Balloons following us
Saturday 7 March 2015: CBR100 Challenge training – Lake Burley Griffin circuit inc Black Mountain, Mount Ainslie – L/E. Last training walk before the CBR100 Challenge. A complete lap of Lake Burley Griffin, including visiting Black Mountain and Mount Ainslie. You’re welcome to join me for as long or as short as you like – phone me to check where I am. Bookings: By 2pm Thursday 5 March please. Map: Canberra Leader: Nathan H. Transport: drive yourself but let me know if you need a lift.
5 of us drove met in the Regatta Point car park.
Further Information
I left the party around 10.45am and modified Nathan’s route a bit to crank up the distance.
Summary
Distance: 72.19km on GPSr; 70.1km cleaned up on digital maps; 68km on Google Earth | Climb: 1025m | Time: 6.35am-8.25pm (13hrs 50mins), with 20 mins of breaks | Grading: L/E; H(12+)
Track Maps
Track overview
Track 1
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Track 3
Track 4
Track 5
Profile
Photographs
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gpx File
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Track Notes
A perfect Canberra Autumn day, 27ºC and a little light cloud. The Canberra Day long weekend. We began the walk with hot air balloons; there was a Canberra Symphony Orchestra + RMC band practice at lunchtime; a proposal on bended knee at Mt Ainslie (she accepted!); church and bush walking friends met; and Enlighten at night. Just 70km on hard surfaces in 14hrs in between.
From Regatta Point we crossed Commonwealth Avenue Bridge and headed off clockwise around the West Basin of Lake Burley Griffin. The rising sun brought a host of hot air balloons in the still conditions – a perfect start to our walk.
Nathan was happy to accept the suggestion that we follow the new path around the Weston Park peninsula. A long time since I’ve been at this location and I’ve never walked around the new-ish perimeter path. Good results – a balloon landed right beside the path and the SIEV X Memorial was poignant.
Back on the main path and across Scrivener Dam and around to the Lady Denman Drive lights and the Parkes Way/Caswell Drive underpasses. Into the SW corner of Black Mountain Nature Reserve where we competed with the mountain bikes of the Canberra Punishment Enduro for a while. Round to join the Lakeview Trail which goes steeply up the spur to meet Black Mountain Drive. We skipped across it and followed a minor track to the lower car park and lookouts, then up to near the base of Telstra Tower. A quick morning tea.
Away again down to the north of Black Mountain on the CCT. By around 10.45am we’d covered 18.6km in 4hrs 15mins. Here I left the party with an OK from Nathan (and help with the actual direction I’d chosen to go around Little Black Mountain), as I wanted to cover 70km in the day and get home at a reasonable time.
So I popped the earphones in (a mixture of Christian choruses and good old rock ‘n’ roll) and cranked up the pace. I went around Little Black Mountain, north then west to parallel Caswell Drive back to the Lake, east paralleling Lady Denman Drive, a lap of Black Mountain Peninsula, a lap of Acton Peninsula, and so back to the car. That little bit 14.2km in 2hrs 15mins. A very quick lunch.
Next, following Nathan’s route, I went across Commonwealth Avenue Bridge, then SE along Central Basin, crossed Kings Avenue Bridge and did a clockwise lap of East Basin. Met Graham and Wendy H on their bikes below Duntroon and bought a can of Coke at the Kingston Foreshore. Did the south side of Central Basin and over Commonwealth Avenue Bridge back to my car. This leg 13.4km in 2hrs 20mins.
Again following Nathan’s route, it was along Gallipoli Reach to Blundells Cottage, up Anzac Parade, up Mt Ainslie, NE off the top and down to the 132kV power line track. South along it and then NW across the back of Campbell to meet the Mt Ainslie Track. Across the back of Campbell I met Steven R. Back down Anzac Parade to the lake and a quick stop for tea at the first seat I could see. This leg 13.2km in 2hrs 50mins. Now 6.20pm.
From here, a clockwise lap of the Central Basin back to under Commonwealth Avenue Bridge, across the back of Lennox Gardens (a function on at the new Chinese Gardens), south to Scriveners Camp, up to Parliament House, down past Old Parliament House to the lake (with Enlighten crowds revving up waiting for the light show but missing the sunset) and back across Commonwealth Avenue Bridge. Met Trevor C and children from church. This leg 8.2km in 1hr 35mins. Now 7.55pm and getting close to 70km.
To finish off and get the required distance so my dear wife would let me back in the house, over to the Parliamentary axis and some feeble attempts to photograph Enlighten, then an ever diminishing series of circles around the car until the GPSr odometer read 72.19km.
Music kept me going; didn’t use the walking poles; ripped the back out of my left heel. Was let back in the house.
Party
5 walkers – Jillian B, Cynthia Bu, Nathan H (leader), Chris R, me.