GRAMPIANS HUTS

Search
Close this search box.

GRAMPIANS PEAKS HUT TRAIL

3 Days 1320 ex Halls Gap

Accommodation

2  Nights Cabins

Transportation

All on foot

Included Meals

2 Breakfasts
2 Lunches
2 Dinners

Trip Grade

Category 3
High Heart Rate Holiday

Charity

We Are Still On The Look Out

Rising like the peak of a petrified wave from the plains of western Victoria, Gar (or Mt Difficult) stands as our ultimate destination for Day 1 of our Grampians Peaks Hut Hike.  The ancient landscape peals out from north to south. But we are heading east, up the slope toward Briggs Bluff on the opposite flank of the Gar plateau. From here Wedgetail Eagles can be seen riding the thermals created by the walls of the Grampians, stalking prey, ready to dive in an instant.

It is at this moment, looking out over the plains, I start to feel the weight of the world lift. Immersed in nature, watching these magnificent birds of prey float above me, my worries begin to melt away. Everything is taken care of for me. All I have to do is place one foot in front of the other and take it all in.

That evening, after we settled into our wonderful huts, watching the sun dissolve into a warm glow on the horizon, we head for the meal hut where an incredible dinner is prepared for us paired with a glass of local red wine.

Could it get any better than this? Apparently so, as the following day is meant to be the highlight of the trip.

The rock material that composes the high peaks is sandstone which was laid down from rivers during the Devonian period 425 – 415 million years ago. This sediment slowly accumulated to a depth of 7 kilometres; this was later raised and tilted for its present form.

The food was fabulous and was even spoilt with wine. Overall a fabulous experience with great company a great guide and little for us to do except walking and enjoy the scenery. The Grampians are beautiful!

Cherie – Australia

For 3 days we will hike through this ancient, rugged and spectacular landscape, crafted by the planet’s ever-shifting plates over the millennia. The land of Gariwerd was also a place of meeting for local first nations people, a place of plenty, a spiritual place.

This 3-day section of the 13 day Grampians Peaks Trail, is the only section that has Signature Huts at the campsites. These huts can only be used by tour operators and provide 4 beds with foam mattresses situated in private locations with premium views over the Gariwerd landscape. 

Your guide will explain the terrain you hike through, how it was formed and what it means to the traditional owners of the land. At the end of each day, your campsite will be set up and delicious meals will be prepared, leaving you with time to relax and reminisce.

All you need to do is get yourself to the Grampians and we will take care of all the rest!

The Journey

Meet your guide and the expedition team at the Grampians Peaks Walking Co Hiker Hub in Halls Gap for a briefing and gear check before a transfer to Gar Trailhead in Roses Gap – approximately 30 minutes drive.

Immediately, we begin to ascend the lower slopes of Gar (Mount Difficult), find and begin to follow a small, unsuspecting watercourse – seasonal and rainfall dependent. Over the next few km, we will witness this watercourse cascading over a series of drops each one more spectacular than the last.

After we gain the top of the last waterfall, we’ll head towards the ‘Pacific Ocean Wall’, a cliff ‘as big as the pacific ocean’, ascend its flank via a superbly built stone stairway and continue climbing up to Briggs Bluff. With most of the ascent completed, from here we can traverse our way along the high ground before arriving at Gar Signature Hiker Camp and its breathtaking views.

We will tour the campsite and check into our huts before kicking back to relax, enjoy some refreshments and absorb the landscape. Later, our guides will whip up a fantastic, fresh, healthy trail meal and we’ll enjoy a matched glass of local Grampians wine. 9.6km 516 meters up and only 40 meters down (L, D)

An early start this morning as we head up to the summit of Gar for a sunrise like no other. We’ll then return to camp for breakfast and then depart on the day’s journey.

