Page 25 - 80 Walks by 80 Leaders 2

Date: 1st March 2019
Par�cipants: Robyn Chris�e, Jill Paillas, Katherine Gloor, Warwick Blake, Carolyn Blake, Jim Romanowski, Carol
Thompson, Soo Lee Chen, Stacey Bryce, Mike Ward

steep descent near the end. At the briefing on It was the perfect lunch spot and many of the group
Thursday night I tried hard to gag Jill who kept removed their shoes and dangled their feet in the cooling
reiterating how bad itwas, how hard it was to stay waters whilst enjoying their lunch. Many small fish (trout
upright and that ‘there would be blood”. I was perhaps?) seemed interested in the ‘fresh bait’ but decided
sure my memory of the descent from 2 years it wasn’t to their taste.
earlier was nowhere near as bad as she kept
insinuating!!!!!
We’d had stunning weather all week and the last
day was to be no different. A�er comple�ng a car
shuffle we followed the Big River Fire trail until it
joined the AAWT (Australian Alps Walking Track)
and continued along at a brisk pace until we were
level with Mt Nelse. Jim, Carol, Mike, Stacey, Soo
Lee and Robyn decided a cross country climb to
the Mt Nelse trig, 1882 m at the top, was in order.
Although a bit hazy the views to Mt Bogong and
back towardsHotham andMt Feathertopwere brilliantand
Walk descrip�on:
worth the climb up.
From Watchbed Creek Car park along Big River Fire Trail
onto Mt Nelse and then onto Ropers Hut. Return to Warbys The rest of the group waited at the Spion Kopje Junction,
Corner and along Spion Kopje Track and down to cross Warby Corner, but we weren’t quite ready for that part of
Rocky Valley Creek and up to finish at Howmans Gap. Map: the walk and continued on the AAWT for another 2.5kmsto
Bogong Alpine Area 1:50,000 Ropers Hut for a late Morning Tea.

Report: This hut, in delightful surrounds, is picture perfect.
Although there were 16 clubmembers until Friday morning,
Surrounded by snow gums not ravaged by the 2003 fires,
the report can only be for one of the day walks from the A�er lunch the track followed the dry aqueduct for some
flat grassy camping areas with lots of shade, and a loo. A
week and the last day, Friday, was by far the best of the time before leaving and heading uphill. Another trig a bit
leisurely break and then the return trip back to the Spion
week and the one I will report on. off-track at (the actual) Spion Kopje - 1841 m only s�rred
Kopje Junction. The track followed the undulating ridge for
the a�ention of Stacey, Mike, and Warwick to explore, as
The 24km walk started at Watchbed Creek carpark and 5 kms un�l we met an old aqueduct - lovely clean water on all were keen to get to the ‘terrible’ descent.
finished at Howmans Gap, which entailed a VERY long and one side, dammed and empty on the other.
Report by: Robyn Chris�e 15 Photos: Robyn Chris�e and others