Walk Description

Distance: 15km

If you’re up to it, it’s very satisfying to climb this mountain. This walk is a bit of a ‘Hero Hike’ for people training for long trips. The 1,100 metre ascent is long and steep. While it is all on reasonable tracks, the walk is rated medium-hard. We should be able to do the 7 km climb in less than 4 hours; the downhill return by almost the same route will take about 2½ hours. People with limited fitness will definitely struggle.

Mt Donna Buang (1250 metres) is the nearest snowfield to Melbourne. The tall ash forests on it’s slopes were harvested at the turn of the 20th century and the timber was moved by a network of tramlines and cable haulages. The industry took off in 1901 with the completion of the railway to Warburton.. Before the Second World War, Donna was also a minor ski resort with cleared runs, a huge ski jump and four ski lodges. In 1935, 12,000 watched ski races on Donna. However the snow was never terribly reliable and after the war, two of the lodges that survived the 1939 fires were moved to the more dependable snowfield at Mt Buller, while the ruins of another can be seen at the foot of an old ski run.

Today most of the mountain is parkland. It is a accessed by a sealed road and is a popular tourist destination. In winter it attracts families to play in the snow. There is a 21 metre high lookout tower on the summit accessed by a strange double helix staircase. From the top there are impressive views of the mountains and forests, as well as the farmlands and towns of the Yarra Valley.
Summary provided by:

David Sisson | www.australianmountains.com/donnabuang/#10

I shall cancel the walk if there is a total fire ban for the state or for that area, if there are bushfires in the area, or if the temperature is going to be over 30 degrees. We are walking under forest cover for almost all 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.

We try to minimize the number of cars being driven to walks. The leader will contact people prior to the walk suggesting who may be able share a lift with whom. It is then your responsibility to contact each other to finalise arrangements. If the arrangements don’t work, get back to  me and I’ll see what other possibilities there are.

Passengers must pay the driver their share of car-pooling costs as described on the Car-pooling page. Please discuss the preferred method of payment with your driver.

 

Booking

Booking is required for this walk. 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 one. Refer to Walking Grades which, in conjunction with the walk description, will help you assess whether you have the required walking fitness and experience to do 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.

By booking into this event you acknowledge that you agree to abide by our Code of Conduct.

Booking Fee:
Members: free.     Non-members: $7.

Payment:
To avoid handling cash, non-members are required to pre-pay their booking fee.
You can pay by Paypal. If you are not a Paypal member, you can use Paypal to pay by credit or debit card.

Cancellation:
If you need to cancel, please advise the leader as soon as possible, so that someone else has the opportunity.
There will be no refunds, so please do not book unless you are fully committed to walking.

 

What to bring

• Day pack
• At least 2 litres of water. There are no places to refill your water bottle on this walk.
• Lunch and morning tea/snacks
• Personal First Aid Kit
• Hat, sun screen
• Suitable outdoor clothing (no jeans/sneakers!)
• Rain jacket & warm jacket/jumper
• Proper walking shoes/boots
• Hand Sanitiser
• Thermos for hot drinks (optional)
• Camera (optional)

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

 

Safety and Ambulance Insurance

We strongly recommend that you have Ambulance cover. If conditions are hazardous, the walk may be cancelled. If any doubts at all, check your emails the night before and the morning of the event. For more details refer to Joining a walk and your safety

If you are Covid-19 positive, have any Covid-19 symptoms or are a contact of someone with Covid-19, please follow the instructions in the Coronavirus Victoria website.

 

Still have questions?

Check out What happens on a walk.

Check out Day walks and social activities.

Contact the leader using the “Enquiry” button.

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