Trip Report:
I had a week off work recently that coincided with some stunning weather. I've been wanting to head out to PB for a while but decided against it do to my general lack of fitness at the moment. Instead I though a solo mission into lake sydney and trying to climb mt Bobs would be more appropriate.
Left the Jeep at farmhouse creek at midday with the temperature nudging 30 degrees. Having not carried a full pack since May i was sweating buckets. I refilled my 2 Litre camelback just before departing the creek as the track climbs toward the saddle and gets muddier. I found the turnoff tree easily, turning onto the pad through cutting grass and bauera bush. The ridge seemed to go on for ever and was made even tougher in the heat. By the time I popped out of the king billy forest and onto the knoll I had drained my camelbak once again. The view to the eastern Arthurs from here was great so i took some photos, ate an orange and pressed on hoping to find a spring or trickle of water.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bb8LlQiD9hz/?taken-by=tdeuebFinally the track started to descend into the jungle and i found a small trickle of water where i was able to refill and rehydrate. This had the effect now of completely unbalancing my electrolyte levels and soon cramp was becoming a real issue! Some salt and vinegar chips kept them from becoming too bad as i reached the bottom of the hill and promptly fell into a bog that was easily waist deep.
The last kilometre was super tough as I pushed through the swamp and into the king billy forest near the sink hole. The sink was dry with some great campsites but a quick recon around the eastern shore revealed and even better site under some giant tea trees. The lake was lovely and warm to have a quick dip before collapsing in a heap. somewhere around 7:30pm I found enough energy to cook some dinner. All up it had taken about 6 hours from the car to the lake.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bb0_C1SDD21/?taken-by=tdeuebThe next morn was clear and warm. I set off to climb mt Bobs at about 9am but due to the thick scrub, a number of diversions, general exhaustion i didn't make the saddle until almost midday. A kind of route has been taped through the forest following a water course but it is easy to lose and find yourself confronted with a wall of scrub or a small cliff line. I sat on the saddle in a small patch of shade. I considered climbing the open slabs to the summit in the heat. But decided to bash back down to the lake. Even though i didn't get to the top I really enjoyed the challenging bush and the waratahs that were out in flower.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bb0-JL6Dxy8/?taken-by=tdeuebI spent the rest of the arvo reading and drinking wine at my shady campsite only moving to cook some more food, of which i had brought far too much.
The next morning I bash my way back out to the car find the return trip only slightly easier. Just before getting back to the car i got rained on by a passing storm and almost stepped on a large tiger snake basking on the Picton Rd near the footbridge over farmhouse creek.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bb1mwVYDjDL/?taken-by=tdeuebAll up it was a great little trip. A fantastic mini test piece. I will be going back once the scratches heal and i buy a new shirt. My poor hard yakka hiking shirt was torn to shreds.
Tom