Bartopia

29-30 October 2005

This Base Camp led by John Brunott came about after John met a landowner in the Mt Barney area. The owner was opening up a resort located at the head of Yamahra Ck and he graciously allowed us to camp on his property before the official opening.

Some of us arrived the Friday evening and were thankful for Steve and his 4 wheel drive for the drive into to the resort. The road was still rutted and steep in places that would have made it difficult if not impossible for conventional vehicles. The resort had just erected a few large permanent tents but already had a community kitchen plus toilet and shower.

The Saturday morning was a bright clear day and after waiting for a few more people to arrive we did a walk to check out some cliffs that John wanted to explore. After a few detours we found the cliffs and made our way back for lunch at the campsite. In the afternoon there was another exploratory walk to check out some waterfalls and gorges and to find a new way to Double Peak.

Sunday was a bright and sunny day again and a group of us set off with John to go to Double Peak. After walking up a small hill from the campsite, we dropped down into a saddle. From there it was a long uphill walk to Mowburra Peak. Here we had a welcome rest before continuing along the ridge line to Durramlee Peak. This was a great stop for photo opportunities and a short rest.

The final walk to Double Peak was well worth the effort with magnificent views to the north and south. We had a leisurely lunch plus the mandatory photo shoot before heading our way back. This new route to Double Peak certainly cut off a few hours from the previous route via Montserrat and Focal Peak.

Many thanks to John for taking us on this weekend. Richard