Uriarra: Blue Range

General Information

 

Grading: hard

Distance:   18.2 kilometers

Total climb:   737 meters

Time taken:   4 hours 25 minutes

Maps:   Cotter Dam 8627-2N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   37 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 70471 92950

Destination map grid reference:   no specific destination

End point:  Same as start

Route

Description

This walk started at the locked gate before the Blue Range Hut Camping Ground. We started by heading north, intending to visit the Sherwood daffodils, but after we turned off to the right we found that the Sherwood area was closed due to feral animal culls and we had to retrace our steps to One Stick Road. We then started climbing up towards Blue Range, at first to the west and then veering round more to the north-east, following whichever trail looked to be promising. Crossing the ACT/NSW border we found ourselves eventually on Genges Trail, which meanders along Blue Ridge. We followed Genges Trail for some distance until it ended at Blue Range Road, which we then followed back down the range. There were some great views to the east along the way from both Genges Trail and Blue Range Road.

We then followed whatever trails seemed to take us in the right direction until we came back to our starting point. 

Uriarra: Two Sticks Hill and Lower Blue Ridge

General Information

Grading: hard

Distance:   16.5 kilometers

Total climb:   717 meters

Time taken:   3 hour 50 minutes

Maps:   Cotter Dam 8627-2N 1:25 000

Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   32 kilometers

Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 74137 95543

Destination map grid reference:   55H FA 71375 95817

End point:  Same as start

Route

Description

This walk started at a small carpark just off Mountain Creek Road 1.5 kilometers north of Uriarra Road, my usual starting point for the Sherwood Daffodils walk. Proceeding through the gate at the carpark I climbed to the top of the ridge. Passing the dam and the fence I turned off on to the rougher track to the right through the trees:

 

This track took me to the power lines and gave some good views to the south and east.

Past the power lines the trail follows the border of the pine plantation and becomes less distinct. Recently fallen pine trees cover the trail in a number of places. After a short distance the trail turns sharply to the west and I gradually made my way back to Sherwood Road, which I followed past the turnoff to the daffodils and over the locked gate. Keeping to the right I followed the track on the western side of Two Sticks Hill, looking for a place to climb to the summit. At map reference 55H FA 71059 96088 I found this place, which looked promising enough to try:

 

It was a very steep climb, but it did take me up to the NSW/ACT border marker, and past that to the rather unimpressive summit of Two Sticks Hill.

 

I descended the same way, which was quite tricky and treacherous given the gradient and loose surface. Back at the main track I continued north to a locked gate where I turned left up a very rough and steep trail, where I had a rare sighting of a lyrebird. This trail turned around to the south, following the base of Blue Ridge. At first the track was rough, steep and slippery, but soon became a well-maintained management trail. This trail proved to be one of the highlights of the walk: beautiful native bush and all I could hear was birds and my own footsteps. It helped that by this time the sun had come out.

I continued south along this trail until I came to map reference 55H FA 70149 94632, where I turned left and followed that trail to One Stick Road and West Knob Road, which took me back to Sherwood Road and my starting point at the carpark.