Easter Weekend Tent Base Camp
6th to the 9th of April 2007
Bogong High Plains
Leader: Klaus Pelzer

This trip was scheduled and planned by Mike Denby but at short notice Klaus took over leadership when Mike was unable to. Eight club members and two visitors found clean and green tent sites at the Langford West camp ground just off the Bogong High Plains Road. Fortunately, Klaus and Janet arrived early to ‘bags’ some sites for the rest of us. The camp was very popular all over the weekend with many camping groups coming and going.

Friday’s walk started at the camp heading West over the head of the Langford West Aqueduct. From there we headed cross-country to the Cope East aqueduct and then to Ryder’s Yards huts. After morning tea we headed West then North over Mount Bundara to the Alpine Walking Track. After following the AWT to Cope Saddle Hut, Klaus led us cross-country over the top of Mount Cope and then back to the camp.

Saturday was our longest day and we started early at Rocky Valley Dam (still frost on the ground) and visited Roper Lookout, Edmonson Hut, Johnston Hut, then crossing Hollonds Knob and Marm Point to finish at Langford Gap. Again most of the walk was cross-country over button grass plains and through snow gums.

Sunday saw us crossing the button grass plains from Cope Saddle to Rocky Knobs. On the way we passed areas where some of the members had participated in the moss bed rehabilitation project. It was pleasing to see the positive effects of this hard work despite the dry conditions. From Rocky Knobs we walked east crossing Basalt Hill to the aqueduct then on to Wallace Hut passing on the way the site of the sadly missed Wilkinson Hut. We left the holiday crowds at Wallace Hut to follow the snow pole line back to Cope saddle.

A short walk on Monday started at Buckety Plain camp in to Faithfuls Hut in a lovely setting among the snow gums. From there we traversed through the forests to emerge just 200 metres from the track in to McNamara Hut our next objective. We were pleased but not surprised at Klaus’s accurate navigation to come on the road at just the right spot!

At McNamara’s hut site members were surprised to find a single recently built hut replacing several remembered from previous visits. It seems the original huts were burnt in the 2003 fires and the new hut was built in 2004 by the Victorian High Country Huts Association (www.hutsvictoria.org.au) and Mittagundi volunteers. The hut and surrounding area has been used since the 1970s by the Mittagundi Outdoor Education Centre (mittagundi.org.au) as a base for helping young people experience the outdoors.

From the hut site we followed a well defined (at first) walking track north to emerge onto the Bogong High Plains Road not far from the cars. After returning to camp it was time to pack up, leave the tranquil surroundings and battle the crowds returning to the ‘big smoke’.

Thanks to Mike and to Klaus for organizing a great base camp activity. Since the High Country had received around 100 mm of rain not long before we arrived it was great to walk in an area that was not quite as dry as those closer to home. The cool mornings and clear days made for great walking. However, many of us were sad the see the long term effects of the 2003 fires are still very evident and will be for many years to come.

Bruce and Pat Mackay