10 July 2012 Tinderry Region

A spur to our South rises to Tinderry Peak

Maps: Michelago and Tinderry 1:25000

Getting There

This walk was organised and led by Max S as a BBC ad-hoc hard Tuesday walk:

Tuesday 10 July - Tinderry Region - H. The idea is to start from Burra Rd – then along FT until we cross Michelago Ck and then up a ridge towards the saddle on the sth side of Chicago, ie Tinderry Peak. (A Sinatra tragic for too long for those puzzled) This is an exploratory route for me up the ridge. I do not expect to get to the top of the ridge let alone Tinderry Peak but we will see. There is about 14 km on FT going up and down about 700m plus 2-3 km and 3-400 m up the target ridge – could be fun if you are that type of person. Weather could be poor – cloudy with chance of showers predicted - in which case it will be a wander on the FT’s to get some exercise. Meet at Kambah or points Sth from 7.00 Maps – Michelago and Tinderry Please confirm interest by Monday midday with mobile no. Max.

4 of us met in Canberra and drove via Michelago and along Burra Rd to the car park just past the Mt Allen Fire Trail.

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 blue heeler and Jack Russell joined us from the farm house across the road from the car park and walked with us all day. Up through the bush to join the Mt Allen Fire Trail, then a further 100m up and a bit down to the first fire trail intersection. This set the scene for the rest of the day - big ups and downs. At this intersection the Monkellan Trail heads North (not marked on the Michelago map), the Mt Allen Fire Trail heads South-East and the Jacobs Ladder Trail heads South (marked but not named on the map). We took the latter, which includes a little down and a 250m up. The next intersection includes another fire trail not marked on the map, but signposted on the ground - the Jacobs Ladder Link Trail, which heads up to the East. We continued along the Jacobs Ladder Trail which this time includes a 200m down.

At a predetermined point, Max steered us SE down and up through lovely open forest, a short-cut between the Jacobs Ladder Trail and the West Tinderry Fire Trail. 250km down and S along this, we again struck off into the bush. Down to cross Michelago Creek, then generally E up a spur through burnt open forest. Very easy walking, apart from the up. Morning tea was called just after 10am in an open area with chain-sawed trees, perhaps a staging area or helicopter pad for fire fighting.

More spur and saddle (sounds a bit horsey, doesn't it?) walking, with views up to Tinderry Peak. Lovely open forest again, out of the burnt area. A nice granite knoll at the 1110m contour, with views out to the W. Our four-footed companions happily remained with us.

We got up to around the 1160m contour, overlooking a feeder into Michelago Creek. Max's plan was to go till midday then turn back, but with no possibility of getting to Tinderry Peak and the iPhone showing a large rain band coming in (had Telstra signal throughout the entirety of this walk), we called it a day at 11.15am. (An extremely good call, as it started to rain quite hard just as we got back to the car and we are getting old and soft.)

Down into and across the drainage line, only a little scrubby before the S side became open forest. Animal pads (goats?) going our way were very useful. Across Michelago Creek again and up to the West Tinderry Fire Trail for lunch.

The dogs disappeared, although we could hear them barking down near the creek. When we were ready to leave - sprinkling showers demanded the donning of waterproof coats - we went down and called them, but no joy.

Max started us off through the bush a little N of W, and we very soon came across a unmarked (new?) fire trail which took us down to join Jacobs Ladder trail. It actually passes out of the NR.

All that was left was to plod the ups and downs of the returning fire trail. The Jack Russell rejoined us, but it wasn't until quite a while later that the blue heeler appeared. Some wattle in flower.

For 'ron (later on): our return route would make a good entry up to Tinderry Peak. Put a car at Round Flat Fire Trail and we'd have a hard through walk, but doable in longer daylight hours.

Thanks Max for the ups and downs. And great Tinderry walking. Thanks for the company Eric G and Ian W.

Distance: 17.2km Climb: 1150m. Time: 7.50am - 2.30pm (6hrs 40mins), with 40mins of stops.
Grading: L/M; H(13)

KMZ file for Google Earth/Maps: Tinderry Region

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This page last updated 30Aug22