This walk was organised and led by Max S:
(SENTRY BOX FROM YANKEE HAT CAR PARK - 12 km walk + 20 km bike ride. From Old Boboyan Rd car park, bike ride to Luton’s Crutching Shed where walk begins. Walk up ridge to Sentry Box Hill and then on to Sentry Box Rock. Return approximately the same. Climb may have scrub and rock hopping. Walk all off track. Total climb 500 m. Map: Yaouk. Meet at Kambah shops at 7.00 am). Must ring Max prior to joining in. I hired a mountain bike from CBH - Capital Bicycle Hire 02 6259 5335, Peter on 0412 547 387. These guys are good - they specialise in bush mountain biking, dropped the bike off on Monday arvo and were happy for me to ring them when I got back to organise them to pick it up. The bike is better equipped than my car - alloy construction, disc brakes and 2*8 gears. Pity it doesn't have a motor! 3 of us met at Kambah at 7am and we took 2 cars (my 1970s bike rack was not suitable for current day mountain bikes). Drove to Yankee Hat car park. |
This cycle/walk was an excellent wake-up call for me. First, a different technique (I haven't cycled for 25 years), so I didn't know how much reserve I had in my tank for this sort of thing. I certainly tailed the group riding in. Second, apart from my still bung knee, I am relatively unfit compared with my companions, M&M. I do 1 walk a week. In the previous week, one M did 1 walk, 2 cycles, 1 canoe and, no doubt, prowled Mt Taylor daily. The other M did 2 day walks, 1 weekend walk and a gym workout daily. I'm becoming a liability!
Away from the cars at 7.55am, the morning already warm (Canberra was 34°C today). Excellent gears on the bike; I rode in boots and with daypack on. S down the Old Boboyan Road, only having to whimp out and alight to push the bike up two gentle rises. Nice when I was travelling faster than the flies. It sure beats walking and we covered the 10.6km to Luton's Crutching Shed (see pic 1) in 1hr 20mins.
We popped the bikes up in the bush, the others changed into boots, gaiters on and away at 9.30am. Heading up and a bit N of W, we skirted to the S of SH1282 and just a few metres shy of SH1319. Lovely, open, unburnt forest with plenty of 'forest litter' underfoot. A little like the Tinderries. We passed through SH1577 at 11.10am, at last got through the tea-tree and up onto the open granite slabs and sub-alpine vegetation. A brief pause at the cairn at SH1727. The day was warm, but the breeze most pleasant.
An arc to the W and N (see pic 2), through alternating scrub and granite took us, finally, to Sentry Box Rock (from the bikes to here 5.9km, 550m climb in 3hr 45mins). Lunch here, with excellent views W to the Yaouk Valley, NW to Half Moon Peak, Mt Morgan, N to Mt Scabby and Mt Gudgenby (see pic 3). S and E we looked back along the Sentry Box ridge and the way we'd come.
We left at 1.15pm and decided to take the shortest/quickest route back down to the vivid green Naas Creek Valley and Sams Creek fire trail. We travelled ENE, first down a couple of nice granite slabs, then through tea-tree and finally out into the open forest. 2.2km, 470m drop in 1hr 30mins got us down to the open. 3.2km in 40mins had us back at the bikes, a warm little leg in the mid afternoon sun.
A brief rest and we were pedaling away. The return bike leg easier than the ride in, due to gentler ups and more downs.
This was great - something different. Thanks Max and Madeleine. A late stop at the Tharwa store.
Distance: 11.2km (+21.2km ride) Climb: 630m. Time: 7.55am-4.30pm (call it 8.5hrs); walk 9.30am-3.10pm (call it 5.75hrs) with 40mins of breaks.
