7 October 2012 Hikers without Pants - Do It In A Dress - Mt Tennant

Ready to go - Brad A, Jenny H, Mike M, Cynthia B, Stephen M, Chris R, Lisa M, Nicole C, John E, Richard C

Map: Williamsdale 1:25000

Getting There

This walk was organised and led by me as a CBC walk:

Sunday 7 October - Hikers without Pants - Do It In A Dress - Mt Tennant - S-L/E. This is all about a bit of fun and fund raising (only if you would like to donate) for girls to attend school in Sierra Leone. Walk towards/to Mt Tennant on the Australian Alps Walking Track ... in a school dress! (any dress will do if you can't get a school dress). Meet at the Namadgi Visitors Centre just south of Tharwa at 1.00pm. Bring some lunch. We'll start walking at 1.30pm and have a group photo at Cypress Pine Lookout, about 2km from the start and just 150m climb. Those willing and able can walk on to Mt Tennant, a further 5km and 650m climb, but all on track and fire trail. Huge views from the top. Around 4-14km and 150-800m climb. Map: Williamsdale. Limit: absolutely none. Leader: John Evans - john@johnevans.id.au, 0417 436 877. Transport: drive yourself. If you would like to donate, go to http://doitinadress.com/JohnEvans.

10 of us met at 1pm at the Namadgi Visitors Centre and ate lunch - in our dresses.

Further Information

Check it out at the umbrella organisation, Do It In A Dress at http://doitinadress.com/. See how the funds raised are spent at http://inside.doitinadress.com/about-do-it-in-a-dress#spent.

Contact me to tell me you're coming.

Sunday 7 October is the first day of daylight savings. Sunset is at 7.11pm.

The next day, Monday 8 October, is a public holiday in the ACT. So you can recover.

Perhaps a folding note ($5+) 'entry fee' donation (but that's just a suggestion). Either on the day to me or make a large donation now at http://doitinadress.com/JohnEvans.

If you would like a lift (or are willing to provide a lift to someone), we can organise car pooling from the Eternity Church car park, cnr Sulwood Drive and Tuggeranong Parkway, Kambah, at 12.30pm. Contact me.

DON'T FORGET TO WEAR A (SCHOOL) DRESS!!

Canberra Times article by Ian Warden:

Tim the Yowie Man's mention:

Walk - Track Notes

My heart sank as we drove into the Namadgi Visitors Centre. The outer car park was nearly full - that meant plenty of walkers on Mt Tennant and we'd have to pass them all!

A quick bite of lunch and a change into our dresses. Hats off to Brad - as a member of the public he'd rung to join in on the walk and pass on a substantial amount contributed by himself, family, friends and work colleagues. Not knowing us before today (the rest of us were from CBC and Eternity church), he might have been joining a band of serious cross-dressers! Actually, we're all ok and he's a great walker.

The previous day had been seriously wet and thundery. Today was a magnificent, mild, blue-sky Spring day. We headed off along the AAWT. Already the smiles/quizzical looks/smirks/"good on ya" had started from those we passed. A couple of guys walked up to our tail - turned out to be Jim and Joel, church friends. Nice chat as we wandered up to Cypress Pine Lookout.

Here, 3 of our party left us, as they had other committments for the day.

The main party started the serious up - quite a rise of 250m over 1.5km to the Tennant north ridge via hundreds of stone steps and riser logs. Beautiful wild flowers coming into bloom, including hardenbergia and pomaderris.

A reprieve from climbing along the section from the AAWT turn off to the Mt Tennant Fire Trail. Then the last 150m up over the 1km of the fire trail. We met several groups of walkers along the way. One photographed us and another had had bets between the members as to when they'd run into us. All were good natured and had a laugh with us.

Lovely views from the top. You can climb up the mesh-enclosed ladder to the fire tower to the point where it's locked off. The full and flowing Murrumbidgee River, Canberra in the distance over spring-green paddocks, the Clear Range stretching away to the south, the Tinderrys on the horizon and the treed knolls of Deadmans Hill and Booroomba Rocks to the west. 15mins to take it all in, plus a little water and snack. We waved to Jenny's Rob, and Chris, on a 3 day wander along the ACT border way away to the SW near Scabby and Murray.

The cloud cover increased a little as we returned. Like life, it was all downhill from the top! The 'Gudgenby in a Box' project is taking shape, situated between the NVC and the road crossing. The pise wall segments look like sandstone.

Huge thanks to Brad A, Richard and Nicole C, Jenny H, Stephen and Lisa M, Mike M, Chris R and Cynthia B, who not only donated, but got into the spirit of the thing and walked in dresses on the day.

Distance: 14.6km Climb: 800m. Time: 1.30 - 5.50pm (4hrs 20mins), with a 15min break at Mt Tennant.
Grading: L/E; M(9)