Welcome to the Cleve Cole Memorial Hut
This hut comes under Parks Victoria mangement and is jointly maintained by Parks Victoria and the Bogong Ski Club. The hut has 2 sections, the main section is opened to the public and has sleeping bunks, tables, fire, sink with water and a stainless steel bench for cooking. The locked members section has more bunks and equipment for emergancies. The nearby camping area is strickly fuel stoves only. There are quite a few different ways to walk/ski to the hut but it will be overnight for most people. Try to come in when the weather forecast is good as the walk over the top of Mt Bogong is very exposed and you will want to enjoy the magnificent views.
For those that are interested in the history of the hut keep reading, for those that just want to log a cache, here are the requirements
1/ Post a picture of yourself at the front of the hut in your log (no previous visits will count, there are features on the hut that I will know if it is a recent photo) Try to stand in front of the message in requirement 2 so people can't zoom in
2/ Message me what is written on the stone wall at the front of the hut
The Cleve Cole Hut is situated in a sheltered area below the tree line at the head of Camp Creek, at an altitude of 1,760 m. It is dedicated to the memory of Cleve Cole, a Victorian skiing pioneer who died after being trapped on Mount Bogong in the winter of 1936. In a virtual wilderness it is a magnificent refuge and a base in all seasons for walkers and skiers alike.
The intention behind its construction was to reduce the ever present dangers posed by Mt Bogong, the same dangers which over the years brought several peoples’ lives to an untimely end. The hut’s architect, Malcolm McColl, (himself a keen skier) designed the building in 1936 and the hut’s construction started in February 1937; it was usable by winter of the same year. In all, about 10 tonnes of building materials were moved up the mountain by pack horses; the only means of transport available in those days.
On 5th August, 1936, C. J. M. Cole, Chairman of the Hut and Trip Sub-Committee, P. E. Hull, Treasurer of the S.C.V and H. Michell, an Adelaide member, were at Mt. Hotham in Victoria. After a short vacation at Hotham Heights they crossed the Bogong High Plains and reached the Big River. On 8th August they spent the night under canvas in heavy rain, preparatory to tackling a climb on to Bogong itself. The next day 9th August, the climb of 3,500 feet from the river to the Summit Ridge was undertaken. Very bad conditions, thick fog and a blizzard were encountered and the party was unable to find the cairn on the summit. The following is an extract from Hull's diary " It was driving sago snow and Mick Hull found his slit aluminium goggles quite useless under these conditions ....The cairn had not yet been located. Howard Michell, who had done some blind flying was placed in charge of the compasses and a course was set for Quartz Nobs, with the idea of returning to the Big River, but they, like the cairn, could not be found. From 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. endeavours were made to get off the mountain by any spur but every spur that was attempted ended in sheer precipices. It had been agreed earlier that if no way off could be found by 5 p.m. the only course left would be to make a snow dug-out. The one place found that offered any shelter (although that was not much) and which lent itself to the construction of a dug-out, was located 400 feet to 500 feet below the summit on the south side and it was on a slope of 25 degrees.A hole 4 feet wide was dug Into the hill. and when it was finished for the first night it had a snow roof of three feet. Ski and sticks were placed on the outside with a tent and oilskin over them and snow over that again. Most of this work was done by Howard as Mick and Cleve Cole were tired. Mick helped until his hands became numb, stiff and powerless, in which state they remained for the fest of the trip. While these operations were going on the snow was falling heavily and there was no abatement of the blizzard or the density of the fog. Cleve's proofed Japara tent, which had an oilskin floor was put down in the dug-out, the floor
of which was hard packed snow." A lack of oxygen in this hole caused difficulty with matches, fifteen or twenty having to be used at times to ignite meta tablets. Eventually, "it was found that by igniting a piece of cine-film used in Cleve's camera, the fuel tablets could be set alight quickly and easily. Oxo cubes were invaluable as hot liquids were needed by the human system more than anything else". Next day conditIons were too bad for a thorough search and a second night was passed In the dug-out. "A stocktaking revealed that supplies of meta fuel were suffcient for three
days. By careful experimenting all possible use was made of the heat generated, two hands being heated round the panikin, a ball of knees under-
neath, and a segment of sleeping bag warmed under the fuel container. Later Mick's toes were warmed In his sleeping bag while the cooking was in progress." On 10th August the temperature dropped, and the blizzard and thick fog continued, but neither the calm nor the route they knew so well could be found. On 11th August they were still unable to find a way off. Wednesday, August 12th "After careful consideration it was decided to make a last hope to find the cairn and the Staircase Spur. ... After having a brew of chocolate and each man eating his share of what remained, they set out about noon, taking with them only a packet of P.K.'s and a stick for each man. the pint bottle of rum, Mlck and Cleve a camera each, Howard and Cleve a compass each, and Howard a length of cord and some oilskin ground-sheet a couple of feet square .... The fog gave a visibility of only 20 yards... the wind was almost unbearable. Compasses were produced and so that there should be no possibility ot the cairn being missed, each man was spaced at regular Intervals along a 60 yard length of cord, stretched across the top, but after the cord had been broken a number of times on the ice pinnacles, which the continued strongwinds made, this method of travel had to be abandoned."
