I carked it on this hill

Tuesday 23 September: Geocaches above Blue Gum Creek – L/R,ptX. There are 3 geocaches – GC1VDD3, GC1VDD1 and GC1VDD2 – in the hills 400m above the Georges Creek FT ford of Blue Gum Creek. It was a 10hr day when I was last in the area 6 years ago, so expect worse. A Google Earth file at www.johnevans.id.au/KMZ Files/Proposed-Geocaches-above-Blue-Gum-Creek.kmz. Around 20km and 1000m climb. Maps: Williamsdale and Corin Dam. Leader: John Evans  john@johnevans.id.au, 0417 436 877. Transport: $7 per person. Further details at www.johnevans.id.au/wp/. Emergency contact details must be registered/provided to book. Book by 2pm Sunday prior.
A living legend cacher tells me that these 3 caches are the ‘longest since found’ in the ACT.
Planned trip now from Booroomba Rocks car park, Bushfold Flats, Blue Gum Creek ford, clockwise round the caches and descend NE to fire trail.

6 of us drove in 2 cars to the Booroomba Rocks car park.

Summary

(for me and Eric) Distance: 16.2km | Climb: 650m | Time: 7.30am-1.55pm (6hrs 25mins), with 50 mins of breaks | Grading: L/E-R,ptX; H(12)

Track Maps

Track overview

Track 1

Track 2

Red = planned and not completed by me; Blue = actual.

Ian’s track

Photographs

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

Google Earth

Download the Google Earth .kmz file here.

Track Notes

Not a good day for me.

Met Jeremy (Noikmeister) and Chris (BatGirlandCo) at Tharwa, then drove on to Booroomba Rocks car park.

Away at 7.30am and a smart 6.9km in 1hr 20mins to cross Blue Gum Creek at the ford.

The hill looked high and the scrub was tight. I was a little off my oats today and only got a further 800m across the ground up the spur, climbing 200m. This took 45mins. I sat down. Eric kindly offered to accompany me back and the other 4 (including the 3 geocachers), pressed on. I lay about for 30mins and we had morning tea, then we headed generally down to Blue Gum Creek. Much embarrassment!

A pleasant return stroll back up to Bushfold Flats and south down it. Near the AAWT branch off, we met a party of 4 from Cooma who were walking in along the AAWT from Rowleys Hut at Kennedys Road Yaouk. Stopped for a chat. We were just heading off towards Bushfold Hut for lunch when another walker appeared. Chris B was out for a solo walk, but wisely accompanied by PLB and tracking-enabled DeLorme satellite communicator. So he came up to Bushfold Hut with us, had a snack, then pressed on. We enjoyed a 20min lunch.

Our return leg of 4km took 1hr 15mins. As soon as I got phone signal (around 1.5km from the car at 1.30pm), I rang the rest of the party. They had just found the third geocache, were planning a 30min break, and would then head down to the fire trail.

So a disaster of a day for me; boring for Eric (thanks so much for carrying me out); a tough but successful day for the 4 musketeers – see Ian W’s track map above. I’m looking forward to reading their logs at GC1VDD3, GC1VDD1 and GC1VDD2.

Hard to grade this – E(asy) track walking + R(ough) scrub-bashing climb.

Party

6 walkers – Chris B, Roger E, Eric G, Jeremy H, Ian W, me.

Next Tuesday Walk

If I can make it 😉

Tuesday 30 September: The Pimple and geocaches on the Tidbinbilla Ridge – L/R. There is a cache – GC1KV4P – on The Pimple, and a number of others on the Tidbinbilla Ridge – GC1KZEK (Johns Peak), GC4R3WY (Tidbinbilla Peak) and GC1KZEP (Tidbinbilla Mountain). GC1WJAZ is near the bottom of the Snowy Corner footpad. Let’s visit them. A Google Earth file at www.johnevans.id.au/KMZ Files/Proposed-The-Pimple-and-geocaches-on-the-Tidbinbilla-Ridge.kmz. Around 15km and 1000m climb. Map: Tidbinbilla. Leader: John Evans  john@johnevans.id.au, 0417 436 877. Transport: $6 per person. Further details at www.johnevans.id.au/wp/. Emergency contact details must be registered/provided to book. Book by 2pm Sunday prior.
BOOK HERE