Hunting For The Last White Gold

With two weeks left at home, decided that i had to make it to the top of victoria's highest peak. It had been a goal for the past couple of years to make a backcountry trip up there in the winter but im never around for aus winters anymore.

Mt Bogong, standing tall at 1,986 meters above sea level. The route chose to take was the stair case at 16km rounds trip expecting to take from 6 - 9 hours coving 700 vertical meters. Set out from melbourne midday sunday arriving at base camp late just before sundown, a quick setup of the tent and dinner was on the go.
Up early the next morning, set off by nine to get a good start wile annie stayed at base camp to keep an eye on things.

After about two hours of steep hiking, reached the opening of Bivouac Hut on a small flat ground that they use for emergency shelter. With the top of the mountain still in a cloud decided to pushed on until i broke though to the alpine plains for lunch at 1600m. A short stop for lunch and few more layers due to the high winds temperatures normally in the low 10's most of the summer, it felt cold enough to possibly have some snow still around. Clouds wished by with the high winds, slowly revealing high cliffs and peaks around, the path now with no trees around heading steeply up the hill following guide post for winter travelers.

Half way up the final summit you encounter a memorial pole with the inscription of a tragic event where three men died when lost in a blizzard In August 1936. A memorial hut was built in 1936 called the Cole Hut on the Bogong High Plains to provide shelter for backcountry skiier and adventures.

The track up was still flooded from the wet and snowy winter and spring melt we had, so a consented stream cascading from above making the hiking track useless. not much longer and i was at a T in the path, and ahead presented the peak marked by a large stone dome. But before i reached it i was distracted, pulled by my search of the white gold.. Snow! after a quick survey of the area, pinpointed the shady side of the mountain and heading in search. There is was, glorious snow! Nov 15th ild found one of the last patches of snow in victoria, after throwing some snowballs around i headed up to the peak. Some photos and a sense of relaxation knowing that i can't go any higher, cracked a beer with my flipflop bottle opener and relaxed taking in the hints of the landscape below through the fast moving clouds.

One more ticked of the list, took five and half hours round trip early smashing estimated time.. to the next one!