This walk was organised and led by Mike B as an irregular NPA/CBC Tuesday walk:

Tuesday 11 August 2009: Coronet Peak – L/M. An early start for this day walk from Orroral Valley carpark to Coronet Peak via the AAWT. Total distance of 27km mostly on track but there may be some thick regrowth in the off-track sections. Total climb of 1000m. Note: Limit of 8. Walk will only proceed if the weather is fine. Maps: Corin Dam, Rendezvous Creek 1:25,000 Leader: Mike B mcbremers@optusnet.com.au Transport: $40 per car, $10 to $13.50 per person.

8 of us drove in 2 cars through a few showers to the Orroral Valley Tracking Station car park. No one took up Mike's offer to withdraw because of the weather.

Further Information

We need to match up the area of the pic in NPA Bulletin Volume 20 number 4 June 1983 page 13 here.

Walk

An uneventful 8.3km in 2hrs to just over Cotter Gap, in sight of Split Rock, for morning tea. A few showers on the way kept us in shells. Nice to walk in showers!

A further 3km in 45mins down the Pond Creek cut to the termite mound, marking where the old track up to Little Creamy Flats leaves the AAWT.

Found a few pink tapes on the track (now just a footpad). We followed this till Mike decided to veer off it and head S up the spur before turning SW to the top of Coronet Peak. A very well chosen route, only mucked up by a couple of us in the party trying to give him suggestions to find the slot up onto the granite cap. Find it he did and we were on the top at 12.07pm. The leg in off the AAWT was 1.93km in 1hr30mins.

Even with the cloud down (not showers during our time on the top), the views were fantastic. We first tried to line up the 1983 picture against the current state of the feature (see pic 1). Then a 360° view. Little Creamy Flats looked good, sandwiched between the Mavis Ridge and the Namadgi Spur (Dick and I came through here on 10 Apr 07). Quite a drop in the creek line below the flats (see pic 2). Mike mused about a walk to follow the old track to Little Creamy Flats - I'd be in that! The next creek S and paralleling Creamy Flats Creek is Licking Hole Creek. Wonderful cloud rising from it, between the Namadgi Spur and the Mt Kelly Spur (see pic 3). Licking Hole Creek rises in Rotten Swamp and I've planned a little overnight wander down it on 13 Nov 09. Cloud was also rising from W of Coronet Peak, obscuring parts of the Cotter River valley. Bimberi Peak was totally hidden. To the NW were Pond Creek Flats with the ridge behind containing the 'De Salis knobs'. S of the Pond Creek cut were Cotter Rocks (see pic 4) with Rock Flats hiding up behind. This high area runs S and SE to the Mavis Ridge. Lunch was taken fully clothed.

We began the homeward leg at 12.45pm. Popped a pink tape at the beginning of the slot up to the granite cap. We dropped off more to the NE, just for the fun of it. Down from the close contours, our route on the 1st edn Rendezvous Creek map actually crossed the track to Little Creamy Flats twice, but it wasn't obvious. Mike did find the pink tape where we'd left the track. Here I happened to be standing closest to the 'go' end, so led off - on an absolutely atrocious path, losing the tapes and generally heading towards Victoria. Hit the AAWT around 200m SW of the termite mound, but someone else must have previously failed just as miserably as there was a white tape on the track to guide us in.

I don't know why I was allowed to continue in the front, maybe because you can't lose this section of the AAWT. Return leg from termite mound to arvo tea (same spot as morning tea) was 56mins (45mins coming in). Back to the cars in 2hr (same as coming in). A couple of rumbles of thunder, some gentle hail coming down through the bush when cutting off the Cotter Hut Road elbow. Interesting light in the Orroral Valley as the sun lowered.

We carped the diem and had better weather than Canberra. A great walk thank you Mike B, and Eric G, Henry H, Ian S, Jenny H, Karen C and Max S.

Distance: 27km  Climb: 1100m.  Time: 7.45am - 5.05pm (9hrs 20mins), with 55mins of stops.
Grading: L/M; H(14)

KMZ file for Google Earth/Maps: Coronet Peak