Challenge Yourself In The Southern Grampians – 2 Summits + Epic Views - Grade 3/4 (Difficult)

The Camperdown Bushwalking Club invites you to Challenge Yourself In The Southern Grampians – 12km Over The Summits of Bainggug (Piccaninny) and Mud-Dadjug (Mt Abrupt) – The Climb Is Worth It!  This walk is part of the Try Bushwalking Month, celebrating the 90th Anniversary of Bushwalking Victoria, the peak body representing 60+ bushwalking clubs across Victoria. 

Challenge yourself and explore the Southern Grampians (Gariwerd) peaks. Climb gently to the summit of Bainggug (Piccaninny) for views of Mud-Dadjug (Mt Abrupt) and Dunkeld, then tackle the big climb to the summit of Mud-Dadjug (Mt Abrupt). With stunning views along the way, an abundance of spring wildflowers, a visit to one of the best campgrounds along the Grampians Peaks Trail and lunch at the top, you will be rewarded with plenty of photo opportunities.

DISTANCE: 12km one-way walk that will take 5-6 hrs, including stops.

WHO IS THIS WALK FOR? This walk is for experienced and fit walkers who are up for a challenging hike. With a range of tracks from sandy, open trails to steep, rocky steps, walking poles may assist some people. Supportive hiking shoes/boots are a must.

CHILDREN AND PETS:  This walk is for adults 18 years and over, and due to the nature of the walk, we ask you to leave dogs and other pets at home.  Please contact the club directly to inquire about service animals, and any family or pet friendly walks.  

AWT GRADE 3/4 (Medium/Hard): Hiking up to the Mud-Dadjug summit from the southern side, includes a steep 1km climb and a section along a very rocky ridgeline. AWT Grade information. 

PACE: The first section of the hike will be at a moderate pace, but once we start to climb it will be aiming for a slower, but steady pace.

TOTAL ASCENT: 680 m. A gentle climb to Bainggug but a long, steep climb to Mad-Dadjug and a long descent on the northern side.

WALK DESCRIPTION: 

Climb gently through open forest of heath, hakea, grevillea and banksia to the summit of Bainggug (Piccaninny), for fabulous views of Mud-Dadjug (Mt Abrupt) and Dunkeld. Then tackle the big climb to the summit of Mud-Dadjug, firstly along sandy track, then up along a bouldery ridgeline at the top of which we will stop in at the Mud-Dadjug Hike-in Campground, one of the most stunning along the Grampians Peaks Trail. From there it’s a steep continuous climb to the summit, but the views are worth it, with 360-degree views of the Grampians ranges and the surrounding volcanic plains. The final descent to the Mt Abrupt carpark hugs the eastern escarpment of the northern side of Mud-Dadjug then descends steeply through heathy forest and crossing historic landslides. We will have a break at the summit of Bainggug, a morning tea stop at the Mud-Dadjug campground, and a lunch stop at the summit of Mud-Dadjug, where we will take in the stunning vista and hopefully watch an eagle or two soaring in the sky.

MEETING POINT: Dunkeld Information Centre, Parker Street (the main street). Please arrive 10mins early. A car shuffle is required for this walk, so grab a coffee and use the public amenties while we sort out carpooling for the car shuffle.

DIRECTIONS:  Dunkeld, at the southern end of the Grampians, is 300km west of Melbourne on the Glenelg Highway.  As you come in from the Melbourne side the Information Centre is on the right-hand side of the main street, in the centre of town.

GOOGLE MAPS: Meeting Point Google Map

PHONE SIGNAL:  Phone signal may be present on higher sections of the walk, but is expected to be intermittent.

TOILETS: Toilets are available at the Dunkeld Visitor Information Centre and at the Mud-Dadjug Hike-In Campsite 7km into the hike.

WHAT TO BRING

Mandatory:

• Emergency contact form with medical info.  Download this form here, or get one from the leader on the day.
• 1.5L water
• Backpack
• Rain jacket
• Hiking shoes/boots 
• Personal first aid kit (your health is your responsibility)
  
• Sun hat/sunscreen

Recommended:

• Lunch
• Snacks
• Hiking poles
• Bug spray

LEADER: Lee Gasser, 0407 910 501

EXTRA INFORMATION: Please contact the leader directly if you have any queries.  This is a challenging hike due to the steep climb and descent, and the rocky terrain. Car-pooling will be organised with walk leader for those who wish to car-pool. Exact starting points of the walks will be advised at the advertised meeting point. Be prepared for the wildflowers. Cameras encouraged!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RISK:  When registering for this event, we ask that you view and agree to our Acknowledgement of Risk.

ABOUT OUR CLUB: We seek to promote walking, camping and related outdoor activities in natural environments. We offer a range of shorter walks to full-day hikes within an hour or two from Camperdown as well as multi–day hikes carrying all camping equipment. Trips also include multi-day base camps where we camp or stay in accommodation and complete day hikes. The Otways, Great Ocean Road, Grampians, Warrnambool, Port Fairy and the local Corangamite Shire are some of the areas we walk in. Sometimes we just enjoy a social meal, a BBQ, or a cuppa together. The club subscribes to minimal impact bushwalking values.  Visit our Facebook page.

PRIVACY:  

Your privacy is important to us. Bushwalking Victoria and its member clubs are committed to safeguarding your personal information and ensuring that your privacy is protected. The personal data we collect from you is used solely for the purpose of facilitating your participation and communicating important details about the event. 

Please note that your contact information will be shared with Activity Leaders for the purpose of organising activities. Your information will not be shared with any external parties without your consent, except where required by law, but may be used for follow-up contact regarding your participation in this event.

You can view the BWV Privacy Policy on our website.

Inclusion in Photographs

We encourage participants to take photographs during activities, which may be shared publicly through various channels such as newspapers, magazines, websites and social media.  If you do not wish to be included in any photographs, it is your responsibility to inform the photographer and take reasonable steps to avoid being captured in the images.