Mount Bogong
Encyclopedia
Mount Bogong (ˈboʊɡɒŋ), located in the Alpine National Park
, is the highest mountain in Victoria
, Australia
. The Big River
separates the massif of the mountain from the Bogong High Plains
to the south. "Bogong" in the local Aboriginal language means bigfella. From the nearby town of Mount Beauty to its summit, Mount Bogong rises more than 1600 metres (5,249.3 ft), thus making it one of the highest peaks in Australia not only in terms of its elevation above sea level, but also in terms of actual base-to-summit prominence.
Mount Bogong is a popular backcountry skiing
mountain through winter but only has snow for the mid winter-spring months. It is around 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) by road and walking track or 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) direct to Mount Beauty. Falls Creek
& Mount Hotham
ski resort
s are also nearby. Camping is relatively safe below the treeline but the summit ridgeline is very exposed.
Emergency shelter is also available at Bivouac Hut on the Staircase Spur, and at Cleve Cole, above Camp Creek on the broad ridge to the south of the summit, and Michell's Hut on the Eskdale Spur.
) to an altitude of about 1300 metres (4,265.1 ft). From 1300 metres (4,265.1 ft) to 1800 metres (5,905.5 ft), woodland and open woodland of Snow Gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora
) dominate, and above 1800 metres (5,905.5 ft), the vegetation consists of alpine shrubland
, grassland
and herbfield
.
Much of the mountain, especially the northern side, was badly burnt in the 2003 Eastern Victorian alpine bushfires
.
According to Indigenous historian Eddie Kneebone, "the Yiatmathong (people) controlled the Kiewa and Mitta Mitta Valleys, they also
had control of the Alpine region on the Victorian side. Their southern most boundary extended to Hotham and ran along the highest ridge line of the Alps in an east-west direction. Because Mount Bogong fell within the Yiatmathong territory, permission had to be
gained from them by the other tribes participating in the summer feast. Once this was done, the tribes would spend summer in the cooler climate of the mountains feasting on the protein rich Bogong moth".(,)
According to Kneebone, prior to climbing Mount Bogong and the Bogong High Plains, the tribes would gather by the Murray River at Mungabarreena (near modern Albury). After ceremonies, initiations, marriages, trading, settling of disputes, and renewing of alliances and friendships, the groups would walk from Albury to the mountain region to feed on the protein-rich Bogong Moths.
Following European settlement, Indigenous groups were decimated and survivors were placed onto settlements, often far from the traditional lands. Indigenous visitation to Mount Bogong is generally understood to have finished by the mid 19th century. While there was cattle grazing for some time, it was the walkers and then skiers who became the next group to visit the mountain in large numbers.
In August 1936 Mick Hull, Howard Michell and Cleve Cole attempted the first winter crossing of the Bogong High Plains. The group became lost in blizzard conditions and Cole died of hypothermia soon after he and Mick Hull were discovered by a rescue party raised by Michell. Cole was buried on 22 August at the Cheltenham Pioneer Cemetery. The hut commemorating Cole's life was completed in 1938, and has served as the hub of back-country skiing and bushwalking exploration of the Bogong area since. Accommodation at the hut is free on a first-in-first-served basis, although donations to The Bogong Club are welcomed. Parks Victoria
advises skiers and walkers to carry an alpine-capable tent, and not to rely on accommodation in the huts.
Cole's death illustrates the danger of Mount Bogong and of the Victorian Alps in general. The mountains are geologically old and worn. Their low altitude and flattish, rounded tops make for easy skiing and walking, but descent of their steep sides in whiteout conditions can be perilous.
The two main walking trails lead to the summit. The Staircase and Eskdale Spur both begin at Mountain Creek Picnic Ground. A 4WD fire trail (closed during winter) connects these two trails at the base of the mountain. Both trails are of moderate difficulty. The Staircase is a 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) return trip, normally taking 6–9 hours return, while the Eskdale Spur is a 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) return trip, normally taking 8–11 hours return.
