The Grampians -

A Hike Up Mount Difficult

For those who are unfamiliar with Australia's Grampians Mountain Range in Victoria, this is a spectacular part of the world. In this story, I take on Mount Difficult (Aboriginal Name is Mount Gar) which is a strenuous, challenging and rewarding overnight trek. I hope I can inspire you to lace up your hiking boots and see this amazing place.

- David B, Editor, Champ Magazine.

Planning the Hike

Inspired by legendary walker, hiker and outdoorsman Tyrone T. Thomas and his book "120 Walks in Victoria", my brother and I decided to do a trek in the Grampians. I had never visited this very Australian and iconic Victorian mountain region and National Park and we settled on what looked like a short but challenging hike up to the peak of Mount Difficult. The plan was hatched, dates set and equipment pooled to prepare adequately for this little adventure.

Safety First

Every hiker has to make their own decision on going for a hike, at their own risk. If you take on this hike, think very carefully about your water situation and environmental factors. Check the weather, talk to the Ranger and prepare yourself for the external factors that could influence your situation. In Australia, trekking in hotter months can be quite dangerous and the Australian bush is the least forgiving of terrains.

4 litres per day to drink and cook is the minimum to survive Australia's hot, dry conditions. As such, a two-day hike requires around 8 litres of water and could be a mix of water brought along or sourced on the hike. This does not factor in water in case of emergency.You will have to make your own decisions on how much water you need.

Being experienced, seasoned hikers, my brother and I often take a minimal quantity of water to improve weight and increase mobility. Much water is sourced on the hike, to maintain a light weight. This is not advised for readers. There are mountain streams and water sources on this hike, however, they may be seasonal (running or dry) or tainted, despite the best of plans. Again, talk to the Ranger and seek their advice on the conditions and make your own decision as to how much you need.

The Drive and Getting to the Track-head

We drove 3 hours from Melbourne to the Grampians via Ballarat. Again, this was a new road for me to travel and I was excited at the prospect of a new destination. All was prepared and gear was in order - all we had to do was drive there and get our boots on!.

It was a great tourist route from Melbourne through to Ballarat and then through to the Grampians. The terrain goes from fairly flat, stuggling grazing lands from Werribee and Melbourne's outskirts to lovely, greener hilly terrain toward Ballarat with its picturesque lake district (suffering at very low water levels due to drought) and stately heritage buildings. We pressed on after a short stop, onward to the Grampians!

Off the highway, the drive into the Grampians National Park was on a dirt road that was serviceable and adequate.Briggs Bluff is visible in the distance and is an inspirational view that got us all excited and energised for the trek ahead of us. A short drive of less than half an hour from the highway, we had arrived at the Beehive Falls Carpark and Track-head where we would embark on this little adventure. We were on the Roses Gap side, supposed to be the more difficult side to ascend from.

Pre-Hike Stocktake of Gear

We ran a check of the important items to us and found we had everything we needed. The list on the right are some of the items that I found were important to me, I advise each hiker has their own list with the gear they need. My list was quickly checked off and we drank a litre of water each before starting the hike. Our packs weighed in at just over 20kg and I am a fit, healthy man with no injuries or health issues - that should be noted. I would not suggest doing this hike if you are unwell, unfit or cannot carry a pack of this order. Check yourself out with a doctor to be sure. On the other hand, even the most hardy and robust would struggle with this trek if the pack was in the order of 30kg - get your gear right or you could face exhaustion, injury and dehydration. With everything prepared, we were away.

Carpark to Beehive Falls

The trek on the well marked trail from the carpark to Beehive Falls was a great warm up with some great scenery. The greenery, despite the drought, was a nice change, a running stream and the wildflowers in Spring-time bloom just made it.

On the way to Beehive Falls I spied wildflowers and this lone bee - I suspect it is from the infamous "beehive" at the Falls, loading up on nectar.

The Mount Difficult hike's Briggs Bluff loomed in the background, beckoning us to the challenge as we meandered up to Beehive Falls.

Beehive Falls

We made it to Beehive Falls within an hour of departing the carpark. This was a really lovely place - a spring-fed waterfall in the drought is even more spectacular for us Australians. We stopped for a brief break to take in the scenery, take a few sips of water and eat some trail mix before a steady climb. Stop and enjoy this spot - beautiful.

Onward to Briggs Bluff

The path leads upward from Beehive Falls toward Brigg's Bluff. It is craggy, steep and, to be frank, a little treacherous. So be careful! As you trek upward, the terrain begins to change at becomes more of an alien mountainous landscape. Exposed, rugged but beautiful.

It was sweaty, hot, hard work under the Australian sun but welcome exercise and beautiful fresh mountain air. The trail is well-marked with red arrows painted on rock at key intervals and more frequent cairns (piles of rocks) which I always add to in good hiking tradition. While a grind getting up to the saddle of this range, what we passed and enjoyed on the way made it an enjoyable experience. As you climb higher, you get a more accurate view of what the Grampians is all about. We took a brief break for water and a snack to set off for Briggs Bluff.

The trek was steady, hard and a nice respectable challenge. This was no easy trek but a capable and experienced hiker should find this journey managable.

Some low-lying cloud coming in over the highest point on the saddle - what a spectacular day for hiking! The depth of this shot is quite deceptive but it gives the contrast of the blue sky, white spectral clouds and the raw, rugged terrain.

