Beechworth hills exploration – 14kms

Date/Time
Date(s) - 3 Jul 2021

Category(ies)

  • Grade 3 Medium
  • Leader: David G
  • Phone: 0432 632 142 after 7pm
  • Participant numbers:max 12 participants
  • Final booking date: Bookings the Monday or Tuesday (not Wednesday) the week leading up to the walk please

This is essentially a recce of a walk I found in a club newsletter from 2005. I won’t have done it before. If we find any issues with the track (e.g. track closed/unpassable), we’ll return the way we came.

We’ll meet in Wooragee and then drive out to our starting point. Note that this is different to the usual starting point of Wodonga Bunnings (depending on where people are coming from, it’ll likely be quicker for most people to do the short drive direct than go meet at Bunnings first).

Depending on numbers, we will likely car-pool from Wooragee rather than take all cars, as there isn’t a heap of car parking at either end of the walk. A short car shuffle will be required before/after the walk.

Heading out toward Eldorado, we start walking from the corner of the Reedy Creek track. This is a four-wheel drive track which the previous walk description said is easy walking but all up hill for the start of the day. We follow Reedy Creek most of the way with some beautiful views into the gully. We climb about 300m reaching 500m by lunchtime. The trip down is along Long Ridge Fire Track. My GPS says the distance will be about 14km all up and 360m total elevation gain.

I think, but am not certain, that this walk will all be on pretty good 4WD track with thin scrub either side. I doubt we’ll see too many 4WDs . I haven’t walked on this side of Woolshed road before, but the map shows a fair number of tracks which could make for some interesting winter walk possibilities so I’m looking forward to seeing.

I’m marking this as medium given the ‘unknown’ factor.

CONTINGENCY

It’s possible that Woolshed road could be closed due to rain (the road goes over several low fords). If so, we’ll walk from Woolshed falls into Beechworth for a coffee and then walk back out again. This would be a tad under 14km also, with about 260m elevation gain going up to Beechworth. This walk is mostly on footpad, except for the couple of km from Beechworth Cascades around the gorge loop (a quiet tourist drive loop with a 20km speed limit). There is a section of steep steps hewn into granite rocks.