You gotta know when to fold ‘em – an introduction to alpine camping…

It was cold and wet but we were completely surprised, it was the Victorian High Country afterall. The hot showers at Ardern’s Caravan Park in Myrtleford provided fantastic temporary relief from the conditions outside. It was anticipated that this could well be the last of the urban luxuries for a while and every second under that steaming hot water was treated accordingly.

The trip to this point had been a bit of a blur. We made the 1400 kilometre trek from Brisbane over the preceding 48hrs. The Newell Highway was our passage of choice and it was a comfortable if not leisurely run down. Initially to Parkes before moving on to Myrtleford, this was our gateway to the Victorian High Country. Ardern’s was a great place to stop for the night and our arrival at 2pm afforded us plenty of time to pick up last minute groceries and perform vehicle checks etc.

Setting off around 9.30am the day ahead would see us climb 1500 metres to visit Craig’s Hut. An intermediate stop at Lake Cobbler followed by a night camped in the general vicinity would close out day 1. The short term forecast was for cold weather, showers and possibly a light dusting of snow. Having left behind the heat and humidity of South-east Queensland the impending weather provided an air of excitement rather than disappointment.

We followed the Buffalo River past Lake Buffalo and all the way to the foot of the Victorian High Country. With no experience of the area to draw upon, we placed our faith in the various Hema products. The Explorer App, HN7 and paper maps were all packed specifically to find us safe passage over the next 7 days.

Worseldine Track would provide our first Victorian High Country four wheel driving experience. After lowering the tyre pressures to 25psi we pointed the cars at the sky and took off! Despite inclement weather the track was not short of grip and the vehicles moved along with a limited amount of fuss. The confidence taken from knowing that a track can stand up to a fair amount of wet weather cannot be overstated.

Pulling into Lake Cobbler we were provided with our first real “High Country” moment. A heavy mist slowly engulfed the lake before our very eyes. Strikingly eerie, the mist slowly rolled past the handful of dead trees protruding from the water. It is these types of sights that are synonymous with the region. As one would expect, a sight more amazing in person than print.

From Lake Cobbler the driving became slightly more technical the higher we climbed. The Staircase and Speculation Rd being prime examples. The going had been slow most of the day and with light fading we climbed the last couple of hundred metres to Craig’s Hut. Initially through light rain, then sleet and finally proper snow. The prevailing weather cruelled any chance of a view out to the surrounding ridgelines but the Hut itself was no less a feature because of it. Despite being one of the more over-exposed areas within the Victorian High Country it’s a special place that is difficult to leave.

The snow continued to fall and what originally had our attention for its novelty value was becoming somewhat concerning. The fading light increased the urgency of finding a sheltered area to bunker down for the night. An area off to the leeward side of the track between Craig’s Hut and Mt. Stirling was quickly settled upon. With limited fuss tents, swags and awnings were deployed. The snow continued to fall hard for the next few hours and for a bunch of travellers used to the islands and sub-tropical areas of South-east Queensland, the amount of snow fall was scarcely believable. It was quite a battle to keep tents and awnings from buckling under the weight of the accumulating snow. In the end the Oztent gear stood strong and true.

Surveying the scene next morning it was astonishing the amount of snow that fell through the night. With the weather seemingly set in and gear soaked inside and out the decision was taken to hit Mt Buller Village. A weather update and a decent cup of coffee was exactly what the doctor ordered!

By the time we hit Mt. Buller, the snow was ankle deep on the ground. We located a coffee shop in the Village and were left feeling a little indifferent after being told that the weather as we had known it overnight would continue for the next 36hrs. With clothing, equipment and the insides of vehicles wet the decision was taken to spend the night at the nearby town of Mansfield. The weather in Mansfield was at polar opposites to that encountered on the mountain. A beautiful sunny afternoon was just what this bunch of wet travellers needed to dry out clothing and equipment ready for another crack at it in the morning. Sometimes you gotta know when to fold ‘em!

A hastily convened meeting saw a new route plotted to re-position and re-purpose our trip. As the sun crept over the peaks of the nearby Victorian High Country it was time to get back amongst it. With dry boots and a fresh coffee in hand it was off to Bluff Hut via the Howqua Hills. A big day in the saddle would see us almost re-join our original trip target by end of day.

Blessed with magic conditions for the resumption of our trip the views from Bluff Track to Mt Buller were amazing. Withering snow gums surrounded by ground covered with brilliant green foliage. The last remnants of patchy snow un-melted from the previous night all made for an interesting contrast. While camping in the snow was something I would never trade it was the  events of this particular day that I had travelled so far to experience.

From the Bluff Track it was on to King Billy and Zeka Spur Tracks before dropping into the Wonnangatta Valley. Over the course of the days’ 120km we saw steep ascents and descents. Tight switchbacks, erosion gullies and technical rock steps were commonplace . The Wonnangatta Valley is one of the better campsites I have been privileged with staying across my offroad travelling career. In the context of 8 solid hours spent in the saddle navigating tight low speed tracks all day, to roll into the wide open expanse that is the Wonnangatta Valley was a truly amazing sight.

We embraced our first opportunity to be under the stars. The day was celebrated with a few quiet drinks around a good size campfire.