Alright so I’m ashamed to say this was my 4th attempt at completing this, my first attempt is logged on this site but the other failures included: A broken stove on night 1, killer blisters on another attempt (and my heart wasn’t really in it).

Anyway, this was it, no excuses! The plan:

1. Park at Mt Lock Carpark
2. Walk to My Feathertop then;
3. Blair’s Hut via Diamantina Spur
4. Weston’s hut to Pole 333
5. Across to Pretty Valley Campground
6. Cope Saddle
7. Then follow the Australian Alps Walking Track back to Mt Lock Carpark

Day 1: Mt Loch Carpark to Diamantna Spur

Parking at Mt Loch carpark and made the short walk to Diamantina hut, I had a good feeling about this, pack felt good, boots felt good, I had a hiking pole (which felt like such a good idea i was considering buying another, dont).

So I knew this section of the walk pretty well by now and I had my campsite all picked out at the top of Diamantina Spur where I set up with plenty of daylight left. There was flowers everywhere and it was pretty warm (hot) so decided to make the most of it before it gets dark and cold. 

Went to get water from the spring towards the MUMC hut (which turned out to be way further than I remember) then decided to do Mt Feathertop which was a grind. Had a little chuckle at the “Thylacine →” someone had scratched into the ground and ended up drinking all the water I’d collected by the time I got back to camp 🤷

Summer solstice was just a couple of days ago so there was plenty of daylight which gave me time to just chill out at camp until the sun went down.

Day2: Diamantina spur to Weston’s Hut

Woke to an amazing sunrise and didn’t waste too much time packing up as I wanted to get this done before it got too hot. The spur was as steep as I remembered but was much easier going with a walking pole. 

Made it to West Kiewa Logging Rd and a short walk to the bridge where I stopped for a swim and to do some laundry. Onward to Blair hut where it was time to stop for lunch. It was pretty warm and just coming up to midday but I’m stubborn so I started heading up to Weston’s hut. By now it was getting proper hot and I had to dash between bits of shade to have a breather. 

By the time I got to Weston’s I was pretty wrecked so I had a snooze (or did I pass out?) in the shade, and then again in the hut. I was dangerously low on water and spent a decent amount of time trying to decide if I should stay here with the little water I had or push on to Pretty Valley which would’ve been pretty exposed and I probably need to rest. The map showed a spring up the hill above the hut but it looked like it was a far way off the track so I wasn’t too sure about it

Fear of dehydration won out so I loaded up my pack and started walking, I made it about 10m when I spotted an irrigation hose in the grass… Surely not? … I followed it back down towards the hut and sure enough, tucked away in some bushes it was gurgling away with fresh water (probably from the spring above on the map). 

This changes everything! I set up the tent to dry out, rinsed off and started make the most water abundant meal ever.

Maybe I just wasn’t very observant but I made a note of where the hose ends in the hut log book in case anyone else came this way short of water. (Literally about 10m to your right just as you walk out the door)

Day3: Westons hut > Pretty Valley > Dibbins Hut

Apparently there was fires in the Grampians and it was getting pretty hot and I could smell smoke so I was kinda worried about having to do a big day before climbing the hill so I booked a site at Dibbin’s Hut but the only free booking was that night. I was still keen to make it to Pretty Valley so it looked like it was going to be a big day as I made my way up to Pole 333.

Now I definitely don’t recommend this but if you really wanted to shortcut across the plateau you could beeline straight towards Pretty Valley from Pole 333. I don’t recommend this because you’ll be damaging fragile plants, and I also wouldn’t do it if it was wet because it’ll be boggy af, and I wouldn’t do it if it was hot and dry because there’s a crazy amount of snakes in the long grass. But, if you decided you really had to do it, you COULD use Mt McKay as a guide and head straight for the watchtower skirting just below the hill to your left. You’ll see a large tree which you could head for and rest under if you’ll need a break from the sun then continue on towards to Mt McKay eventually you’ll cross the Fainter Fire Trail to make your way down to the Pretty Valley Poundage. From there’s a still a bit of a way to to Pretty Valley Hut which would be the perfect place to stay the night. Water is by the hut. 

I had my booking at Dibbin’s so I pushed ahead to Cope Saddle which was an easy walk along a service rd.

From Cope Saddle Hut back to Pole 333 was pretty exposed and windy and I was starting to feel pretty fatigued. Bumped into a nice couple who reckoned that Dibbin’s would be pretty quiet and the only reason it was booked out was because the Vic government had made all camping fees $0 so people were just booking things with no real incentive to go. Probably would’ve stayed at Pretty Valley if I knew that. Oh well I’d come this far. They also updated me on the huge fires that were burning at the Grampians so I was secretly happy to be cutting my trip short by a day. 

From pole 333 it was more wind and sun so I was feeling pretty miserable until I finally dropped below the tree line where it was a little more protected from the wind. (Yeah I struggle hiking in anything above 15 degrees 😅)

Making my way down into the valley I saw SO MANY snakes! Finally made it to Dibbins and it was 100% empty of course :/

Setup away from possible falling branches (not something I normally worry about where I’m from but this place seemed particularly dodgy after all the fires)

Heard a helicopter hovering at about midnight and woke to the smell of smoke so did a bit of a panic pack up and got going. Nice to get moving before it got too warm anyway.

This last day up Swindlers Spur was amazing, a bit of a slog up hill but still a way better option than going back up Diamantina Spur. Heaps of wild flowers and really nice possible camping spots if you just wanted to do an overnighter from Hotham. Quick stop at Derrick Hut for photos then onward to Machinery Spur, a couple more snakes and I was on to the road for the last leg up to the carpark. It was still really windy but was feeling pretty good about finally completing this circuit which is been trying to do for a while now after so many failed attempts. Overall I would definitely recommend this trip but make the stop at Pretty Valley for a night.