When the BOM is forecasting strong winds and snow down to 1,200 metres it is hard to resist an overnight trip to the mountains. And one of my favourite spots to go is Mt St Gwinear. Never heard of it? Good.
Close to Melbourne, no entry fees, no shops, no shuttle buses, no chair lifts and few people. Perfect!
Nothing bad happened to me on this trip so it was time to snowshoe my way back to the car and return to normal life.
Special thanks to the dedicated rangers from Parks Victoria that keep this great place open for everyone to enjoy.
For more info check out:
https://www.facebook.com/mt.st.gwinear
http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/explore/parks/baw-baw-national-park
How do I get to that campsite? Thanks.
Hi David,
From the St Gwinear carpark you walk up the main ski trail to Jeep Track Flat, over MSG summit on the main trail (or you can take the Cascades Trail bypass to the north) then continue on for another km or so until just before you reach the T-junction with the AAWT. It is only 3-4km but I recommend you allow 1-2 hours for the trip one way depending on your group and the depth of snow. On this trip I was regularly sinking in more than knee deep with my 30-inch snowshoes which made for a slow journey. You can also get to this spot from Mt Baw Baw and the Mt Erica / Mushroom Rocks carpark. There is plenty of great campsites in the area – it just depends how far you want to walk/ski. Hope you have a fun trip!