This walk was organised and led by Max S as an FBI walk:
Sat 13 June – ROCK FLATS – 24km Hard (12) Leader: Max S The walk will be from Orroral Valley car park to Rock Flats. This walk will be along the AAWT both in and return, using any time available to explore Rock Flats. Approx 8km off-track, 16km on-track. Long day expected. Climb: 650m. Cars: 100km ($12). Maps: Rendezvous Creek and Corin Dam. Meet at K at 7.30am. *** .
Civil twilight: 0641 - 1726
Signs of things to come, with tiny patches of snow along the side of the Orroral Road as we drove in. More snow patches up on the Orroral ridges, both sides, particularly the SW slopes up to the Belfrey.
A good walk in to Cotter Gap, 8.2km in 1hr50mins. Increasing patches of snow, with snow burdened pea beside the track at Cotter Gap bowing to the ground. We stopped out in the sun in the cleared area at the top of Pond Creek, Split Rock towering above us, to pop on our gaiters.
We headed up the SE feeder to Pond Creek to the saddle, then veered towards the SW across the shoulder of the spur leading up to Split Rock. Thick regrowth as we contoured around at about 1420m then, as the slope ran down towards the W-E arm of Rendezvous Creek, the most horrendous pick-up-sticks of burnt, fallen Mountain Ash saplings. Only worse than previous occasions, as this time they were covered with snow on the S-facing slope (see pic 1). We slowed to a crawl, covering 300m in 30mins. At one place we were walking along snow covered saplings 2m up in the air, using live, growing trees as hand hold to balance ourselves. At last we were down in the arm of Rendezvous Creek and up the other side, N facing, the going returned to just thick regrowth. As soon as a more open, sunny patch presented itself we had morning tea - at 11.30am (no wonder someone was grumbling!).
We continued to the SW for another 1km to the ridgeline overlooking Coronet Peak. Not a spectacular view, as it was treed, but we saw the unique view of Coronet Peak from the E, snow-covered Morgan, Murray, Bimberi and Gingera further out, and the Namadgi bulb with Mt Namadgi on its left and Mt Kelly on its right. The autofocus on my camera had been knocked from auto to manual, so no decent pics. Perhaps another method of attack would be to to come around the ridgeline from Split Rock - must try that some time.
By now it was 12.20pm so we headed back to the E towards Rock Flats. Gaining the open flats to the WNW of the main Rock Flats, we wended our way onto the NW corner of Rock Flats. From here, Max wanted to have a look at the swampy area to the SW, so we wandered down the W side of the flats and through a little neck of scrub. A very pleasant area (see pic 2).
Back to Rock Flats (see pic 3), we lunched on flat rocks in the middle. I was remarkably smug as my feet were warm and dry and my knees were not scratched - don't know why my feet were dry and, by chance, I'd worn thermals to start and didn't heat up too much so left them on all day.
Our exit from the flats was in a direction we'd taken before - initially well to the E of our inward leg, crossing the W-E arm of Rendezvous Creek at the 1320m contour rather than 1400m, cutting a bit of the corner, then walking up the arm of Rv Ck which is at the top of the main valley to the saddle (see Trackc).
So back to Cotter Gap and swan out.
Thanks Max, Karen. A unique view from a more difficult to get to area.
Distance: 23.3km Climb: 700m. Time: 8.20am - 4.55pm (call it 8hrs 30mins), with 30mins of stops.
Grading: L/R; H(14)
KMZ file for Google Earth/Maps: Rock Flats
