Mt Buffalo....The Big Walk

[Robbiefishing]

A fortnight ago, my best mate Sandy and I hiked the big walk at Mt Buffalo.
For those not familiar with the big walk, it is the longest walk in the Mt Buffalo NP. It begins at the bottom of the plateau at the park entrance and climbs all the way to the historic Mt Buffalo Chalet and day visitor area.
Roughly, the walk it about 11.7km each way (23km total) with an altitude gain of close to 1200 meters.
I had done this hike twice before, but back in my younger fitter days.
Since I lost weight and improved my health last year, I have done a stack of walks and am feeling a million bucks, and this was the first massive full day hike I had done since before I left my physical health drop by the wayside.
I was confident that I could complete this hike, which I did. At 110kg (6ft tall) I won't say I done it easily, but I will say that I don't it quite comfortably and with little discomfort. I could have easily walked further back to the car had I need to. I was not "exhausted" so to speak.
About 1 week earlier there had been a very heavy snowfall in the area. Despite that snow even being a full week earlier, there was still a lot of snow on the ground with our first snow encounter being at around 750 meters above sea level.


The Big Walk at Mt Buffalo is one that I highly recommend. It is a well graded track and easy to follow. In fresh snow the track can be a little hard to follow in places. There had been a few people through in the week or so before us so there was tracks for us to follow but if we had been the first it may have been a little difficult.
In saying that, the walk is not as high altitude as many surrounding walks, peaking out at around 1400 meters above sea level.
Allow plenty of time. We started walking at around 9:30am. We took our time and took heaps of photos as well as cooked our lunch etc... and we ended up walking the last 3km in the dark.
We were prepared for this with out head torches.

Here are a few photos....

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Mt Buffalo park entrance

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The hike up

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Mt Hotham to the east

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Views to Mt Feathertop

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The snow covered track along the northern face of Mt Buffalo

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My best mate Sandy admiring the views of the Victorian Alps

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Sandy taking photos from the gorge heritage area.

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The spectacular view from Bents Lookout.

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The historic Mt Buffalo chalet.

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[neilmny]

Well done Robbie, nice photos and thanks for the report.

[vicrev]

All good,Robbie.....

[JohnStrider]

Cracking photos.

The whole Bright/Porepunkah area is amazing regardless of which time of year you visit.

[Robbiefishing]

Hey everybody thanks for the great comments. I agree 100% JohnStrider. I am so lucky, and thankful to live where I do. (Wangaratta)

[paidal_chalne_vala]

I am thinking about doing this hike on Sat. June 25th 2016. If I take a full pack I presume you can camp at Lake Cattani, with a booking /permit.

[neilmny]

From Parks Vic........http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks ... ing-ground
"Winter camping
Five sites (2 people per site) available only during the declared snow season, beginning the Friday of Queens Birthday weekend until the ens of August. Access is via a 1km walk/ski off the main road along the Lake Catani Rd or a 2km walk/ski from the Gorge Visitor Area along the Gorge/Lake Catani track. No vehicle access is available. The sites are situated around the stone hut. Fires may be lit only in the fireplaces within the picnic shelter and fuel stoves are recommended. Campground amenities are closed during winter, there is a pit toilet located behind the stone hut. Water is available from Lake Catani. No fees apply."

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Thanks. It looks tempting!

[paidal_chalne_vala]

June 25th 2016 was a superb fresh powder snow day.We snow shoed from Cresta Valley to the Horn summit and back.The weather was mostly clear and sunny except at the summit of The Horn.There was no view to be enjoyed at the very icy summit of The Horn.The Horn rd was already groomed when we got there this morning.The cover was deep and complete.The snow ploughs had cleared the road and chains were mandatory for nearly all vehicles .The gorge and the chalet also looked like a winter postcard.The Buff in perfect winter conditions has it's own voodoo and mystique.
My only gripe is/was that
People who wear street shoes and make boot prints on the groomed trails are not getting the thumbs up from me and there were quite a few doing just that today. So , the Big walk was put on hold due to perfect snow conditions.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

https://picasaweb.google.com/1135880762 ... 3a0b2DmwE#
Some photos from my Mt Buffalo trip on 25.6.16

[neilmny]

Some nice photos there PCV thanks for posting them.

