Johnny Boy's Walkabout Blog

Wednesday 27 August 2025: M-H Wednesday Walk – L/E. From the former Orroral Tracking Station we follow an Orroral Circuit, initially up the Orroral Valley until we reach the Smokers Trail and return along this and various tracks that make up the Orroral Valley Circuit route. There is a creek crossing to get to the Smokers trail. It is unclear how deep this will be so walkers may get wet feet.

Summary

From Garmin Connect (recorded on MAP66i) – Distance: 20.54km | Climb: 275vm | Time: 4:23 moving + 1:51 of stops = 6:14 | Grading: L/E; M(9). I must admit I was recording on 3 devices today – Epix watch, MAP66i handheld and I’m beginning to use Gaia on my phone. Each have different advantages. The Epix records many more track points than the other devices, so produces more exact measurements of distance and climb. The data fields I have set on the locked display are handy for a quick glance. I have the planned route (more a detailed track) displayed in the MAP66i and I know how to mark a waypoint on it. I’m new to Gaia. It worked well with my phone in Airplane mode today, using around 50% of the battery. What I really like is that if you take a photo via the app, it records location and time

My Photo – 27/8/2025, 11:53:16am

which can be downloaded. On the map segment below, I change these to Pnn, which corresponds to the photo number.

Photographs

View photographs here.

gpx file

Download the gpx file here.

Track Maps

Here’s where we went:

Trip Report

I last did this circuit on 20 Jul 24.

I drove out by myself to allow for not coping with the speed of the M-H Wednesday Walkers. I did cope (or else they slowed up for me) – am I getting some sort of old man mojo back?

Frickin’ freezin’ all day. Light showers on and off, windy, a spot of hail, and very cold at lunch so maybe some snow up higher.

Walking at 9.40am up to the Cotter Hut Rd and along it a bit. It was decided to do an anticlockwise circuit, so we headed down the Link Track, then N up the Valley. A bit soggy. But the views up to the features on the Orroral Ridge of Stone cannot be dampened. Smoko up in the trees after passing Fishlock Yards.

The route turns a bit to the NW, across some steppingstones that provide a false sense of security before hitting Sawpit Creek. Many crossing styles.

I had enjoyed much conversation up the valley. Here our leader allowed me to go on ahead, so I enjoyed my poor company on the leg on Smokers Trail to the intersection with Cotter Hut Rd.

From here, we had 10.5km to go.

We crossed Sawpit Creek again, this time with dry feet.

With a tummy or two grumbling, we pushed onto the AAWT intersection for lunch. Rugged up for the break.

Took a turn around the aboriginal rock shelter opposite.

Walking again, some nice grevillea around the Prairie Dog Creek culvert.

Down the hill and on the flat, we left the Cotter Hut Rd on the AAWT route. Called in at the stockyard site.

Down to Rowleys Orroral Hut site, then south down the valley on our inward track. Over James Creek.

Hitting the ‘Station Link Track’ we detoured cross country a little, passing the concrete thingy. Any ideas?

Then back home via the minitrack/camera/laser area.

In past the concrete pads where the 2019-20 helicopter should have landed!

I really enjoyed this brisk hike. Thanks all.

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

Party

5 walkers – Greg B, Henry G, Gareth K, Lorraine T (leader), me.