Saturday 24 August 2024

North Cotter Reserve and Mount McDonald

General Information

Grading:  medium
Distance:   9.5 kilometers
Total climb:   386 meters
Time taken:   2 hours 30 minutes
Maps:   Cotter Dam 8627-2N 1:25 000
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:   26 kilometers
Start point map grid reference:  55H FA 77061 90367
Destination map grid reference:  Mt. McDonald 55H FA 76550 91170
End point:  Same as start

Route



Description

This walk was similar to the one I completed on 19 October 2022, but it did not include the Stony Creek section.

Thursday 1 August 2024

Hume and Hovell Walking Track: Mt Wee Jasper

General Information

Grading:  hard 
Distance:  15.6 kilometers 
Total climb:  1008 meters 
Time taken:  5 hours
Map:  Couragago 8627-4S, 1:25 000 
Start point distance by road from Canberra GPO:  88 kilometers 
Start point map grid reference:  55H FB 52524 10232
Destination map grid reference:  55H FB 48996 07860
End point:  same as start
 

Previous Similar Walks

26 February 2015

Route

 

 

Description

We started this walk from the Fitzpatrick Trackhead, off Wee Jasper Road about 4 kilometers south of Wee Jasper. The walk can be shortened by about 2.6 kilometers by starting at a point about 2.2 kilometers further along Wee Jasper Road from Fitzpatrick Trackhead (map reference 55H FB 51293 11000).

The track up to Mt Wee Jasper is pretty much a relentless uphill climb, but the track is in great condition and is well-marked all the way. The first section parallels Wee Jasper Road for about 1.3 kilometers before turning south through farm paddocks to the Wee Jasper State Forest.

Once in the State Forest the track meanders through numerous gullies and up spurs to the summit of the mountain. We found a bit of residual snow above 1000 meters before we reached the summit, which is 1122 meters.




Not much of a view from the summit, but back down the track a bit there are some views of the western side of the Brindabellas.


We went back down the track the way we'd come until we found a sunny spot for lunch with views to the north.


We then returned to the starting point.