Deep Creek to Troopers Creek via Briggs Bluff, Grampians National Park - September 2012

I enjoyed the view over the Wimmera Plains whilst having breakfast.

I woke up to a frozen tent this morning however the blue skies held the promise of a beautiful day ahead. Breakfast was consumed back up on my rocky kitchen, occasionally interrupted whilst I scrambled around taking in the view of the fog rising from the Wimmera Plains below. After breakfast it was time to pack up my thawing tent and get on my way towards the first goal of the day which was to climb Briggs Bluff. From Deep Creek that meant I climbed over, or in some cases through a few more rocky ridges before meeting the track that headed back to Mt Difficult. 

I was making my way through this rocky country on the Boroka Track again this morning.

While there were no massive climbs today there was a lot of short and sharp descents and ascents.

Stashing my pack in some handy bushes at the track junction I loaded up my day pack with the essentials for the side trip to Briggs Bluff and Beehive Falls. Straight after leaving the track junction the track headed down through a bluff via a sloping slot which required the use of hands to negotiate. I then crossed Mud Hut Creek which was the main camping spot in the area although I was glad I didn't camp here last night as the creek didn't have much of a flow. From the camping area I climbed another rocky ridge to another track junction, here I took the right hand route towards Briggs Bluff. The Briggs Bluff Track follows long rocky ribs and I had to keep an eye out for wear marks and the occasional cairn. About fifteen minutes after crossing Mud Hut Creek in the camping area, I crossed it again on the track to Briggs Bluff, there was a good flow here so I topped up my water bottle. A final rocky scramble up sloping rock had me standing on the top of Briggs Bluff which is more or less at the northern extremity of the Mt Difficult Range. From here I could trace my route around the top of the range, I could also see a couple of groups of day trippers winding their way up from Roses Gap way down below me.

Heading out towards Briggs Bluff the rock slab walking continued (this is actually looking back in the direction of Mt Gar).

The view from Briggs Bluff is a good one.

The Mt Difficult Range from Briggs Bluff.

Looking down towards Roses Gap from Briggs Bluff - I could see some day walkers in the distance slowly making their way up.

Later in the afternoon I'd be walking along this ridge line as I headed for Mt Gar and Troopers Creek.

Eventually I tore myself away from the view up on Briggs Bluff and retraced my steps back to the track junction. I was now dropping down towards Beehive Falls on another side trip, this track first heads south before descending a cliff line through an arch and heading back to the north. After initially crossing a beautiful plateau complete with small tarns and masses of wild flowers, I descended steeply on a convoluted route through a series of cliff lines to the base of Beehive Falls. The falls provided a cool place for a  drink and a bite to eat, the coloured moss on the yellow sandstone here make the falls quite pretty. After a bit of a rest it was time to head back up to my pack, an almost 300 metre climb. On the way back up I passed quite a few parties of day walkers that I had seen on my down to the falls and they were a little confused as to why I was heading back up onto the range so I spent a bit of time trying and explain that I had my pack stashed up the top and was walking out to Troopers Creek via Mt Gar.

Dropping off Briggs Bluff.

Looking across towards the 806 metre summit of Mt Gar.

More rock slab walking.

Briggs Bluff towering over head as I dropped down o Beehive Falls.

Beehive Falls provided a bit of shade for lunch.

Beehive Falls

Beehive Falls

By the time I was reunited with my pack the day was heating up a bit and after leaving the junction I had grind up a fairly long incline on bare sloping rock to reach the ridge line which I would follow south towards Mt Gar. It was with more than a little relief that I attained the crest of the ridge and another fifteen minutes or so later I found myself a spot to perch on the cliffs for a rest. The trig point on Mt Gar now looked very close however I still had another thirty minutes or so of walking before I found myself back in the Mt Gar Campsite, now having completed the loop part of my walk. I contemplated a return trip to the summit for a fraction of a second however in the end I decided that I'd best concentrate on getting back to the ute as I still had a fair bit of rough walking to go.

Climbing the away from Beehive Falls - I was starting to get a little tired by now.

I got some more nice views of Briggs Bluff on my climb back up onto the range.

