 |
| It was a fairly early start this morning. |
While most walkers know of St Marys Peak up in the Flinders Ranges National Park, not everyone has heard of Mt Ohlssen-Bagge. To climb St Marys Peak in a day from Wilpena Pound makes for a fairly solid day out, but Mt Ohlssen-Bagge can be climbed before breakfast, well with a very early start it can. Apart from beating the heat of the day the other advantage of getting up here near first light are the stunning views as the morning sun creeps across the jagged mountain ranges that seem to stretch in every direction. So not needing anymore encouragement I was up and out of bed as soon as the sun had started as a faint glow in the eastern sky this morning.
 |
| Climbing through the shadows towards Mount Ohlssen-Bagge. |
Leaving the resort the track follows the very popular Wilpena Pound Walk for a few hundred metres of easy level walking before striking off to the left, crossing Wilpena Creek and starting to climb. Really the climbing doesn’t stop now but it was easy enough rock hopping my way up the sandstone as the rising sun worked it’s magic on the scenery. The climb is was well marked with the occasional reflector to help guide walkers who are climbing or descending in the dark.
 |
| This is a steep climb but it should be within the capabilities of most people as there is no real scrambling, be careful of the heat though. |
This is one of those rock slab kind of climbs, with the route taking the path of least resistance through the sandstone. There is one thing I’ve noticed about these types of climbs and that is that I seem to gain height fairy quickly with little effort, I think it’s the fact that I’m concentrating on the rock and following the route so it takes my mind off the climbing. Apart from the sandstone the other notable feature up here is the number of Grass Trees growing, anyone who has read much of my blog will know that I’m quite partial to these pre-historic plants.
 |
The sun was creeping across the plains east of Wilpena Pound.
 |
 |
| Looking along the eastern wall of the pound. |
|
|
With the shadows cast by the ABC Range creeping across the pain below me I was soon on the rocky summit, all in all it had only taken me an hour of solid walking to get up here. From the summit of Mt Ohlssen Bagghe I had Wilpena Pound spread out before me, the walls of the pound looking like some ancient meteorite crater. To the east I had the jagged ridge line of the ABC Range which looked like a giant dinosaurs backbone as the sun rose behind it (hmmm, reading this I’m starting to wonder what kind of mushrooms I had for dinner last night!).
 |
Looking down towards the Wilpena Pound Resort.
 |
 |
 |
| The view from Mount Ohlssen-Bagge. |
|
|
|
After watching the sun creep across the land below me for awhile eventually I figured it was time to drop back down to Wilpena Resort for a late breakfast. The descent was mostly back along the same track so all was pretty easy navigation wise, I only deviated from my outward route when I took the short Drought Busters Walk Loop which added a few hundred metres distance to the days stroll. Being close to summer the temperature was already heating up by the time I got back to the resort, not that it mattered much to me today as after a shower and breakfast I jumped in the troopie and headed off to the Gammon Ranges and my next little adventure, but that’s another story.
 |
Mount Ohlssen-Bagge
 |
Early morning on Mount Ohlssen-Bagge.
 |
| My hair was a little darker back then. |
|
|
The Dirt.
This walk comes in at around 7 kilometres and I’m guessing that the climbing is around 450 metres, I suppose with the climbing and rock hoping involved I’d rate this as a medium grade walk. The walk was written up by Tyrone Thomas years ago and more recently by Melanie Ball in her Best Walks of Australia book. There is also a fair bit of information floating around online. If you like your mountain top views and a bit of rock hoping this is a walk worth considering, I think early morning or late afternoon is the pick of the time to do this walk. Wilpena Pound Resort has plenty of accommodation options from camping all the way up to nice apartments, although the roofed accommodation can be a but pricey. Nearby Rawnsley Park Station also has plenty of accommodation options and generally is a bit better in the value for money stakes, I’ve found.
No comments:
Post a Comment