The view from Granite site 5 overlooking Corin Dam

Tuesday 10 January: McKeahnie Trig, Namadgi National Park –  M/R. The walk starts at Kangaroo Creek four kilometres before Corin Dam. We’ll climb to McKeahnie Trig, visiting a number of granite outcrops along the way, then head southeast for a kilometer to more big boulders, before turning back. The walk is all off-track with slow going and difficult scrub for much of the route and some rock scrambling may be required. Bookings by the Friday night before. Minimum distance: 8 km with 500 metres of ascent Map: Corin Dam. Leader: Ian W. Transport:  94 km return. Limit: 8.

Summary

Distance: 7.4km | Climb: 530m | Time: 7.40am – 3.20pm (7hrs 40mins), including 60 mins of breaks | Grading: M/R; M(11+)

Photographs

Photographs are available, where you can start a large sized slideshow.

Videos

Waypoint and Track Files

Download the .gpx file. (Right click, Save Link As…, Save – if you want to use it.)
To use in Google Earth, do File, Open… and select Gps or All files as the File Type.

Track Notes

Yet another superb round from Ian the granite hunter.

We met at 7am at Lanyon Marketplace, opposite my old folks home, so I got to sleep in. Drove up the Corin Rd to (eventually) park over the little concrete culvert off the south side of the road just before the Kangaroo Creek crossing.

A certain symmetry in a 7.4km walk taking 7hrs 40mins. There was a bit of a climb, some marvellous views from the chosen granite tors and balconies, and some pretty rough going in between. I’ve just added a + to the BBC grade 11. 16ºC when we set out and 26ºC at the finish, with the day in the low 30s in Canberra. A sunny morning, some wafts of breeze at times and a little cloud cover from the early afternoon to keep the temperature bearable.

Ian had chosen a series of granite view points on the climb up to McKeahnie trig which overlooked Corin Dam and the Brindabellas to the west. The best was site 5, 300m to the west of the trig – check out the video.

McKeahnie trig didn’t attract much interest today as we’d all been there before and no one bothered to climb up near the monster cairn.

Lunch was to the SW of the trig at the cool base of granite site 6. A leisurely 35mins allowed by our empathetic leader had us recharged.

Ian had one more treat for us, to the north. Many readers would have been to the Orroral Valley lookout at the end of the footpad near SH1444, which branches off the Square Rock Walk. Not much of a view, as it is interrupted by trees. Granite site 7 gave us fabulous and uninterrupted views down to the head section of the Orroral Valley – again, check out the video (sorry about the end, new camera, hopeless operator, no editing software).

A scrubby and slow leg back to the car, over the watershed of the McKeahnie ridge and back down the side.

Thanks Ian and all.

Track Map

Track

Party

7 walkers – Mark B, Linda G, David H, Meredith H, Ian H, Ian W (leader), me.

Next Tuesday Walk

Tuesday 17 January: Musgrave and Currowan Creeks – M/R,XW. A circuit to explore the rainforests of two creeks which are north of the Kings Highway near Clyde Mountain. From a car park a hundred metres above Government Bend, we will descend 250 vertical metres to Musgrave Creek. Then upstream through Musgrave Creek’s rainforest for ½ k, probably with some wading, and across to Currowan Creek via tributaries and a ridge (up 250m down 200 m). Currowan Creek has a much larger catchment than Musgrave. Then 1.5 km down Currowan and then exit with a 280 m climb by whatever combination of creek, ridge or fire trail suits our timing. Total 8 to 10 km. Mainly off-track, rock-hopping, moderate scrub with some thick sections. A 1 hr 15 min drive from Queanbeyan. Maps: Monga and Currowan. Leader: Linda G. Transport: $80 per car. Limit: 8.