Mt Bogong Overnight Route Suggestions

[johnf]

Hi new to this site.
I am planning a trip to Mt Bogong in the next week or two, myself and a companion.
Probably only have time for an overnight trip and from my research it seems many of the circuit trips take longer than that.
A couple of options I am looking at are:

Mountain Creek – Staircase – Bogong – Audax Pt – Cleeve Cole Hut (Camp) – Day 2 return via Eskdale Spur
Mountain Creek – Staircase – Bogong – Quartz Knob (Is there a camp & water near the bottom?) – Day 2 return back up Quartz Knob then via Eskdale Spur
Mountain Creek – Staircase – Bogong – Quartz Knob – Camp Bogong Creek – Day 2 Mt Arthur – Possum Spur – Bogong Village – Hope for lift to Mt Creek Rd then road bash back along Mt Ck Rd to car.

I had considered a trip camping near the Cairn Creek Hut and returning via Granny Spur and Horse Ridge but this looks to be too scrubby for my companion. Any recent reports?
For some reason the trip down Quartz ridge looks attractive but not sure I want to walk back up or if there is water for camp without going down too far. We are both reasonably fit.

Anyone with any suggestions?

[Lophophaps]

John, forget about Granny and Saddleback Spurs. Much scrub. It's possible to camp on Stirling Gap. There's usually water to the south-east in Bogong Creek. There's also a campsite and water at the saddle just before Hooker Plateau. I can't see much point taking packs past this region to return the next day. Quartz Knob is worth a visit, perhaps. The next water is near where the Quartz Ridge track meets Moncrief Gap Track. Moncrief Gap Track goes back to Mountain Creek, maybe 15 kilometre and five hours. I have not walked on Moncrief Gap Track.

If you don't mind scrub, the weather is fine and you are feeling strong, there's a way down from the ridge. Over West Peak, up Little Bogong, then either north to Mountain Creek or west to Moncrief Gap Track. These are not good ways to go up.

Camping at or near Cleve Cole is a vanilla run on Bogong. You may have time to visit Howmans Falls, about 90 minutes return. Eskdale is nice for variety, but with a road bash at the end.

[andrewa]

My preference would be drive to Camp Ck Gap, up Eskdale, and out to West Peak for the night. Then back to Cleeve Cole for lunch, and back down Eskdale. Whilst I've walked up the Staircase half a dozen times, I have done the Eskdale or Granite Flat the other 50-60 trips, and with the new road around to Camp Ck Gap, you can now do it in a 2wd, and its only about 1 hr 40 plus to Michell Refuge, then another half an hour up to Hell Gap. I prefer spending time trotting along the top, than slugging uphill, but my main interest in visiting Bogong is in winter for ski touring.....so I suppose I'd rather use my uphill efforts for walking out of runs, than wasting them on the Staircase! If I take the kids up there bushwalking, the experience I want them to have is being on top of Victoria, not having a miserable time walking up a never ending spur, with little to see off the side.

A

[johnf]

Thanks for both the suggestions. I think I will go with the West Peak / Stirling Spur camp. Will go up the Staircase at least for the experience, their aren't too many 1300m climbs to do in Australia, not sure I have done that with a pack, so bound to be fun!
Decide on the day where to come down depending on conditions.

[andrewa]

Hahh! If you've never done The Staircase then I suppose you should.....and then you'll "move on".....the other great climb is Hannels Spur.....again, I've done it, and it was nice to do, but I'd rather spend time doing other things in the mountains.

Have a lovely weekend . Not sure about water out near West Peak, but presume that if you drop down far enough in the catchment to the east, flwing south, you'll find some.....or just carry 4 l.....probs easier!

I love my times on Bogong. A fantastic mountain. Enjoy.

A

[stry]

My 02c pretty much agrees with andrewa (although my experience of the mountain isn't as great )

Try to spend as much of your available time as is practicable up high. The weather on the mountain can be quite different from down below, and the longer you are up high the better the chances of seeing some views.

FWIW I don't quite understand why the Staircase has such an evil reputation. To me, it's just head down and go. A good steady effort and you are there, with some interesting views once you clear the bush. At least this spur doesn't have a lot of dips and saddles that discouragingly rob you of some of your hard won altitude. But I do think that if I was going onto the mountain regularly, I may use the alternatives .

I do, however, like any route that avoids a road bash while still meeting your other needs.

[Lophophaps]

Try to spend as much of your available time as is practicable up high. The weather on the mountain can be quite different from down below, and the longer you are up high the better the chances of seeing some views.

Agree. I had a very cold and very short lunch on the summit one November. Once past Pollux and Castor the wind died quite a bit, but I kept my parka and warm clothing on as it was not too bad or too far to Bivouac. I met people coming up in T-shorts and shorts...

The trad spot to park cars at Mountain Creek is at the road junction. You can now drive another kilometre or so to a car park at a creek. My memory is a bit hazy on the following. Going in on the true left bank you approach the creek with the water running right to left. Do not cross. There is a foot track that avoids that crossing, and the one a hundred metre further on. This second crossing is (I think) the last water before Staircase. Is my description accurate?

I may have to get a new map. My Outdoor Leisure Map 1:50 has rather a lot of sticky tape, and is dated 1991. Bit of a laugh for those who know Victoria: the acknowledgements. These are National Parks and Wildlife Division of the Department of Conservation and Environment; Alpine Resorts Commision; Bushwalking and Mountaincraft Training Advisory Board; Department of Sport and Recreation. I am advised that these now fall under the ambit of the National Parks Logging, Cattle, Mining and Regional Development portfolio.