This was the last one I did, cool hike in from the northern end of Lerderderg. Lots of old gold mining stuff, including a tunnel river diversion. If anyone know’s the Chinaman Tunnel near Walhalla, this was the same. Fairly flat following the river with great views and then a solid hike up the hill if you don’t want to go back the way you came.
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A did this one a month ago.
It was a good challenging walk and very quiet.
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I’ve only ever done it counter clockwise from the upper carpark so you get the blood pumping right at the end.
Which one did you do?
I did the Ted Errey nature circuit and bolted on a wander to the dam. Really nice day, I was literally the only person in the park. The climb was decent, but for the less energetic there’s a very accessible trail just doing the Anakie Gorge up to the dam, starting at Gorge Road car park.
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Ive finally kitted myself out with the gear i’ll need for overnight and multi day hikes.
Reasonably cheaply with weight still being a priority.
Planning to do Grampians and Mt.Bogong over the next 4-6 weeks, before 5 days at Blue Mountains over Xmas.
Looking forward to getting some miles in the legs with a heavier pack.
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Bogong overnight with a big pack is a bit interesting, because you’ll either just go up and back, (which you could do as a day walk). or (mostly) go for a much longer walk that starts or finishes at Falls, needing a car shuffle or some hitch-hiking (and not a lot of cars go out mountain creek road. I have mates that go up and down the staircase about once a year, just as a day walk. A bloke I know who grew up in Mt beauty (and still owns a house there) goes up in winter with (apparently mandatory) crampons (he’s had to rescue people who were up there in winter without them) to ski a massive gully over the back - and he’ll do one or two very long runs of that, and then go back down, all in a short winter day (he’s well over 60, too). I think he starts and finishes in the dark!
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Just thinking about that bloke I know, there’s another old alpine bloke I know who ended up with Cleve Cole’s skis. These are they, restored.
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A note of recent experience. Watch where you’re putting your feet / hands , everyone. As always, but especially this year. Our reptilian friends have enjoyed a bountiful and warmish winter , and they’re out and about early in big numbers.
A wander down to the Coliban saw two tigers, what was probably a brown and when I froze to let him disappear and looked down a tiny one was cruising across my boot.
The ones I havent seen scare me the most, lol.
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Yeah, I didn’t see any snakes when I went out last week, but lizards everywhere. Long pants and carry the right first aid stuff. And ideally stay inside mobile range.
I went there in probably February or March (at a guess) and was shocked to see no snakes. If you were to design what would be snake paradise, some of the setting around the Coliban would come pretty close.
A few years back I was flyfishing at Newlyn Reservoir. I was standing in waist-high grass surveying the water to see if there was anything moving. Feeling that I was perhaps standing on a cow pat, I looked down to find both of my feet firmly planted on a coiled up copperhead. Never knew I could do such a good standing jump! I wasn’t game to try moving one foot at a time. I turned back to check out the snake who was, by now, lying there wondering what on earth had just happened before cruising off slowly into a nearby rock pile. I had waders on but still, it was a memorable encounter.
Through many years of bushwalking and other outdoor activities, I’ve come across plenty of snakes. I’ve never felt threatened by them though. Sometimes they’re a bit curious, sometimes defensive but usually they just want to be left alone and head off out of the way. What is really weird though, is the number of times, for no particular reason, I’ve looked down to see a snake just as I’m about to step on it or land within striking distance of it. It’s almost like some sort of protective sixth sense comes into play. Obviously, this wasn’t working at Newlyn.
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I very rarely hike without wearing Gaters.
Make sure you grab some if you’re heading out bush, especially at the moment.
I went out to Wilson’s Prom in the middle of winter a few months ago and there were snakes around. I couldn’t believe it.
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Yep. You see plenty flyfishing as they like water - lots of grasshoppers and small animals, especially in hush summer. I once had to fend one off that saw me as a tree it needed to climb, to get itself out of the cold water in the Rubicon!
But speaking of Bogong, the only time I climbed up out of the Big River after going over Bogong (we’d camped at the river), we were coming up Duane Spur (I’m reliably informed it’s pronounced ‘dew-Ann’) to Roper’s Hut, and in the morning sun they were favouring the sunny spots on the track. So I think we counted 8 on the way up!
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Re: snakes.
Mum ran over a tiger going down Mt Donna Buang this summer just gone, and we spotted a few on the road there when we had our downhill skate event in early March.
Having watched a few YT vids on Bogong, seems like there is ample space on the Summit to set up a tent.
Of course, its obviously completely exposed up there so the wind may be an issue, and I’m only using a trekking pole tent.
Catching the sunset/sunrise from the top would be something, and I’ve got a couple of GoPros to record Timelapses.
Could potentially set one up over night for a Night Lapse also by wrapping around a rock, or staking out a small tripod.
Not sure if cold will be an issue in mid November on top of the Summit (overnight) ?
Anyhow, something to think about, though overnighting on the top would be my preference.
As a sidenote, I agree with @jonovdp re the Gaiters.
Found myself last few walks focussed way too much on the track and immediate surrounds, thus missing too much of the scenery.
Whilst the chances of being bitten, and then that bite actually having venom is extraordinarily small, the consequences of a venomous bite in this country are pretty dire if one can’t get help quickly.
As a result, I recently purchased the Sea to Summit Quagmire Canvas Gaiters.
Whilst not 100% snake bite proof, it would take serious fangs to get thru the Gaiters, some thin hiking pants, and potentially merino blend socks (dependant on height of bite).
Just out curiosity Jono, which brand do you use ?
The ‘Snake Protex Expedition’ look pretty good, though are pricier.
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I look back in horror at myself as a 14 year old on a school bushwalking’s to Lake Tali Karng and then over Mt Wellington, back in the day. When we climbed Mt Wellington, there were small Tiger Snakes everywhere sunning themselves on the rocks on that otherwise chilly April morning - and so we decided to chase them. What ■■■■■■■ idiots my mates and I were.
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On Grand Final Day, there was a decent sized Tiger Snake on the Gibson Steps (access to 12 Apostles beach level).
There were loads of people using the steps being a 26 degree day, and a Saturday.
There was very little vegetation in the region the snake was, which was quite close to beach level.
Not an area I expected to see one !