The Staircase Spur may be one of the most difficult tracks you ever walk due to its steep slopes. From the base of the staircase it is 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) to the summit. Halfway up the staircase is Bivouac Hut which sits about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from the summit on a little flat section, it offers emergency refuge, camp sites and a resting spot before heading to the summit.
The Eskdale spur may provide a slightly easier option up to the summit of Bogong if you have a 4wd, although if you walk up from Mountain Creek, it is just a longer way to do the same ascent. With a 4wd you can drive from the bottom of the Staircase Spur at Mountain Creek, through to Camp Creek Gap, from where it is about 2.5hrs walk to the summit of Bogong, and this is the easiest winter access, although occasionally the 4wd track is covered with snow.
Just over half way up the Eskdale Spur is Michell Hut which burnt down during the 2003 bush fires but was later rebuilt. Michell Hut provides emergency refuge, toilet, camp sites and a resting area before the final climb up to where the Eskdale meets Granite Flat Spur at the treeline, where there is also a good, but exposed campsite
Granite Flat Spur also provides access to the summit. It can be accessed by 4wd either from Eskdale, or by continuing on from Camp Creek Gap around the 4wd track, which is only possible outside of winter. An hour beyond Camp Creek Gap by 4wd will get you to the end of the 4wd track, from which it takes about 1.5hrs walk to the summit (ie it is no quicker than walking up the Eskdale, but you walk less, and drive further).
Above the treeline, both the Staircase and Eskdale Spurs are very exposed, particularly in winter, and they may "ice up" after about 4pm in the afternoon, making progress dangerous.
----
The name is also given to:
Alpine National Park
The Alpine National Park is a national park in Victoria , northeast of Melbourne. It covers much of the higher areas of the Great Dividing Range in Victoria, including Victoria's highest point, Mount Bogong and the associated subalpine woodland and grassland of the Bogong High Plains...
, is the highest mountain in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The Big River
Big River (Victoria)
The Big River is a river of Gippsland in eastern Victoria, Australia. It flows from the northern slopes of Falls Creek in the Australian Alps, joining with the Cobungra River near Anglers Rest to form the Mitta Mitta River.-Course:...
separates the massif of the mountain from the Bogong High Plains
Bogong High Plains
The Bogong High Plains are a section of the Alpine National Park in the Australian state of Victoria and are situated south of Mount Bogong. This area forms part of Australia's Great Dividing Range and in winter is one of the largest snow covered areas in the country. It can be easily accessed from...
to the south. "Bogong" in the local Aboriginal language means bigfella. From the nearby town of Mount Beauty to its summit, Mount Bogong rises more than 1600 metres (5,249.3 ft), thus making it one of the highest peaks in Australia not only in terms of its elevation above sea level, but also in terms of actual base-to-summit prominence.
Mount Bogong is a popular backcountry skiing
Backcountry skiing
Backcountry skiing is skiing in a sparsely inhabited rural region over ungroomed and unmarked slopes or pistes, including skiing in unmarked or unpatrolled areas either within the ski resort's boundaries or in the backcountry, frequently amongst trees , usually in pursuit of fresh fallen powder...
mountain through winter but only has snow for the mid winter-spring months. It is around 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) by road and walking track or 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) direct to Mount Beauty. Falls Creek
Falls Creek, Victoria
Falls Creek is a ski-in, ski-out ski resort in north-eastern Victoria, Australia. It is located about 350 kilometres by road from Melbourne in the Alpine National Park, with the nearest town Mount Beauty, approximately 30 kilometres away. The resort lies between an altitude of 1,210 and 1,830...
& Mount Hotham
Mount Hotham
Mount Hotham is a mountain in Victoria, Australia. It is home to Hotham Alpine Resort. The mountain is located approximately north east of Melbourne, from Sydney, and from Adelaide by road. Mt Hotham's summit rises to an altitude of above sea level...
ski resort
Ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
s are also nearby. Camping is relatively safe below the treeline but the summit ridgeline is very exposed.
