Text Tyrone Boi

PhotosTyrone BoiSpira Stojanovik

Spira looking east on Eskdale SpurTyrone Boi

After completing this loop years and years ago with a good mate, we thought it was time to revisit. It’s a great route and our favourite in the Bogongs – challenging and spectacular.

Spira on the StaircaseTyrone Boi

4 | Bushwalk February 2024

Day 1: Mountain Creek to Bogong Creek Saddle (almost), 15 km We headed off from the inner north of Melbourne around 10 am, a later start than usual. There was a buzz of excitement in the air as we hadn’t hiked together for a good few years. Each time we go away seems to always turn into an epic.

After a tasty preparatory lunch in Myrtleford, we drove the last one and a half hours to the Mountain Creek car park, arriving a bit after 2 pm. Only one other car was there, so we knew we had the mountains to ourselves – a bonus of going midweek and post long weekend.

We headed up the fire trail to the Staircase Spur trailhead, and after signing the intentions log book we started the steep walk up at approximately 3 pm.

Now one thing to note here is my hike companion Spira is a master chef in the wilderness, and for this trip we decided to share our dinners. I determined that making my backpack weight a lot heavier than normal would be worth it to experience Spira’s culinary creations, but more on this later!

We dropped packs and refuelled our water at the Bivouac Hut, which sits at 1450 metres above sea level. Warm and sweaty, but we were making good progress, just the final stretch now lay ahead to the summit. After four and a half hours we hit summit cairn at sundown. The temperature had dropped a lot, so it was time to layer up and head to our intended camp spot at Bogong Creek Saddle. As night fell, we navigated down Quartz Ridge to the west by headlamp, where we were treated to an amazing lightning storm in the distance. Every few seconds the sky would light up completely, illuminating the mountaintops. We stopped for a few minutes to take it all in.

As it was getting on to 9:30 pm, we decided to stop at the next flat open area to camp, as we were still an hour off Bogong Creek Saddle. After pitching our tents, we started dinner. On the menu was rice with broccolini, tuna, anchovies and snake beans - fantastic, as we were hungry!

Tyrone and Spira having a break on the Staircase SpurTyrone Boi

Spira on the StaircaseTyrone Boi

5

After dinner we retreated to our tents. I tried to settle in, but bug light insects had invaded and were buzzing in my face, driving me crazy. I was waving my arms around like a conductor, and one actually flew deep into my ear, driving me further insane for a good ten minutes. I was panicked and feeling like a little toddler. I whined out to Spira for help. He shouted out a few suggestions with the help of Google. Luckily, it flew out shortly after, because I wasn’t keen on the idea of pouring olive oil down my ear! I was looking forward to a good night’s sleep, but the weather gods had other ideas!

We had checked the forecast and radar images prior, and knew there were storms to the west and northeast of us, but they appeared as though they would miss us. At approximately 11:30 pm it started to rain heavily, and then a stellar storm hit us with

hail, thunder and lightning. Every crack of thunder would shake my body from the inside out, it was terrifying! With every lit sky I would brace myself, waiting for the thunder. To add to the drama, the seam tape on the fly was leaking water into my tent directly on my head, causing anxiety for most of the night. I lay there thinking of ideas to fix this problem and constantly checking the BOM radar for when the storm would pass. I ended up using my rain jacket on top of my pillow and slipping my head under the jacket to stop the drip on my head, avoiding the “Chinese water torture method”! My sleeping bag was also getting wet at the foot end because I was pressed against the inner tent to the fly sheet, trying to avoid the drip on my head. It was a frustrating experience, and I knew if my sleeping bag was too wet by morning, the trip couldn’t go on. It was a sleepless night. The rain finally subsided after 4 am.

Bogong summit cairnSpira Stojanovik

6 | Bushwalk February 2024

Day 2: Bogong Creek Saddle to Ropers Hut via Grey Hills Track, 16 kmAfter both having a rough night with little to no sleep, the mood was sour and morale was low. Spira’s tent had also had a leak. He too was up all night. I had thought it was just me having a bad night, but after exchanging stories of the night’s challenges, we walked an hour down to the Saddle stocking up on water before starting the ascent on the Grey Hills Track to Mt Arthur. It was 11:30 am by this stage, and our moods had lifted and smiles returned following the previous night’s excitement.

