Johnny Boy's Walkabout Blog

Saturday 14 September: Mt Mavis – L/R. Leader: Ian (the granite hunter) W.

Further Information

Ian put on a private trip to Mt Mavis. I said I’d sulk if he didn’t include me. As it turned out, my presence helped towards balancing the gender ratio and increased the average age of the party.

Mt Mavis is a local name used by the Canberra Bushwalking Club. It’s SH1711 on the Rendezvous Creek 1:25000 topographic map. Enormous views are the reward for the effort in summiting it. Although not an official name, it appears in the CBC ACT Percys list as a 3 pointer and would be the 11th highest high hill in the ACT.

Many goals amongst the party members, including hill bagging, geocache finding and having a good time in the bush. My goals were to achieve the top and, once there, to get home.

My previous visits 23 Sep 06, 17 Jun 08, 24 Nov 09, 2 Apr 11, 20 May 14 and 10 Apr 18.

Summary

Distance: 17.00km | Climb: 1100m | Time: 7.30am – 5.20pm (9hrs 50mins), including 55 mins of breaks | Grading: L/R; VH(15)

Photographs

Photographs are available, where you can start a large sized slideshow.

Videos

Waypoint and Track Files

Download the gpx file for this trip (if your browser does not automatically download the file, it will open the gpx file in a new window and you can then save it). To use in Google Earth, do File, Open… and select Gps or All files as the File Type.

Track Notes

A glorious Spring day (except for the need for rain) and we set off from the  Nursery Swamp car park in the Orroral Valley at 7.30am. An uneventful trip across to Rendezvous Creek (except for several of us in the lead at various times momentarily losing the footpad). As we descended to the creek, the first view of Mt Mavis made us gulp.

We crossed the creek.

The remains of the bridge were nearby.

A pause for morning tea after the leg in of 5.2km in 1hr 40mins.

The gruelling 630vm climb began at 9.25am.

Ian took us a little east of the usual route, so that we could examine some ‘bonus granite’.

At last we could imagine that the crest was close and could feel the gentle breeze.

We struggled up through the scrub, crossed over to the SW side of the crest and scrambled up the final approach to the top tor with its minimalist cairn. A leg of 3.3km in 2hrs 50mins.

I reckon the views from here are the best in the Namadgi. On summiting, right in your face is the next rock stack, as a friend said, “big pebbles”.

I’ve never been able to get to this and the trip to the next locally named Mt Herlt on 14 Nov 09 required us to descend towards Middle Creek to get round the enormous tors.

The panoramic views take in the Yankee Hats, Mt Gudgenby, Mt Burbidge, Mt Namadgi, Big Creamy Flats, distant views to Bimberi Peak, the Bimberi and Brindabella Ranges, a view back NW up the Mavis Ridge, Thunder Bluff and Mt Orroral and the ridge across Rendezvous Creek and round to Mt Herlt. Fabulous!

The others scrambled up.

After taking in the views we enjoyed lunch.

Two of the crazies celebrated in usual style when a hilltop is bagged, then it was time to descend.

We began the return journey at 12.50pm, taking a more easterly route to the usual which turned out to be a bit scrubbier and slower.

But we did find some more nice bonus granite!

At last and thankfully we reached Rendezvous Creek and watered up.

So all that was left was to climb to the saddle, lose ourselves a few more times on the footpad back to the NSWT and down the hill to the cars. Some nice track-side flowers.

Our return leg was 8.5km in 4hrs 30mins.

A classic, hard Namadgi trip with rewarding views. Thanks for putting it on Ian. Thanks for your company ladies. I shall never go again (until next time).

Track Maps

Track overview

Track 1

Track 2

Profile

Party

6 walkers – Meghan B, Robyn H, Lauren O, Elena S, Ian W (leader), me.