Australia

Mount Abrupt, Grampians, Victoria

Character: A quick pull up on to a shapely Cuesta peak

Ascent: ~1500 feet

Time: 2 hours

Map: None used. Very clear track

Transport: Car - may be local buses, not investigated. A very long walk could be made if the walk was started from Dunkeld, to where buses run.

Sources: "Southern Walks, Grampians National Park", published by Parks Victoria and available from any of their offices (eg at Halls Gap)

Accomodation: Halls Gap Youth Hostel: (03) 5356 4544

Mount Abrupt is close to the end of the Great Dividing Range, which extends all the way from the tip of Cape York in the North to here at its Southern end in Victoria. The range effectivly forms the watershed that runs up Australia's east coast, with rain water running off at different points either inland where invariably all but the largest rivers dry up and evaporate in the dead centre, or swiftly out to the ocean.

The walk is very straightforward, if somewhat strenuous. Leaving the car park on the Dunkeld to Halls Gap road, there is a sign marking the start of the track on the western side of the road with steps leading into the undergrowth (photo below).

Start of the walk - steps leading into the woodland. Signal Peak is the backdrop

The objective is already very clear, and can be seen approaching from the north or south. Initially the track rises gently through wattle and gum scrub, but then more steeply up the escarpment face where banksias are also seen. The path forks as it hits the steep slope, with a smaller trck heading north towards (presumably) Signal Peak, with the main track heading south towards Mt Abrupt. I missed this fork (sounds amazing doesn't it!) as the Signal Peak track is actually the more "ahead" of the tracks, with the Mt Abrupt track something of a double back to the left. So look out for this fork some twenty minutes or so after starting the walk!

The path contours and heads south then climbs up on the summit ridge between Signal Peak and Mt ABrupt (though much closer to the latter). Here the path levels for a while, and becmoes something of a granite pavement in a low almost alpine botanical setting of low heathery plants. To the south and east the cuesta landforms of the ridge can be clearly seen. Cuesta comes from latin roots meaning crest. All the ranges in the Grampians have this characteristic form, with steep eastern escarpments and more gradual slopes to the west. The shape occurs where the earth's layers have been tilted on their side, and the exposed (in this case eastern) edges have sharply eroded.

The Cuesta topology of the Grampians is seen clearly from Mt Abrupt summit looking north

The ridge / plateau has low scrub, and towards its southern end you climb a little more steeply to the summit of Mt Abrupt. Return is the same as the ascent.

 

Quicktime movie of the walk (5 MB)