We will sharply descend the eastern slopes of Gar, cross the northern end of the Werdug (Wartook) Basin and gain the ridge of the eastern flank of the Mount Difficult massif. Continuing south along this high ground we will eventually reach Werdug Hiker Camp with stunning views overlooking Lake Wartook and a clear line of sight all the way back to the top of Gar where we stood that morning. 14 km day with 521 meters up and 462 meters down. (B,L,D)

Our last day on the trail (for this expedition!) will continue along the eastern flank of Mount Difficult and slowly tip over and descend towards the town of Halls Gap. For one last hoorah we’ll head out to the end of Chautauqua Peak before finishing our descent all the way into Halls Gap. We’ll head back to the Grampians Peaks Walking Co. Hiker HUB where we can shower, collect our gear and celebrate with lunch and a local craft beer at the conveniently adjoining brewery. 13 km day with 33 meters up and 587 meters down. (B)

A Few Important Notes

Private Expeditions: If our dates don’t suit and you have a group of 6 or more we can run this expedition on any date you wish.|

Best time to travel? From mid-October to mid-May, however we suggest avoiding the Christmas School Holidays so Christmas until mid-February can be hot and busy.

Includes

  • Three days guided trek with an experienced guide
  • Two nights in Signature Huts on Grampians Peaks Trail
  • Meals outlined in the Itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)

Excludes

  • Personal equipment (sleeping bag)
  • Lunch at the brewery on the last day
  • Transport to and from the Grampians

I love the Grampians so much I moved to Halls Gap so I could explore this incredible landscape every day. If you love walking in nature, hiking to a summit to get an amazing view of an amazing ancient land, then you are going to love this trek. No need to worry about packing tents and food, we take care of everything so you can enjoy a great getaway in the Australian bush. By the way, I’m the one with the beard in the photo.

Adrian Manikas
Guide

Read more about the GPT here!

Hutting on the Grampians Peaks Trail

The Grampians Peaks Trail is a camping and wilderness trek. However, for the 2 nights we are out on the trail, we will be staying in the wonderful Signature Trail Huts only found at these two campsites, Gar and Werdug. All campsites have compostable toilets (no flushing) and areas where we all can eat breakfast and dinner.

Each room consists of 4 bunk beds with a large area between the door and the beds to spread out. The front wall is all glass providing an incredible view across the Grampians National Park. 

We are able to carry some of your bulky items to camp for you such as your sleeping bag and inflatable sleeping mat. However, all other items will need to be carried by you which normally would weigh a maximum of 5-7 kilograms.

Getting to Halls Gap

Halls Gap is about 3 hours drive west of Melbourne. Our hiking on Day 1 will start at around 10am, so if you can get to Halls Gap by then, then you could drive up to Halls Gap on the morning of Day 1. However, many trekkers opt to arrive in Halls Gap the night before. If this is something you are planning, please let us know as we have several recommendations for places to stay in and around town.

One of our passions is food so we think you will love our camp menu.

No matter where you are in the world and what you are doing, if you have an empty stomach, you simply cannot enjoy yourself. And we believe that great food helps make a great trek. It doesn’t matter if we are camping in the remote, that is no excuse for bad food.

So we have developed a great menu for your trek including wraps made fresh in Halls Gap, cured meats, olives, and cheeses all sourced in and around the area, and maybe a drop or two of local wine just to help us wash it all down.

You will be walking all day, so your mind and body needs delicious homemade food to reenergise you for the next day. We are sure you will love our food.

PS If you have any dietary requirements just let us know we can provide what you need.

These trips might also interest you...

Grampians Peaks Trail End to End

13 days, 160km, an ancient landscape. The Grampians Peaks Trail or GPT is earning a reputation of being one of the best hikes in Australia and a tough one at that. 13 days is a long time to be out in nature, 13 days of stories and adventure and of real life. You will come back to civilization better for the experience.
13 Days

Luxe Grampians Weekender

You don't always have to rough it to fully appreciate nature. Our 4 day Luxe Grampians trek, will immerse you in the beautiful and unique landscape of the Grampians, introduce you to some local producers of delicious food and return you each evening for a great nights sleep in our luxe eco-lodge. Think hot showers, delicious meals and crisp sheets.

Grampians Northern Trail

The Grampians Peaks Trail or GPT is broken up into 3 sections, the north, central and southern. On our 4 day Northern Trail trek, we take in the northern section of the GPT from Mt Zero, all the way to Halls Gap. This ism a fully guided trek with camping at some of the best campsites in the world.. If you love hiking and camping this is the Grampians trip for you.