Epic Hikes of the World ( PDFDrive )

late-afternoon sun, all is still, empty, not another soul to be seen.
A few kilometres further I pause to observe a herd of brumbies eyeing me warily.
The stallion stands his ground, snorting. I keep moving, eventually setting up camp
beside a group of snow gums above Cope Saddle, as the temperature plummets
with the sun.
© Age Fotostock | Alamy
the Kosciuszko Main Range is visible on the walk
“The last day’s trip is short but it’s the most magical. The sky is deep
blue, the earth blindingly white and the air frigid”
Early the next day, I’m crunching through thin puddle-hiding-ice and the odd
snowdrift. The pimply summit of Mt Cope (6027ft, 1837m) sits tantalisingly close to
my right, but I’ve got a more pressing goal – the long-drop dunny at Cope Hut.
Mission accomplished, I rush through this ski area on the eastern edge of the
plateau. Missing the moody High Plains solitude, I push on cross-country and bag
Mt Nelse North, Victoria’s number three at 6181ft (1884m), and only marginally
higher than the fire-trail beside it. Massive Bogong is looming ahead as I stroll
downhill to Roper Hut.
The original Roper hut, dating from 1939, burnt in the 2003 fires, but arose
phoenix-like in 2008 as an emergency shelter. I give myself the rest of the
afternoon off, lounging in the sunshine and collecting water from a nearby
cascade.
The following fog-shrouded morning is spent laboriously descending and
ascending steep spurs covered in wet regrowth and fallen trees as I depart the
High Plains, cross Big River and finally climb on to Bogong. From my welcome lunch