Emergency shelter is also available at Bivouac Hut on the Staircase Spur, and at Cleve Cole, above Camp Creek on the broad ridge to the south of the summit, and Michell's Hut on the Eskdale Spur.
Vegetation
The lower slopes of Mount Bogong are covered with tall forests of Alpine Ash (Eucalyptus delegatensisEucalyptus delegatensis
Eucalyptus delegatensis, commonly known as Alpine Ash or Gum-topped stringybark or White-top, is a sub-alpine or temperate tree of southeastern Australia. A straight, grey-trunked tree, it reaches heights of over 90 metres in suitable conditions. The tallest currently known specimen is located in...
) to an altitude of about 1300 metres (4,265.1 ft). From 1300 metres (4,265.1 ft) to 1800 metres (5,905.5 ft), woodland and open woodland of Snow Gum (Eucalyptus pauciflora
Eucalyptus pauciflora
The Snow Gum is a small tree or large shrub native to eastern Australia.-Habitat:It is usually found in the subalpine habitats of eastern Australia. Snow Gums also grow in lowland habitats where they can reach heights of up to 20 metres. Lowland Snow Gum is sometimes known as White Sallee, Cabbage...
) dominate, and above 1800 metres (5,905.5 ft), the vegetation consists of alpine shrubland
Shrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub or brush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity...
, grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
and herbfield
Herbfield
Herbfields are plant communities dominated by herbaceous plants, especially forbs and grasses. They are found where climatic conditions do not allow large woody plants to grow, such as in subantarctic and alpine tundra environments...
.
Much of the mountain, especially the northern side, was badly burnt in the 2003 Eastern Victorian alpine bushfires
2003 Eastern Victorian alpine bushfires
The Eastern Victorian alpine bushfires, also known as the Great Divide Fire Complex, started with eighty seven fires that were started by lightning in the north east of Victoria on 8 January 2003...
.
History
This impressive mountain towers above the Valley of the Kiewa River and was of great significance to local traditional owner groups. As noted by Parks Victoria, "Many Aboriginal people have a remarkably rich history of Aboriginal use in the Victorian Alps and a vast knowledge of the cultural sites, oral history and ancestral stories that relate to the alpine region of Victoria. Throughout the many seasons each year, Aboriginal groups would come from as far away as the coast and south west slopes, to meet with the tribes of the mountains for intertribal ceremonies and feasting on Bogong Moths. During these festivities they would exchange cultural objects and materials for tools".According to Indigenous historian Eddie Kneebone, "the Yiatmathong (people) controlled the Kiewa and Mitta Mitta Valleys, they also
had control of the Alpine region on the Victorian side. Their southern most boundary extended to Hotham and ran along the highest ridge line of the Alps in an east-west direction. Because Mount Bogong fell within the Yiatmathong territory, permission had to be
gained from them by the other tribes participating in the summer feast. Once this was done, the tribes would spend summer in the cooler climate of the mountains feasting on the protein rich Bogong moth".(,)
According to Kneebone, prior to climbing Mount Bogong and the Bogong High Plains, the tribes would gather by the Murray River at Mungabarreena (near modern Albury). After ceremonies, initiations, marriages, trading, settling of disputes, and renewing of alliances and friendships, the groups would walk from Albury to the mountain region to feed on the protein-rich Bogong Moths.
Following European settlement, Indigenous groups were decimated and survivors were placed onto settlements, often far from the traditional lands. Indigenous visitation to Mount Bogong is generally understood to have finished by the mid 19th century. While there was cattle grazing for some time, it was the walkers and then skiers who became the next group to visit the mountain in large numbers.
