Walk Description

Distance: 24 km

 

Distance:  Melbourne CBD to start of walk: approx. 220 km

Camping:  Two nights – Carters Mill Campground and Howqua Gap Hut

Meals:  Two breakfasts; two lunches; one dinner

Water:  Carry a minimum 2 litres – bring purification options (tablets or filters); water in campsite tanks

Cooking:  Bring gas stove or trangia

 

ITINERARY

 

Friday 23 April:

Camp at Carters Mill Campground, on Carters Road near Sawmill Settlement, about 2 km from the Mt Buller entry gate.  Dinner en route to campsite.

 

Saturday 24 April:

Depart campground at 7.45 am.  Take Doughty Road turn-off, ~2 km before the Mt Buller gate.  Drive 5 km along Doughty Road to start of walk.  Walk 5.5 km to the summit of Mt Buller (1,805 m), an elevation gain of ~760 m.  Walk 6.5 km down the east side of Mt Buller, passing Mt Buller Alpine Village and joining Corn Hill track to reach Howqua Gap Hut (1,350 m).  Distance: ~12 km; Time: 6-7 hours.

 

Sunday 25 April:

Depart campsite after breakfast at ~8.00 am.  Walk back up to Mt Buller and down the West Ridge to vehicles.  Distance: ~12 km; Time: 6-7 hours.  Return to Melbourne, with optional coffee stop en route.

 

Should you Participate?

We need to follow all state government guidelines regarding COVID-19, hence if you are required to be in quarantine or isolation, live in a restricted postcode (if and when designated by state government) or are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms including the following, you should NOT be doing this walk:

• Fever
• Chills or sweats
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Shortness of breath
• Runny nose
• Loss or change in sense of smell or taste
• Some people may also experience headache, muscle soreness, stuffy nose, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

If you or anyone in your household feels sick in any way, please cancel. If you become unwell during the walk please notify your Leader immediately.

If you are in a high risk category, including being elderly or having a pre-existing medical condition, you should consider carefully whether you participate as the Club will accept no liability if you choose to participate.

Refer also to the Victoria state government Coronavirus page

 

Social Distancing and Good Hygiene

Before, during and after the walk, please practice social distancing and good hygiene to minimise the risk of infection:   Hygiene and physical distancing

• Carry a mask and wear it when required by the state government.

• • Refer to: https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/face-masks-vic-covid-19

• Maintain a distance of 1.5 metres between yourself and other walkers.
• Do not share food / water / equipment, or shake hands.
• Use tissues and do not dispose of these in the bush. Carry a plastic bag for disposing of tissues.
• Cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow.
• Wash hands or use hand sanitiser when required.

If you are not able to practice good hygiene your Leader will ask you to leave the walk.

 

Transport

Transport to and from the walk location is by car. Please indicate your transport requirements and preferences on the booking request form when you book in.

If you don’t have a car, we can’t guarantee to provide you with a lift – this will depend on available drivers and their locations.

Drivers can choose whether they wish to take passengers or not.

For drivers who agree to accept a passenger, the Victorian State Government guidelines during Victoria’s CovidSafe restrictions are:

You can have passengers in your car. Where possible:

• your passenger should sit in the back seat in order to maintain physical distancing; 
• all passengers should wear a fitted face mask in the car if not from your household;
• increase ventilation in the vehicle by opening windows wherever possible and avoid having air-conditioning on recirculate;
• clean and disinfect high touch surfaces in the vehicle regularly.

 

Passengers must pay the driver their share of car-pooling costs as described on the Car-pooling page. Please bring cash for this purpose.

 

Booking

Booking is  required for this walk.

For harder-graded walks, the leader has the right not to accept bookings from anyone they consider is not sufficiently fit or experienced to undertake it, so please provide as much relevant information as you can when booking. Unless the leader knows you well, please indicate what similar walks you have done recently (i.e. in the past few months) to give the leader confidence that you are capable of doing this walk.

The Leader will confirm your acceptance on the walk, or not, via email.  The leader will provide details of where and when to meet.

Booking Fee:
Members: free.     Non-members: $10.

Payment:
To avoid handling cash, non-members are required to pre-pay their booking fee. Payment by Paypal or card is the quickest method, but if you choose to pay by EFT please follow the instruction to email the Treasurer with your payment details.

Cancellation:
If you need to cancel, please advise the leader as soon as possible, so that someone else has the opportunity. Unless there are exceptional circumstances (e.g. you need to cancel because you are experiencing Covid-19 symptoms), there will be no refunds.
So please do not book unless you are fully committed to walking.

 

What to Bring

• Hand Sanitiser
• Face Mask

• All the equipment, clothing, food and water you will need for the walk and overnight stays (refer Walk Description above).

Refer to our Gear Checklist page for more details, or discuss with the leader.  If you are not properly equipped, the walk leader can decide not to let you participate on this walk.

 

Still have questions?

Check out Joining a walk and your safety

Check out What happens on a walk.

Check out Weekend and extended walks.

Check out our Covid-19 status.

Contact the leader using the “Enquiry” button.

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