Skylight in the granite of geocache GC1FFJX My Rock is Better than Your Rock
Thursday 24 August: Corin Road caches with Roger.
Further Information
Returned via a footpad which goes to Billy Billy Rocks.
Summary
Distance: 5.1km | Climb: 455m | Time: 9.15am – 12.45pm (3hrs 30mins), including lots of cache searching, a bit of driving | Grading: S/R,X; M(9+)
Photographs
Photographs are available, where you can start a large sized slideshow.
Waypoint and Track Files
Download the .gpx file. (Right click, Save Link As…, Save – if you want to use it.)
To use in Google Earth, do File, Open… and select Gps or All files as the File Type.
Track Notes
What better to go caching with a mad keen mate. A win-win, visiting some geocaches that Marmaduke Rothschild had already found (therefore an easy find for me – I have no caching morals) and some that neither of us had found.
A late start after work. A drive up Corin Road to Woods Reserve.
Walk 1
We parked right at the sign at the beginning of the footpad to Gibraltar Falls, that we’d last used on 21 Feb 15. So we set off, but very soon came to a left turn sign and a stepping stone crossing of Gibraltar Creek. Being the so-called leader, we turned left. A lovely new track and a steep 170vm climb … until the cache (which we knew was down on the creek) was on our starboard beam. Note to self … must come back and complete this track to Gibraltar Falls (and return via the creek!). So a 170m crash down through the bush to join Gibraltar Creek.
We knew from previous logs that the cache was not at the advertised coordinates. Even with the adjusted ones, we wandered around and around and around, looking. About to give up – ethics here, do you log a DNF or just keep mum? – a found was made. Logged GC5YFAY Woods Reserve – White Six. Whew! Followed the true left side footpad back to the car, which made a very easy exit (and therefore entry to) from the cache.
Walk 2
A hundred metre drive, a hundred metre walk and a quick log of GC5Y04V Woods Reserve – Red Six.
Walk 3
We drove up the Corin Road and parked off the side at an old fire trail entrance. Wandered up the decommissioned trail, then bashed through rampant regrowth for 20m me to log GC5MCFH Milestone Menhir.
Back out on the fire trail, we were able to follow it as it curved around for 100m or so. Then it was time to head up the hill. What followed was a tough climb through thick regrowth, 580m in 30mins, climbing 160m. I was a bit weary. Then, lo and behold, a cairn, a very well defined footpad and more cairns and tapes. A breeze from there on. Eventually the ground levelled and we made quick time to the cache. Some nice granite tors just off the footpad revealed GC1FFJX My Rock is Better than Your Rock for us to log.
The return trip was a complete doddle, as we followed the cairned and taped footpad all the way down to the looping fire trail, emerging onto Corin Road just a few tens of metres from the car. I waypointed 10 or so of the cairns and tapes. It started to gently hail!
Walk 4
If you could call it that. We drove a bit more up along Corin Road and walked a few metres for me to find and log GC2670E Corpora Cavernosa I.
Thanks Roger. Always a pleasure.
Track Maps
Party
2 walkers – Roger E, me.
Philip G
24 August , 2017 10:51 pmJohn
On my last walk to Billy Billy Rocks (31 May) we found a track on the north-east end of the rocks and followed it to about the spot that you reached today. We suspected it went on to the Corin Dam Road at that bend and Peter D (who was on the walk to Billy Billy Rocks) checked it out last week and confirmed this.
Philip
Johnny Boy
24 August , 2017 10:58 pmWonderful, thanks Philip. Mystery solved! Cheers. john
Charlotte le Clerc
27 August , 2017 4:41 pmHi John
thanx for publishing walk#3 which we did today, taking the cairned and taped route there and back. It started to lightly snow at about 1280m, then got much heavier when we made it to the “rocks”… sheltered in there and boiled the kettle for a brew. When the snow lightened up about 1/2 hr later, it was a veritable winter wonderland (searched for the GC in the meantime, but no such luck poking around in the snowfall). Made for a fun journey back to the car. I like the idea of turning this into a longer walk to Billy billy rocks… on a warmer day.
maXine 🙂
Johnny Boy
28 August , 2017 4:46 pmGreat darts maXine. Keep an eye on the planned walks and I’ll schedule the Billy Billy Rocks walk when, as you say, it’s warmer. A couple of good caches at BB Rocks and you could pick up this one on the way. You’d be welcome. Cheers. john