I was climbing the steep shallow gully on the left (the route now misses this scramble).

Climbing back onto the Mt Difficult Range.

That's my next objective Mt Gar, in the distance.

Many, many years later I did a nice off track walk that explored the small waterfall on the left of the photo and the cave on the right.

Leaving the camping area I was soon descending quickly, weaving in and out of the many rocky outcrops, on my way down through the cliffs. Once at the base of the main cliffs I had the gymnastic traverse ahead of me and with the afternoon sun was now getting lower in the west I was copping the full brunt of it now. I was conscious that I was getting a bit fatigued now so I was concentrating fairly hard as this ledge section wasn't a section of track where I'd want to fall over. I broke the traverse up into three sections, firstly I got to the waterfall and had a break there enjoying the rugged beauty of the spot. I then moved onto a spot where the ledge crossed some beautiful yellow cliffs, finding a spot in some shade I had a drink and gave Sam a call to tell her all was well and I'd be home that night. Far below me I could see Troopers Creek carpark, my next objective.

There were a few wildflowers out on this visit.

There was also a few tarns still holding some water after winter.

The new track still passes through this arch.

The signposting up here was pretty rudimentary back in the day - I'm thinking that things will improve a fair bit when the Grampians Peaks Trail eventually opens.

Back at Mud Hut Creek near the old camp site - I'd be treating this water if staying here.

Heading towards Mt Gar again.

There is always a convenient rock to park on up here.

If you squint you can see the trig on Mt Gar in the distance.

As the crow flies I probably only had a kilometre to get back to the ute although unfortunately I'm not a crow. So off I headed along the base of the cliffs again, the route taking me further from the ute. Another twenty minutes saw me reach the point where the track descended from the base of the cliffs and steeply zig zagged down towards Troopers Creek. As the gradient eased I was able to relax a bit and take in the surrounds for the last time, the low sun lighting up the Grass Trees and bringing out the best in the dry heath and wild flowers. Arriving back at Troopers Creek I had my usual wave of relief wash over me when I saw that my ute was still there and untouched. Off went the boots and the smelly clothes, on went the iPod (remember, this was 2012!) and after a relaxing three and a half hour drive I was pulling into my driveway and greeting my beautiful, understanding wife.

Resting in the shade at the old Mt Gar Campsite.

Dropping off the Mt Difficult Range and heading for Troopers Creek.

The old route down to Troopers Creek passed down this steep gully through a breach in the cliff line.

Back down and traversing the cliff lines.

This section of the old track was a little rough and ledgy... maybe that's why Parks Vic have closed it?

The Dirt.

I walked around 14 kilometres and climbed around 900 metres on what I'd grade a medium days walking I suppose. There were no huge descents or ascents today however there was a lot of short and sharp changes  in elevation. The track today mostly involved walking rock slabs and was marked by painted track markers on the rock as well as the occasional cairn, the signposting was pretty rudimentary. Apart from Deep Creek I got water from the lower reaches of Mud Hut Creek today. 

Over the two days of my Mt Difficult Range stroll I walked around 26 kilometres and climbed around 1850 metres on what I'd call a medium grade overnight walk. Now I have to remind people that the walk as I've done it here is no more. The track up to Mt Gar from Troopers Creek has been closed for years, the camps at Mt Gar and Deep Creek have been closed. The track the Briggs Bluff track junction down to Beehive Falls has been pretty well all re-routed and I'm guessing the old Boroka Track has also been highly modified as it's been upgraded and morphed into the new Grampians Peaks Trail. Before doing this walk I needed to pick up a permit from the National Park HQ in Halls Gap. I used an old Northern Grampians Vic Map 1:25000, I'm not sure if it's still in print. Lots of people have published notes for sections of this walk including Tyrone Thomas, John and Lyn Daly, and Lonely Planet.

Relevant Posts.

Day 1 of this walk, Grampians National Park, 2012.

Briggs Bluff Variant, Grampians National Park, 2019.

While it was rough walking it was spectacular. 

The old Troopers Creek Track.

Resting on a ledge I could see Troopers Creek down in the trees.

Heading into the sun along the last 500 metres of my stroll.