Onward to Briggs Bluff - Continued

After a significant ascent you reach the saddle of the mountain range. This saddle enables you to access the Briggs Bluff vantage point. Getting there does take a while so do not be perterbed by the long, rock-hopping journey in getting there.While quite desolate, this place has a rugged beauty that is unique to Australia. We chose to ditch our packs at the base of the Bluff and go more comfortably for the summit. A little excitement before getting to the bluff was added to with the faint sound of running water. We made sure we had our bearings before going off track to get to the fast-flowing spring near the Bluff. We check the water first before filling up our canteens. The water was tainted by the thick tea-tree scrub, however, we chose to keep it for boiling / cooking purposes. This was shaping up to be a great day and hike. How could Mount Difficult top this view and great time we were having? Easy, you'll soon see. We rock-hopped like mountain goats up to the end of Brigg's Bluff, with a careful look over the edge. This place was spectacular!

On from Brigg's Bluff, there is a nearby, desingated camping area as you head toward Mount Difficult. We had planned to stop at a designated camp site at the base of Mount Difficult, so we trekked onward. Again, the trail was reasonably well marked, with painted arrows and cairns to follow. The rain was beginning to come in and predicted it would continue for at least the next hour or so. We stopped to drink, get on our waterproof shells/rain jackets and have a quite bite to eat. It was entirely pleasant except for the slippery surfaces on the racks and slabs of geology which we would have to climb, rock-hop and walk over. With only some minor slipping and sliding and good conversation, we emerged up a ridgeline to see Mount Difficult itself, the pinnacle marked by both cairn and trig-point.

mount Difficult's summit just crept up on us! A welcome site for us, because at its base, was our site to camp for the night and get ready for the ascent in the morning. Marched on in and found a great spot to pitch the tent - we had arrived for our home for the night. Nothing like rolling into camp tired and ready for a cup of tea to remind you that life is more enjoyable with a little hardship.

We were ready to have that cup of tea and a snack and relax for the evening. It just was not going to happen. The summit of Mount Difficult was just there and we had enough time to get up there and watch the sunset. We almost ran to the top from the campsite, excited and pumped after a great day. Without gear and sans camera, you'll just have to take my word for it that sunset is just as nice as the dawn.

Back at the camp we ate well, firing up the Trangia, the smell of Teriyaki Beef soon lifted us up and brought some peace to a yearning stomach. Food was on the way. We finished dinner chatting about the day and planning our next phase of the hike. A pudding and cup of tea followed and we headed for the shelter of the tent. All I can say is that I am glad I packed my thermals - it got very cold up on Mount Difficult. The Australian Alps are very changeable, one minute it is hot, humid and sweaty, the next it is freezing with high wind and wind-chill biting to the bone.

The morning routine was simple: get up, grab some water and something to munch, get warm gear on and get up to the summit! We were not disappointed.

Loaded up and kitted out - we embark on our hike up Mount Difficult along the track to Beehive Falls.

The base of Briggs Bluff down to the falls. At the bottom-right of the picture, the oxidised, iron-rich rock is a clear giveaway to the presence of water. You can also see the transition from bushland to rugged mountain terrain.

The oxide trail of former waterfalls does indicate an impact of the drought and possible climate change.

We trekked onward and upward through the rugged terrain. Note the transition from bush to scrub then mountain steppes in such a short distance.

The view of the Grampians National Park from Brigg's Bluff. You can see the dirt road which brought us to Beehive Falls as a thin scar across the landscape.

The weather began to degenerate to rain up at Brigg's Bluff. It is certainly welcome in this part of the world, despite any discomfort while trekking. I had that feeling of being watched - a glider! This mechanical bird reminds me of the Raven that soared past in the Grand Canyon article in the last edition of Champ. It did a fly-by with a "whoosh" of air under its wings. We gave a salute and a wave and set off for the base of Mount Difficult.

Almost there - on the way up I took this shot of spectacular Lake Wartook. This scene is quite reminiscent of the Lakes and Mountains in Tasmania.

We made it! The Summit of Mount Difficult! It was truly a magical view from this peak. I added a stone to the top of the cairn to make my mark. Conquered! It was well worth the effort and the second great view on this journey.

We returned to camp after enjoying the view and had a cup tea, savouring the success and enjoyment of this trek. We had a way to walk yet and we had plenty of time to be meticulous with packing our gear getting ourselves in order.

We set off on the descent with a good mood among us and the need to top up our water situation. We had planned to make it to Trooper's Creek with the water we had but any on the way would have been helpful and keep us more than well hydrated.

The were a number of awkward crawls and rock formations to scramble through as we pressed on down the track towards an audible water course. Note the rock arch in the photo above. This is pretty rugged territory.

We found a significant rush of mountain spring water that was awkward and difficult to get to. It was clear and clean and with a couple of Pura Tabs, would be ready for drinking in a few hours.

We pressed on and with some good conversation, snacking on trail mix and a quick pace, we were seeing Mount Difficult as a distant feature - very close to the Trooper's Creek campsite where our journey would end.

It is always a sad thing to finish an adventure, especially one you enjoy so much. This was one of the best overnight hikes I have ever done, in Australia or overseas. It was great on the way up, spectacular in the views and scenery we were afforded and satisfying in its finish. We were at Trooper's Creek and at the end of the road

This hike was one of my favourite overnighters. It is aptly named - difficult physically and navigationally though. While my brother and I had no problems direction-finding or physically, I must remind readers we are experienced hikers, trekkers and mountaineers. Others have come to grief, become lost and have had to back-track to find their bearings. One experienced Melbournian trekker has highlighted some difficulties on his website - take care but get out there and enjoy the challenge of Mount Difficult!

- David B, Editor, Champ Magazine

We were off to a good start, descending toward Trooper's Creek. The geology of this place was pretty impressive. Nature's artistry was everywhere and was a great little bonus to what we had already seen.

An impressive rockface leading up to the Mount Difficult Range. More oxide runs - water hadn't come down this way in a while. Global warming or the Australian drought?