Mt Tennent in the ACT

[mountnman]

I am curious to know the current conditions on Mt Tennent. Is there snow up there at the moment? And if it does snow there is it a permanent winter snow or will it just melt away soon?

[Tony]

I am curious to know the current conditions on Mt Tennent. Is there snow up there at the moment? And if it does snow there is it a permanent winter snow or will it just melt away soon?

Hi mountnman,

I am not sure if Mt Tennent has snow on top at the moment.

In the last twenty years or so Mt Tennent has not had permanent winter snow, any snow on Mt Tennent usually melts fairly fast as it does on all but the highest ACT peaks.

Tony

[mountnman]

Thankyou very much Tony. I am hoping to get down there soon, but wasn't too sure if I needed yowies or not!

[hikingoz]

Hi Mountnman.

I second tony's comments

Mt Tennant is at 1375m. On tuesday wednesday and thursday last week we had snow in ACT down to 1000 metres.

Nothing settled permanantly on the Brindi's as a reference but you can certainly expect to get bad weather if there is any passing when you're up there.

We've been seing some very strong winds over the last week and temp with windchill has been quite low as a result. Also many falling tree limbs.

[WarrenH]

There is snow at Bulls Head at the moment, just North of Mount Franklin and if you hike deeper into the Brindies there is snow up high. Last week there was 30 cm on Scabby, Morgan and Bimberi. Snow isn't evident looking from the city, but on the colder southern slopes in the shadowy spots there are small patches of snow. On Gudgenby on the southern slopes there is snow up high.

The snow showers on the Brindies about 10 days ago, from the western slopes of Stromlo ...



Mount Gudgenby from Hospital Hill ...



Shanahans Mountain on the Booth Range looking towards Top Naas. The two hills in the centre are Mount De Salis and Mount Yarara.



I spent two weeks in the Naas River Valley and on the Clear Range and Booth Range in May and had snow showers on a few occasions. It is far colder now above 1400m. As others have mentioned the wind is freezing.

Mt Tennent from Leanes.



Warren.

Last edited by WarrenH on Tue 12 Jul, 2011 1:00 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[mountnman]

Thanks Guys! I thought there might be some sort of snow up there, but it looks like less than I expected. I'll keep an eye on conditions and hopefully I'll be down in a fortnight.

[hikingoz]

Great photos warren. What were you doing to spend two weeks in that part of the world?

[WarrenH]

abceight, thank you, I'm pleased that you like the shots. I have been doing sections of the Bicentennial National Trail in NSW and the ACT. Both the main trail, and the alternate cycle routes and looking at possible new routes north of the ACT. I'm a section coordinator for the BNT. The BNT is more of a bushwalk than a bike ride at times for me ... hike-a-bike is something I don't mind doing. I'm not a mountain biker in a hurry, I'm a slow off-road tourer. The bike carries the gear and I'm self-supporting for up to eight weeks at a time. I dump the bike in the bush and then go walking.

A few more shots from around here in the 'traditional' Bimberi Wilderness which includes the Frost Plains of Northern Kosciuszko and Bobby's Plains.







Behind Mount Scabby ... Roo Grass up to the bar ends.



Warren.

[hikingoz]

Sounds amazing Warren. At your pace you could be on the Bicentenial Trail for a veeery long time lol

[109]

Just been up there July 16, there is no snow.

[mountnman]

Thanks 109, just what I was hoping to hear!

[WarrenH]

I went up one of the creeks on Tennent today. It was very interesting to see so many flowers blooming. The foliage is beginning to thinks it is Spring. I only got part/half way up, the rocks were really slippery and slow going. I should have had my Volleys on in the morning. Coming down the track in the afternoon was really enjoyable ... sunny and warm. Mid afternoon, I could hear wild dogs on the back of the mountain. I saw several prints in the sand in the creek on the way up.

Images from a wet and foggy start on Mount Tennent.











The Australian Alps Walking Trail shown on the topo map, on Tennent's Northern Slopes, has now changed. The track now goes through Cypress Lookout. The loop starting just below Cypress Lookout has been cut off. In the Visitor's Centre there is a free topo that shows the changes to the track. The free topo shows the track with the Booroomba Rocks side trip, then continuing on to Honneysuckle Creek.

