On the 14th of May I tagged along with 10 members of the YHA Bushwalking Club for a weekend circuit of Mt Bogong, Victorias highest peak. As it happened the previous 7 days had seen over 20cm of snow fall in the Victorian high country, making the walk slightly more challenging but a whole lot more interesting.
On the Summit Ridge heading to Cleve Cole Hut
We set off from Mountain Creek just before 9am headed for the start of the Staircase Spur, the shortest and most direct route to the summit. Before long we had climbed high enough to be totally surrounded by clouds, and just a little bit higher that light snow started to fall. Within 2 hours we had reached the Bivouac Hut, the halfway point of the climb.
Looking towards the Summit from the Bivouac Hut
Once snacks were had and the group reformed we continued on up the second and steepest half of the Staircase. From here on the track became more exposed, and with that the wind picked up very quickly. By the time we reached around 1600m we had left the tree canopy and fog and were surprised to see a clear sunny day. Unlike before, now there were only whispy clouds being swirled around by the up-drafts of the mountain. We passed Castor and Pollux Outcrops and stopped for lunch just bellow the summit at the memorial cairn. Although the icy wind was hitting pretty hard (making lunch pretty unpleasant) it was quite calm compared to what we soon encountered across the summit ridge.
Just bellow Castor and Pollux Outcrops
It didn’t take long for the group to get cold sitting round so we continued up the final section of the Staircase and onto the summit ridge. The weather was still clear and the views were amazing but the howling wind made it difficult to walk a straight line. From the top of the Staircase the plan was to head down to shelter at Cleve Cole Hut, about an hour and a half’s walk. The walk round to Cleve Cole would normally offer great views but just about everyone was pretty focussed on making good time to the hut and getting out of the cold.
Looking back to the Summit
As the group slowly filtered into camp we pitched tents and then all headed for the warmth of the fire inside the hut. With heads and hands re-warmed a smaller group decided to make the short trip down to Howman’s fall before dinner. Only half an hour down into Camp Valley, Howman’s Falls was this time different to how i’d ever seen it before. Amongst the snow was an icy flow of water well worth the walk. Several logs had ice hanging from them, something which seemed to appeal to the photographers within the group. With memory cards full we headed back to Cleve Cole just as the sun was starting to set.
Ice formations at Howman's Falls
After dinner and several hours wasted in front of the fire we ventured out of the hut and into out tents. I had hoped to find a dusting of snow on the tent in the morning but was surprised to find not even the slightest bit of frost, the night had been clear and perfectly dry. With morning came even better weather than the day before. Another bluebird day and a hope that the wind on the summit had eased. With breakfast out of the way we broke camp and started our reverse route back to Mountain Creek.
Summit Ridge on a bluebird morning
The weather could not have been any more ideal, as we made our way back to the summit only light winds were present and the views were as far as the eye could see. This time the walk along the summit ridge was much slower as we were constantly stopping to check out the view and snap a photo. We all made out way to the summit cairn and assembled for a group photo, before starting the decent back down the Staircase.
Image c/o David Sutanto
After the fairly tiring decent down the staircase we eventually all made it back to Mountain Creek. A fantastic 2 days of early snow season were had by all.
More photos of this hike can be seen in the gallery.
Mountain Creek to Cleve Cole Hut
Distance: 20Km Return
Time: 5.5 hours each way
Grade: Medium-Hard
Water: Spring and Tap at Cleve Cole Hut, Tank at Bivouac Hut
Access: Easy 2WD access from Mt Beauty
Mapping: Spatial Vision Bogong Alpine Area 1:50,000
