Bushwalk Australia

Hi All!

Mount Barney Upper Portals has got to be one of my favourite sites in Barney NP. I have hiked in from Cleared Ridge car park several times.

I am looking at an alternate access route. I am hoping to gain people's opinions who have hiked to upper portals by first doing the Mount Montserrat Lookout and also those who have accessed from simply continuing along Cleared Ridge further to the look out and then down (rather than heading right at the iconic sign post/ the common way). I don't mind a physical challenge. Mostly wondering if either route is more difficult from a navigation perspective and most importantly, which has the best views of Mount Barney

Also, if you have done the walk from lower portals to upper portals, tell me what you thought! I am relatively fit however looking to improve my navigational skills and do a bit less common walks

Thanks in advance!

Cleared Ridge access...
1. Montserrat gives you a good view of Mt Barney, plus there's a small camp close by.
Just turn left past the stockyards @ Graces hut & follow an old dead end 4wd track uphill to the ridge that takes you too Montserrat. Step over a dilapidated rusty wire fence & away you go.
The ridge down to the Upper Portals from Montserrat starts out steep then gradually eases.

2. You already know about the Yamahra valley route.

3. As you mentioned there is a pad down to Yamahra camp from the end of the Cleared Ridge lookout track but I haven't explored that...I got sidetracked when I saw a ridge with rocky outcrops to the left of the lookout & had to explore...provided the best views upstream to the Big Lonely & northern routes up Barney. There's even a big boulder worn away so you can lay back & relax with your arms behind your head while your taking in the view.

4. Graces hut - Mowburra Peak - Cedar Pass - Montserrat route...again i haven't explored that pad yet. Maybe hard to follow through the Cedar Pass section.


Lowers Portals access has 5 routes that I know of to the Upper Portals...the initial access from the car park to L.P camp is a bit boring, but once that's over, it's all good.

1. The ridge behind Lower Portals campsite gives you views to Maroon before rejoining the L.P. to Cleared Ridge pad.
2. L.P. to Cleared Ridge pad gives you great views of Barney at the start then occasional views from outcrops & inbetween the tree canopy. There's a camp in the saddle before you reach Cleared Ridge.
3. A cairned turnoff just before you drop down into Barney Ck camp has great views before climbing to rejoin the L.P. to Cleared Ridge route again.
4. Walk into Barney Ck camp & take the shorter rock hop upstream to U. Portals.
5. Or take the longer rock hop upstream from the Lower Portals to the U. Portals.

Explore upstream from the L.Portals & turn it into weekend long circuit or figure 8 taking in Montserrat along the way.
...or explore downstream from the Cleared Ridge end...either way it's great way to get a feel for the area.

Hope any or all of that makes sense.

Ooroo
Ofuros.

Ofuros has outlined the general idea for routes to the portals. I’ve only visited the UP once, via the ridge to the east. Can confirm views are very excellent.

If you continue from the cleared ridge road, it eventually peters out to a footpad but it’s pretty obvious to follow. It later meets the steep portals bypass route you describe.

Some photos of the area on my blog below:

http://sirkingchampionmunch.blogspot.co ... s.html?m=1

We did a great loop over the Christmas holidays starting at the Cleared Ridge car park area, camp the night at Monserrat Lookout, down to Upper Portals, and return via the Cleared Ridge footpad. It could easily be done as a day walk as well. Monserrat Lookout offers the most expansive and impressive view of Barney, although Cleared Ridge offer small windows of a closer view.

Route, detailed track notes and photos here: https://www.wikiloc.com/hiking-trails/m ... t-21876665

Cracker pic from Montserrat !

I followed Barney Creek from Barney Gorge junction campsite to the upper portals with a youth group at the start of the year. The campsite to the portals and back takes about 6 - 7 hours, if you stop off and enjoy everything. There is a lot of rock hopping and scrambling. We even tackled the upper portals themselves going from the down stream to up stream. Great fun.