25 January 2011 West Tate

Maps: Perisher Valley and Geehi Dam 1:25000

Getting There

This walk was organised and led by Max S as an adhoc FBI Tuesday walk:

Tuesday 25 Janaury - West Tate - 15km 500m Medium. From Guthega Pondage climb ridge to Consett Stephens Pass and thence to SMA 0692 and look into valleys where we can. Return much the same way. Map – Geehi. Expression of interest appreciated - I will email final notice over weekend once expected weather is known. Cost – about $150 per car or $50 maximum plus entry fee. Happy walking for 2011. Max.

5 of us met at Kambah at 6.30am and Phillip was generous enough to drive us in his big truck. Very comfortable. A 3 hour trip to Guthega Pondage, including an egg and bacon pie at the bakery at Jindabyne.

Further Information

Late finish – 6 hours travel + 5 hr walk + pie = 6.30 back Weather looks ok as of Sunday - Morning cloud. Winds northeast to northwesterly averaging 15 to 30 km/h becoming northwesterly up to 35 km/h during the morning. Perisher Valley Becoming windy. Min 10 Max 21.

Photographs

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Walk

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Track overview	Track 1	Track 2

Fabulous weather - blue sky, the stiff breeze keeping it cool and the march flies at bay. We wandered down across the dam wall and puffed N up the spur between the Guthega River and Falls Creek. The footpad made it extremely easy and took us at least to the 1900m contour before becoming indistinct. We wandered on to SH1933 where morning tea was called. This leg 5.5km rising 400m in 1hr 30mins. The views and the flowers were magnificent.

We next went W and down to Consett Stephen Pass, up and generally NW and N along the open Tate West Ridge. Huge views down to the W and NW, to Geehi Dam and Leaning Rock Falls, from our W most point around 1.5km E of SMA1106.

A little loop back to an SMA structure which Karen knew from skiing, then on to lunch at around 1930m with views NE across Windy Creek to The Granite Peaks atop The Rolling Ground. Dicky Cooper Bogong and Gungartan were recognisable (I might come back to these). From morning tea to lunch was 4.3km in 1hr 30mins.

A little talk during the morning of returning via Mt Tate. We set off S through SMA0692 and propped on the ridge W of Consett Stephen Pass. Here, at 2pm, a fine decision was reached to return via Mt Tate and down to a bridge (not map marked) across the Guthega River known by Kaz. A truly magnificent wander along the ridge to Mt Tate, impressive fields of wild flowers. This leg from lunch to the Tate trig 4km in 1hr 10mins. Windy at the top - huge views all round.

The last leg took us S-ish down the Tate East Ridge for a while. But we dropped away to the SE too early, well before Gills Knobs, and struck a bit of slower going as we headed for the bridge. Striking a feeder stream, we turned E down to the river and stepped across, a couple of hundred metres N of the bridge. This leg, from Mt Tate to the bridge, 2.9km in 1hr. With 20/20 hindsight, it would be a piece of cake to walk the clear Tate East Ridge to well S of Gills Knobs and cut down through clear leads at right angles to the bridge.

Finally, along the edge of the Guthega Pondage to pick up a track. For the last little bit, from the SE end of the dam wall, I followed a mown track up the little spur to the car park. It curved to the S and SE before coming around to the NE and entering the parking area via the Illawong footpad end. A whole lot more elegant (and quicker) then crashing down/up the hill.

Thanks Max for a wonderful day. Don't stop! Thanks to Kaz (as always), Phillip and Stephen.

Distance: 18.1km Climb: 650m. Time: 9.35am - 4.15pm (6hrs 40mins), with 45mins of breaks.
Grading: L/M; M(11)

KMZ file for Google Earth/Maps: Tate West

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This page last updated 25Aug22