Grampians Peaks Trail: First Impressions of Hiking Victoria’s Newest Hiking Track

There are plenty of transport options including car shuffle and a company in Halls Gap offering shuttle services. I opted for public transport. One option is V-Line coach to Horsham and taxi down to Mt Zero trail head. I had an extra day and hopped off of V-Line at Dadswell Bridge. There are several routes and camp options to make your way up to Mount Zero. At the southern terminus, V-Line services Dunkeld.

Halls Gap has a supermarket for some food staples. I also sent a resupply bag to Halls Gap post office. They said it helps when people write on the package what day they will pick it up.

The Route

The route crosses between ridges and valleys all the way, so there is a variety of terrain and views. Much of the route is at higher elevations with little access to creeks, especially south of Halls Gap. The walk required more concentration than I was expecting. Between some widely spaces trail markers, rough terrain and spectacular views (sometimes all at once) I lost the track a few times.

The Track

Based on the promotions, I was surprised at how hard some sections were. I often walk at about 4km/hour pace which includes a break each hour. On the northern sections, I was going about 3.5km/hour, including breaks. Some of the hardest sections between Barri Yalug and Yarram were down to 2-2.5km/hour. There is some very steep terrain and some very rough, unmade and rocky tracks. During one particularly rough section along the Mount Williams Range, I thought of various friends and who of them would enjoy that particular section. Few who describe themselves and “recreational backpackers” would, in my opinion. It’s definitely achievable, but be prepared. I saw a half dozen trail markers that had fallen off due to failed adhesive to mossy rock. One had spun around to point toward a cliff edge, so be careful, and keep your wits about you.

The camp amenities vary. Some camps have a fully enclosed 5m x 10m shelter. Some camps have an open-air picnic table with no roof cover. The tent platforms are either timber decking or compacted sand and granite. The timber platforms have eight adjustable chains for connections and no other fixing options. There is no perimeter cable, and the decking is spaced too closely to use platform anchors. The sand and granite is fairly loose for pegging into at the moment, but might harden up. I took nail type pegs and platform anchors. If I were to go again, I would just take Groundhog type “Y” stakes. Some of the camps are located to maximise dramatic views, but can be very exposed and windy. While tying town with extended cordage or rocks is possible, it can be nerve wracking on a windy night. Some of the camps have “Standard” and “Large” tent platforms. With the minimal chain fixings, I don’t know how I would securely fix and small tent to a large platform. Some people take cup hooks which might be useful. All camps (except Bugiga) have and bank of standard USB charging points. They are solar charged with a battery, so charging in the evening is possible. All camps have one or two toilets (which had TP, but BYO is advised.)

See below for a summary of camp amenities.

The plan is for rain water tanks at each campsite. The tanks are fitted with flow-restricted outlets delivering about one litre per minute. Some people thought flow restrictors were a good idea to prolong the water availability. Others thought it could cause campsite rage as thirty people line up in the morning to fill bottles. As of last week (mid-Nov 2021), three of the camps had no water. (Durd Durd, Yarram, and Mud-Dadjug). One of the tanks was not even connected to the roof. I notified Parks Victoria, and this was their reply: “Sorry you had some problems. As an experienced hiker, you’ll know it’s always best to take your take enough water and not rely solely on water tanks (as covered in the pre-trip guidance notes on the website and official maps).”

The plan for recharging water tanks is perplexing. The camps with shelter have about 60 square meters of total roof catchment filling two tanks. The camps with no shelters have about eight square meters from the toilet structure into one small tank. How that will last a summer, I don’t know. Much of the trail, especially in the south, is at higher elevation with no creeks.

My eager anticipation for the GPT turned to sadness and anger when I saw the rigid 13-day itinerary. I configured a seven-day itinerary by combining three of their 3-day / 2-night walks. The plan involved passing through camps and walking one, two or three sections per day varying from 12km to 39km. I resented being forced into such a crazy itinerary. Many walkers would love walking two sections a day over seven days, averaging 23km/day. I understand the dilemma of keeping sections open for people wishing to do the 13-day itinerary. However, I can imagine a simple variation which I am sending to Parks Victoria hoping for consideration. With 13 sections, there is always going to be one single-section day. The idea would be to offer a 7-day “A” with a single section at the start, and 7-day “B” with the single section at the end. That would stagger all the campsite bookings. If they can sell equal amounts of “A” and “B” itineraries, the trail should book up equally. See below for image. If you like the idea, or if you have another good option, please send it to Parks Victoria.