Setting off from Borough Huts, heading “backwards”, up a new section of the Grampians Peak Trail (GPT) that descends from Mount Rosea, the day was gently overcast and cool – perfect for uphill walking.
The new section of track, wide and smooth, cut by a Bobcat through the scrub a year or two ago, passes the remnants of the lovely Cathcart Chislett Memorial Track, winding interestingly through the bush. It seems a bit of a shame that the new track has displaced such an appealing and natural route, but I guess the fashion nowadays is to walk side by side, holding hands…
At Sanderson Gap saddle where the GPT descends from Rosea down a very impressive set of stone steps, we departed from the tracked world. Taking a bearing through thick young acacias and eucalypt regrowth we headed south across the head of the enticingly named Valley of Mystery to the north slope of D'Alton North, aiming at a break in the small cliff.
Climbing gently through tall eucalypts with evidence of very old logging activity, the vegetation gradually changed to the smaller pricklier community familiar in the dryer
rocky country in the Grampians. Everything seemed to be in full bloom and bursting with life in this wet winter.
We lucked out to find a series of boulders stacked atop one another giving a very pleasant low angle arête to scramble up through the cliffs for 50 or so metres, just enough to make it feel as if we were climbing a real mountain.
Both D'Altons are plateau-like on the crest of the ridge, gently sloping to the west and the Moora Moora Valley. The vegetation became lower and thicker and harder to push through, but large open rocky areas often allow for easy walking interrupted by short bushy sections. There must be snow here at times and the moss beds were impressive and moist to the point of saturation.
The summit is a small distinct jumble of rocks emerging from the tangle of vegetation, giving an unusual perspective to the north of the bulk of Mount Rosea, the Mount Difficult Range and Arapiles on the western horizon. Still early in the day, we descended into the knotted jungle so common on the south-facing slopes of the higher Grampians peaks, heading for D'Alton South and lunch. As the