View NE on the approach to Gingera | Walking Brumbys Flats
Saturday 1 February: Brindabella tops from Corin Dam – L/M. Walk up from Corin Dam. Destinations to choose from include Pryors Hut, Mt Gingera, Snowy Flats Creek cascades and a few geocaches. Meet up with Nathan’s party. A very early start to beat the heat. Around 20km and 1100m climb. Map: Corin Dam. Leader: John Evans – john@johnevans.id.au, 0417 436 877. Book by 9am Friday morning. Transport: ~$10 per person. Further details at www.johnevans.id.au.
3 of us drove from Canberra. 53km and 1hr dodging the suicidal roos and wallabies.
Further Information
It’s OK with Nathan that I join them at Pryors Hut around 10.30-11am (they’re meeting at Kambah 7am and expect to be at the Ginini car park ~9am). I’ll walk up from Corin Dam. They’re doing:
Saturday 1 February: Mounts Gingera and Franklin – L/M. A walk to blatantly bag another couple of trigs. The walk will start at the base of Mount Ginini, heading past the locked gate along Mount Franklin Road to Mount Gingera, with its fantastic views over the Brindabellas and south towards the Snowy Mountains. The walk returns to the cars along the same route. On the return to Canberra, we stop at the locked gate at Mount Franklin to walk to the summit of Mount Franklin. All up, the walk is about 18km and almost entirely on track. Maps: Corin Dam, Tidbinbilla 1:25000 Leader: Nathan H. Transport: ~$15 per person.
Look for:
GC1YK3R Where in the World is Basil?
GC15JPD Stockyard Spur
GC2A5T4 Pryors Hut
GC2ABD A Long Way To The Top.
At Corin Dam, look for:
GCHCWT Corin’s Core
GC2FQXJ Corin’s Core-blimey, it’s almost full !
Summary
Distance: 23.5km | Climb: 1330m | Time: 7.30am-3.05pm (7hrs 35mins), with 35mins of breaks. Then 3.05 – 3.55pm | Grading: L/E-M,ptX; H(14-)
Track Maps
Track overview
Track 1
Track 2
Track profile
Photographs
Photographs are available, where you can start a large sized slide show.
Videos
Google Earth
Download the Google Earth .kmz file here.
Track Notes
With a late withdrawal, got the nod from the Walks Secretary that this walk could run as a CBC walk. Normally a minimum of 4 is required. Circumstances in our favour were that we had an early start to beat the heat, were an experienced and well equipped party and that the walk was mainly on track.
A warm 38°C day in Canberra. It got to 29°C at Mt Ginini during the afternoon.
At last getting the balance right between walking and caching (ie. my walk with geocaching as the primary objective) we set out up the steps towards the Stockyard Spur helipad. Found GC1YK3R Where in the World is Basil? after solving the picture puzzle. Obviously the waypoint location on the track map is not the final location of this cache – that would be giving the game away.
We made the 2.2km to the helipad in 1hr 15mins. Some faffing around at the beginning and caching time, as this normally takes 1hr.
Lungs recovered, we dipped down through the saddle on the Stockyard Spur vehicle track between SH1532 and SH1615, climbed a bit, then headed down to find and log GC15JPD Stockyard Spur.
On to join the Mt Franklin Rd and got to Pryors Hut at 10.10am. Nathan and his party of 8 had been there for 15mins.
A quick morning tea and all 11 of us headed further S along the Mt Franklin Rd. With a hint from mr_roo, I ducked in to find GC2A5T4 Pryors Hut.
At the U-bend where the Gingera footpad starts, someone has made a nice stone arrow on the ground. Q picked up the blue-painted rock and returned it to the top of the marker pole. Still lovely cool water in Snowy Flats Creek, but hard to get as it is running very shallow.
Up to Gingera, first calling in at the guyed marker pole at border marker X27. I told the story of the Natmap Gingera and the real (Mt Mouat) Mt Gingera- see here. Nice views. Then onto the rocks at the real Mt Gingera.
Here the majority of Nathan’s party retraced their steps to Pryors Hut. We three, plus mr_roo and Phillip S went on to search for, eventually find and log GC2ABD A Long Way To The Top. I’m still waiting to see aestivating Bogong moths packed wing on wing like scales, but the ‘pouring’ out of the moths from around the cache was the most of the little critters I’ve ever seen. Phillip and mr_roo continued NW along the top and so down to Pryors Hut.
Trevor had told me about a view over the Goodradigbee River valley from W of Brumbys Flats, so here was the opportunity to find the spot. We went via the huge dead burnt Snow Gum and continued through the timber on the far side to some rocks for lunch.
Trevor wasn’t completely happy that we were at the right place, so we left to the N. Nothing better, so maybe the place he’s remembering is S of lunch. Gently up to border marker S57 near SH1847, then down to the Mt Franklin Rd. A quick look at Q57 and the 21 Mile marker.
Walking back along the Stockyard Spur vehicle track we came upon a cyclist! He’d carried his bike up from Corin Dam (mustn’t have read the No Bicycles sign) and was heading for Mt Gingera.
Arrived back down at the bottom of the steps at 3.05pm, dropped our packs a little way down the road and walked down to the base of the dam. Trevor had a swim, Stuart had a soak and I searched and searched for GCHCWT Corin’s Core. I reckon I identified the special rock but couldn’t find the cache. Must check with the cache owner.
Puffing back up to the car our cyclist was coming down to cool off.
Too tired to look for GC2FQXJ Corin’s Core-blimey, it’s almost full !
Party
3 walkers – Trevor L, Stuart S, me.