Suddenly they walked right on to the summit cairn. Their attempt however to cover a distance of some 400 yards to the beginning of the Staircase Spur did not succeed. By 2 p.m. after a nightmare journey of mental torture and doubt as to the course they were following they had got out of snow country to a stream whIch subsequently proved to be the Big River. Unknowingly they had descended the southern Instead of the northern slopes of the mountain. On 13th August they followed the river through steep ravines, constantly crossing in icy water and all were suffering with sore or partly frozen limbs. Cole was having severe pain with his eyes. By 5 p.m. about 15 miles had been covered and they passed the night in hollow logs. On 14th August Cole slipped and was badly shaken, but the party continued and found a log which gave them scanty shelter for the night. On 15th August Cleve Cole was weakening and Mick Hull 's feet were stiff. Their rate of progress was only about 1 mile an hour. "It was obvious that Cleve could not continue much longer and that one of the other two would have to go ahead and try and get assistance for him. As Howard was in the best condition it was decided that he should go . . . Aftershaking hands Howard set off. No one knew what distance he had to travel, whether it was 20 miles or 50. "On 17th August Howard Michell arrived, frost·bltten and exhausted at Glen Valley, a mining centre some 42 miles from the summit of Mount Bogong by the route he had travelled. The local inhabitants immediately organised a searchparty. Members of the S.C.V. left Melbourne on Monday and Tuesday the 17th and 18th August and were quickly on the way. Meantime Cole had become too weak and too blind to walk, and Hull found a shelter in an open space where searchers could readily see them. They tried to maintain vitality by drinking water, two gallons of which per day so they had heard, sustain life for about 15 days. For three nights Hull with the utmost devotion, nursed Cole, who was at times delirious. On 18th August the searchers arrived. The two men were carried to a camp about 10 miles away but Cole was terribly frostbitten and unconscious. At 4p.m. on 19th August. the party arrived at Glen Valley. But it was too late, for Cole, and he died that evening at about 8 p.m.
The popularity of Mt. Bogong to-day as a ski-ing resort is due mainly to the interest and work of Mr. Cleveland Cole. who In the autumn of 1932 made his early reconnaisance trip to the mountain and during that winter made the first ascent on ski from the Tawonga side. Born in 1897, Cleve Cole In 1912 joined the staff of the Commonwealth Bank. In 1922 he transferred to the bank's branch at Launceston and spent three years in Tasmania, returning to Melbourne In 1925. He was for some time a teller with the Commonwealth Trading Bank and held Various other positions culminating with his appointment not long before his death, as Agency Inspectinng Officer of Commonwealth Savings Banks. During part of his life he was also an enthuslasic member of the Boy Scouts' Association. He was Scout Master of North Fitzroy Troop, which position he occupied for several years. In 1924 he was a member of the Overseas Scout Contingent which visited the Imperial Jamboree. at Wembley, and again in 1929
he went abroad to the Jamboree held at Arrow Park. During the course of these overseas visits he also spent some time in Norway, Sweden and Denmark. As a member of the Boy Scouts' Association he is best remembered for his work with the Lone Scout Section of the Movement. He was part-editor of a handbook for this branch of Scout training. Cleve Cole was ever an adventurer in the best sense. In the latter years of his life, skl-Ing was his passionate deifght and his exploring spirit led him year after year into the snow country to pioneer new runs and open up new country,
In the winter of 1932 he pioneered the northern approach to Mt, Fainter. In 1933 he visited New Zealand and with local guides made an extended tour of the Fox and Franz Jose! Glaciers. He also made aeroplane flights over the Southern Alps in New Zealand, returnlng to Victoria, he visited Mt, Bogong at every opportunity, He stimulated the Interest of the Ski Club at Victoria In the mountain and undertook its development as a skI-ing resort. His plans for the development of Mt. Bogong have already been publlshed In the 1934 and 1935 Year Books, At the time of his death he held the office of Chairman of the Hut and Trip sub-Committee of the Ski Club of Victoria and was a member of the Club's General Committee.
In 1931 he camped on Mt, Bogong during winter for a week. Substantially at his own expense, and with the aid of Mr. Walter Maddison, of Tawonga, he had a hut built on the Staircase Spur, which is now known as the "Bivouac Hut". He also had a track up the Staircase Spur improved. Only three weeks before his death he crossed the Dargo High Plains from the south, traversing country which had not been travelled In winter since the mining days of last century. Feratless, but not foolhardy, Cleve Cole was always out to explore and develop the lesser- known snow areas, He always stressed the necessity of extreme caution on long ski-Ing tours, and it is a bitter thought that he, who travelled first, some years ago, the heights of Bogong in winter, became its first victim.
excerts from AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND SKI YEAR BOOK.
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.