Comment

One often hears of the not-so-good uses of the internet.  Here's a good story.  Early in 2005 I Google-d 'Burbidge' and found some pics of Namadgi, to which I linked.  They inspired me to get to Mt Burbidge and into a new level of walking.  Then, early in 2006, the photographer, now doing Christian work in Spain, found this blog and enjoyed seeing my pics of places he'd walked.  A small world.  We've exchanged emails since.

Walk

I had some hints from Alex K who'd recently done the Spur to Pryors Hut.  He said the way up the Spur was taped and he gave me his timings (but he's around 30 and we're around 60!).

We were away by 7.45am, following the pink tapes UP from near the toilet block.  They contoured up (that's an oxymoron) the northern flank of the obvious spur, but I thought it better to follow them, rather than the legs and bearings I'd prepared.  But you need different length legs for too long - next time I'd head straight up the spur. We reached the first respite (around the O in STOCKYARD SPUR on the map) at 9.15am (1.8km and 1hr 30mins to here).

A beautiful day - blue sky, crisp air, no breeze (so it was a sweat-dripping climb) and, we suspected, little snow to hold us up.

Within a couple of hundred metres we hit the old vehicle track (it extends a lot further down than shown on the 1st edition map and is not shown at all on the 2nd edition).  So the navigational challenge for the day - which I'd already failed - was over.  We crested SH1532 (2.9km and 1hr 50mins), down into the saddle, took a 5 minute break, then up to Spot Height 1615 ('Stockyard Spur Grandstand' from Graeme Barrow's book) (4.4km and 2hrs 20mins).  At this stage we realised we'd not match Alex's time of 2.5hrs to Pryors Hut, but hoped if we added a minute for every year we were older than the young whipper-snapper, we might be competitive.

The track took us on up and over the hill to the N of Snowy Flats and to the Mt Franklin Road, marked by a sturdy 'Stockyard Spur' marker (6.3km and 2hr 50mins).  850m along the road we reached Pryors Hut (7.1km and 3hrs - so we were 30 minutes behind young Alex).  We had a brief look through the hut, the inner rooms being open.

From the hut we began the classic circuit of Mt Gingera.  We followed the Mt Franklin Road until the U-bend, where we headed up to the top of the hill.  A few dribbles of snow appeared.  On the top at 11.30am (9.5km and 3hr 45mins).

Some iced pools by the marker stick (pic 1) and some wonderful views.  I took a panorama of 10 shots from N through E to S.  E to S at right (pic 2).  After a little mis-identification of Split Rock by me which Max corrected, we got all the features named.  Excellent views directly E to the McKeahnie Trig to Mt McKeahnie ridge and down towards Corin Dam which I'd done recently.  A little more snow on the SW side of the top.  We lunched for 45 minutes, then went a few metres S to see down onto Cotter Flats.

With half the walking day over, we headed NW along the Gingera ridge (pic 3).  Reached the SH1847 northern point at 12.40pm (10.9km and 4hr 55mins), then headed down NE to Pryors Hut and the arboretum (11.8km and 5hr 20mins).  Alex's return time a few weeks earlier from here was 2hrs, but I was beginning to slow (still, we did it in 2.5hrs, not bad for middle-aged codgers).

We stopped at 'Stockyard Spur Grandstand' (a rock shelf with a clear view) on the return leg and I snapped some pics to the E.  A nearby rock shelf on the other side of the track gave us views NW to Mt Ginini and N to the uniform western slope of Tidbinbilla Mountain.  We were through to SH1532 by 2.15pm (16km and 6hr 30mins).

We continued on down the track, planning to right turn at the appropriate point to take the direct spur down to the dam, but overshot to the K in STOCKYARD SPUR on the map.  We turned to the E and soon came upon the pink tape, so had to long left leg/short right leg contour down and around the side of the spur.  Not a breath of breeze, so quite sweaty coming down the steep pinch.  Gratefully reached the toilet block at 3.30pm.  In true FBI style, Max suggested we have a cuppa.

A long walk and high climb, but all track except for the around 2km steep up (and 2 down on return) the initial part of Stockyard Spur from Corin Dam.  We both agreed we'd head straight up the spur unbroken by drainage lines next time.  Lovely open treed and sub-alpine walking with great views from the ACT's second highest hill.  It would certainly be slower in the snow.

Distance: 18.9km  Climb: 1150m.  Time: 7.45am - 3.30pm (7.75hrs), with 55 minutes of stops.