Viking Circuit, Victoria's Hardest Hike

Two first time hikers take on Victoria's hardest hike, 'The Viking Circuit'.
The four day 42km hike includes nearly 3km of elevation change. The circuit starts at Mount Howitt and goes across the famous 'Cross Cut Saw' being a ridge line across various mountain tops before taking participants up to a mountain top known as the Viking. Hikers then move down thick bush towards the Wonnongatta river before the ascent back to Mount Howitt.
Conditions can be dangerous in both the middle of winter or in the peak of summer with the rescue of hikers being not uncommon.

Пікірлер: 17

  • @pharmajoe990
    @pharmajoe990Ай бұрын

    That looks bloody difficult but bloody good. Well done boys

  • @gearaustralia8767
    @gearaustralia876717 күн бұрын

    Well done, a tough hike but you did it 💪

  • @snowflowertea
    @snowflowertea2 ай бұрын

    Beautiful hike

  • @alyce6835
    @alyce6835 Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for posting! Great for educating hikers on how to be prepared for any event or weather.

  • @ethanbennettoutdoorfilms

    @ethanbennettoutdoorfilms

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks Alyce. We had intended to do the hike in three days however quickly realised that with the conditions and our fitness that it wasn't possible so suddenly there was a risk of snow we hadn't considered. After 5 hours in the snow we knew to be prepared for almost anything next time, oh gloves would have been so nice. Using the GPS on our phones was near impossible when hands have gone red and numb. We ended up cutting a jumper up and using it to wrap our hands for some protection for the last hour or two which helped. The next trip I will film will be the West Arthur's in Tasmania which is even more challenging.

  • @youradventure0710
    @youradventure0710 Жыл бұрын

    Congratulations fellas on such a difficult hike and the snow makes it so much more difficult to navigate , great video and one which would have been difficult to film in such a cold with no gloves , well done 👍 thank you

  • @mickbeckers
    @mickbeckers Жыл бұрын

    Awesome. Still able to maintain a sense of humour when the going got tough.

  • @TwilightCinemaNZ
    @TwilightCinemaNZ8 ай бұрын

    It's a good technical hike, at a Grade 5 but not the hardest, not by a long shot. Try the Howqua Peaks route at a Grade 6 in Summer and harder in Winter requiring alpine skills, ice axe and crampons plus skis or snowshoes (it actually incorporated some of the Viking Circuit along the cross cut but includes a lot more scrambling and more off track work going up King Spur to Mt.Koonika and Six mile spur up Little Buller and down McLoughlin shoulder on Buller a variation includes going along the Razor near Viking Saddle. The Viking has only a small scrambly section or two near the chimney. Although it eould ne pretty tough in Winter. It also takes twice as long.I consider this walk , the Victorian version of the Western Arthur's.. Rope may be required for non climbers. There are even tougher ones at Buffalo gorge South rim and Little gorge but these may incorporate abseiling etc. Doesnt include doing the Victorian section of the AAWT ejich is a bloody hard hime but hopelessly tedious for the most part with all the bloody fallen trees

  • @ethanbennettoutdoorfilms

    @ethanbennettoutdoorfilms

    8 ай бұрын

    Sounds like a great circuit for a future trip and video. I just bought an ice axe and micro spikes which I recently used in my NZ trip, will be good to put them to use again.

  • @TwilightCinemaNZ

    @TwilightCinemaNZ

    8 ай бұрын

    ​@@ethanbennettoutdoorfilms Lots of places to use those in Victoria, but in winter best to use crampons and Mountaineering boots for the most part if going above 1500m. But conditions vary and snowshoes may be needed as well micro spikes tend to it be useful in bad snow seasons where you're more likely to find ice and not much snow on the tracks. It pays to know how to use the ice axe in self arrest situations

  • @TwilightCinemaNZ

    @TwilightCinemaNZ

    8 ай бұрын

    Actually the most brutal hike I've done in Vic is the NW spur up to Feathertop summit and then down the untracked NE spur of Feathertop to the base of Fainter South. A rugged, exposed, off track and hard scramble up the ridgeline to Fainter South summit to Bogong high plains and tawonga huts and back to Falls creek via the hotham to falls walk.

  • @Migsterification
    @Migsterification Жыл бұрын

    Good on you guys! Fantastic effort! I'm looking forward to trying the loop in spring. I was thinking of maybe going counter-clockwise. Any thoughts on that? Enjoyed watching the video BTW.

  • @ethanbennettoutdoorfilms

    @ethanbennettoutdoorfilms

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you, and no reason at all why you couldn't go counter clockwise. It would be nice and steep down the Viking but all doable.

  • @DroogVoom
    @DroogVoom Жыл бұрын

    Congratulations that was wild. It would be really cool if you could do a vid on the equipment you use. Once again well done.

  • @ethanbennettoutdoorfilms

    @ethanbennettoutdoorfilms

    Жыл бұрын

    Thankyou! I'll definitely put together a short video of all my hiking equipment and give some thoughts on what I like and don't like.

  • @joelbarker5125
    @joelbarker512511 ай бұрын

    That dude is funny, and really attractive

  • @martyfelber6102
    @martyfelber61027 ай бұрын

    You mad fking idiots🤪🤪! For the FIRST time hiking you have tackled this!!! I havent done it yet as I know the section after Mt Spec is bad!!But WOW!!!! What a video!!! I have been in similar situations before AND YES...the part where it then SNOWS I have copped, so I know how you feel!. Was the other rack the section where it goes onto the AAWT? Also loved the amount of snow on the car at the end...gives an idea how much it snowed! WELL DONE GUYS!!!!