This overnight trip will be high on scenery and low on kms, but it's not a stroll.
On Saturday morning we drive around 3 hours to the Blue Waterholes campground, which is our starting point. We will head along the Clarke Gorge walking track along Cave Creek. The first part of the walk will be like this one, but instead of turning around we will keep going east along Cave Creek, descending next to a waterfall, until we hit the junction with a tributary of the Goodradigbee River. We will set up camp somewhere near these watercourses.
On Sunday after packing up camp we will head southwest and attempt to summit Black Mountain (a different Black Mountain, and at 1496m actually much higher than the one with the tower overlooking ANU). After lunch at the top of the mountain we will head west to hit the track that takes us back to our cars.
Relevant topo maps are Peppercorn and Rules Point.
The scenery on this trip will be amazing for something so close to the trailhead. However the walking will be challenging in parts, involving rock hopping and (depending on recent rains) river crossings at ankle-knee height. There may also be some bush bashing to summit Black Mountain, but we will only know the conditions once we are in the vicinity.
If there is lots of rain immediately prior or the forecast is unfavourable I will postpone the trip.
To join you will need to be:
- Fit enough to ascend 400m without dying
- Comfortable with walking off track, possibly for a few hours
- Prepared to wade through the river if necessary (bring an extra pair of shoes for wading)
- Self-sufficient setting up camp and making cooking arrangements (i.e. this is not your first time camping with an overnight pack).
We will have a pre-trip meeting on the Monday prior to confirm numbers, make camping arrangements, hire gear and work out transport.
At this stage I am aiming for a maximum of 4 or 6 participants, depending on whether we have more than one car.