Ascent of Mount Major on 2023-03-09| Other People: | Solo Ascent
Only Party on Mountain | | Date: | Thursday, March 9, 2023 | | Ascent Type: | Successful Summit Attained | | Peak: | Mount Major | | Location: | Australia-New South Wales | | Elevation: | 4413 ft / 1345 m |
Ascent Trip ReportParked at 35.4733°S, 149.5984°E, about 10km from Lowden Road along Jinglemoney Fire Trail and NNW of the peak. Bluebird day. The drive in had been as challenging as the walk that was to come. Wouldn't do it in the wet.
I bushbashed and scrambled more or less straight up the spur, swinging around to the right of the first big rocky outcrop. Grade 2-3/5 bushbash pretty much all the way, if anything a bit more difficult higher up. Just before reaching the summit the terrain levelled out into a lovely forest glade; at the top, a charming and robust old cairn built into the sides of a couple of bouldersーa centenarian, I'm sure. Had lunch and a cuppa in the filtered sunlight. Wondered about the pioneers who built the cairn.
I had, by this time, got a sense that this peak didn't get many visitors these days. I was thus quite surprised (and maybe a little disappointed) while descending to come across a fairly well-worn footpad about half way downーI had completely missed this heading up. I followed it down as it meandered across the spur and eventually came out on the FT about 300m further along (35.4727°S, 149.6024°E) from where I had parked - very likely missed from a car if you didn't know to look for it. Strangely, just before the footpad hits the FT there is a junction with another pad heading E down the valley. Who (or what) on earth keeps the pad worn is a mystery to me. Higher up, I had seen a pink ribbon on a tree, indicating that the footpad was at some point meant for human feet.
4.2km in 2h.36, including the lunch break. ~350m total ascent.
*Once back in the car I continued east along Jinglemoney, wondering if my luck would run out and suddenly find my passage blocked by a fallen tree (I had already skirted a couple). Just as I was starting to feel blessed by the gods I encountered a massive tree across the track - just 100m from where the FT crosses an unnamed creek near the boundary of Tallaganda SF and SCA. So I had to turn around and reacquaint myself with Jinglemoney. And later reported the location of said massive tree to State Forests. |
| Summary Total Data | | Total Elevation Gain: | 951 ft / 289 m | | Route Conditions: | Bushwhack, Scramble | | Ascent Statistics | | Gain on way in: | 951 ft / 289 m | | Start Trailhead: | 3462 ft / 1055 m | | Descent Statistics |
This page has been served 6 times since 2005-01-15.
|
