Drive to the Yankee Hat car park.

A little jaunt to 'bag' these enormous 1425m and 1459m peaks which just scrape onto the list of ACT high hills.  Max S kindly did all the preparatory work - all I had to do was walk.

We set off just after 8am and stopped at the forestry hut to admire the 3 rustic stools chainsaw carved from single pine logs.  On up the fire trail to the top of the rise overlooking the cleared pine trees.  Various fencings off of growing native trees.  Then down and across the dry Hospital Creek swampy area, heading generally towards the well defined spur heading S to Hospital Hill.  The granite slab and scree dribbles, so clearly seen when returning across the Gudgenby/Bogong grasslands to the Yankee Hat car park, were a little closer and bigger (1.8km and 30 minutes to here).

We entered the tree line and ascended through belts of scrub alternating with clear scree slopes (pic 1).  The climb adjusted our micro-climates to dripping sweat.  Great views opened up onto the grasslands, the Yankee Hats and the high hills still with their heads in the clouds.  We turned more to the S and were soon looking across and down onto the viewing platform on the Boboyan Road.  We reached the 1300m contour at 9.15am (2.8km and 1hr 15mins to here).

Slow going as the narrow spur continued up towards Hospital Hill.  Quite scrubby and loose rocks underfoot.  A wedge-tailed eagle soared over without a flap of its wings.  A few small patches of snow.  Great views to the W, but Booth Range and Booth Hill to the E, as well as being thickly vegetated, were shrouded in misty cloud.

Hospital Hill kindly appeared at 10.05am, just in time for a 15 minute morning tea.  A clearing in the middle of a band of tough scrub, but reasonable views by walking a few metres to the W.  Mt Gudgenby was just clearing its head from the clouds (pic 2) (4.5km and 2hr 5mins).  However, a bag is a bag!

We pressed on the 1.6km to Boboyan Trig, experiencing an exemplary traverse of more densely vegetated, wetter (and snowier) south facing areas of the ridge and more open, dryer north facing parts (6.1km and 3hrs).

The weather was beginning to close in, so I took a quick snap of the old trig marker leaning from its rock cairn and we headed W then NW to Hospital Creek Hut.  Some nice granite eggs were passed as we came down from the trig and, closer down near the creek, banksias in flower.  The hut thoughtfully appeared at lunchtime and we enjoyed a seat outside as we munched and drank (nice to move into a walking season which deserves a thermos of hot coffee) (8.7km and 4hrs).  A nice hut with a view over the Hospital Creek (dry) swampy flats and up to the ridge line containing some outstanding granite features.

Setting off again, we followed the flats down to the north.  An excellent granite 'castle', complete with water filled moat and thick ice sheets at one point.  The creek line took a turn and we wondered where the Hospital Creek cascades were, which we'd both heard about.  As it turned out, they were marked by the voices of 2 other walkers who were sitting at the top granite boulders (GR 78643891 GDA94) (10.9km and 5hrs 10mins).  No water, so we clambered down through the cascade boulders, including a little tunnel (pic 3).

Our final leg took us down to cross a forestry track and even though there were perfectly good tracks to the left and right, my trusty leader guided us up another 150m and over the hill to the E of the Old Boboyan Road.  A lyrebird led the way for us.

An so to our start point, reaching it at 2.35pm.

Great to get back into day walking.  This was a great little jaunt.

Distance: 13.5km  Climb: 750m.  Time: 8.00am - 2.35pm (call it 6.5 hours), with 50 mins of stops.