This walk was organised and led by Doug F as an FBI walk:

Sat 23 Aug – TIDBINBILLA PEAK – JOHNS PEAK 11km Med (11) Leader: Doug F. Walk part way up the Camel Back fire trail and then take a steep route through regrowth to the ridge and Tidbinbilla Peak. From the peak follow the ridge over Johns Peak to the Camel Back fire trail again and then back to the cars. Climb: 660m. Cars: 60km ($6). Map: Tidbinbilla. Meet at the northern car park of the Cooleman Court shopping centre, Brierly Street, Weston, the corner across the road from McDonalds at 8.50am.

8 of us met and drove to the Trails car park at the back of Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.

Walk

A corker of a late Winter's day. Breezy at the car park where we met but, up on the ridge remarkably calm and sunny.

A stroll up the fire trail to where, as we were discussing, a native cheery used to indicate the spot to go bush. That, of course, was burnt to a cinder and someone has kindly built a rock cairn on the side of the road. 3 old tapes still mark the way on the lower, more open start of the spur - up to where we propped for morning tea. After that the regrowth is fierce and the climb steepens. Out into the open at last at the SH1556 cairn, then the pleasant final ascent to Tidbinbilla Peak.

The view never ceases to astound me. Added interest this time with our fearless leader being a geologist and able to point out the various rock formations. Have you seen the book and accompanying map and GIS data CD compiled by Doug - an excellent read. The SW quadrant was filled with the distant Brindabellas (snow-capped Bimberi Peak and Mt Gingera), the ridge S to Mt Domain and, arcing to the W, the lumpy ridge to Tidbinbilla Mountain. The uniform slope of the NW flank of the mountain and The Pimple in front magnificently display the tilted Adaminaby Beds (see pic 1). BTW, did you know that The Pimple is also known as Greens Peak, after George Green, one of the original settlers of the Tidbinbilla Valley). Behind these features, the rugged W side of the Cotter River Valley rising up to the Brindabella peaks. To the N Camels Hump is prominent and to its right Canberra buildings and the fountain can be seem. A perfect place for lunch.

We next wandered N and E to Johns Peak, passing the spur rising up from the junction of the N and S arms of Burkes Creek to SH1491, the last of the W spurs of the Tidbinbilla Range I'd like to tackle one day. Another BTW - I've heard Johns Peak referred to as St Johns Peak. Now, as much as good John the apostle would appreciate this fine feature named after him, it's not. Signage up on the Church Rock Heritage Walk says: 'Johns Peak 1453m Named after John McDonald husband of Eliza Webb'. John, of course, looks across the valley to his wife at Mt Eliza. Wonderful views from Johns Peak, W down into the N arm of Burkes Creek, N to Camels Hump (see pic 2) and the amazing spur running up to it that we've already walked, NE to Canberra across the Tidbinbilla Tracking Station dishes and E to Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve. Fabulous.

From here we descended (see pic 3) and followed the ridge to around where the 1300m contour comes in, then a clever and distance saving right turn down a pleasant slope to join the Camel Back fire trail. A tromp down to the cars.

Timings
 

Great to get back up on the Tidbinbilla Ridge on a lovely day and enjoy the tremendous views to the wild W and the settled E. Thanks Doug and company.

Distance: 10km  Climb: 700m.  Time: 9.45am - 3.30pm (5.75hrs), with 45mins of stops.
Grading: M/R; M(11)

KMZ file for Google Earth/Maps: Tidbinbilla Peak and Johns Peak