View over Eighty Acres to Dutchies Peak and Mt McKeahnie from De Salis Knob 1 - DS 10

Map: Corin Dam 1:25000

Walk Description

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

Tuesday 5 November: De Salis Knobs Ridge, Namadgi National Park - L/R, part X. Following an early start from the Orroral Tracking Station site, we will walk 10 km on tracks to near Cotter Gap. We will then spend most of the day off-track exploring the maze of granite outcrops, hidden in thick forest and scrub on De Salis Knobs Ridge. Another 10 km track walk back to the cars will make this a long day. Minimum Distance: 28 km with 500 metres of ascent. Maps: Rendezvous Creek, Corin Dam Leader: Ian W. Limit: 8 Transport: Approx. 95 km return.

5 of us drove from Canberra in 2 vehicles to the Orroral Tracking Station car park.

Photographs

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Track Maps

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Track overview

Track 1

Track 2

Videos

Google Earth

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Track Notes

This was a tough walk. I felt every hour of my 63 years and 363 days. Thanks Ian. Ian's waypoints were prefixed with DS (for De Salis) - prophetic of dense scrub! I'd come in from near Eighty Acres to De Salis Knob 1 on 7 Nov 06. Much has changed in the 7 years since, the going now is very tough and slow.

9.2km to Cotter Gap in 2hrs along the Cotter Hut Rd and AAWT. A beautiful cool, sunny morning. Natalia was with us on her first Tuesday walk. She's a strong walker and not one complaint from her - quite the opposite to me on the day.

After inspecting the blue tongue lizard, we turned 20m into the bush to find a pile of rocks for morning tea. One of our party was suffering a little, recovering from illness, so returned and took my car back to Canberra.

The leg from morning tea to De Salis Knob 1 was 1.5km and took 1hr 30mins. Almost immediately we were in the regrowth - mainly Broad-leaved Bitter-pea (Daviesia latifolia) and Common Shaggy-pea (Oxylobium ellipticum) to 2-3m. Plenty of fallen timber. Some nice stands of recovering Alpine Ash.

De Salis Knob 1 is at 1550+m with huge views from W through N to E. Mt McKeahnie and Dutchies Peak are significant to the N and the Brindabellas to the W. I last visited here on 7 Nov 06.

Knob 1 to Knob 2 is only 525m as the crow flies, but our track was 760m and took 45mins. A little time out to bind up Ian's knocked head, but it was still slow going. From a distance, Knob 2 looks like a giant anvil on the side of the high point. Looking back, Knob 1's huge tors stood out. Again, huge views to the W and N, and all round as well. A great little rock overhang to lunch under.

Ready to go again at 12.45pm, Ian decided to press on with his original plan - although there were exit points available if we wanted to finish early.

Another torrid leg from Knob 2 to Knob 3. 30mins for 625m, whereas by crow or B it is only 450m. Boulder stacks framed a nice view to Bimberi Peak.

There was no way off Knob 3, except to go back the way we came in for 70 scrambling metres, then U-turn to the S and W. The leg from Knob 3 to the waypoint DS 08, via a great tunnel-cave at DS 05 (which Ian (not I) wants to go back to examine), was 260m and took 16mins. So a lot of the legs on the De Salis Knobs Ridge are around 1km/hr.

From the open slabs of DS 08 we could see the general lie of our exit from the ridge down to the AAWT at Pond Creek Flats. Still not easy, dense vegetation, granite and significant drops in series of cliff-ettes down which we had to find routes. A drop of 400m over 2.6km, taking 2hrs.

But at last the granite disappeared and the slope levelled. Pond Creek Flats seemed never-ending. At last the AAWT was reached at 4.10pm.

A brief rest and water refill where the AAWT crosses the stream feeding into Pond Creek.

A plod up the Pond Creek cut to Cotter Gap. 3.2km taking 50mins.

9km in 2hrs to get back to the car. An interesting comparison with the same leg coming in - about the same time for up and fresh in the morning and down and tired in the late arvo.

Reached the car at 7.10pm. It's been a while since we've had a Tuesday walk with 11.5hrs on our feet.

A classic thanks Ian, which I'll never repeat (grin) ... till next time to DS 05.

Summary

Distance: 28.2km Climb: 1180m. Time: 7.35am - 7.10pm (11hrs 35 mins), with 1hr of breaks.

Grading: L/R; VH(16-)

Walk Participants

5 walkers - Philip G, Eric G, Natalia S, Ian W (leader), me.