Johnny Boy's Walkabout Blog

Saturday 20 May 2023: Tidbinbilla Mountain and beyond * – M/M.  The views from the crest of the Tidbinbilla Range never cease to amaze. With NNP closed for the aerial control program, let’s revisit Tidbinbilla Mountain from the climb to Snowy Corner off the Lyrebird Trail. Then on to Tidbinbilla Peak and exit via Johns Peak and down the Camelback Fire Trail. Alternatively, our exit can be shorter, via the south-east from south of Tidbinbilla Peak. Around 13km and 850vm climb for the full lap. Around 9km and 750vm climb if we take the shorter exit.

Summary

From Garmin Connect (Epix Gen 2) – Distance: 10.01km | Climb: 810vm | Time: 2:46 moving + 3:21 of stops = 6:07 | Grading: M/M; M(10).

Photographs Photographs are available here.

gpx File The gpx file is available here.

Track Notes

Would you believe (after you read my navigation blunders below) I was last here on 26 Oct 22.

We gathered at Lanyon Marketplace at 7.30am and motored to the Mountain Creek car park in Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. An overcast and foggy morning to the west, but the eastern sky was clearing so there was the promise of the ceiling lifting in the west. Walking at 8.20am.

Cool in the shade as we walked the Lyrebird Track. Lovely colourings.

A steady climb to the Snowy corner cairns, this old codger enjoying a sit at the half way benches (and many other pauses). My previous trip to the crest had taken 1:46, today it was 1:30.

The developing footpad north is becoming a little overgrown in places, but still easy to follow. Morning tea at the ‘Open area with cairns’, trying to find some sun.

On to Tidbinbilla Mountain, arriving at 10.50am. Fabulous views as usual.

We signed on the log in the fluro painted container. It was pretty cool in the breeze so we didn’t dally too long.

We left to the north, a new cairn (since my last visit) marking the drop-off point.

Here I made the first of two major whoopsies on the trip (along with several other minor ones). The track map below, showing our track in blue with the planned track in red, tells the whole gory story.

Correcting to the NE, we picked up a footpad and passed through lovely country.

I remember seeing a photo like this in an early Graeme Barrow book of walks around Canberra prior to the 2003 fires. It whetted my appetite to visit, which I did for the first time on 13 Jun 05.

Some late flowers about as we continued on towards The Pimple turn-off.

The footpad is quite clear in this area.

The track map shows a bit of red on the next leg towards Tidbinbilla Peak, but I think we were on the footpad route.

We pulled up a bit short of the T-intersection and tried to find a spot out of the NW wind for lunch.

Continuing on the last couple of hundred metres to the cairned intersection south of Tidbinbilla Peak, there was discussion as to our next legs. We decided to exit via the SE track.

Here was the perfect opportunity for my second major whoopsie. Talking, I think, rather than focussed on the job, I lost the track! Couldn’t even sell it as “this is what it used to be like prior to the track clearing”. How embarrassing – no one will ever walk with me again.

I waypointed a few cairns and tapes towards the bottom of the route.

We popped out onto the Camelback Fire Trail and wandered 1.8km down to the cars, stopping at the Tidbinbilla Warning Siren for me to tell its tale. A couple of spits of showers.

Track Maps

Here’s where we went.

The AllTrails map is here, where you can pan and zoom.

Party

13 walkers – Jenny A, Cynthia B, John F, Shannon H, Craig L, Rivera M, Alice Q, Stephen M, Sal O, Chloe P, Chris R, Michael Z, me.

Johnny Boy’s Walkabout Blog FaceBook Page

I’ve started up a FaceBook page. Each trip report posts to it. So it’s another way to get some info to get out and breathe a bit of fresh air. Why not pop over and Follow the page, or give a post a Like.