View from our ascent of the Gourock Range at 1300m contour
Tuesday 6 May: Tumanmang Mountain – M/R. The walk is on the crest of the Great Dividing Range in the Tallaganda State Forest, about 20 km northeast of Jerangle. It is an exploratory trip for the leader. We will visit the tall forests on Tumanmang Mountain and the route is mainly off-track. Start on the White Ash Forest Road at Krawaree 275357. Visit Bald Peak, Tumanmang Mtn, Tumanmang Trig. From the trig we will follow a spur north and east then follow the creeks down to the White Ash Forest Road. Follow road south for 2 km then off track up a spur to the Gourock Range and back to the cars. Total Distance: About 13 km, with steep ascents and descents, both of about 350 m, through forests with thick scrub in places. If the forest access tracks are wet an alternative walk will be scheduled. Maps: Jerangle, Krawarree 1: 25,000 and South Coast Forests Map 1: 150,000. Leader: Ian W. Transport: Approx. 220 km return. $80 per car Limit: 8.
8 of us drove from Canberra via Michelago, then Tinderry Rd, Jerangle Captains Flat Rd, Anembo Rd, Baldpeak Rd, Flat Range FT to the junction with White Ash Rd.
Summary
Distance: 12.3km | Climb: 620m | Time: 9.05am-2.50pm (5hrs 45mins), with 35 mins of breaks | Grading: M/R; M(11)
Track Map
Photographs
Photographs are available, where you can start a large sized slide show.
Google Earth
Download the Google Earth .kmz file here.
Track Notes
About a 2 hour drive from Canberra. We went in via Michelago and the Tinderry Rd and came home via Captains Flat and Queanbeyan.
Shook out and walked the Flat Range Fire Trail to Bald Peak, 2.8km. A lovely cool, blue-sky day. Bald Peak is just off the fire trail and pretty unimpressive, although open views to the NE.
Back south along the fire trail, then headed bush to Tumanmang Mountain and morning tea. Again, an unremarkable flat top.
Scrubby at first, then an open, treed saddle, a knoll with views along the way and a steep little climb to Tumanmang trig. Impressive at last – lovely large stone cairn and disc marker. Views from the top through the light timber to the open green of the Jerrabattgulla Creek valley and Hereford Hall Rd.
The plan was to come NW via a spur off the trig, then turn north down a broad spur to a creek junction and handrail the creek systems E and SE down to White Ash Rd. This we did.
Some lovely and varied going – open forests; knolls and a little granite; lawyer vine, tighter going and a few ferns down near the creeks. We emerged onto the road after 4.1km in 2hrs 50mins (including morning tea and a play on Tumanmang trig), descending ~350m. Lunch was taken.
(A slightly more manageable walk could be made by following our route to here, then return to the start via White Ash Rd. Not necessarily shorter, but the ascent done via the fire trail rather than the bush. Long drive to and from, but well worth it if you haven’t seen this area.)
Options were offered. As our morning leg was a little slower than expected, we opted to plod a bit more of the fire trail and miss an off-track creek system, then ascend the Gourock Range.
It did make us huff and puff, but the going was relatively open (except for the drainage line we had to cross) and faster than expected. So we got an early mark.
Nice day, Ian. Great variety in a new area.
Only a brave/foolish/husband with an understanding and wonderful wife (she’s a Proverbs 31 girl) would walk on their 42nd wedding anniversary – and that I did!
Party
8 walkers – Peter C, Eric G, Linda G, Stewart J, Quentin M, Wayne P, Ian W (leader), me.