Hi all,
Given the recent fires, there is no better time for some off track walking in Namadgi National Park - and where better to head than to Mt Namadgi itself!
I will be leading a small group aiming for Mt Namadgi over the course of a weekend. This walk will be 90% off track, with considerable elevation gain (800m+) and a total distance of nearly 30km. This walk is only suitable for people who have been overnight bushwalking off track before (and have a reasonable degree of fitness). Expect 8-10 hours of fairly hard walking each day. The reward however will be wonderful views from the summit of Mt Namadgi at around 1779m above sea level.
Owing to the short days and lengthy walk, the plan will be to meet quite early on Saturday (likely 0630 at ANU Sport) with the aim to be walking before 8am. We will park at the Yankee Hat carpark, take the walking trail towards Yankee Hat then across onto middle creek link trail, then we head off track following middle creek for about 8-9km to Big Creamy Flats where we will camp for the evening. Depending on arrival time at camp we may ascend Mt Namadgi on Saturday afternoon - if we get to camp late we will be up early on Sunday to ascend the peak. We will return on Sunday by the same route we used on Saturday. We may be back to the cars on or after dark - other groups have taken 9-11 hours to ascend and return to cars. While the reduced scrub post bushfires may make the going a little easier we won't depend on this. See here for some notes http://www.johnevans.id.au/wp/17-18-november-2018-mt-namadgi/
Owing to the expected duration I will be keeping the group small - likely 4-5 in total. Not signing up does not gurantee a spot on this trip - I will decide participants a week out based on suitability and advise everyone.
Since I haven't hiked this route before, I'm looking for people with previous overnight bushwalking experience who can take care of themselves. When you sign up, please indicate
- your previous bushwalking experience, if I haven't hiked with you before. If you don't write this I'll reject your registration.
- whether you have a car
- which suburb you live in, to organise transport
I'll be applying for a camping permit for the Bimberi Wilderness about a week before the hike, so sign ups by then will be preferred.
Official club COVID rules are still to not share tents or stoves. Please organise this gear yourselves. Without needing to organise shared gear I don't see much reason for a pre-trip meeting. Instead I'll just be in touch about where and when to meet for Saturday morning. (will depend on where every one lives) Our camp will be quite cold, easily zero degrees and possibly negative overnight (so bring warm clothes!). It can and does snow in this are of Namadgi and our camp will be fairly high (about 1500m) so please bring suitable warm gear. If in doubt about what to bring, please reach out to me. If the weather forecast is horrible this trip may be cancelled or adjusted to an alternative.
Yankee Hat - Yankee Hat walking track, Middle Creek link trail, follow middle creek to Big Creamy Flat. Ascend Mt Namadgi, return via same route.