ACT Great Bush Walk

2014 24 April - 12 May

Every state has its own Great Walk. This trip takes in the fairyland snow gums of the ACT's alpine country, its grasslands and riverine gorges, together with a few of its suburban fringes. It is based upon Rob Horsfield's suggested routes in Walking the ACT Border, and incorporates a few alternative routes which reflect my travel preferences.

A detailed log of my trip is provided below.

Note: This trip incorporates the ACT's alpine wilderness zone. Your decision making needs to specifically consider the impact of season / weather / terrain on your selected route, as the required distances are challenging during short winter days and/or bad weather. It is quite likely that high country walkers will encounter delays.

As such, you should:

1. identify high and low routes for all sections that require off track walking in alpine areas, together with an escape route

2. ensure you have sufficient food /water to accommodate a delay of 1-2 days

3. build in an extra 1-2 days (particularly in the Scabby Range area) to allow for additional side trips / bad weather

4. consider the suitability of some of the identified camps in poor weather, and identify alternatives.

There are of course a number of other border walkers who have walked the border area, including John Evans, Mathew Higgins and an SES team who walked it in 2013. Detailed information on possible alternative routes are available at John Evans' website

ACT Great Bush Walk Log

Attachments

The files attached below provide GPX files of:

• the actual tracks, campsites and water sources I used

• alternate routes which identify escape routes, avoid dangerous locations, or follow Rob Horsfield’s suggested route along the border

• waypoints providing navigational aids by identifying major peaks and other features which will aid GPS users to quickly locate their position

• waypoints identifying alternative campsites and track commentary (e.g. steep, level of regrowth)

• waypoints featuring supplementary water sources

• lists of food supplies and gear.

In addition, this link provides Daily PDF Maps of the route, which can be printed out.

Note: I have not included a route for the portion of the Mt Clear Range I didn’t travel on, as due to the absence of a water tank it is not a very hospitable way to travel along the border (unless you have a vehicle / water drops). It may be worth lobbying the ACT government to put in 2 small water tanks as per the Heysen Trail. Alternatively perhaps private individuals/clubs may want to donate funds for it.