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

Big Talbingo Mountain via Cumberland Range, then Landers Falls. A stop for a wander round Kiandra.

3 starters met at chez Duffy. We drove off spot on 5.30am, returning at 5.30pm. Drove via Cooma, Adaminaby, Kiandra to take the Cumberland Fire trail, which leaves the Snowy Mountains Highway at UTM 55H 625231-6057973 (GDA94).

Tuesday 31 March: Bogong Peaks L/R. Peak bagging in the Talbingo area. Rugged terrain, scrub, great views. Early start. Map: Talbingo 1:25000. Leader: Brian S. Transport: ~$160 per vehicle or $40 to $53 per person.

Based on a previous walk Brian led to this area in 2002. All up ~14km, and 800m of ascents spread over the day. Almost all the walk is off-track, with sections of unavoidable scrub/rough terrain. There are two potential water sources, but in case these are dry/not drinkable we must carry our entire drinking water for the day, say 4L +/-. Up to 10 hrs for the walk including breaks. Leave Canberra at 0530. Total driving time: 4.5- 5 hrs, > 90% on highways. Access is via Snowy Mountains Highway and Goobragandra Powerline Road. Bookings by 10 am Sunday.

Brief Route Description: Park car GR ~342623, walk to the saddle between Jounama Peaks and Big Plain Peak, ascend the former, then head to Big Plain through GRs ~315638 and ~308643 (this part of the walk may be shortened if the terrain is too rough and we will then head to BPP directly via the saddle), ascend Big Plain Peak from a NW spur before returning to the saddle and the car as per the walk in.

Walk

Surely the test of a good leader is to have options. As we drove through showers (with an occasional heavy one) on the way to Cooma and beyond, Brian began to weigh them. As we turned W onto the Snowy Mountains Highway and the light of day revealed the clouds, the signs seemed to guide us. It remained overcast to the N of the H'way, but began to clear to the S. So option B was selected.

Brian was last in the area on 2001 and the first pleasant surprise was to find that the locked gate on the map at the beginning of the Cumberland Fire Trail was no more. In fact, we were invited by signage to drive the 4WD trail all the way to the Landers Falls car park. We stopped about 2km in, at a point where the fire trail breasted the lumpy top of the Cumberland Range. The weather was remarkably mild by now, with the sky clear to the S, but cloudy to the N.

We set off, immediately experiencing the second (not so pleasant) surprise. The regrowth (similar to Namadgi pea, but a broader, rounder leaf) was thick and reasonably taxing to push through, slowing us up considerably. Brian's comment was that option A to the Bogong Peaks, if the going was similar, could now not be done as a day walk with travel. Still, our trusty leader cleared a good path and it was a comfortable follow for the other party members. Sadly, neither of us offered to take the lead (well, not until we were out on the fire trail and walking tracks!). At 2.1km after 1hr20mins, an open knoll near SH1160 gave us our first decent view of Big Talbingo Mountain with its gentle S spur (we were not going in that way) and its rocky N-NE face.

I was encouraged as we scrambled the NE end of this face. Brian reckoned he'd brought car campers up here and Mark said it was not as bad as The Castle. We continued to a point which provided magnificent views from W to E, over the impounded waters (see pic 1) and the ranges and tops round through the Bogong Peaks to Michelago Peak. After that, a gentle stroll to the grand trig point with concreted base on Big Talbingo Mountain.

Huge views greeted us, from W through N to E. All unfamiliar territory for me - the Tumut River then Blowering Reservoir stretching away to the NW, the wonderful spurs N of Jounama Creek leading up to the Bogong Peaks. Closer at hand, below us to the NE, was our route in along the lumps of the Cumberland Range. Directly to the W, close at hand, was Jounama Pondage with the Talbingo township on its edge. Upstream loomed the Talbingo Dam wall. In the distance to the W there were patches of white. Artificial snow - no, the huge nets protecting the Batlow orchards! There was a grand trig at the top, with white painted concrete base shining like a beacon. To the S along the top was communications hardware and a fire tower and round to the SE we could see the cliffs above Landers Falls.

Heading S, a little dip in the ridge top framed a spectacular view down to Talbingo Dam (see pic 2), over 800m below us. Open walking to the fire tower, weather station and solar panel array. Morning tea was enjoyed.

Brian had planned to follow the spur S from the top, then E over a few SHs to Landers Falls. But the regrowth on the inward leg and time marching on disallowed this option. So we wandered down the Talbingo Tower Fire Trail for 4.4km to the very nicely signposted and maintained walking track to Landers Falls.

Two excellent lookouts along here - the first the Talbingo Reservoir Lookout and the second Landers Falls Lookout. Spectacular cliffs on both sides of the first (pleased we didn't come in across those spot heights!) and a gi-normous drop at the second (see pic 3). The falls were dry, but the huge fall then gully of Landers Creek down to the Talbingo Reservoir lost little of its majesty. A wonderful lunch spot.

From here we wandered back to the car and drove to Kiandra. I'd never stopped here before, so I was most interested. Took a quick tour, photographing the signage to read at my leisure. The story of the snowplough took my fancy (see pic 3).

A refill of petrol and 2 cans of Coke at Adaminaby got us home.

Thanks Brian for a great walk with huge scenery and variety in an area new to me. Tar Mark. 6.5 hours of driving for 5.5 hours of walk, but worth every minute.

Distance: 12.9km  Climb: 700m.  Time: 8.30am - 2.00pm (5hrs30mins), with 45mins of stops.
Grading: M/R; M(10)

KMZ file for Google Earth/Maps: Big Talbingo Mountain and Landers Falls; Kiandra