26 July 2006 | Booths Hill and Brandy Flat Hut (recce) | Photos | |
Map: Michelago 8626-4S Second Edition 1:25000 | |||
Getting There
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Walk
Walking by 8.10am on the link track from the car park to the fire trail. It was a bit foggy. Easy walking along the track, down across Dry Creek (which it wasn't), then up the other side. The first crest of the track marked where we were to turn off, as the sun struggled to break through (pic 1) (2km and 45mins to here). Pretty easy walking up the ridge and over the other side, down through the top of a drainage line and up onto the spur proper leading to the objective. The wattle and gum regrowth was very wet from the previous days of rain and we soon were, too. On and up the 500m to the top, plenty of regrowth (we finally put coats on to keep our tops dry, but shorts and trousers were sopping). Good views back behind us to the W to Mt Gudgenby, Mt Kelly, Mt Burbidge and Mt Namadgi, all with a little snow (pic 2). The valley was still fog bound. A little bit of granite near the top which we reached at 10.30am (4.8km and 2hr 20mins). Only 3 high hills (Bimberi, Little Bimberi and Namadgi) left to bag! We had morning tea, spread our wet clothes to dry and I climbed to the trig point. There was a shed with solar panels and a single pole communications tower. 400m at 288°M took us to a knoll from where we headed down through some close contours, then down an arm and across Gudgenby Creek. A few patches of snow around up at the top. Down a more open spur on the W side of the creek and so to Brandy Flat hut (8.1km and 4hr 50mins). Nice to sit on the bench on the verandah of the clean little hut in the sun and enjoy lunch (pic 3). A sign post marked the direction to Caloola, to Glendale and back the way we were to go to Gudgenby. All that was left was to hoof it back along the fire trail - a few ups and downs and a final up to the car. An undemanding little walk (but still rated L/R; H(12)) which I'll now be confident to lead in a few weeks time. Distance: 12.6km Climb: 1000m. Time: 8.10am - 2.30pm (call it 6.25hrs), with 1hr of breaks. |
Click on a thumbnail below to see the full sized picture | |
1 Sun breaking through on the Brandy Flat fire trail | ||
2 Namadgi hills from the side of the Booth Range | ||
3 Brandy Flat Hut |