An overnight walk at Mount Remarkable

[cleanchin]

In October last year my brother and I did an overnight walk in Mount Remarkable National Park. Below is a brief description of our walk which will hopefully be of some use to other walkers considering a similar trip.

We drove up from Adelaide after work on Friday evening and arrived at the Mambray Creek campground after sunset, paid our camp entry and camping fee, and rolled out our sleeping mats and slept under the stars. Please note that you now need to prebook your accommodation online and you can not pay on entry like you used to be able to.

We left Mambray Creek Campsite at 8:40am and started on the Mount Cavern Trek trail towards Black Range Lookout. We arrived at the Black Range lookout (which has nice views over the Black Range) at 9:55 and spent around 15 minutes there having some scroggin and taking some photos. We then continued at a leisurely pace to the summit of Mt Cavern (770m) and arrived at about 12. At the summit we took out the Trangia, had a hot lunch, a cup of tea, and a sit down for about an hour. We met some other walkers doing day walks at the summit. It was also at this point that we realised that we had probably packed too much food and water. We began the descent down Mt Cavern which was a little tough on the knees, and it took us until 2:25pm to reach the Mambray Creek riverbed.

From the riverbed we moved onto the Hidden Camp trail towards Hidden Camp and we arrived at 4:15pm. Hidden Camp is on Alligator creek and thankfully there was some water flowing in which we soaked our tired and weary feet. We set up our tent, cooked dinner over a trangia (couscous, beans, and chorizo) had a cup of tea and then went to bed. We shared the camp site with one other hiker who came in after we had gone to bed.

On Sunday morning we left Hidden Camp at 7:30am and followed the Hidden Gorge trail (anti-clockwise) which goes up Hidden Gorge before going across to the ridge of the Battery Ridge. Part of the trail on Battery Ridge is a fire track I believe but the rest of the track is walking track. There are nice from the ridge views across the upper Spencer Gulf. We continued on the Hidden Gorge trail back to the campsite and arrived back at Mambray Creek Campground at 11:05am.

[cleanchin]

View from Black Range Lookout

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View coming down from Mt Cavern

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Friendly fauna

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[cleanchin]

Creek at Hidden Camp

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Entry to Hidden Gorge

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Pool in Hidden Gorge

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Flower in Hidden Gorge

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[cleanchin]

Panorama

View of Alligator Creek and Hidden Camp from above

[Eremophila]

Thanks cleanchin, hoping to get over that way next year. We're attending a wedding in Adelaide in March, might still be a bit warm at that time of year, but will pack the camping gear just in case.

[eggs]

very nice. Love the goannas - the one in the current photo comp was also from Hidden Gorge.

[philm]

Thanks for sharing - its a nice place and not too far from Adelaide. Hidden Gorge is my pick of walks in the park. Also nice views over the Gulf from the ridgeline walking back to Mambray Creek.

We spent some time at Melrose and Mt Remarkable and managed to obtain some old pictures of the area including snow at Mt Remarkable

Mt Remarkable

Snow at Mt Remarkable

[cleanchin]

Thanks cleanchin, hoping to get over that way next year. We're attending a wedding in Adelaide in March, might still be a bit warm at that time of year, but will pack the camping gear just in case.

It would definitely be worth having a look, in particular at Hidden Gorge as you could keep out of the sun for a fair bit of the day

[beardless]

Thanks for putting up the report cleanchin. Mount Cavern/Hidden Gorge was my first overnight walk. Here are a couple more photos from the walk.

As for snow at Mount Remarkable I wonder when that occurred last.

[danman]

Jeez I reckon you understated it a bit, what a spectacular walk this was! I did the Mt Cavern walk today, after doing Hidden Gorge (both as day walks) a couple of weeks ago.

Mt Cavern is quite a beastly little hill. The first km is a pretty slow, steady climb, then it ramps up a bit towards Black Range lookout where you gain over 200m on the next km. It's then a very nice walk along the ridgeline with some amazing views of Alligator basin. It kicks up again as you head towards the summit, gaining 200m over the last 700m or so.

The descent is definitely a knee trembler, my gps on my phone messed up a bit but once I got it going again it showed a 200m descent in 600m. Pretty steep, for SA anyway! I also noticed where (I think) the black range trek to Mt Remarkable summit turns off. Would definitely love to explore this way some time.

Not sure if the link below will work, but I grabbed a couple of happy snaps along the way. Noticed a wedgie perched on a dead tree almost directly above the walking trail which was pretty cool.

[philm]

Snow at Mt Remarkable occurs once every few years. Over Easter in about 2012 we were returning from the Gammons and it had been snowing there. We stayed the night at Mt Remarkable and it was cold!
Snow does not stay around for long and generally only a sprinkling.
Its a great spot for a walk.

[walk2wineries]

This mob seem to think Mt Remarkable is just the warmup for a 40km day and 80km 2 day event....http://www.jodileefoundation.org.au/bow ... ek-sa-2016

[danman]

Just wondering if anyone has done the walk from Melrose to Mambray Creek via Mt Remarkable in a day?

