View SE from the east side of Mt Orroral

Saturday 8 October: Orroral Hill – M/R. Beginning at the Orroral Tracking station picnic area, we will follow the Granite Tors walking trail to the Laser Lunar Tower. After Morning tea with views we head off track in a south westerly direction to a saddle between Orroral Hill and a knoll to its north west. From the saddle we need to gain about 100 m to reach Orroral summit. Half the walk is on a very steep track with the other half steeply off track. It involves a total climb of about 600 m and a distance of about 12 km. The going will be fairly slow and scrubby, with some scrambling. Map: Rendezvous Creek. Leader: John Evans 0417 436 877, john@johnevans.id.au Transport: $10. Limit: 8. Booking: Please book before 2pm Thursday 6 October.

7 of us met.

Further Information

Originally planned by Phillip S, I was happy to have a walk when Phillip was unavailable.

Want the good oil on the Geodetic Observatory, from Canberra’s preeminent historian and author of Rugged Beyond Imagination? Check out Matthew Higgins’ article http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/126920423?searchTerm=higgins%20orroral%20geodetic&searchLimits=

Summary

Distance: 11.2km | Climb: 690m | Time: 8.15am – 2.00pm (5hrs 45mins), including 55 mins of breaks | Grading: M/R; M(11)

Photographs

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Videos

Waypoint and Track Files

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Track Notes

At last a mild day with no rain – perfect for a spring wander to Mt Orroral. This is a great location, an easy approach via the Granite Tors Walking Track, then a bit over 1km and 300m climb as an introduction to the Namadgi scrub. A little scramble to the top for excellent views.

A relaxed day. 1hr 20mins for the 4.3km up the track. Two in the party had not seen the Geodetic Observatory before. Views from the observation point nearby – which I didn’t photograph today. See Uru’s pics on the CBC Facebook page. Early, but we had morning tea before the climb up the hill.

Our 1.5km trip up the hill took us 1hr 15mins. Perhaps the regrowth is thinning a bit and certainly the tight going amongst the snow gums on the crest is a little easier. Perhaps the nice day and great company made the trip seem easier. Anyway, it’s just up on 202ºM from the bend in the track below the observatory, trying to pick the best going.

A delightful scramble to the top for the great views. Uru loved it so much that she took lunch up there; the rest of us retreated to the ledge below. I wandered back through the alley and up to sign the nearby geocache log.

Return was 1hr 10mins + 1hr. We passed a couple of groups coming up the track and a group picnicking near the car park. Great to see the place being used and appreciated.

Thanks all. Great team. Well done Josie!

Track Map

Track

Profile

Party

7 walkers – Leanne A, Josie H, Uru M, Stephen M, Jonathan M, Lois P, me.