Warren.

[mountnman]

Wow looks great Warren. Next week I'm planning on doing from Tharwa, up Mt Tennent, to Booroomba Rocks, and then camping at Honeysuckle Creek, so I'll definitely pick up one of those free topo's. I just wish I could take photos as good as you!

[WarrenH]

MM, thank you. Tennent is beautiful. One thing that I do with the photography is try to show what it is like to be there not just what is there. What was the ambiance on the day and hopefully leave room for the imagination of others to enter the images.

Yesterday was wet and slippery and I had the wrong shoes on, especially after it rained. I should have had a pair of Classic Volleys in the pack, as well. I could have gone twice as far if I had. The black slime thought that it had my name on it at times. Volleys scoff at fall-to-your-death-black-slime. I didn't get too close to any edges yesterday.



Have a good trip. I've not been to Bushfold Flats ... if you have time for a few shots? I'd certainly like to see them.

Warren.

[juxtaposer]

Awesome looking country.

[mountnman]

Bushfold Flats just for you Warren

And one looking southwest from the summit of Mt Tennent (see the snow...)

[WarrenH]

Mountnman, thank you. I hope the trip went well. The flats look peaceful.

Saturday was a beautiful day ... beautiful one day, typically Canberra the next.

Warren.

[kanangra]

Great shots Warren as usual. I particularly like the one of you camped just above the small creek. Where is that?

I've thought for a while I'd like to do the Lone Pine Trail possibly in a loop from Wheelers. Have you been along it?

K.

[kanangra]

Correction that should be Oldfields.

[WarrenH]

Kanangra, G'day and thank you.

The small creek is at Reedy Creek Crossing below the Booth Range(found on the Collington 1:25,000 topo). The track is the the Naas Valley Fire Trail about 8 kilometres north of Horse Gully Hut. The photo does not do this beautiful place justice. A tree forms a dry foot bridge and weir at the crossing. I held up there for 3 days last May during heavy rain, waiting for the track to dry out.

Some shots from the campsite. Pillars of silver and green. The creek has a big catchment, the Booth Range. There was a lot of flood debris in places. With this year's frequent rains, the place is a real treat.







Horse Gully Hut is a excellent hut with classy bush furniture and many Roos. There is an excellent water supply, a tank.

... the Lone Pine Trail possibly in a loop from Wheelers. Have you been along it?

That is a fantastic walk or ride. Are you thinking of walking or riding? If you ride a bike, you'll do both.

There are so many options. You could follow the BNT and turn off at Grey Mare FT or at 9 Mile Ridge then across to Jagungal and Derschkos then to Wheelers and return by 4 Mile and Coolamon and the Blue Water Holes or cut the corner to Old Currango. I've walked and ridden much in the Northern Alps. If you are thinking of taking a bike up Lone Pine ... you'd do better to come down it. Going up Lone Pine pushing a bike is a killer for 1.3 kilometres or 3x portage if you haul a trailer up Lone Pine (like silly people do) = +1200 ascending and 600m descending to get another load. It is pretty steep out in the Dargals too.

A shot from last April. Looking North towards Lone Pine from Kennedy's Road. One of the few days when it was only lightly drizzling.

On the left is Gurrangorambla Range/Mount Morgan(1874m) in the middle far is Bimberi Range/Mount Murray(1880) above Yaouk Gap and on the left the 3 spurs are the Scabby Range.



Warren.

[kanangra]

Warren,

Thank you very much. I am aware of the area and have wanted to visit for years. Having read your discription and seen your photos it has gone right to the top of my list. Great shot inside the hut.

K.

[WarrenH]

Kanangra, in my previous post, I meant Fifteen Mile Ridge on the Happy Jacks Road ... not Nine Mile Ridge.

Above Horse Gully I came off the Clear Range on the Second Hand Creek Fire Trail, fantastic views when it wasn't raining, good trails to ride or walk ... and of course Mount Tennent dominates the best views looking North.



