Evening views from One Tree Hill
Canberra lights from near Oak Hill
Saturday 27 February: Night walking on the northern Canberra Centenary Trail – L/E. Night walking is most rewarding, not the least being the starry heavens and the bejewelled path side (tiny spiders’ eyes reflecting torch light). Hall to Forde on the CCT. Around 20km and 300m climb. Start at 5pm, finish around 10pm. For quick walkers please. Bring tea to eat on One Tree Hill. Map: Hall. Leader: John Evans 0417 436 877 john@johnevans.id.au . Transport: Drive yourself. Please book.
3 of us were ready to start at Hall after leaving a car at Forde.
Summary
Distance: 19.8km | Climb: 465m | Time: 5.25-9.20pm (3hrs 55mins), including 16 mins of breaks | Grading: L/E; M(8+)
Photographs
Photographs are available, where you can start a large sized slideshow.
Waypoint and Track Files
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Track Notes
You know who your good mates are when living legends turn out for a simple walk they’ve done many times before. But this was my second last walk before the Cbr100Challenge 100km trip next weekend. I’m walking it again this year to raise much needed funds for (what I understand is) the oldest independent women’s shelter in Australia – Beryl Women’s Shelter. Please support them and me by donating. I’ll be plodding this part of the northern Canberra Centenary Trail around 7.30pm-12 midnight next Saturday night.
Anyway, we enjoyed a very pleasant walk. Saw the placement and style of the Cbr100Challenge signage. They’re done a great job, plenty of arrows (go this way) and crosses ((don’t go this way) and tapes. Hat’s off to them. One pays a high entry fee, but they also do a huge amount to set the course and keep us safe.
A birdy night. Two wedgies around One tree Hill and also two lesser raptors chasing a Rosella back into a nearby tree. We stopped here for tea and a phone call home. On the flanking CCT Trail, after coming down from One Tree Hill, there is a large hole in the side of the trail. Cbr100 have marked it with a sign arrow. Don’t put your foot in it at night time.
I reminded Marmaduke Rothschild of the leap year geocaching tokens available and he reminded me that there is a great series of caches along this part of the Canberra Centenary Trail. So he suggested I could pick up GC69KF6 CCT – S3 – Sleepy Valley, which I did.
I enjoy the ACT-NSW border markers along here too, so I stopped to snap A1. Now, I really can’t see what I’m photographing till I get home, but Roger pointed out a little thing that I’d taken. So a log of GC659QY CCT – S3 – Border Rocks.
A brief stop at the northern campsite to get our headlights out, and I took the opportunity to use my walking poles.
So around Oak Hill, down beside Duke Road. By now it was dark, but few stars visible because of the clouds. However, the path side was bejewelled by little spiders’ eyes. Very pretty. Along beside Gundaroo Road, then onto the wide concrete path on the alignment of Old Gundaroo Rd. And so to the car.
Our last bird for the night was an owl sitting on a street sign as we drove back through Hall.
My GPSr reads a bit high for distance.
Many thanks Roger and Ian. I really appreciated your company.
Track Map
Track
Profile
Party
3 walkers – Roger E, Ian W, me.