Maggs Road - Mt Pillinger

[Haydynb]

Hey all

Just wondering if anyone knows the status of the Maggs road Route to the start of the Alternate Pillinger track, post the floods in 2016?

I believe the road was damaged but have no idea if thats correct or if its been repaired?

Any advice would be great

Haydyn

[Tortoise]

Hey Haydyn. Not sure if the actual Maggs Spur 17 road was damaged or not (the last 2+ kms to the track head). But Maggs Rd itself is fine. (We went that way a couple of weeks ago to the Arm River Track - now accessed by going past Magg Spur 17.)

[Haydynb]

Thx Tortoise...

[Nuts]

Arm R track is pretty good these days, switchbacks and well built. Probably quicker.

[CasualNerd]

If you mean this track (I've forgotten what the road and track was called) but you can see where we started walking by the blue track recording, that's as far as you get on the road and the track heads off into the bush. Was reasonable by AWD in July. It was quite overgrown though, definitely easier to go in via Arm River Track.

[Haydynb]

Thx Nuts and Casual Nerd. Re your comments CN, was it get lost over grown? Still reasonanbly marked? My recall on that track is that the first part is the real heavy bush.. was that the overgrown section?

Nuts. Wife is coming with me..how hard is that climb with the switchbacks(armriver)? She has a reasonable level of fitness..

[MrWalker]

Thx Nuts and Casual Nerd. Re your comments CN, was it get lost over grown? Still reasonanbly marked? My recall on that track is that the first part is the real heavy bush.. was that the overgrown section?

Nuts. Wife is coming with me..how hard is that climb with the switchbacks(armriver)? She has a reasonable level of fitness..

It's overgrown, but probably not enough to get lost. The Arm River track switchbacks are very good condition and definitely easier.

[SergeantMcFly]

Switchbacks not that difficult for the moderately fit, its about 200m of elevation gain in roughly 800m of track? Short and sweet, right to the point.

[CasualNerd]

Well we didn't lose the track, even with a bit of snow, so the track is visible, just very very overgrown. I wholeheartedly recommend arm river track though, much easier.

[Haydynb]

Thx gents... Arm River it is. Track head easy to locate... well sign posted?

[SergeantMcFly]

As you're driving out Maggs Rd, eventually you'll reach a split with a small sign post in the middle. Keep to the left, taking the high road and after another 17km or so you'll reach a road block with the only option being to turn left. Follow that for 3km or so and you'll reach the carpark. It's the end of the line so assuming you don't drive into the creek, can't miss it.

[Nuts]

The creek-side banks on MS17 route are steeper than anything now remaining on the Arm R. Track.

To climb Mt. Pillinger the original Arm River track is now a turn-off, just short of the park/WHA entry sign, above the initial climb. A few hundred meters of scratchy track initially from there and then open walking on the better drained section of the original track to the Pillinger turn-off.

[Haydynb]

Thx all. Merry Christmas

[Davo1]

Interesting thread.
I haven't been in there for a few years and always used to go via Maggs track as we really enjoyed it.
Haven't tried Arm River since the upgrade so will have to go have a look.
Thanks for the info everyone.

[Haydynb]

Hey all. Thx for your feedback. We headed in last week finding the road in good nick and the Arm River track an excellent way to get to Pillinger. Had a great day with great weather...

HB