I (rather foolishly) attempted it last weekend. Started way too late in the day. Got about 10ks in from Mambray side and realised I was a long long way from the summit!

Checking after it seems the walk is 30km.

Which seems doable, but I'm just wondering how steep/difficult it is between the summit and black range? I've done the summit a few times and climbed to the top of black range, but it looks like there's a fair bit of terrain in between!

[philm]

I have done this walk in early summer when we had daylight savings. It is definitely doable in one day. There are a few steep tracks up and down once past the Mt Remarkable summit heading towards Mambray Creek. Perhaps start early! I think it took us about 8 hours from memory.

[cakie]

Thanks for the trip write up, I am thinking about doing this walk with my partner next weekend. I'd better remember to pay the fees online beforehand, that almost got us stuck last time we went to Mt Remarkable! (did the Alligator Gorge day walk that time)

[danman]

I have done this walk in early summer when we had daylight savings. It is definitely doable in one day. There are a few steep tracks up and down once past the Mt Remarkable summit heading towards Mambray Creek. Perhaps start early! I think it took us about 8 hours from memory.

Thanks, will hopefully have a go at this soon.

I have little faith in some of the distances quoted on the signs.
From the summit it gives a distance of 20km to Mambray (For a total of 26km)
From Mambray end it lists the trek to the summit at 24km one way (+6km to come down for a total of 30km)

I did the walk from Mambray to Alligator and back, according to my GPS it was at least 2-3km further than signposted. 13.3km one way and i did not quite make it to alligator car park. i believe the sign says 12 or 12.5km one way.

[eggs]

The park has been affected by the recent weather. Got to the Alligator Gorge road on Monday to find a park closed sign.
Duty ranger said all internal campsites are closed, but Mambray Creek was open.
Keep an eye on the web site if you are planning a walk there.

[paul_gee]

Just wondering if anyone has done the walk from Melrose to Mambray Creek via Mt Remarkable in a day?

I like the idea of this walk. I'm considering doing it early November.

Here's the itinerary I am looking at working to:

Friday

Adelaide Central Bus Station to Mambray Creek turnoff on the Port Augusta bus (arriving around 4:30pm)
Walk from turn off to Baroota Ruins or Mambray Campground

Saturday

Barotta/Mambray to Sugar Gum Dam Camp maybe via Alligator Gorge

Sunday

Sugar Gum Dam Camp to Melrose in time for the 12:50pm bus back to Adelaide

Keen to hear what others think is the best route to get from Mambray over to Melrose.

[Suz]

Hallo,

I'd rather pick up on this old thread than start a new one...

I'm planning on spending a few days here at the end of the month.

Just wondering if people think this would be a good trip?? Walking from Mambray Creek - Racecourse Camp (o/n here and summit Mt Remarkable in arvo or next morning).

Then taking the Tower Track or Heysen Trail via Alligator Gorge to Longhill camp (o/n here).

Then on the third day, walking back out via the Kingfisher Track to Mambray.

Is this overkill for the area? Or would I miss something very good?

Thanks!

[eggs]

The walk looks ok, but I would suggest the following.
If you have time - the side walk to Goat Rock leads to a rock band with a nice waterfall - particularly if winter rains have come in. [Very dry so far this June..]
Your suggested walk through Alligator Gorge could potentially miss some bits. Ensure you visit the Narrows and the Terraces. It is a nice walk to go all the way up Alligator Gorge and come back on the upper track as well.
For your last day - a walk back to Mambray along Alligator Creek has some interesting bits - but far better to return via Hidden Gorge and down the ridgetop.
On the road up top - make sure you wander out to the edge for views over the gulf.

[Suz]

Thanks Eggs!

You are very helpful when it comes to planning my Flinders Ranges trips

[danman]

Finally got some gear together and did my first overnight walk on the weekend.

Mambray to Kingfisher Flat on the first day, then back out from Kingfisher via Hidden Gorge. Mostly a pretty flat walk because of my atrocious fitness and not being used to carrying a pack.

Was good fun. Now onto building some fitness and then some 3 and 4 day walks

also this coming weekend there is a 'King of the Mount' trailrun/walk to the summit of Mt Remarkable from Melrose. It goes up the new trail (which I haven't done before), then down the old track. I certainly won't be running, but looking forward to it. Keen to see what the new track is like!

[eggs]

How new is "new"?

[north-north-west]

How new is "new"?

Ditto. The track I used four years ago was in pretty good nick and I'd be surprised if it has been replaced. And if it is the 'new' track, I'd be interested in knowing where the old one goes.

[danman]

How new is "new"?

i believe it's only opened sometime in the last few months. from the map, looks like you follow the old track up for about a km then it swings left.
7.7km apparently so a bit further than the old track, but hopefully it's a nice walk.


whoops, just read the event briefing again. the trail is not officially opened to the public yet but they're making a special exception for this event. i imagine it will open up in the next couple of months.

i'll let you know how it is!

[north-north-west]

OK, I've had a look at the course map, and this looks like they've cleared and upgraded an old ascent track. You could still see the top bit of it when I was up there, but it was very rough and overgrown, and I wasn't game to try to follow it down.

The two tracks together would make for a very nice loop.