In August 1936 Mick Hull, Howard Michell and Cleve Cole attempted the first winter crossing of the Bogong High Plains. The group became lost in blizzard conditions and Cole died of hypothermia soon after he and Mick Hull were discovered by a rescue party raised by Michell. Cole was buried on 22 August at the Cheltenham Pioneer Cemetery. The hut commemorating Cole's life was completed in 1938, and has served as the hub of back-country skiing and bushwalking exploration of the Bogong area since. Accommodation at the hut is free on a first-in-first-served basis, although donations to The Bogong Club are welcomed. Parks Victoria
Parks Victoria
-Department:Parks Victoria was established in December 1996 as a statutory authority, reporting to the Minister for Environment and Climate Change. The Parks Victoria Act 1998 makes Parks Victoria responsible for managing national parks, reserves and other land under the control of the state,...
advises skiers and walkers to carry an alpine-capable tent, and not to rely on accommodation in the huts.
Cole's death illustrates the danger of Mount Bogong and of the Victorian Alps in general. The mountains are geologically old and worn. Their low altitude and flattish, rounded tops make for easy skiing and walking, but descent of their steep sides in whiteout conditions can be perilous.
Ascent routes
There are many routes up Mount Bogong for hikers, including (clockwise from north west) Staircase Spur, Eskdale Spur, Granite Flat Spur, Long Spur, Duane Spur, and Quartz Ridge. All involve a climb of more than 600 metres (1,968.5 ft) from the saddle or creek at the base of these spurs.The two main walking trails lead to the summit. The Staircase and Eskdale Spur both begin at Mountain Creek Picnic Ground. A 4WD fire trail (closed during winter) connects these two trails at the base of the mountain. Both trails are of moderate difficulty. The Staircase is a 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) return trip, normally taking 6–9 hours return, while the Eskdale Spur is a 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) return trip, normally taking 8–11 hours return.
The Staircase Spur may be one of the most difficult tracks you ever walk due to its steep slopes. From the base of the staircase it is 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) to the summit. Halfway up the staircase is Bivouac Hut which sits about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) from the summit on a little flat section, it offers emergency refuge, camp sites and a resting spot before heading to the summit.
The Eskdale spur may provide a slightly easier option up to the summit of Bogong if you have a 4wd, although if you walk up from Mountain Creek, it is just a longer way to do the same ascent. With a 4wd you can drive from the bottom of the Staircase Spur at Mountain Creek, through to Camp Creek Gap, from where it is about 2.5hrs walk to the summit of Bogong, and this is the easiest winter access, although occasionally the 4wd track is covered with snow.
Just over half way up the Eskdale Spur is Michell Hut which burnt down during the 2003 bush fires but was later rebuilt. Michell Hut provides emergency refuge, toilet, camp sites and a resting area before the final climb up to where the Eskdale meets Granite Flat Spur at the treeline, where there is also a good, but exposed campsite
Granite Flat Spur also provides access to the summit. It can be accessed by 4wd either from Eskdale, or by continuing on from Camp Creek Gap around the 4wd track, which is only possible outside of winter. An hour beyond Camp Creek Gap by 4wd will get you to the end of the 4wd track, from which it takes about 1.5hrs walk to the summit (ie it is no quicker than walking up the Eskdale, but you walk less, and drive further).
Above the treeline, both the Staircase and Eskdale Spurs are very exposed, particularly in winter, and they may "ice up" after about 4pm in the afternoon, making progress dangerous.
----
The name is also given to:
- the Bogong High PlainsBogong High PlainsThe Bogong High Plains are a section of the Alpine National Park in the Australian state of Victoria and are situated south of Mount Bogong. This area forms part of Australia's Great Dividing Range and in winter is one of the largest snow covered areas in the country. It can be easily accessed from...
- the Bogong MothBogong mothThe Bogong moth is a temperate species of night-flying moth notable for appearing in large numbers around major public buildings in Canberra, the capital city of Australia, during spring as it migrates to the High Plains. The moth's name 'Bogong' is the same as the mountain ranges on the High...
- the Victorian Department of Education and Training's secondary-level Bogong Outdoor Education Centre at Bogong Village (at 700 m ASL, on Lake Guy) on the road between Mount Beauty and Falls Creek (and not to be confused with the nearby YMCAYMCAThe Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
Howmans Gap Alpine Centre).