Walking in the Southern Grampians near the Fortress

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Walking in the Southern Grampians near the Fortress

Postby beardless » Thu 11 Jun, 2015 10:40 pm

In April I had the pleasure of a prominent Adelaide bushwalker leading me and another friend through some amazing country in the Southern Grampians near the Fortress for a few nights. We had great weather. Here are some photos.
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Morning on the first day
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Along a creek
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On top of the Arch
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the Arch at sunset
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Sunset near the Arch
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the Arch at dawn
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Sunset at the Fortress
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Camp at the Fortress
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Walking past Deep Creek campsite
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Climbing around the Fortress
Last edited by beardless on Wed 17 Jun, 2015 9:23 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Walking in the Southern Grampians

Postby AlexB » Thu 11 Jun, 2015 11:30 pm

Gorgeous pics! And seeing them, I realise that's where I did outward bound mumblety years ago. I knew it was in the grampians but couldn't have told you exactly where until now, so thanks! The pic of the camp at the fortress looks particularly familiar!
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Re: Walking in the Southern Grampians

Postby north-north-west » Fri 12 Jun, 2015 7:09 am

Neat. Good weather for it,too.
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Re: Walking in the Southern Grampians

Postby beardless » Fri 12 Jun, 2015 9:01 am

Yes the weather was perfect for walking. We only had a couple of hours of rain on the walk back on the last day past Deep Creek campsite. The days after we left there were heavy storms from memory.
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Re: Walking in the Southern Grampians

Postby South_Aussie_Hiker » Fri 12 Jun, 2015 5:51 pm

Looks like a top trip! Thanks for sharing.
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Re: Walking in the Southern Grampians near the Fortress

Postby cams » Thu 18 Jun, 2015 1:47 pm

Great shots. Looks like an amazing area.
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Re: Walking in the Southern Grampians near the Fortress

Postby biggbird » Mon 22 Jun, 2015 9:25 pm

Nice shots, and that is a very impressive arch! Does anybody rock climb there? Looks like it could be fun.
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Re: Walking in the Southern Grampians near the Fortress

Postby beardless » Mon 22 Jun, 2015 10:55 pm

biggbird wrote:Nice shots, and that is a very impressive arch! Does anybody rock climb there? Looks like it could be fun.


Cheers. Not sure about proper rock climbing at the Arch. There are popular climbs at the Fortress. Some extremely challenging. We climbed to the top the long way around. Here is a photo from the top of the Fortress.
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View from the top of the Fortress
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Re: Walking in the Southern Grampians near the Fortress

Postby Lophophaps » Tue 23 Jun, 2015 11:47 am

Beardless, nice pics, thanks for posting. The arch has not changed in decades; long may it be so. Can you please advise how you approached the arch? I know of four or five routes. I've camped on the flat area immediately south of the arch in strong winds. A big tree came down, and the earth moved. Scary night.
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Re: Walking in the Southern Grampians near the Fortress

Postby beardless » Wed 24 Jun, 2015 7:58 am

Lophophaps wrote:Beardless, nice pics, thanks for posting. I've camped on the flat area immediately south of the arch in strong winds. A big tree came down, and the earth moved. Scary night.


Glad you survived.
Last edited by beardless on Wed 24 Jun, 2015 6:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Walking in the Southern Grampians near the Fortress

Postby peregrinator » Wed 24 Jun, 2015 10:58 am

beardless wrote:
biggbird wrote:Nice shots, and that is a very impressive arch! Does anybody rock climb there? Looks like it could be fun.


Cheers. Not sure about proper rock climbing at the Arch. There are popular climbs at the Fortress. Some extremely challenging. We climbed to the top the long way around. Here is a photo from the top of the Fortress.


Beardless, thanks for posting the superb photographs. What do you define as "the long way around" to the top of The Fortress? I tried from the southern end and failed to get to the top; but that was over ten years ago when I had very little experience at that sort of navigating.
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Re: Walking in the Southern Grampians near the Fortress

Postby beardless » Wed 24 Jun, 2015 10:49 pm

peregrinator wrote: Beardless, thanks for posting the superb photographs. What do you define as "the long way around" to the top of The Fortress? I tried from the southern end and failed to get to the top; but that was over ten years ago when I had very little experience at that sort of navigating.


I did not lead the way. I just followed the leader who found a route. But we approached from the track on the eastern side, climbed straight up a metre wide crack for a few metres, then it was an easy scramble up a few more levels to the bottom left of the photo above. We walked alongside the foot of that large square shaped outcrop in the photo above through to the south eastern side of the Fortress. We descended a bit and then climbed around to the southern side for a bit before coming back around to the middle of this photo before climbing up the to the top just below the bottom of that photo above. Sorry I can't recall specific details. I am not a rock climber and there were a few bits where I was a tad scared, with near vertical drops for a few metres.

There was another high point at the top of the photo above. We thought that was lower but it is hard to tell.

And here is another view from the top looking north ...
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View from the top of the Fortress towards Billywing Gorge
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