NEAR THE SOUTHWESTERN CORNER of Victoria’s sprawling but beautiful Alpine National Park lies some of Australia’s wildest and most beautiful country. Cragged peaks thrust towards the sky; alpine grasslands spread across high plateaus; and forests of gnarled snow gum shrawl the higher hills. In the valleys, meanwhile, there are forests of towering mountain ash and rushing rivers.
This three-day loop takes in a spectacular part of the region. Starting from the Jamieson River, you climb the Bluff—a serrated peak that punctures the horizon south of Mt Bulller—before heading across to a string of peaks including the King Billies, Mt Clear, Square Top, High Cone and the Nobs. And they’re just the peaks you actually climb; there are views across deep valleys to dozens more stunning peaks, including Mt Buller, Mt Magdala, Mt Speculation, Mt Buggery and the Crosscut Saw. The vistas here are simply superb.
And so are the sunsets. As rugged as the country is, many of the peaks here have summits that are capped by mini plateaus; camping on high here is not just feasible but easy, making access to dramatic spots for sunset viewing uncomplicated.
While it’s far from unknown country, it’s far from busy either; you can expect to have long stints on your own and to encounter few other parties, which is surprising given the quality of the walking here. Throw in the fact that on the loop there are two historic, character-filled cattlemens’ huts in the form of Bluff Hut and Lovicks Hut, and that a sizeable portion of the walk is on the iconic AAWT, and you have one of the best three-day loops you’ll find anywhere in Australia.
WHEN TO GO
Unless you own snowshoes, winter and early spring—when a heavy snowpack covers most of the route—are out. And late summer and early autumn, when water is difficult to source, aren’t ideal either. The best time is October to mid-January, although this is entirely dependent on how soon the winter snows melt, and how quickly water dries up in the summer heat. (See ‘Access to Water’ section.)
GETTING THERE
Cars are the only option for access. Drive to Mansfield and onto Merrijig; a few kilometres on, look for the Howqua Track turn off to the right. Even though it’s only just over 40km from here to the starting
