John emerging from a scrubby creek crossing (photo Linda Groom)

Friday-Sunday 24-26 March 2023: Mt Morgan. See trip description.

Parts of this trip were through ecologically sensitive areas and the leader requested that specific locations not be referenced.

Summary

From Garmin Connect (MAP66i) – Distance: 22.27km | Climb: 959m | Time: 3 days, including travel | Grading: S/R; M(9).

Photographs Photographs are available here. Don’t even think of it – geotagging has been removed from all photos.
gpx File Not available.
Track Notes

I was last on Mt Morgan 8-9 Apr 06.

A pleasure to be driven to the trackhead. A stop for coffee and for me to buy lunch at Adaminaby. Plenty of action at the Snowy 2.0 portal at Tantangara Dam.

Tantangara Dam works

Our leader took the sensitiveness of the area seriously, providing a boot bath before starting. My contribution was to wear brand new boots. Walking at 11.30am in sunshine.

Setting out

Mixed going, scrubby with open patches.

Some nice medium scrub

An open hill top

Around 2.15pm we reached the creek line draining the swamp above which we camped. We crossed the creek around 300m from our camp site at a point which was to provide our water.

Crossing a creek line, our watering point for camp

The usual drill – set up tents (a few ants about), get water and have a cuppa.

Water point for camp

Perhaps I may have been the envy of some. I lugged in a chair. Now our good leader had set us a challenge with pack weight. She came in at under 10kg; I had 13.7kg, including chair, heavy tent and water.

Heavyweight gear – palatial tent and chair

Early to bed, as fuel stove only required by our walk leader. It showered during the night. Quite mild – slept in sleeping bag liner with bag just opened out and over the top. I was pleased to be able to chat (well, message via SMS with a 10 minute turnaround) with my dear wife via the inReach functionality on my Garmin MAP66i GPSr.

Saturday dawned overcast. We headed out before 9am.

Heading out, day 2

Our route took us to a saddle on the Gurrangorambla Range.

Near a saddle on the Gurrangorambla Range

The weather did not clear, but it made the leg up towards Mt Morgan eerily lovely.

At the 1800m contour climbing towards Mt Morgan

We arrived at the Morgan top at 11.50am and climbed the rock ramp.

Climbing the rock ramp to Mt Morgan

Not much of a view.

Happy walkers on Mt Morgan – not much of a view

This is what we missed seeing, from 8-9 Apr 06.

Mt Morgan, 8-9 Apr 06

And just to show we were actually there.

Mt Morgan cairn and trig point – walker’s leg as click bait

A hasty lunch out of the cold wind. Back down along the same route.

Returning through boulders

Another early night, especially for me. I was tired. A few hours of music as I recharged my iPhone and GPSr. That heady combination of Christian music and good old rock ‘n’ roll. A couple of light showers.

Always the consummate leader, Linda set a start time on day 3 at 9.30am. She’d noticed that the sun (when out) didn’t reach some of our tents till just before then, so gave us time to dry off before packing. Most considerate. Half of the party returned via a different route and the other half the way we’d come in.

We did a lovely circuit, first north then west via more swamps and open areas.

Another ecologically sensitive swamp north of our camp site

Entering a delightful open area

A sea of flowers.

Still some flowers about

We had morning tea near here at 11.20am.

Continuing west, a creek crossing provided a water top up opportunity.

Topping up on water

Lunch at 12.30pm, then south on the Bicentennial National Trail.

On the BNT

A little fire trail back to the cars.

What was the hardest thing for me? Putting on wet socks on the morning of day 3 😉

A great trip to an area I’ve not walked in for nearly 20 years. Thanks all for your company.

CBC members and guests should take every opportunity to walk with these people. Born with boots in their mouths (and some with silver spoons to purchase the ultra lightweight gear), they are a fabulous source of navigation, route finding and gear selection knowledge. I still have so much to learn and so little time!

Track Map

None of course.

Party

9 walkers – Garry B, Peter C, Linda G (leader), Stephen M, Daniel P, Jacqui R, Jeanette S, Phillip S, me.