Off we walked, leaving the car near the Platypus camp ground at the intersection of Wellington River and Tamboritha Road. The walk in along the Welli was delightful as usual with its very numerous river crossings. Water was up a bit (groinage was endangered) but not too bad. However the Chromite Mines Road, nicely cleared and all, was a nightmare of "go straight up, then straight down" sections, some of which easily exceeded 20% grade. Plus we had to carry extra water after the last river crossing of Dolodrook River, so the last few hours of the first day were pretty tough. Weather was nice though, mostly overcast and not too hot, for mid-December.
I have numerous maps, printed and electronic, that show a track called Mount Hump Track that lets you get to Mount Hump (and from there to Gable End) from the Chromite Mines Track which in turn you can walk to from Tamboritha Road via Welling River Walking Track.
However, some of these maps are different, showing the Mt Hump Track leaving Chromite Mines Track at different places. We were quite puzzled until I noticed a correspondence between the topology shown on the paper map and GPS maps, indicating that the intersection was further than shown on some of them and that the two different tracks shown on the different maps would eventually converge. Dispirited, tired and hungry, but with a plan for the next day, we made camp in the only flat clearing available (middle of the road).
Next morning we walked on the extra coupla ks to where we hoped the intersection would be. Unfortunately when we did get to where an actual sign (a fairly recent one by the looks of it) indicated a walking track leading off from Chromite Mines Track toward Mount Hump, the track (supposedly an old 4wd track) was totally obscured by regrowth. Even standing next to the sign we couldn't see any evidence of a path. We pushed in a bit and looked around. Nuffin. No apparent benching or anything. So we gave up and trudged back the 28km to the car. Humpfff. We cut down to the Wellie R to avoid some of the nasty 4wd road, so that was something.
And right at the end, near the bridge, on the last river crossing, for the first time in something like 30 separate trips each with 16 or so creek crossings, poor Gordon tripped over and face-planted in the river. So the trip wasn't a complete write-off after all.
Conclusion: Don't do it. The Chromite Mines Track in was horrible and the walking track to Mt Hump is lost.