There was a Roo near the hut digging in an ant hill when I arrived. When I went to see what it was digging, it was an Aboriginal hammer stone. Roos here appear to be amateur excavating archaeologists.





I picked up the artifacts from around the ant hill and photographed them, then I put them back.



In the shot is the basalt hammer stone, a silcrete (top centre) thumbnail scraper, pink quartzite scrapers and a couple of spear barbs, possibly chert. The pink quartzite tool at the bottom looks like a broken adze. The grey tool in the centre is metadolerite. The only metadolerite found in these mountains is on Devils Peak 60 kilometres to the north.

In the two weeks I spent in the Naas I stumbled across two hatchets, several adzes (broken and unbroken both broken sections fitted together) and saw (hundreds) of thumbnail scrapers, spear barbs and backed blades and assorted flakes. In the rain they are very evident, shiny and clean. For only seasonal visitation to these mountains, because of extended periods of bad weather, the Old People have left a lot of heritage. I had five weeks of bad weather during my last tour.

Then I road my bike home, past Mount Tennent ... in the cold rain. I did have plenty of GU gels though.






Warren.

Last edited by WarrenH on Tue 26 Jul, 2011 1:32 pm, edited 4 times in total.

[kanangra]

Wow fascinating. So much history out there. Silently it speaks....

[WarrenH]

Tennent is beautiful. One thing that I do with the photography is try to show what it is like to be there not just what is there. What was the ambiance on the day and hopefully leave room for the imagination of others to enter the images.

Yesterday was wet and slippery and I had the wrong shoes on, especially after it rained. I should have had a pair of Classic Volleys in the pack, as well. I could have gone twice as far if I had. The black slime thought that it had my name on it at times. Volleys scoff at fall-to-your-death-black-slime. I didn't get too close to any edges yesterday.

Benjamin444 old Mate, wow!!! You and I write in a very similar style and you also wear Northface Vindicator Gor-Tex® Men's Offroad walking shoes it appears? Isn't it a small world, hey?

Do you find your Northface Vindicators as slippery as I do, on wet smooth Quartzite? I'm guessing that you do.

I poked and prodded this creature but it didn't move. It looks like it should move ... so I stood back. One day it will move.



Warren.

[WarrenH]

Here and There. Mount Tennent.




Warren.

[cdg]

Warren,

great photos. very interesting.

Im interested in what you pack on your bike in terms of spare bits and tool kit.

also, how much does it weigh all packed ?

[WarrenH]

cdg, thank you for waiting for my reply. I was entertaining friends who had been looking forward to coming to Canberra for a while during their uni holidays. They weren't impressed with Canberra's weather and cold wet bush. Not at all.

This might answer your question about spares ... viewtopic.php?f=10&t=6817

The bike was heavy. When I started the trip I had about 40-42kg, to be self-reliant for about 8 weeks. Not needing resupplying for that time is the best way to travel. I had my snow gear with me on that trip and fishing gear. The stuff perched on top of the trailer is a 3 person snow tent (two of the rolls), a Thermarest and my snow gear. I only saw two days of wet sleety snow, 28 days of rain and 4 days when it only drizzled and only a couple of full days of sun. The panniers on the trailer are for food, bike spares, and odds and ends, like walking shoes, Classic Dunlop Volleys for river crossings and Shimano SPDs (13 kg was food and about 30kg all up). The Vaude panniers look heavier than they are because they are bulky looking. The panniers on the bike carry, sleeping bag and clothes and medical kit and many breakfasts (maximum of 8kg). The bar bag has maps, notebook and cooking gear (about 2kg). Things like toiletries get spread around the pannier side pockets.

I went through the weight quickly, because it was so wet. The only time I slowed down using my resources like candles and Isopropane/Butane was when I was in the huts and I was able to dry wood to cook with. I cut the tour short by 2 week, I'd had enough of the rain. I rarely carried water, I could have a drink at any time from what was running off my helmet.

This was the food that I took ... viewtopic.php?f=16&t=5498 I also took a dehydrated watermelon that isn't in the shot.

Warren.