Grampians: Gar Trailhead to Borough Huts

Expired

Trip Overview

Join us for a challenging 3-day (57 km) hike in the Grampians starting at the Gar Trailhead and finishing at Borough Huts.

Grampians Peaks Trail

Camping

We will be camping at Werdug (13 Sep) and Bugiga (14 Sep) Campgrounds. After your booking is approved by the leader please book your own campsite at the Park Victoria website https://bookings.parks.vic.gov.au/gpt-interactive-map-booker.

Itinerary and Walk Descriptions

Distance: 57 km
Elevation gain: 2,401 m

We will be starting at 7 am on Friday, 13 September, so it will be best if people arrive the night before. Unfortunately because of the long first day we will be unable to wait for latecomers. The night before we will agree on a car shuffle leaving some cars at the end of our walk, which is 36 km and a 37 minute drive from the start.

Day 1 (Fri, 13 Sep) – Gar Trailhead to Werdug (23 km)

Along the rugged, rocky adventure we’ll experience steep climbs and panoramic views including the seasonal waterfalls of Gar. As the trail zig zags upwards, uninterrupted views to the north are revealed. We will climb through stunted eucalyptus forest, past boulders and over rocky slabs on the edge of the Mount Difficult escarpment taking in views over nearby mountains, Wartook Valley, Asses Ears, and the Black Range (Burrunj). The Gar Hike-in Campground is perched on a spectacular cliff top high above the valley below before taking a side trip to the rocky summit of Mount Difficult (Gar). We then traverse south towards Lake Wartook along rocky ridgelines. The trail rises and falls over highpoints and through mountain saddles, before finishing on a high knoll at Werdug Campground. The campground provides views over Lake Wartook and across the Mount Difficult Range.

Day 2 (Sat, 14 Sep) – Werdug to Bugiga (20 km)

Steady climb to Lake Wartook Lookout for spectacular views, enjoying the sweeping views to the North, west and southern of Gariwerd. To the west is Lake Wartook with Bear Island in the middle, the western Mount Difficult Range, Asses Ears and the Black Range (Burrunj) in the far distance. To the south, Mount William (Duwul) dominates the skyline, curving from The Sentinel at the northern tip around to the highest mountains in the park – Redman Bluff and including Mount William (Duwul) and the Major Mitchell Plateau massif. Leaving the Lake Wartook lookout, we descend passing rocky outcrops through lower vegetation with the last views over the Mount Difficult Range. Leaving the dry and rocky northern Grampians and moving onto the wetter eastern slopes, the trail gently descends through a canopy dominated by Messmate and Brown Stringybark with an open understorey featuring ferns, grasses, wattles and tea trees. Take a short side trip to Chatauqua Peak (Bim) before descending through tall forest, rich with birdlife and wildflowers, to Halls Gap. This section of the walk involves stone staircases and footbridge crossings, following along Stony Creek towards the summit of The Pinnacle. There are impressive views from the Pinnacle all the way to Lake View Lookout. We then wind our way to Bugiga Campground.

Day 3 (Sun, 15 Sep) – Bugiga to Borough Huts (14 km)

Leaving Bugiga Hike-in Campground, you will start the steady climb through tall forest towards Mount Rosea, the most northern peak in the Serra Range. The cliffs on Mount Rosea are some of the highest on the trail. With a long descent that features a series of steep and windy steps to Borough Huts

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.

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 (that is, in the past few months) to give the leader confidence that you are capable of doing this hike. 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: $12.

Payment:
To avoid handling cash, non-members are required to pre-pay their booking fee by PayPal or credit/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

• All the equipment, clothing, food and water you will need for the walks and overnight stays (refer Trip details 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.

Emergency Club Contact

The emergency club contact for this walk is Ken. The leader can provide you with the contact’s phone number, if you wish to pass this on to any friend/family member who may be concerned if you return late.

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 Weekend and extended walks.

Contact the leader using the “Enquiry” button.

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