The top of Corin Dam
Saturday 26 November: Corin Dam upstream end, bike + walk – L/E,W. Ride from the Orroral Tracking Station to the locked gate on Cotter Hut Rd. Walk Cotter Hut Rd and Lick Hole Rd (with a knee deep ford of the Cotter River and several side streams) to Gallipoli Flats and beyond for the geocache GC2GDAN Waterfront Views. Unique views of this end of Corin Dam. A long day of 20km ride plus 25km on foot, 1100m climb. Own mountain bike and transport required. Maps: Corin Dam and Rendezvous Creek. Leader: John Evans, john@johnevans.id.au 0417436877.
3 of us met.
Further Information
Last here 9-10 Jan 09.
Summary
Distance: 43.0km (20km ride + 23km walk) | Climb: 1130m | Time: 7.25am – 3.15pm (7hrs 50mins), including 35 mins of breaks | Grading: L/E; H(12)
Photographs
Photographs are available, where you can start a large sized slideshow.
Videos
Waypoint and Track Files
Download the .gpx file. (Right click, Save Link As…, Save – if you want to use it.)
To use in Google Earth, do File, Open… and select Gps or All files as the File Type.
Track Notes
A cracker of a day for this little ride + walk. Mild (24ºC in Canberra), blue sky, a gentle breeze at times.
An early start and we were riding by 7.25am. Plenty of pushing up the 140 vertical metre climb out of the Orroral Valley, but good riding before and after that. We made the locked gate at the edge of the upper Cotter Catchment by 8.45am, covering the 10.1km in 1hr 20mins. We dropped the bikes over a little embankment and trusted any fellow walkers not to take them.
The dull walking along the Cotter Hut Road was relieved by a great display of wildflowers and flowering shrubs, birds calling and the pretty De Salis Creek. We made the junction with Lick Hole Road, covering the 6.1km in 1hr 20mins. Spied an old fire trail heading South uphill into the bush from the Cotter Hut Rd. You can see it on Google Earth.
Turning North along Lick Hole Rd, we soon came to the Cotter River ford. Walking shoes off and crocs on to cross and, after re-booting, morning tea. Have a look at the video. Continuing north, we soon came to the flowing Cribbs Creek. From here on I just wandered through the water, soon after with dry (ish) shoes and socks. Gingera Creek was flowing too. Grassy and green Gallipoli Flats. I missed the turn to the gauging station on the way in and we were soon walking the road up and over a shallow spur, along a bit more and down to the edge of the top of Corin Dam. A quick find and log of geocache GC2GDAN Waterfront Views. The trip down Lick Hole Rd was 5.3km in 1hr 30mins, including morning tea.
Nearly all over bar the shouting and the return now. We walked back to near the river gauge, found the track going in, checked out the new gauging station and the flying fox and gear, then sat in the shade for lunch. A little horizontal time.
We left at 12.15pm and walked the 10km back to the bikes in 2hrs 5mins.
We soon discovered the value of riding, even allowing for the push up from the valley in the morning. 10km in 55mins to get back to the cars, including a glorious descent back down to the Orroral Valley.
Thanks Roger and Paul, a nice day.
We said hello to Val Jeffrey at the Tharwa General Store over ice cream and light beer.
Track Maps
Party
3 riders and walkers – Roger E, Paul O, me.