Lunch views down the south arm of Burkes Creek from The Pimple
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.
7 of us drove in 2 cars to the Mountain Creek car park up the back of TNR.
Summary
Distance: 16.0km | Climb: 1060m | Time: 7.55am-4.05pm (8hrs 10mins), with 35 mins of breaks | Grading: L/R; H(14)
Track Maps
Track overview
Track 1
Track 2
Photographs
Photographs are available, where you can start a large sized slide show.
Videos
Google Earth
Download the Google Earth .kmz file here.
Track Notes
A cracker of a day, which I (just) survived. Roger (Marmaduke Rothschild) logged his 1000th geocache!
Around 23ºC in town and very windy on the Tidbinbilla Ridge.
We inserted via the Camel Back Fire Trail, 5.7km in 1hr 20mins. Gained the crest via the old benched vehicle track in to the map-marked radio transmitter tower.
From there, it was follow your nose along the crest. A bit of a footpad is developing, except around the rocky knoll of SH1322 and in a couple of other places. The wind was strong, but coming from the NW it was blowing us back onto the rock face as we negotiated the little scramble up to Johns Peak. I was told I jumped 6″ off the ground before checking that the reptilian tail had legs attached. 1.5km in 45mins. As always, the views are staggering! A quick find and log of GC1KZEK Squirrel’s Peak, then out of then wind for morning tea.
The next leg took us to Tidbinbilla Peak. Developing footpads most of the way. 0.9km in 30mins. Another quick find of GC4R3WY Fahrenheit 1581 and admiration of the views, particularly across to The Pimple, our next objective.
The route took us 200m south to a cairn where we headed SW in a loop around towards the back of our objective. A log of GCKZ9F Canberra’s Horizon on the way. Again, developing footpads and follow your nose took us to another cairn which marks the turn off down to The Pimple. 1.2km in 45mins.
Next, down the crest of the spur to the bottom of the back of The Pimple. Open leads and footpad at first, a bit scrubby down at the bottom. We began the climb and, after being a bit concerned with our timing (TNR gates close at 6pm in this season), I was pleased to find that the ascent was a bit quicker than I’d remembered. Up to log GC1KV4P The Pimple, thanks to muggle Sean doing the honours. Seems like most of us wanted to get to the top of the feature, so we pressed on up, including a rock scramble that we wisely circled around on our descent. Again, quicker than I thought. I rang the Rangers at TNR from the top, just to let them know what we were up to if we happened not to be able to exit the NR by 6pm closing. Roger, Ian and Sean’s first visit to The Pimple; I think my last. Stupendous views. Lunch back out of the wind.
I didn’t disgrace myself like last Tuesday, but I’ve certainly lost my mojo. Very happy when Mark led off (particularly as the alternative to the rock scramble was head-high tight regrowth shrubs on the descent) and later Sean took the lead as we climbed back up to the turn off cairn on the crest. This little detour was 2.0km in 1hr 50mins, including 20mins of lunch.
From here to Tidbinbilla Mountain was a relatively easy leg. The footpads peter out, but the going is a little easier. 0.7km in 25mins.
Up on this wind-swept, rocky underfoot, scrubby top with cairn and 360º views, Roger scored his 1000th geocache, GC1KZEP Tidbinbilla Traipse. Not bad since 11 Jan 14. Congratulations Marmaduke Rothschild!
A bit of faffing around on my part as we came off, but with advice from Chris we took a good line just south of east, then SE to come down to the crest near the map-marked Snowy Corner. Some tight wattle regrowth (but getting fractionally easier to traverse, I reckon) and, with the help of GPSr, to the cairn in the open area. Someone cracked their head on a rock – so hard that those before and after said head-cracker, and appropriately spaced, heard it! No damage to the Nature Reserve rock. Continuing along the crest, we arrived at the Snowy Corner cairn (well, the cairn at the top of the spur). This leg 1.2km in 1hr 5mins.
All over bar the shouting here (at 2.50pm), as we knew that the footpad on the spur is well developed. In addition, some new yellow tapes, particularly at the top and at other difficult locations. To top it off, Sean and Mark took us down, so I was TIBMIN. Getting some adductor muscle cramps – summer will be worse – I’d best try magnesium pills. A regroup at the seat half way down and a bit of faffing at the bottom to join the Lyrebird Trail. Whoever tapes these pads aught to tape the couple of hundred metres from the bottom of the spur footpad to the Trail! This leg 1.5km in 1hr.
A 1.1km trot back along the Lyrebird Trail to the cars in 15mins.
A wonderful day. I wouldn’t be dead for quids – unless walking kills me (grin).
Party
7 walkers – Mark B, Cynthia B, Sean D, Roger E, Chris R, Ian W, me.
Next Tuesday Walk
Tuesday 7 October: Mt Boboyan Outcrops, Namadgi National Park L/R/X. The walk starts on the Boboyan Road at the Yerrabi Track carpark. Most of the walk is off-track on the steep western side of Mt Boboyan. In the morning we will follow a spur west to the Old Boboyan Road and investigate numerous granite tors hidden in the forest. We will have lunch near Hospital Creek Hut, before returning to Mt Boboyan via another spur and more rocky features. This is quite a long day with thick scrub in places and some steep rocky slabs to negotiate. Minimum distance: 16 km with ~ 600 metres of ascent Map: Leader: Yaouk Ian W. Transport: 119 km return. Limit: 8.