Rob Roy-Lanyon Falls

Wednesday 23 November 2022: Rob Roy Nature Reserve wander ! – M/E-M,ptX. A wander around Rob Roy NR. 

Summary

From Garmin Connect – Distance: 12.51km | Climb: 786m | Time: 3:48 moving + 1:10 of stops = 4:58 | Grading: M/E-M,ptX; M(11).

Photographs Photographs are available here.
gpx File The gpx file is available here.
Track Notes

I was last on Mt Rob Roy on 21 Aug 22 and at Lanyon Falls on 27 Jul 22.

I think I have a routine down pat. Get ideas for a walk from friends (thanks Jenny) and a new exit from the Falls (thanks Phillip). Round up a mate who doesn’t mind an early start (thanks Mike), tell my dear wife I’ll be late home, enjoy a walk, get home early and earn brownie points for the next trip. Repeat.

Mike picked me up from the old folks home at 7am and, with the short drive to the start in Orange Thorn Crescent Banks, we were walking at 7.06am. No mucking about.

We went down behind the flood mitigation weir and up the creek to the cascade where we crossed to the true right side.

Cascade

A bit further on we crossed a side creek and enjoyed the steady climb up to join the Banks Steep Track. Fields of wild flowers.

Fields of wildflowers climbing towards Banks Steep Track

Sticky everlastings (Xerochrysum viscosum)

An uninteresting leg along the bottom fire trail to the gate marked ‘Private’. A zigzag route up to join the top fire trail. Headed up the footpad to Mt Rob Roy for morning tea #1.

Rob Roy trig

A bit further north along the fire trail we stopped at the Rob Roy ecce for me to photograph the bolt in the concrete block. I wonder why my companion didn’t show more interest?

Rob Roy ecce

The opposite side of the fire trail here is a handy drop off point down the western side of Mt Rob Roy. Very pleasant off-track walking. Some flowers about.

Orchid descending west from Mt Rob Roy

We descended to join the bottom fire trail.

Final descent from Mt Rob Roy to bottom fire trail | photo Mike Bremers

Our next objective was Lanyon Falls, where I was heading to the top. However, Mike was on last Wednesday’s combined club trip which enjoyed views to the falls from the side, so he searched out a different route.

Descending south of Rob Roy-Lanyon Falls

A lovely full view of the falls opens up.

Rob Roy-Lanyon Falls

We were also able to sus out the exit route from the falls that Phillip S had recently suggested. We could see paths through the thick shrubs.

So we crossed above the falls.

Crossing the creek above Rob Roy-Lanyon Falls

We picked up a vague in places, but handy footpad that took us north to the final section of the walk, the three knolls south of Big Monks (thanks Jenny A).

More flowers.

Royal Bluebell (Wahlenbergia gloriosa) on the climb out of Rob Roy-Lanyon Falls

 

Views east up to Mt Rob Roy.

Mt Rob Roy from 800m contour

A very pleasant series of knolls, after I’d puffed up to the highest.

‘Knoll 1’

Lovely saddles in between.

The saddle between ‘Knoll 1’ and ‘Knoll 2’

A little up to the next knoll.

‘Knoll 2’

Down through the next saddle, disturbing the resting roos.

Walking the saddle between ‘Knoll 2’ and ‘Knoll 3’

A local in the grass near knoll 3.

Echidna near ‘Knoll 3’

Views to the Monks from knoll 3.

‘Little Monks’ and Big Monks from ‘Knoll 3’

Time for morning tea#2 at Little Monks, with lovely views.

Morning tea#2 views over roos to the Tidbinbilla Range

Some other walkers on Big Monks, so we left the view for them as we descended the northern spur.

Leaving Big Monks to other walkers

Continued fields of flowers on the descent.

Wild flowers descending Big Monks northern spur

An interesting tree. Was one side a coolemon?

Tree window

The houses appeared, the flowers remained.

Flowers on the descent to Banks

At the suburban edge we picked up the fire trail which took us back to the start.

A nice morning, thanks for your company Mike.

Relive the Trip
Track Maps

Here’s where we went. On Tuggeranong 1:25000 map © BKK Enterprises Pty Ltd, Mona Vale NSW 2103 www.gpsoz.com.au Used with permission.

Track overview Rob Roy NR wander

Track 1 Rob Roy NR wander

Track 2 Rob Roy NR wander

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

Route Card
From To Distance (km) Climb (m) Time (h:mm) Going
Orange Thorn Cres Join Steep Banks Track 1.6 167 0:48 Creek, open off-track
Join Steep Banks Track Private Property gate 2.7 84 0:36 Fire trail
Private Property gate Mt Rob Roy 1.3 76 0:34 Woodland, fire trail. footpad
Mt Rob Roy Cross bottom FT 1.3 -228 0:32 Fire trail, woodland
Cross bottom FT Rob Roy Falls 1.7 -127 0:37 Grassland, cross creek scramble
Rob Roy Falls ‘Little Monks’ 1.4 145 0:42 Climb on vague footpad, open grassland crest
‘Little Monks’ Orange Thorn Cres 2.1 -254 0:42 Steep grassland descent, Fire trail

(Metrics from OziExplorer Σ)

Party

2 walkers – Mike B, me.

Information Bit(e)s

I’ve had a lot of assistance from walking friends recently. By way of paying a bit back, I’ll publish a few bites of information that may help someone. Today’s is ‘11 Are We There Yet?‘.

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 give it a Like.