This walk was organised and led by Max S a private walk:

(Hanging Flat from Stockyard Spur  - Tuesday 6 February Part exploratory, Hard 18 km, part off track, 900 m +  Map - Corin Dam The walk is to a small open area called Hanging Flat and may include an extension to SH 1614 from which views may be possible down to the Cotter River. Estimated time 9 hours walking Meet 7.00 am Kambah Shops, late return Weather - Afternoon showers, 32C Please note if less 4 walkers available then this will not be an FBI sanctioned walk.).

2 of us met, so it was a private walk. We drove to Corin Dam, with a Lyrebird running up the side of the road near the dam.

It was deliciously cool when we alighted from the car, said "g'day" to a surveyor and got ourselves organised. Max led away confidently at 7.50am. We'd decided to go straight up the spur from the dam and not wander around getting onto Stockyard Spur, as we did last time. But Max headed too far to the N of the spur, so I thought. But a few zig zags and we found a couple of sign posts, 'Walk' (go straight up from here) and 'Fuel Stoves Only'. The secret to such confidence was a recce.

I immediately and excellently filled the role of 'dragger-of-the-chain' as we headed up and up and up and .... Some steep pinches on the well used footpad, which had the occasional old red tape markers. 2km in 1hr, with a climb of 540m. However, this brought us onto the Stockyard Spur 4WD track at a conglomeration of cairns (one in the middle of the track) and markers.

Easy walking along the 4WD track up Stockyard Spur (3.4km in 1hr 10mins, with a further height gain of 200m). We took morning tea for 10mins at around 'Stockyard Spur Grandstand' (see Graeme Barrow's Namadgi & Tidbinbilla Classics: Tough Bushwalks in Canberra's High Country, walk number 8).

At the end of this leg we headed bush (an old 'containing yard' made of rusted wire on the S side of the track). We tracked S down to cross Snowy Flats Creek (running water), then up to nearly SH1724. We then turned E and through a saddle between the drainage areas of Snowy Flats Creek and 'Hanging Flat Creek' (not named on map). A variety of going, including pleasant sub alpine grasses, vegetated scree slopes and burnt and regrowth areas (see pic 1) and a little granite. Around here we spied an impressive rock pile to the NE, being SH1667 (marked on the 1st edn map, not on the 2nd edn, and clearly visible to the SE from 'Stockyard Spur Grandstand' on our return leg). So we headed for it. Good views back to the W from S to N, across our entry route and up to the Brindabella tops. To the N we spied Tidbinbilla Mountain and to the E great views to the McKeahnie Ridge and Dutchies Peak. Bimberi Wilderness tops could be seen to the SE. This leg 2.6km in 1hr 40mins.

Next we went S, via a granite open area on the map, and so down a densely vegetated and scrubby slope to Hanging Flat (see pic 2). 1.3km in 55mins. Again, water flowing across the Flat, due to slow release from the sphagnum moss. The original objective of SH1614 didn't tempt us after our unplanned detour to SH1667.

We considered stopping for lunch as it was after 12.30pm, but a pull up to the Mt Franklin Road below Mt Gingera started at the far end of Hanging Flat and we didn't want to do that on full tummies. So, after a brief spell, we wandered on, reaching the Road just as I was ready to ask Max for a break (1km in 35mins, climbing 160m). Lunch for 15mins.

So it was all over bar the shouting, with a (long) return leg along the Mt Franklin Road; past Pryors Hut (where a lone walker was enjoying a break in the arboretum); right turn at the 'Stockyard Spur' marker under Little Ginini Mountain; a pause at 'Stockyard Spur Grandstand' for more grand views (see pic 3); down the 4WD track; and a quick down (40mins down v 1hr up) to Corin Dam. Back at 3.55pm (this leg 9.1km in 2hr 20mins).

An excellent little wander, thanks Max. We moved a bit quicker than expected as there were only the 2 of us.

Distance: 19.4km  Climb: 1200m.  Time: 7.50am-3.55pm (call it 8hrs), with 30mins of breaks.
Grading: L/M-R; H(13).