Details on Mt. Cameron Track?

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Details on Mt. Cameron Track?

Postby mjdalessa » Tue 03 Jan, 2012 1:18 pm

Heading up the north east in the next couple of days and am thinking of doing Cameron, there is a track up it isn't there? Could someone please post directions and any tips needed to find it? Looks like such a great little mountain!

Thanks in advance,

Marco
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Re: Details on Mt. Cameron Track?

Postby Neil Grose » Tue 03 Jan, 2012 5:20 pm

Mt Cameron is a great mountain and a marvellous view from the summit.

Track is pretty easy to follow - drive up the Old Port Road from the Waterhouse road, turn left up there about 8k's or so and follow that road till you hit the boom gate to the Scottsdale High School Outdoor Ed Centre.
From there it is a 2k walk to the centre then follow the ridge and the track markers up to the 'Maze', and then follow the markers down the saddle and up to the summit.

Should take a few hours or so, but take plenty of time to take in the surroundings and the eagles ;-)

A few hundred school kids find there way up there every year, so you shouldn't have too much trouble.

Good luck

Neil.
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Re: Details on Mt. Cameron Track?

Postby mjdalessa » Tue 03 Jan, 2012 5:48 pm

Thanks mate. Is the start of the track itself obvious? Does it start at the outdoor ed centre?
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Re: Details on Mt. Cameron Track?

Postby mjdalessa » Fri 06 Jan, 2012 3:27 pm

To answer my own question, you will start getting close to the outdoor ed centre when there is a little sign pointing to Mt. Cameron. Do not take this overgrowing road, it joins the route further up. Head up until you reach the centre and walk behind it. Right is via a lookout and the sign suggests 4-5hrs and left is via the maze, sign suggests 3-4hrs. We took 2.5hrs at a steady, not too fast pace to go up via the lookout and down via the maze. 3hrs is plenty return from the locked gate to the summit and back for a fit walker. The track isn't always obvious because of the rocky nature of the landscape and how open the ground is, so for anyone heading up keep your eye on the markers.

It really is a great little walk and reminiscent of the hazards area, except with farmland views instead of coastal. The only hard thing about the whole route is the slippery gravel; it's pretty annoying to walk down. I'd highly recommend it to anyone in the region.
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Re: Details on Mt. Cameron Track?

Postby Neil Grose » Sun 08 Jan, 2012 7:16 am

Glad you enjoyed it - marvelous part of the planet and while I've been up and down (and all around) on the mountain, as I taught outdoor ed there for four years, I still see and experience something new each time.

I agree about the downhill bits, it can get very hairy when it rains too, as the granite can get a bit 'slick'.

I have a worn out knee that reminds me of a few downhill bits every time I tweak it.

Cheers

Neil.
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Re: Details on Mt. Cameron Track?

Postby MrWalker » Tue 03 Dec, 2019 12:13 pm

mjdalessa wrote:To answer my own question, you will start getting close to the outdoor ed centre when there is a little sign pointing to Mt. Cameron. Do not take this overgrowing road, it joins the route further up. Head up until you reach the centre and walk behind it. Right is via a lookout and the sign suggests 4-5hrs and left is via the maze, sign suggests 3-4hrs.

We were up there yesterday (2 Dec 2019) and checked the track just past the boom gate. The sign says "Mt Cameron (via Douglas Lookout) 4-5 hrs return".

This is a much nicer track than walking in along the road. It was not overgrown, and was a nice steady climb going in, whereas the road goes up and down, resulting in a lot more uphill than necessary and is nearly 1 km longer. There are a few interesting rocks and flowers along the way.

The track comes out 500m above the Outdoor Ed Centre on the track going via Douglas Lookout, so saves more distance if going that way. If you take the other more direct track up (see ListMap) you have to head back towards the Centre, but that would still be easier that getting to the track start by the road.

Note that the direct track is labelled as going via the Maze, but the Maze is actually about 200 above the junction of the two tracks, so both actually go past the Maze. My advice is to go up one way and back the other.

If you don't want to go all the way to the top of Mt Cameron, then the Douglas Lookout is an interesting place to get to, and the Maze also worth a visit, without going all the way up.
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