This walk was organised and led by me as the first of an irregular series of CBC Tuesday walks:
(Tuesday 24 October: Booroomba Rocks from the E – a wander to Booroomba Rocks, approaching it from the east. M/R,X. A wander from Honeysuckle Creek to Booroomba Rocks car park, then down the AAWT to Booroomba Creek. North to a knoll, then west down and up the eastern flank of Booroomba Rocks. Along the rim to where the track arrives, then SW through the spot heights to meet the track. 12.0km and 650m total climb. Limit of 8. Maps: Corin Dam, Williamsdale 1:25000. Leader: John Evans – jevans@pcug.org.au; contact me by 6pm the previous Sunday to discuss options. Transport: ~$10. Further details at www.pcug.org.au/~jevans). With no bookings I sent a desperate plea to friends and Alan, even though not 100%, was kind enough to not see me walk alone. We left Duffy at 6.30am and drove to the Honeysuckle camping ground. |
On the way by 7.15am, a blue-sky mild morning (which reached 27°C in Canberra) and covered the 3.6km to the Booroomba Rocks car park in 50mins. A very pleasant leg, the early part of it through rolling woodland and green grasses (how long before that burns off in the fierce summer to come?). 7 new wooden bridges.
I hadn't been on the AAWT NE from the Booroomba Rocks car park since 25 Mar 05. Things have certainly changed. The track is realigned, benched and like a superhighway. Instead of down in the gully, it's up on the N bank and, near to the crossing of Booroomba Creek, gives great views to both the knoll I was heading for and the back of the E end of Booroomba Rocks. So we picked up heaps of time on this leg, reaching the new wooden bridge crossing Booroomba Creek at 8.40am (this leg 2.1km and 30mins).
The plan for this little walk was hatched on 21 Oct 05 as I stood on the 1255m feature between Bushfold Flats and Booroomba Rocks, so it was only right that a gentle stroll up to the saddle between the 1255m feature and the E end of Booroomba Rocks should be ignored. There were at least 3 good reasons to climb the 280m up in 820m along - we needed the practice for the hill to come, we were looking for morning tea and, of course, the view was pretty good (see pic 1) (50mins for this little climb). Some nice wild flowers, including purple orchids. With time on our side, we enjoyed a 20min break.
Our next leg took us helter-skelter (at a steady and safe pace) SW down from the knoll to the saddle. A drop of 190m in 0.5km, taking 40mins. On reaching the saddle and looking back, I could not have chosen a more difficult route down. With hindsight, the short cut from the AAWT to here would have been a useful option to consider (but not as much fun)!
Our route then went up. We needed a few stops to get to the top alive and still breathing, as it was steep. We kept back from the bare rock face and, although the scrub was a bit thick in places, it was primarily the slope which made the going tough. A 290m climb in 0.95km, taking 1hr 20mins to SH1353 at the E end of the Booroomba Rocks ridge. The last few hundred metres of this leg through lovely patches of wild flowers - I don't know what sort (see pic 2).
From here, a 500m stroll along the BR ridge, past where the track comes in and onto SH1372 for lunch (see pic 3). This leg took 25mins and we enjoyed lunch for 20mins.
Then on across grand granite slabs and through more blue and orange flowers to SH1396 (0.4km), followed by a final drop down to meet the AAWT (0.7km).
45mins to trudge back the 3km to the car.
I guess I know enough about Booroomba Rocks now, after this trip, a recent wander up from the W and a couple of walks in along the track from the car park.
We tried a homing device each from the Tharwa store beer fridge on the way back. Thanks, Alan, for that and your gracious company.
Distance: 12.9km Climb: 700m. Time: 7.15am-2.00pm (6.75hr), with 40mins of stops.
