6 November 2010 Mt Namadgi
Maps: Yaouk and Rendezvous Creek 1:25000
Getting There
This walk was organised and led by me as a CBC walk:
Saturday 6 November - Mt Namadgi - L/R. An invitation is extended to you to join my fourth annual birthday champagne luncheon on Mt Namadgi. In and out the easiest way via Middle Creek and Big Creamy Flats. An iconic location, but a big day of over 13 hour's walking. Around 26km and 800m climb. Maps: Yaouk and Rendezvous Creek. Limit of 12. Leader: John Evans - jevans@pcug.org.au, (h) 6288 7235. Transport: ~$15.
7 of us met and drove to Yankee Hat car park.
Further Information
Previous occasions on 7 Nov 09, 7 Nov 08 and 10 Nov 07. Will ageing bodies make it again this year? I bring the champers, but expensive and edible gifts are hoped for that can be shared at the destination.
Civil sunrise 0529, Sunrise 0556, Sunset 1938 Civil sunset 2005 for 6/11/10 from Geoscience Australia.
Here's the proposed route, which should be perfect after 3 previous trips!
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| 2010 11 06 Proposed track a | 2010 11 06 Proposed track b |
Access all photographs here.
Walk
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| Track overview Mt Namadgi | Track 1 Mt Namadgi | Track 2 Mt Namadgi | Track 3 Mt Namadgi |
The weather forecast was not good, with a 60% chance of showers and possible thunderstorms. But the skies cleared a little as we drove south and the sun painted the hill tops over the lush green grass as we headed off at 6.10am. It was cool, but perfect walking weather.
Sloshing through water lying on the ground immediately on starting the Yankee Hat Walking Track. Bogong Creek was flowing strongly and the lush grasslands puddled and running in places. Near the standing gate at the old fence line junction leading into Middle Creek, a pack of 8 wild dogs passed in front of us. Up into the mouth of Middle Creek, at the end of the old vehicle track, we crossed the creek. Wet feet all round. We popped round the huge rock to the feature on the other side. 4.2km in 50mins.
Initially following footpads and then animal tracks through the predominantly open forest, with regrowth only a little more vigorous than last year, we made good time to a few hundred metres short of my planned morning tea stop. You know who called for tucker, so we stopped. 3.8km in 1hr 10mins and it was now 8.10am.
Away again with a poor choice of route through the junction of the arms of Middle Creek (higher and better on the return), then onto a good line up to Big Creamy Flats. It was this leg last year that I went too high and we ended up in pick-up-sticks. Morning tea to BCF was 4.1km in 2hrs. There at 10.25am, so just 4hrs (+15mins morning tea) from Yankee Hat car park to Big Creamy Flats. (With a strong party, I reckon this route and timing makes feasible a day trip to here, then on down to Little Creamy Flats - which I've done - down Creamy Flats Creek to join Licking Hole Creek and so to Cotter Hut. Walk out the next morning (I suspect 4 hours from Cotter Hut to Orroral and I'll test that next Saturday).)
After a mini-break we headed off down Big Creamy Flats to get a better line up to the Namadgi spur. Left turn, up to the top, a visit to a significant site, then on to the granite top of Mt Namadgi. 2.4km and 1hr 20mins for this leg, arriving at 11.50am. So 5hrs 40mins for the trip in.
The sub alpine top of Mt Namadgi and the views it commands never cease to thrill me. We all drank it in. And there was more to drink, the champagne served in pink stemware for the girls and blue for the boys. The official cork catcher performed most admirably by directing the opener to aim windwards, in the hope that the cork might gracefully return to his seated position but, alas, he had to rise and go down to perform the retrieval. A mountain of goodies and gifts emerged from packs and we lazed around for a considerable time. For the first time in 4 years the bottle was emptied.
Away at 12.40pm and back down to the top of Big Creamy Flats by 1.50pm. After doing a pretty good job with the line coming in (if I do say so myself), it went pear shaped from here and I headed off too high above the top of Middle Creek. A bit of scrub crashing ensued, with no doubt bad thoughts from some party members, bad looks from others and "get down to the creek" from you know who. You can see from the track map where she took over the lead, taking us down to the better line nearer the creek. I meekly followed her home, at a more leisurely pace than the inward trip as we knew we had plenty of time. A snake at arvo tea. 6hrs for the return.
We collected some lovely mushrooms coming back across the grasslands. It started to shower just as we reached the cars.
So it looks like I'll have to go back next year to get the return leg right. Seriously, a good line in (except for the junction area) and out (thank you Karen), a strong and cohesive party, fabulous views and cool walking weather made this an excellent, classic walk.
Many thanks to new and old friends - Carrie L (fancy joining CBC at the end of this trip!), Karen C (an excellent buddy), Jacqui R (irrepressible as ever and hoping to join Tuesday walks next year), John H (official cork catcher and back to Tuesday walks next year) and Rob and Jenny H (you started me on this walking kick!).
Distance: 29.3km Climb: 800m. Time: 6.10am - 6.40pm (12 hrs 30mins), with 1hr 15mins of stops.
29.3km - previous years 26.3, 22.7, 24.0km - is Mt Namadgi moving further away? Nope, this year new GSP (perhaps with a better engine, and certainly recording more track points) which took 3443 track points for the trip. As final proof, Karen (same Garmin Oregon GPS) recorded 28.9km via 3583 track points.
Grading: L/R; VH(15)
KMZ file for Google Earth/Maps: Mt Namadgi
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This page last updated 23Aug22