Friday 22nd September to Friday 29th – Week away trip to the Grampians. We have 29 club members here at gorgeous Hall’s Gap and, so far, the weather has been superb for walking!!
The organisation of walks, food and accommodation has been top class!!
After driving from the northeast, Saturday was spent exploring the immediate Hall’s Gap main tracks and visiting those spectacular lookouts.
On Sunday the three groups (easy, medium and hard) ambled around the Mt William area, with the hard crew not arriving “home’ until just before dark!!
Monday was spent trudging around the Zumsteins and the MacKenzie Falls section of this glorious park, with amazing wildflowers in full bloom!
Despite many people here for the school holidays, we are still able to get out into wilderness areas easily.
Graeme from Myrtleford who has not adventured with us before, describes the three groups via musical examples. He claims that the people walking under 10 kms per day should be called “Easybeats” (with “Friday On Their Minds” when we will not wish to go home) The medium crew are “Stuck in the Middle With You” by Stealer’s Wheel Band, and the tough hardened mob of course always march along singing the Proclaimers hit “I’m Gonna Be” – and I will walk 500 miles”.
The incredibly fine and clear weather continued. We walked for the last three days in the magnificent Grampians, ambling through banks of wildflowers which were simply amazing, even in areas absolutely devasted by fire only nine years ago!
Tuesday was a “close to the town of Dunkeld day”, featuring Piccaninny Hill, which everyone enjoyed, plus the formidable Mount Sturgeon with the million-dollar new track at the end of the incredible Peaks Trail.
Wednesday was spent close to Halls Gap; one walk featured three lookouts – The Pinnacle, Lake Lookout and Sundial Peak – which was a highlight for many.
Also on the other side of the valley was the hard group taking on the steep Boronia Peak.
Thursday, we visited, and then climbed, the simply impressive northern most end of the range. Mount Zero and Mount Stapylton were tackled by most of our 29 attendees, and rock paintings plus such delightful locations as the Beehive Falls were also visited.
So, another magnificent week away was complete!!
As we headed back to Wangaratta and Myrtleford, everybody would have agreed that the 6 days spent in the Grampians had been very special – superb organising of a quite complicated camp was evident!!
Coming Events
Saturday, 7th October
Greta History Walk
Jeanette, 0417 546 974
A medium walk of approx 15k around Greta, and Greta West, in undulating country, with a guest to fill us in on numerous points of interest, and locations of Greta’s history. Walking on bush tracks, gravel roads and part beside a sealed road.
Sunday, 8th October
Grass Tree Celebration Walk in the Warbys meeting at Wenham’s 10am
Andy, 0439 209 749
A Special Grass Tree walk celebrating these magnificent plants which are threatened by a nasty pathogen. Grass Tree (Xanthorrhoea glauca) experts will guide us around very special groves of this iconic flora. An easy walk of about five kilometres. We will be required to spray our boots before heading off! Other wildflowers will of course be encountered on this adventure.