Thark Ridge Slab Circuit

Location      Mt.Wellington

Route Summary      The circuit part of this walk is off-track on and beside Thark Ridge through pleasant country ranging from alpine moor through snowgum woods and open heathy sections. Part of the walk follows a rock slab slope the start marked with a couple of old cairns. It is just possible that this may have been used as an early route to Devils Throne.

Walk Description      

The track for Thark Ridge now starts immediately behind the car park at the top car park after Big Bend; that is pretty much due west. There is a snow barrier just beyond the car park.

This is a newly rerouted start to the track, put in with the assistance of the Wellington Park Bushcare Group, and goes for about 850 metres until reaching the old track. The new section is on harder ground and avoids the wet and boggy plain that was previously used. It has markers to assist in navigation. Signs have been placed to advise people that the pads over the wet plains that have been closed for rehabilitation Beyond the junction with the old track there are a few very wet and degraded sections during the next 800 metres. Plans are underway to remedy these bits.

Mist near Montagu from Thark Ridge

After a short boggy section there is a sharp right hand turn (north west) leading up to a saddle. Some marker poles have been placed in this section to assist.

The circuit part of this walk is off-track on and beside Thark Ridge through pleasant country ranging from alpine moor through snowgum woods and open heathy sections. Part of the walk follows a rock slab slope the start marked with a couple of old cairns. It is just possible that this may have been used as an early route to Devils Throne.

Old cairn marking route downa rock slab ridge

Old cairn

The initial part is on the Thark Ridge track then from the main saddle up to the high point south before turning to head west to a cairn at AGD66 55G 516050 5250187. Below this are several rock slabs before getting to a heathy area without overstory, Part way down a large cairn is met although it would be easy to miss, but it obviously has been there for quite some time. After a couple snowgum woodland spots what remains the old fire trail is reached.

Heading north the old fire trail changes from obvious to scrub and back again several times until reaching a quite scrubby section interspersed with boulders and no real sign of a track. A push through for a couple of hundred metres reveals the track to Devils Throne and the fire trail again. . The remainder of the walk was on the track back over Thark and on to the car up from Big Bend. The total distance for the walk is 7.7k and the circuit from the main Thark Ridge saddle some 3.3k with that part taking about 2 hours. To reach that point is 1 hour each way, giving 4 hours of actual walking.

Map      Wellington Walk

Last Updated  Thursday, 25 December 2014

Start Point      Upper Big bend

Introduction      Moderately rough in untracked section

Hazards      Navigation in off-track part

Route Conditions      Some scrub and partly untracked

Facilities       No facilities

Route Grade      Moderately rough

Route Distance Klms       7

Days      1

Access       Upper Big Bend car park

Time Hours       4 (walking time)

Related Links      

Google Bushwalks Blog

Jalbum

 

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A GPX file is at EveryTrail

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