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Crag & Route Beta

Area	Location	Sub Location	Crag	Links
VIC Buffalo	(General)	(General)	(General)	[ Mt Buffalo Guide \| Images ]

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Mt Buffalo NP closed 2/1/20 due bushfires. 19-May-2020 At 7:36:58 PM IdratherbeclimbingM9

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I went up Mt Buffalo as a motorcycle outing yesterday, for a look around post the fires earlier this year.

From where the tar ends (former Cresta Inn site), heading out towards The Horn, the area has taken a massive hit from the fires with many of the snowgums not showing any epicormic growth, which normally I'd expect to be well and truly happening by now, as is the case with trees recovering up Corryong way.

Quite a surreal landscape with bare earth in abundance, sticks remaining which were once trees, and quite a bit of snow still about from the last strong cold front of about a fortnight ago.

Surprisingly the dirt road to The Horn is open and there was plenty of traffic up there, especially for a Monday. I'm glad I didn't go on the weekend when the crowds were truly out and about!
I did not observe much social distancing happening either... and was quite amazed to see one group of a dozen people all crowding shoulder to shoulder for a group-selfie photo with the burnt out valley across to Back Wall in the background.

There were technicians working on the phone communications tower adjacent the carpark, so the temporary arrangement that they had there after the fire is probably upgraded now back to its former status.

I didn't check any climbs, but can guarantee that any low bolts would definitely have had flames heating them during the fires...

The Chalet area seemed its usual self, including the Adventure Guiding Company present in abundant numbers.