31 January 2012 Molonglo Ridge - Mt Molonglo and Yarrow Peak

Map: Hoskinstown 1:25000

Getting There

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

Tuesday 31 January - Molonglo Ridge - Mt Molonglo and Yarrow Peak - L/M,X. A seldom walked area. With permission from the owner of 'Woolcara', visit Mt Molonglo and Yarrow Peak. Expect views west down to Googong Dam. Early start and early finish. Around 20km and 500m climb. Map: Hoskinstown. Leader: John Evans - jevans@pcug.org.au, (h) 6288 7235. Transport: ~$12 per person.

5 of us met in town and we picked up the sixth on the corner of the Captains Flat Road and Briars Sharrow Road.

Further Information

This is private property. Bushwalkers should not walk on 'Woolcara' without permission. Have rung Doug's Manager, David, and got the nod. No need to call in, just park at the homestead and go for it.

Photographs

You can access all photographs here.

Walk

Track maps: thumbnails are active - click for a larger picture
Track overview	Track 1	Track 2

A nice day for the last of January in this mild 2011-12 Summer. Around 27°C, but quite warm on the exposed and treeless ridge.

We wandered off down a bit of a track which headed W-ish, after passing the main homestead (nice gladdies, Julie) and turning left after some sheds. We could see the ridge above us to the NW, open and undulating. Past a map marked landing ground and came up to Mt Molonglo from a fraction W of S. The cattle and sheep in prime nick. Views opened up S to the Tinderrys as we climbed past the dam at around the 970m contour. A little stand of Blackwoods was welcome on the last bit of the climb - it was getting hot in the sun.

Sweeping views from the shoulder of Mt Molonglo around 100m before the trig. The Tinderrys stood alone to the S; we could pick Mt Gudgenby; Mt Murray, Murrays Gap, Bimberi Peak then Mt Gingera on the Brindabella Range; and the tops of the Tidbinbilla Range. Closer at hand was the wall of Googong Dam, Jerrabomberra and into the Canberra CBD and Black Mountain.

Only 9.30am, so we decided to press on to some shade near the next knoll, SH1072. This we did and enjoyed a very generous 15min break. My tooth hole from yesterday's extraction was not too happy.

Took a B-line from here to SH1053, through a fairly significant dip. It may have been more politically (and navigationally) correct to take more of the ridge line via SH1038. N of SH1053 at about the 1000m contour, we met the Manager and his son spraying serrated tussock. Nice to speak with them face to face.

Continuing N, another bump, dip, sidled round SH1001, then arced to the in-sight Yarrow Peak via a route near to SH1068 and SH1047. Dips in between all the knolls. A nicely posed orange-throated on the inside lizard. Anyone know what it is? Funny to be following sheep tracks towards our objective, with Parliament House in view.

Yarrow Peak trig (also map marked Yarrow Pic) is a very fine looking cairn with a very fine looking structure atop. The old wooden post and tin discs lies nearby. Certainly comes in secord or third after Gudgenby trig and McKeahnie trig, in my book.

An ideal lunch spot on a nearby knoll - shade from Snow Gums, breeze and views. Another generous 35min break. Eagles soared nearby.

We left at 12.15pm and retraced the arc back to SH1001. Modified the original plan of returning along the ridge, instead heading roughly in a straight line from here back to the homestead. It turned out (by accident, not design) to be a good option - nice patches of woodland provided a bit of shade, 11 gullies to cross added interest and a circuit is always better than in and out the same track. Ran into the Manager and another again, this time on bikes and armed to the teeth - hunting dogs which had got amongst the sheep. I'm sure they must have thought us mad, choosing to wander around the property on foot.

Crossed Chimney Creek, rounded the sheering shed and down through the various dwellings and back to the cars.

Not a bad little wander in a new area with wonderful views. Thanks for your company Eric G, Jen H, Stephen M, Ken W and Ian W.

Distance: 20.6km Climb: 700m. Time: 8.00am - 2.20pm (6hrs 20mins), with a generous 50mins of stops.
Grading: L/M,X; H(12)

KMZ file for Google Earth/Maps: Mt Molonglo and Yarrow Peak

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This page last updated 29Aug22