Good Training Hikes For Victorians

[Saloo8]

I have found various recommended training hikes on the internet and have been really grateful that someone has posted about them in detail, so I thought I would start a new thread outlining some of my favourite hikes and maybe others can add to it.

Mt Victoria track-Warburton to Mt Donna Buang

This is an excellent hike for serious training. I headed up there today and found a fantastic track that went straight up with just a few flatter areas. Park your car at the bottom of Martyr Rd and head up Martyr rd until you reach the start of the track. It is well marked and easy to follow with two crossings, one at O'Shannassys aquaduct and another at the Mt Donna Buang rd.
Melways ref: 289 K4. You can download and print a map at http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/resources05/05_0508.pdf

The sign at the bottom suggests 7 hours to cover the 12 km trail but I did it in 4 hours. I would suggest allowing 5 though, as I only had time for a 10 minute break at the summit as the day was getting late.

Glasgow Rd track

This track isn't in the Melways but you will find Glasgow Rd at Melways 66 C1. Park at the bottom and head directly up Glasgow rd-don;t turn on any of the fire trails, just stay heading up. This isn't a long trail (maybe 1-1 1/2 hrs?) but you can continue along other tracks at the top. I like going up to Sky High for a coffee. 🙂
This is a good hard track and doing it 2-3 times in one stint should be enough to send you home to an Epsoms salts soak!

Dandenong Ranges NP

There are so many walks to be found in the DRNP but one of my favourites is to start at Grants Picnic Ground, cross the road to Tree Fern Track and follow the trail up until it meets with Clematis track. From there I arrive at Sherbrooke Lodge Rd-turn left and follow it for a few hundred metres and turn left into O'Donohue Picnic Ground. From here you can make up your own walk, from any of the tracks. If you print out this map http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/resources05/05_0320.pdf you will find all the trails. I like to head down into Belgrave and grab a cuppa before heading back up to Kallista, following the track o nthe right hand side of the Kallista-Monbulk rd.

Happy hiking everyone! I'll add more as time goes on, including some fantastic hikes around the Grampians.

[scottn1au]

Geat topic Saloo8, just what i need.

Sounds like you live in the Dandenong Ranges like me.
I will be trying out Glasgows track for the first time tomorrow.
I assume you are familiar with the Kokoda Memorial Trail up the thousand steps in the DRNP.
I have spent abit of time going up and down there with my backpack.

Regards Scott

[scottn1au]

A question regarding the Mt Donna Buang hike.

The 5 hours you sugest to allow is for a one-way trip to the summit or a return trip back to Marytr Rd.

Thanks Scott

[Saloo8]

Hi Scott,

That's a return trip from Martyr rd to the summit and back to Martyr road again, working at a good pace and if you have been doing the 1000 steps regularly, you shouldn't have any problems with doing it in 5 or under.

I did the 1000 steps again this morning-it seems to be getting shorter every trip, so I must be doing something right with my training! 🙂

Good luck tomorrow on Glasgows-with the rain we got this afternoon, it should make it very interesting-and I imagine, realistically like the actual track!

Are you heading to Kokoda soon?

[les]

Other walks to try are "High lead" about 7klm east of Powelltown, try walking from Powelltown along Reids Tram way then High lead to Starlings Gap.
The steepest track in the Yarra Ranges National Park is the Mt Juliet track accsess is gained off the Maroondah hwy before you get to Fernshaws, last kilometer is steep and loose rocks, large stone cairn on top built possibly by British army engineers in the 1800's.
Will post a couple of other walks when done, they've been unmaintained for years, as Parks vic have little money to maintain all of them, but should link up well with others mentioned in this forum, they won't be as neat and orderly as those in the Dandenongs, but wild tracks, no formed steps etc.

[Saloo8]

Thanks for the contribution les. I love a good wild track-so much more interesting than the formed tracks.

[rossco]

Bit of an older thread but I thought I would just add some info here for anyone preparing like I am (going in April 2014). Basically I would favor the Glasgow Track over the Warburton-Mt DB trail, the reasons are below. I should mention here for some context that I am young and already quite fit and healthy, am carrying my own pack (about 15kg load) and haven't really done hiking like this before.

I initially tried the Warburton to Mt Donna Buang trail given it was the longest and highest. I found the track very steep and tough (a good thing) with barely any flat, however only for the first half. The first half is also very narrow and overgrown (the part at the very start near the farm has lots of prickles especially), and in several places you have to climb over, around or under fallen trees. From Warburton, once you hit Mt Donna Buang Rd it gets pretty darn easy from there and I didn't think the extra 3km or whatever it is to the summit was worth it for training purposes. Do it once I would say as the view is quite nice, however you won't get anything physically out of it, at least I didn't. Took me about 2 hours to get to the summit from the bottom, that was with having the occasional minute or two break on the way up.

Next I tried the Glasgow track. I found it quite short (only 1km and took me 38mins to get to the top), very steep, rough and rocky. Again I thought the roughness is good, and it was definitely more rough than the Warburton track. The things i liked most was you really had to think about footing, the track was busy with people but not too crowded and wide enough to accommodate all, and is closer to town.

The Warburton track is a bit too far away and more remote. I didn't see one person on the track and because of its length it's a long way back to the car or the road if something goes wrong (I was worried about snakes too). Warburton is also more of a commitment due to its length, where as Glasgow you could pop in for one quick hill session. I think that doing two Glasgows would be about equal to the first half of the Warburton track, and from what I hear (I haven't done Kokoda yet) about four Glasgow ascents is about equal to one day on Kokoda.

I'll be hitting up the Glasgow track from now on as it's closer to home and I feel a bit safer there when going on my own. It's just as physically demanding depending on how many you do or hard you go. I plan to get to a point where I can do four Glasgows a day over successive days, with more weight than I'll carry and without pulling up too sore the next day.

[Saloo8]

Glasgow is a great track, especially if you do it 3-4 times in a row. But I think you're underselling the benefits if Mt Donna Buang. It is a bit of a hike to get there but it, along with Mt St Leonard, are the closest you'll get to Kokoda in regards to mud, slipping & sliding and above all, endurance required in these conditions. Some days on the Kokoda Track can be longer than 8 hours in mud and rain and it's important to build endurance in like conditions. Mentally, it will condition you to the idea of the destination (eg. Village) being hours away from where you stand in the morning.

If you're not accustomed to bush tracks, Donna Buang may seem a bit isolated but the track is very well delineated and Telstra gives coverage over the whole track.

Having endurance training in your 'fitness bank' can be the difference between a tough Kokoda and a bloody tough Kokoda.

When doing Glasgow, you can add some extra hills by turning left at the top and following the track to Kalorama before looping back. This also helps with endurance.

Good luck in Kokoda. Let us know about your experience upon your return.

[Author]

Posts