The terrain on this part of the route was very rough under foot. Five years ago, we had lost the trail for the first 3 km up to Mount Arthur and had to bash our way through thick scrub. Luckily this time it was clear! This stretch was also riddled with angry ants, which like to bite if they have a chance and bite they did!

Once you pass Mount Arthur, it’s all undulating with the odd steep pinch along the way. Spira was match fit, having just walked the Larapinta Trail. He stormed ahead like a Nepalese porter. I was certainly feeling it as I am not used to carrying 19 kg of gourmet food, including cans of coconut cream, tuna, sweet potatoes, etc ... LOL. My left shoulder had a sharp needle pain and my lower back was suffering, slowing me right down. The last push off the Grey Hills involved climbing up Crowsnest - a proper lung-buster! Then onto the Spion Kopje Fire Ttrail.

Campsite in the morning on Quartz Ridge post stormTyrone Boi

Spira on the Grey Hills TrackTyrone Boi

8 | Bushwalk February 2024

My energy reserves were zapped as we hit the fire trail around 5:30 pm. We headed for Ropers Hut. My slow pace had Spira offering to take a couple of kilos off me, hopefully relieving the weight and pain on my shoulders, which felt like I was carrying a bus. I also had a headache and dragged my feet at snail pace the 5 kilometres on Spion Kopje to the junction. My mind wanted to walk, but my legs didn’t want to cooperate, so it was mentally grinding.

Spira was well ahead out of sight and with fading light and temperature dropping, I had a vision that he was already at the hut, and when I arrived the fire would be lit and a green curry ready for me when I limped through the door. It was just a pipedream. Spira was feeling it too after 11 hours on our feet.

Finally making it to the junction, we walked the final 3 kilometres into camp by headlamp, arriving around 8:30 pm. By this stage I gave myself a 10% chance of continuing the next day and started to think of an escape plan to abort the hike. I was toasted and was

also feeling unusually cold and shivering. We collapsed, and after another yummy dinner of vegetable green curry we retreated to bed. I was too lazy to set up a tent and having the place to ourselves, I decided to sleep in the hut. We had a good night’s sleep apart from the mice making a racket, but they soon went to sleep too.

Day 3: Ropers Hut to Michell Hut, 14 kmSurprisingly waking up refreshed and free of painful shoulders and lower back, I was good to push on!

We headed down Duane Spur to Big River. The sun was out, the sky was blue, and it was warming up. We spent an hour down at

Spira relaxing while waiting for Tyrone on Spion KopjeSpira Stojanovik

Spira crossing Big River at bottom of Duane SpurTyrone Boi

9

the river having a refreshing dip and snacks with coffee. We made the stiff climb up the T Spur. Our aim for today was to reach Michell Hut on Eskdale Spur, giving us a shorter walk back to the car the next day. The last time we attempted this, in early March 2019, we bailed somewhere near the Rock Saddle on the exposed plains towards Bogong summit. That time, we got caught out in a storm and drenched with cold wind and rain, we huddled behind the rocks yelling at each other as it was so loud. Scary thoughts of three walkers who perished in a blizzard in 1943 in the area come to mind. There is a memorial plaque high up on Staircase Spur, so we retreated back to Cleve Cole Hut. We certainly felt alive in those moments.

This time with clear blues skies and a gentle breeze, we stopped at the Rocking Stone Saddle for tea and a snack. Today’s walking was relaxed, and having no rush, we were excited to arrive at camp around 6 pm, well before sundown with plenty of time to relax.

Dinner was spaghetti al la puttanesca, all meals cooked from scratch – cheers "Masterchef Spira!". It was a nice evening with a lovely sunset. I was in bed by sundown and drifted off by 9:30 pm.

Day 4: Michell Hut to Mountain Creek, 12 kmHaving slept for a good and much-needed nine hours, we had a lazy morning over breakfast and Macedonian-style coffee. We headed down Eskdale Spur Track in another stunning day of sunshine and blue skies. The walk back to the car involved 7 kilometres of road bash from the bottom of Eskdale Spur. Not much to report really, as it’s a

Spira crossing a creek near Cleve Cole HutTyrone Boi

Tyrone and Spira on Mt Bogong summitTyrone Boi

10 | Bushwalk February 2024

A beatle sat on my shoeTyrone Boi