28 August 2012 Mt Domain via spur to Snowy Corner

View S along the Tidbinbilla Ridge towards Mt Domain

Map: Tidbinbilla 1:25000

Getting There

This walk was organised and led by me as an irregular CBC Tuesday walk:

Tuesday 28 August - Mt Domain via spur to Snowy Corner - L/R. Let's see how scrubby it is south of the Snowy Corner cairn on the Tidbinbilla Ridge. To Mt Domain, then down to Fishing Gap and back via the Ashbrook Rd fire trail. Around 16km and 750m climb. Map: Tidbinbilla. Leader: John Evans - john@johnevans.id.au, 0417 436 877. Transport: ~$8 per person.

8 of us met and drove to the Mountain Creek car park up the back of Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.

Further Information

Park at Mountain Creek car park at the back of TNR (gates open 7.30am). Go either clockwise or anti-clockwise around the Lyrebird track to the take off point. Up the developing footpad to the Snowy Corner cairn (expect this to be 1.4km, climbing 460m from the 990m contour to the 1450m contour, 1hr). Take a left turn along the crest. Last time I was here was 29 Mar 08, so I bet the regrowth has done its thing over the last couple of good seasons. Snowy Corner cairn to Mt Domain is 2.6km, dropping from 1440m to 1290m (150m), then climbing to 1506m (210m). Mt Domain to Fishing Gap is 2.4km, dropping to 1130m (370m). I last did this leg on 17 Jul 10, when we popped up a few tapes coming off Domain which might help us today if they're still there. About 8km of Fishing Gap Rd and Ashbrook Rd Fire Trail back to the cars.

Walk - Track Notes

I like the damper N side of the Lyrebird Trail more than the dryer S side, so we started on it anti-clockwise from the Mountain Creek car park.I even remembered to sign in on the Walks Register and this, given how the day unfolded, could have been very important. Along the Trail (successfully passing the entrance/exit to the Cascade Trail loop!) to the spot where one leaves the Lyrebird Trail (UTM 55H 670955-6074602 (MGA94)). A bit of a footpad is developing, directing walkers up over a little crest and slightly down to join the old alignment of the Lyrebird Trail. Heading W-ish on it for a couple of hundred metres, we passed the boulder which was documented in the pre-2003 fire track notes up the spur to Snowy Corner as the turn off point and, just a tad further along, came to the bottom of the (re)developing footpad up the spur to the Snowy Corner cairn. 1.2km in 20mins to here.

Up the footpad generally on the crest of the spur. A brief pause at the stool around half way up. This leg 1.4km climbing 450m in 1 hour, as expected. A bit of snow up around the top of the footpad, approaching the cairn.

We turned left (S-ish) and headed through alternating tight regrowth and open patches through SH1431. Then down and up to a rare bare knoll. Good views. Up again to another knoll covered with pea regrowth which gave us shelter from the slight breeze for morning tea. You just had to stand to take in the sweeping views.

At the nose of this ridge, before descending into the saddle at the top of Ashbrook Creek (to the E) and Cow Flat Creek (to the W), whilst walking through very mild regrowth at UTM 55H 669864-6074285 (MGA94), one of the party had an accident, tripping on a sharp-faced shale rock and falling to cut open his knee down to the kneecap. I'm not good with blood (so thankfully there was little). From 2 first aid kits (thanks Stephen for your antiseptic cream and dressing) we treated the wound and bound it up. I must say that my binding was good for a first timer - still well in place when cut off at TCH Emergency 6 hours later. The main issue to be aware of was shock. However, the patient was stoically prepared to continue walking and we continued S, as the return would involve an extreme down.

We did negotiate a 90 vertical metre down to the saddle, then painfully for the patient, a 200 vertical metre climb up to the open spot just N of Mt Domain. Lunch was 1.8km from the accident site. A magnificent pair of wedge-tailed eagles soared nearby.

I'd already rung the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve Visitors Centre, as the assistance we thought we required was to be picked up at Fishing Gap. Fishing Gap is at the top end of Fishing Gap Rd, behind a locked gate near Fishing Gap car park. The support given was just great and it was important to know that someone close by was aware of our situation. Although the usual CBC protocol is to ring the Check-In Officer (or substitute), there was little that they would have been able to add, as we were in phone contact with the TNRVC.

In addition, all party members took up tasks most admirably. Mike B and Stephen M, as the largest work-horses in the party, took up making the going and navigating. It's had work forcing a path through the regrowth. Other party members came next and beat down some of the pea and wattle regrowth. That allowed me to focus on the wellbeing of the patient and one or two others brought up the rear. I like walking with Tuesday walkers - they are very skilled.

After lunch it was again a relief to have Mike B navigating. He knows this area better than I do. Coming off Mt Domain the best route is to head nearly NE for a while, quite strange when the natural direction is SE. Tight regrowth in places along the ridge SE from Mt Domain. Rang TNRVC and spoke to Ranger Joel P and gave him our ETA at Fishing Gap. At the drop off, Mike found the top tapes that he'd put in on 3 May 08 - I name this route the 'Mike B route towards Mt Domain from Fishing Gap'. It was hard going for our patient.

But we eventually got down and Joel gave 4 of us a lift back to our cars. The patient and I headed for TCH Emergency, whilst the other 2 drivers returned to the Fishing Gap car park to pick up the rest of the party.

A day providing many lessons, but also a great walk. Tough going up on the Tidbinbilla Ridge, but not extra tough.

An unfortunate, but total accident. Thanks for your company and participating as very much needed in the walk out - Mike B, Roger E, Stewart J, Trevor L, Stephen M, Robert M and Ian W.

Many thanks to the staff at TNR Visitors Centre for their support and concern, and to Ranger Joel P.

Distance: 8.5km Climb: 800m. Time: 8.30am - 3.45pm (7hrs 15mins), with 35mins of stops + accident time and a consequential slow walk out.
Grading: M/R; H(12)