Johnny Boy's Walkabout Blog

Wednesday 9 November 2022: Mt Domain ! – M/M. In and out via Fishing Gap.

Summary

From Garmin Connect – Distance: 12.65km | Climb: 745m | Time: 3:15 moving + 1:41 of stops = 4:56 | Grading: M/E-M; M(10).

Photographs Photographs are available here.

gpx File The gpx file is available here.

Track Notes

My 18th trip to Mt Domain today, the last on 11 Aug 18. But since I’ve not been out in the bush much after 2019, trips such as this have seemed a little beyond me. So I decided to tackle it by myself. Very glad when Rob said he’d enjoy the trip with me. My dear wife was even happier as, even though she sees my tracking points and I have an SOS service, she prefers I don’t walk alone.

We left the Fishing Gap car park in Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve at 7.32am. Nothing much to say about the 3.7km in 58mins up to Fishing Gap, except for the lovely sound of water flowing strongly in the Tidbinbilla River and the creeks flowing into it. I didn’t have much to say either on the steeper sections of Fishing Gap Road as it wiggles up towards the gap. No pause.

A few photos of the footpad following and more in the album. Why? Trips such as this have built up in my mind over the last couple of years and I want to show to myself (and others) that they aren’t as fearsome as can be imagined. If one has a basic sense of direction, perhaps a phone with a downloaded track from something like AllTrails, an SOS device and some water, tucker and appropriate clothing, then go for it!

I’d heard that there is a developing footpad and indeed there is. (With the nod from the TNR head ranger, I taped this route in 2016.)

The area of bracken fern is low and easily navigable at the moment.

Thanks to geocaching friend StarsAlign, I had a waypoint at the start of the major climb.

From here, the footpad climbs from 1195m to 1380m over a distance of 570m. Because of all my gasping stops it took us 35mins.

A geocache to be found here and whilst I was searching at the given location, Rob found it for me. Around 7m out, according to my device. Anyway, a log of GC9C2DP Loki’s Bone. 

There’s a bit of a reprieve as the footpad traverses the SH1402 ridge.

Through an area of shrubs …

… more close regrowth …

… a cairn or two …

… and out onto an open area.

From here, there is the final ascent to Mt Domain from the SE. Thankfully not as steep as the first climb. First there is a climb up the side of a delightful rocky spine.

66vm below our objective, the footpad traverses scenic woodland.

We reached the Mt Domain cairn at 10.17am. The top is SH1506, my MAP66i handheld measured 1508m.

The best spot for a break is 20 or 30m further on, where the vegetation opens up. A bit cloudy today, a few views W to the Brindabella Range but nothing to the E. A relaxed smoko.

I was looking forward to a tibmin descent behind Rob, and that it was. Our metrics up from Fishing Gap (including geocaching time) were 2.3km in 1:47. Down were 2.2km in 1:09.

Distant views to Ginini Falls.

Most grateful for Rob’s company and conversation.

Met a mother and son coming up a few hundred metres out from Fishing Gap and encouraged them to keep going up.

An uneventful return down to the car.

Relive the Trip

Relive ‘2022 11 09 Mt Domain’

Track Map

Here’s where we went. On Topoview2006 map © DEPARTMENT OF LANDS PANORAMA AVENUE BATHURST 2795 www.lands.nsw.gov.au Used with permission.

The AllTrails map is here, where you can pan and zoom.

Party

2 walkers – Rob McL, me.

Information Bit(e)s

I’ve had a lot of assistance from walking friends recently. By way of paying a bit back, I’ll publish a few bites of information that may help someone. Today’s is ‘7 Orienting a Map‘.