[hairypanic]

I did this walk last saturday after the big dumps of snow, due to time restraints we started at Rollason's Falls carpark.
To our surprise there was a blanket of snow over everything that low already.
After the first lookout there were no more human footprints, only animal tracks. The snow got to around mid shin deep in the steeper parts closer to the top.
Being a sunny day we had incredible views, but we could already see how much snow melted in the more exposed areas on the way back down.
I'll have to do this track again in the warmer months, just spectacular.

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[Robbiefishing]

Fantastic photos Hairypanic. Thanks for sharing them.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

We are hiking up the Big Walk and over to Mt. McLeod over the Long weekend of Cup Day this spring. It should be super.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Hi. I am doing the Big Walk this weekend. .The forecast for Saturday Nov. 5 th 2016 is for light snow down to 1300 M. At least it won't be too hot !!. I am going to camp at Lake Catani for the night on Sat. and hike back down on Sunday morning. I will report back with some pictures.

[paidal_chalne_vala]

I was up there this weekend just past , 5th and 6th of Nov. 2016 doing THE BIG WALK. I went up and back down with a full pack and I was camping at Lake Catani on Sat. night . At $50 per camp site for hike in campers the fee was almost as steep as the 1000 + M. ascent from the valley floor up to the Chalet! .The weather was quite kind for THE BIG WALK (with a full anti ultra light pack ) ascent .There was no snow but some drizzle on Sunday morning.
Visibility was very good on Saturday and the hike was very scenic. I camped at Lake Catani on Sat. night which was pleasant but it is like a caravan park. That was weird. Everyone else there had driven in!.Some were in caravans!. That is not hardcore hiking or roughing it in the wilderness at all.
The next day was not as clear on the descent and it was very misty with low visibility on Sunday until I passed Marriott's lookout.
The track has been recently cleared of fallen timber by a chainsaw team.
The name of the hike is quite apt. It is worth doing up and down in its entirety . I stopped at Rollason's falls on the way down too so that added a few extra kilometres to the trip.
I will come up with some photos eventually.

[andrewa]

Can't see the guy in the initial 2nd and 6th photos.....

A

[andrewa]

I was up there this weekend just past , 5th and 6th of Nov. 2016 doing THE BIG WALK. I went up and back down with a full pack and I was camping at Lake Catani on Sat. night . At $50 per camp site for hike in campers the fee was almost as steep as the 1000 + M. ascent from the valley floor up to the Chalet! .The weather was quite kind for THE BIG WALK (with a full anti ultra light pack ) ascent .There was no snow but some drizzle on Sunday morning.
Visibility was very good on Saturday and the hike was very scenic. I camped at Lake Catani on Sat. night which was pleasant but it is like a caravan park. That was weird. Everyone else there had driven in!.Some were in caravans!. That is not hardcore hiking or roughing it in the wilderness at all.
The next day was not as clear on the descent and it was very misty with low visibility on Sunday until I passed Marriott's lookout.
The track has been recently cleared of fallen timber by a chainsaw team.
The name of the hike is quite apt. It is worth doing up and down in its entirety . I stopped at Rollason's falls on the way down too so that added a few extra kilometres to the trip.
I will come up with some photos eventually.

$50 per camping site. Bugger that!

A

[paidal_chalne_vala]

Yes I thought that was a rip off, $50 clams to pitch a tent !!. However Mt. McLeod and Rocky Creek are hike in only camp sites on the Mt. Buffalo Plateau and they only charge $14 per night. So the deal is similar to The Prom. This is why I never camp at Tidal River apart from it being a bit like the Rosebud foreshore caravan park.
I am a trekker. Seeing people in Caravans is evidence of having NOT escaped all of the man made insanity and vanished into the wild .
The thing was that once I had reached Lake Catani I was worn out and the idea of trekking further to reach Mt. McLeod in a single day from the Park entrance would have been a huge slog, possibly finishing in the dark :-0 .