22 February 2011 Coronet Peak via Mavis Ridge
Maps: Rendezvous Creek and Corin Dam 1:25000
Getting There
This walk was organised and led by me as an irregular CBC Tuesday walk:
Tuesday 22 February - Coronet Peak via Mavis Ridge - L/R,ptX. From the Nursery Swamp trackhead via track and footpad to Rendezvous Creek. NW up over Mavis Ridge and down to Little Creamy Flats. Further NW to Coronet Peak. N to Pond Creek and back via the AAWT. Around 29km and 1200m climb. Maps: Rendezvous Creek and Corin Dam 1:25000. Leader: John Evans - jevans@pcug.org.au, (h) 6288 7235. Transport: ~$10 per person.
Unfortunately one party member had to pull out at the last moment, due to work commitments. So that left three of us. We drove to the Nursery Swamp car park.
Further Information
Walk plan:
Nursery Swamp car park to Rendezvous Creek via NS Walking track and taped footpad. 4.4km, 250m climb, a leisurely 1hr 30mins.
Rendezvous Creek to Mavis Ridge through unknown going (probably significant regrowth). 4.0km, 400m climb, allow 4hrs.
Mavis Ridge to Little Creamy Flats through partly unknown going (probably significant scrub). 1.2km, allow 1hr based on doing the second half of this leg on 19 Oct 10.
Little Creamy Flats to near Coronet Peak, scrubby going. 2.7km, 100m climb, allow 1hr45mins based on doing this leg on 19 Oct 10.
Climb Coronet Peak and return through partly unknown going (probably significant scrub) and granite scrambling. 0.5km, 90m climb, allow 1hr.
Near Coronet Peak to join AAWT near Pond Creek Flats. 1.9km, allow 45mins based on doing this leg on 19 Oct 10.
AAWT to Orroral Valley Tracking Station. 11.8km, 300m climb, allow 3hrs based on doing this leg on 19 Oct 10.
Orroral Valley TS to Nursery Swamp car park via Orroral Heritage Trail and light timber. 2.8km, 50m climb, allow 1hr.
(29.3km, 1190m climb, 14hrs).
Back to AAWT in 14.7km 10hrs - can walk the rest via torch.
Above timings do not allow for stops.
Civil twilight rise = 5.47am; Sunrise = 6.13am; Sunset = 7.21pm; Civil twilight set = 7.47pm. This gives 14hrs of just see in ideal conditions and 13hrs 8min sunlight. So walking by 6am would get us onto the Cotter Hut Road in the dark.
Support gathering:
'You throw up too good a challenge. I’ll be there'. - Keith T. But work called at the very last minute.
'Absolutely insane ...... I'm in'. - John H
And Adam L made 3 by Tuesday morning.
Proposed route:
Photographs
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Walk
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We left town at 5.30am and were crossing the road from the Nursery Swamp car park at 6.25am.
2km in 31mins up the Nursery Swamp Walking Track to just over the crest where the track turns S.
This is where I leave it and head down to cross Nursery Creek, walk past the pig trap and head SW across the clearing to find the blue paint on the horizontal timber which marks the start of the footpad to Rendezvous Creek. The worst I've done is lose the footpad 12 times on this leg. Today I got up to 5 (5½ according to John, who is a fair but hard marker) before I lost it badly. It cost nearly 10minutes of faffing around until we regained the footpad. I lost it a couple more times before we arrived at Rendezvous Creek, crossing it at the bridge and pausing briefly at the fireplace for eat #1 at 7.50am. It's certainly getting overgrown with over head-high pea in places and many of the tapes have disappeared. 3.1km in 55mins for this leg.
The next leg from Rendezvous Creek to the Mavis Ridge was 4.2km in 2hrs 30mins with a climb of 440m. A bit quicker than the 4hrs I'd allowed, so either I'm an old mother with timings or John and Adam are quick walkers. I've not been up here before, so this leg was eXploratory. The first third was relatively easy forest and light understory, the middle third was pick-up-sticks and the last third was a bit scrubby.The going was better well up from the creek line for the final approach to Mavis Ridge, so we ended up a little S of we're I'd planned and just SE of a granite tor topped knoll. A wild dog howled nearby as we climbed the last kilometre to the ridge.
The regrowth was worse than the spur from Tidbinbilla Peak as we dropped down the W side of the Mavis Ridge. I first headed towards the saddle waypoint, but the lads pointed out that we might as well go straight to Little Creamy Flats. That explains the dog leg in the track. 1.1km in 40mins, dropping 190m. Down approaching the flats we spied a blue-tongued lizard and a small snake slithering away - reptile alley. We replenished water and enjoyed eat #2, which must have been elevenses, as it was 11am. Kaz should have been with us - 2 eats before lunch.
I was feeling a little more comfortable, as I'd done the next leg (apart from climbing Coronet Peak) by myself on 19 Oct 10. But feeling more comfortable (or is it pride?) comes before a fall. I took my eye off the ball and left Creamy Flats Creek too early. It was a steep and scrubby climb up towards SH1459 before I realised what was going on. The lads tried to make me feel better by saying we'd done the majority of the climb and so could contour, but there was no excuse. Great views across the gap where Creamy Flat Creek plunges down to join Licking Hole Creek. Back on line, we climbed to the base of the granite cap of Coronet Peak, faffed around trying to find the vegetated slot to reach the top. Eventually did. This leg 3.4km in 2hrs 20mins. Eat #3 was taken as we enjoyed the fabulous 360° views.
The next leg was 2km in 1hr N down off Coronet Peak to join the AAWT. Again, we commented on how the going is generally slower with the bush regenerating well with all the rain.
The last leg was 14.5km in 3hrs 5mins back along the AAWT and Orroral Road to the car. We let Adam off the leash coming up the Pond Creek cut and he quickly disappeared, meeting us at Cotter Gap (this young lad enjoys nothing like a run with his brother in Cotter Hut Rd to Cotter Hut and back out the AAWT).
Might fall in the epic category - a long, hard day. Thanks for getting me across the line John H and Adam L. You are both consummate gentlemen and fine walkers.
Distance: 30.3km Climb: 1300m. Time: 6.25am - 6.00pm (11hrs 35mins), with 40mins of stops.
Grading: L/R,ptX; VH(16)
KMZ file for Google Earth/Maps: Coronet Peak via Mavis Ridge
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This page last updated 25Aug22