The Diamond Valley Bushwalking Club invites you to join them on a Circuit of Sugarloaf Reservoir. 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.

This is a local walk around Sugarloaf Dam, taking in the newly built solar farm, sailing club and lovely views to the city.

DISTANCE: Approximately 16+ km, walking at a reasonable pace for approximately 5 hours.

WHO IS THIS WALK FOR? Experienced walkers wanting to try out a club event requiring a reasonable fitness level, as it covers bush tracks with a short steep hill to lunch.

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 (Medium): AWT Grade information.

PACE: Pace will be steady, as there is a reasonable distance to cover.

TOTAL ASCENT: 360m total elevation, with one long hill before lunch, then down a relatively steep decline (which can be tough on knees) to water level and undulating in parts as you walk back to the start.

WALK DESCRIPTION:

Walk starts at Saddle Dam Picnic Area walking clockwise over the dam wall passing Southern Lookout to the Western Lookout, before heading away from the reservoir for a short while. We pass the newly built solar farm to our morning tea stop at the water's edge, near the sailing club. Head away from water again for a couple of kilometres looking out for kangaroos and deer before heading back uphill to the lunch spot, to take in the views of the reservoir right through to the city. After lunch we head back down past Eagle Point and Rosella Spur to hit the waterline again on the Chris Phillips Walking Track back to the start.

MEETING POINT: Following Eltham Yarra Glen Road to take a right hand turn onto Simpson Road to the Reservoir. Enter through the main gate, drive over the dam wall to the Saddle Dam Picnic Area and park here. Please arrive at 8.45 for 9.00 am start. Google map.

DIRECTIONS: Carpooling recommended, please contact the leader if you would like to arrange this. A little over 1 hour from Melbourne. However in warmer weather traffic can be slower. Public transport not recommended due to the late finish of this activity.

PHONE SIGNAL: Phone signal should be available for most of the walk.

TOILETS: Toilets available at the start/end and bush toilet at the lunch spot.

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 or good working shoes eg runners.
Personal first aid kit (your health is your responsibility)
Sun hat/sunscreen
Morning tea & lunch
Hiking poles recommended

LEADER: Marg King & Chris Attley from Diamond Valley Bushwalking Club. The leaders will call you before the walk to answer any questions and supply their contact details.

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

ABOUT OUR CLUB: Diamond Valley Bushwalking Club is based in Eltham, Victoria and is affiliated with Bushwalking Victoria. The Club offers a variety of walks catering for all levels of fitness and abilities ranging from short walks (6-10 km) to hard walks (20 km or more).

Day walks are offered on Wednesdays and Sundays and take place in different areas, ranging from suburban parks to the nearby mountains. Historic walks around the suburbs of Melbourne are also on offer.

Basecamps, cycling and a range of social events are also offered. Trips within Australia, overseas and locally are also undertaken periodically.

The annual membership fee is $36 per member. Visit our website.

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.