Last week I headed back out to Jagungal for a very cruisey hike with Lara, a friend who requested a cruisy hike and this definitely delivered.
We followed the classical Round Mountain to Jagungal loop that I have done before, but this time we swapped the direction and boy did it make a difference. Doing the flat cruise into Dershkos But from Round Mountain on the flat day, instead of slogging up the hill out of the Tumut River really made the walk. Especially since (surprise surprise) I stopped us for brunch and coffee on the way down.
It was also the first time I had been up there since the bushfires and the views were totally different driving in and seeing the views along the track where in the past there were just trees.
Day 1 – rain and sunsets
We didn’t start walking until almost 2pm, and it had started raining. As it turned out Lara didn’t have the most waterproof pack and my rain jacket.
Luckily the rain only lasted an hour or so and then it started to dry out. By the time we reached camp the skies were clear and we had almost the the best campsite views I have ever had (I am torn between here and Tassie).
Day 2 – side trips, mountains and storms
We only had a short day of walking itself, but the side trips did a pretty good job. The main goal was to get from Dershkos to O’Keefe’s Hut, but we added side trips including:
- Waterfall views
- A swim
- Climbing mount Jagungal
The swim was bracing, and the climb up Jagungal was steep and the waterfall views were absent because I picked the wrong ridge or didn’t go far enough. Oops
The stand out of the day though was the storms from our afternoon in O’Keefe’s Hut – we had the most spectacular hail and thunder I think I have ever seen.
Day 3 – down a big hill and exploring a river
We had another relaxed day, starting very late once equipment had some what dried. We didn’t have far to walk from O’Keefe’s Hut to the Tumut River. There was a decent valley to cross and then a massive descent down to the Tumut River to deal with. From there we were undecided whether to stay down by the river or head up to Round Mountain Hut to camp.
We ended up at the Tumut River by 12:30, so after a quick lunch we went and explored along the river for a couple of hours finding waterfalls, spotting fish crossing the river a couple of times
When we got back to the Tumut River a storm was brewing and it was still early so we climbed up to Round Mountain Hut. We arrived and set up the tents just before the rain started properly.
Fun fact : during the break in a storm I ducked to the loo with a view and ended up stuck there for 15 minutes as a hail storm passed, luckily it wasn’t too smelly and the view genuinely was spectacular.
Day 4 : a quick walk then a swim may Yarrangobilly
We had a quick walk back to the car and were on our way early. We made it into Yarrangobilly for a swim and then off to drop Lara at the airport.
Categories: New South Wales
Tags: bushwalking, hiking, jagungal
The Graceful Cyclists 