Johnny Boy's Walkabout Blog

Wednesday 22 July 2026: Smiling Rock via Hospital Hill N spur recce * – M/R,X. An attempt to revisit Smiling Rock via a scree/vegetation route up the N spur of Hospital Hill. Return via a 200vm descent down scree that frightens the daylights out of me. Around 8km and 450vm climb. Best suited to strong off-track walkers. If I survive I’ll (not) put it on again

Summary

From Garmin Connect (recorded on Garmin H1i+ handheld) – Distance: 7.2km | Climb: 520vm | Time: 2:19 moving + 2:49 of stops = 5:08 | Grading: M/R; M(11).

Photographs

View photographs here. More photos in the album than are embedded in the trip report.

gpx file

Download the gpx file here.

Track Map

Here’s where we went:

Trip Report

We last did a similar trip on 23 Sep 25. Way back when I was a youngster, Max and I came through here on 21 Jun 06.

The Old Boboyan Road has recently been upgraded to 2WD standard. Of course, you still have the two fords of Hospital Creek.

Always huge views to the heart of the Namadgi.

Walking just before 9am. Up past the Foresters Hut and generally East on fire trails towards Hospital Creek.

I couldn’t have had a better, stronger party to hold my hand. I’d suggested walkers load my planned route in their devices and check out the map segment (just in case I carked it). All had. Everyone was happy to take a turn making the going – I was most grateful. I volunteered to lead the flat parts.

We got a view to the ascent route, hoping it would be better than last time.

Passed through Eleanor’s Grove seat and signage.

Always the adventurer, Chris suggested we try crossing Hospital Creek sooner than planned. The wide marshy area was not too bad at all.

Once across the creek, the first short distance to the bottom of the scree was just a bit scrubby.

We hit the scree 70vm higher.

It was then just a slippery slope up to smoko.

I was certainly ready to stop when a break was suggested.

Back at it, it was slow going.

The caption says it all on the next snap.

Around 100vm above smoko we passed an interesting geological feature. Must get the good oil from s couple of geology friends.

We passed a couple of lyrebird mounds in the high and rocky going. A new high altitude lyrebird subspecies? 😏

We hit the further ascending ‘crest’ at 11am and the going was easier for a while, above the scree.

I called lunch at 11.45am, well short of Smiling Rock. If my companions had wanted to go there (as advertised?), too bad!

A monocular appeared to take in the views, so I tried my digital zoom.

We were above where our scree descent started last time. Fortunately, a relatively easy (but slow) descent route was found to it (thanks Chris).

So began the descent, me beginning to drag the chain.

Grateful for the lads down front.

Steeply down.

I got some hints.

But I finally caught them!

At last we were down off the scree. A leg of light scrub took us to Hospital Creek.

A last look back.

Then a bit of fire trail and a sort of b-line back to the car.

Guess which were the fast bits and which were the slow bits.

Trust you enjoyed it folks and huge thanks for your contributions.

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

Party

5 walkers – Chris D, Immi F, Karina J, Douglas L, me.