already setup tent and gone to bed, so I didn't want to be a noisy pain setting up nearby.
It was now dark as I walked along a bit.
The track seemed easy, then it started to go uphill again.
Navigation wasn't an issue in the fog, as I could see the track with the headlamp, but each snow pole had a green reflector letting me know the direction.
I finally arrived at Cleve Cole hut at about 8:30pm.
I setup the tent in a place I thought wasn't a bad spot, but missed slope from one side of the tent to the other, but all in all, not a bad nights sleep.
https://youtu.be/GUTBOt_RVwQ?si=Amop8YTEjhOliI6Z
Day 2 - About 31km
I got a 5:45 wakeup from a Currawong, with a blue sky and sun shinning.
I packed up, used the facilities, grabbed some water, and headed up to the summit.
I didn't manage to find the rolling stone, or whatever it's called.
I reached the summit after about 2 hours or taking it easy, lots of checking out the views.
It's the 4th time I've attempted to summit Bogong this year, the other times in Winter with varying amounts of snow, and coming up either Eskdale or Staircase Spurs.
It was brisk up there, so after a break and catching more views, time to move on.
I wanted to get back up on the high-plains that evening, so if my legs started giving me hell from muscle soreness (usually takes 24-48 hours I believe), I'd be a short hobble from the car.
After a break, I continued on to Hooker Plateau, then on to Quartz Knob.
I looked at the ridge going steeply down to the right a few hundred meters and thought oh dear.
But the track wasn't too bad, a bit steep in places, and after a while it veered to the left, and away from the steep part and down a more civilized track below the treeline.
The sun came out, and wind disappeared, so it was warm going down, and after I while I started to feel it.
I spoke with a guy who'd camped at Cairn Creek Hut after starting from Granite Flat Spur the day before and was heading back up the Quartz ridge to go to Cleve Cole.
Then soon after a group who'd come from Falls Creek, via the Grey HIlls and were heading for Cleve Cole.
I had a stumble and fell, picking up some ants who wanted to make a meal of me.
Apart from a bit where the track rose to a small knob, it was downhill, but wasn't too steep, if a bit warm to the junction with Cairn Creek Hut track/Helipad track.
I startled a large deer, that honked and all I saw was a big deer's *&%$#! disappearing into the bush.
Not long after reaching that junction, I was at the Big River firetrail and really in need of a break.
I had thought of going back via the Grey Hills, but thought that might be too much of an effort, so took the easy(er) way back.
I continued on down the trail to Big River and crossed.
I collected as much water as I could carry for the trip up Timms Spur to the High plains.
I spoke with a couple who arrived just after me, they were thinking of staying at Ropers.
I started up the trail, not super steep, but enough in the conditions and feeling fatigued to make it a slow, slog kind of thing.
I was passed by the couple a while after, and they were going at a fast pace.
Young fit people, I'm not jealous, much.
Anyway, apart form nearly hitting a brown snake with a trekking pole, and a few sun showers that weren't worth the name, it was 3 and a bit hours to get up high.
It was nice up top, and cool.
I continued on to the Timms Spur/Ropers junction, and preferred the though of solitude than sharing the hut with the couple and whoever else might be there.
I guess I'm antisocial when I'm tired.
I plodded back past the Nelses, it was getting on, and sun was low.
I saw smoke coming from the Chimney of Johnston hut, so decided, if I hadn't already, to head for the car, and sleep the night there.
The sun was set by the time I reached Marum Point, and got back to the car a bit later, and drove home next morning.
https://youtu.be/XqK9Ihn7D3k?si=KOuKHlapMaMNbR4x
It turns out I got a few photos:
- Feather and friends
- Mount Bogong
- Big River Chain
Addendum: After all that worrying about not being fit enough and my muscles getting DOMS, they're fine and apart from a blackened toe from not having the shoes done up correctly on Dwayne Spur, no injuries to report.
