SH1396 and the Booroomba Rocks cliffs
Saturday 7 June: Booroomba Rocks – M/M. We will walk along the AAWT from Honeysuckle Creek Camp Ground to Booroomba Rocks car park and then follow the footpad to Booroomba Rocks. From there we will walk off track and across wonderful granite to spot height 1396. This is an area not usually visited by tourists as they usually stop at the end of the footpad. A short car shuffle before we commence the walk will mean that our return journey will end at the Booroomba Rocks car park. Distance around 12 km with climbs totalling about 450 m. Map: Corin Dam Leader: Phillip S. Transport: $36 per car ($9 – $11 per person).

9 of us drove in 3 cars to Honeysuckle Creek camping ground car park. The drivers then put 2 cars down at Booroomba Rocks car park.

Further Information

If time and leader allows, look for geocaches GC4NT99 Real Rock, GC4FPFT View to a View, GC15DT7 Booroomba’s Crowning Glory, GC131CQ Jamming the Line, GC27C5 South Canberra Views, GC131CC Vertical Bushwalking  and GC1QQZ1 Booroomba’s Beautiful Butt.

Summary

Distance: 10.1km | Climb: 540m | Time: 9.00am-2.15pm (5hrs 15mins), with 20 mins of breaks | Grading: M/R; M(9+)

Track Maps

Track

Cairns between SH1372 and SH1396

Photographs

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

Video

Google Earth

Download the Google Earth .kmz file here.

Track Notes

Quite cool as we set off, cold on the nose, in fact. OK in the direct sun, but the shaded parts of the footpad between the Honeysuckle Creek camp ground and Booroomba Rocks car park was frosty. A nice stroll along the link to the AAWT, then along it to the car park. 3.9km in 1hr.

Heading up the Booroomba Rocks Walk, Phillip kindly allowed me time to look for geocache GC4NT99 Real Rock. Even with Stephen’s assistance and a few minutes of looking, it was not found.

So we rejoined the party up on the walking track near the Booroomba Rocks cliffs. From the car park to the cliffs (including our unproductive caching) was 1.4km in 40mins.

Whilst the others enjoyed morning tea on the top of the cliff, I was released to go and try to locate geocache GC131CQ Jamming the Line. I’d never been along this side of the top before, towards the southern buttress. Plenty of footpads through the head-high regrowth between the granite. I carefully descended a gully to within 20m of the cache, but couldn’t get any further. Not ever happy with exposure, there was a fair bit of air below me. Re-reading the cache description, I’m not sure I approached from the correct direction. So I carefully extricated myself and returned to the party, who were ready to leave. 23mins for my little 500m escapade.

Next we took a little stroll along the cliff top to the NE to visit SH1353 and to visit GC15DT7 Booroomba’s Crowning Glory. At last, a find. No time to consider GC131CC Vertical Bushwalking. We back-tracked to the footpad junction, then returned via the reverse slope footpad, which has been recently cleared. It ends at the fire place site on the main entry walk. 31mins for this little 540m loop.

From here, we continued SW up to SH1372, down through the vegetated gully and up onto the granite slabs and so to SH1396. Wonderful views on this blue-sky day. I waypointed a few of the cairns which, on a cloud-shrouded day, would make very comforting markers. A few tens of metres on, I was able to log geocache GC27C5 South Canberra Views. 1km in 50mins.

Lunch was called and Phillip said if I could cover 4km/hr in the 30min lunch slot, I could try for GC1QQZ1 Booroomba’s Beautiful Butt. I set off down the slabs at a run, but when I punched up the cache, realised it was further to the W, through the bush. So I returned, taking some photos and a video and sending a tweet. I got 20mins for lunch.

We returned to the Booroomba Rocks Walk, the track back being slightly easier than the way in. Phillip knows this area very well.

Again with the leader’s permission, Mike and I headed towards GC4FPFT View to a View after leaving the footpad. There were some people up near the knoll, but they were not caching. A quick find of the cache, then we backed out.

On our trip back down I took the time to read the cache description for GC4NT99 Real Rock. Doh! So returned and made a quick find.

Back down to the cars. Return leg 1.5km in 40mins, including finding the 2 caches.

A lovely day – so good to be out on a crisp Canberra winter’s day. Phillip is an excellent leader – not only because he allows me to geocache on his walks (grin), but for many other considerations he shows to members of his party.

Party

9 walkers – Mike B, Mark H, Lisa and Stephen M, Nerolie P, Phillip S (leader), Gabrielle and Tim W, me.