Clumner Bluff from Mersey Crag

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Clumner Bluff from Mersey Crag

Postby LeftRightShoot » Tue 16 Apr, 2019 3:08 pm

Gday,

Is it feasible to attempt Clumner Bluff from Mersey Crag? If so, is there any advice on a route and/or travel times? Looking at an Abels loop of the Walls soon.

King David, Jerusalem, Turrana, Mersey, Clumner.


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Re: Clumner Bluff from Mersey Crag

Postby Azza » Tue 16 Apr, 2019 4:44 pm

Years ago we were on Turrana Bluff after starting up near Lk Augusta, one of party continued onto Mersey Crag and then over to Clumner and back.

I'd already done both Clumner and Mersey Crag so wasn't really keen on the slog fest. It was pretty close to lunchtime when he took off on the mission.
I think we camped in a Pencil Pine forest somewhere around Turrana Bluff and he didn't make it back before dark.
He did catch us early the next morning, apparently he was camped on the next rise over, he couldn't see us so he camped.

Look across towards Clumner from Turrana Bluff its all open walking from memory. Lots of nice camping options up there.
Stick to the Plateau and the walking is pretty easy.
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Re: Clumner Bluff from Mersey Crag

Postby LeftRightShoot » Tue 16 Apr, 2019 5:16 pm

Thanks very much. This could be a great loop but I'd hate to have to come out and then do Clumner as an out and back.
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Re: Clumner Bluff from Mersey Crag

Postby teak » Tue 16 Apr, 2019 6:38 pm

This is a photo from Mersey Crag looking towards Clumner Bluff the going looks okay but I have not done it myself.
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view from Mersey Crag towards Clumner Bluff.
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Re: Clumner Bluff from Mersey Crag

Postby LeftRightShoot » Tue 16 Apr, 2019 7:06 pm

Thank you very much. Looks great but I've been fooled by that a few times!
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Re: Clumner Bluff from Mersey Crag

Postby Azza » Wed 17 Apr, 2019 11:35 am

cnschulz wrote:Thanks very much. This could be a great loop but I'd hate to have to come out and then do Clumner as an out and back.


There is a track/old road down Clumner at the northern end or you could descend direct to the Walls Carpark assuming you can find a suitable route down and avoid the cliffs.
Depends on what your comfortable with off track and/or whether you want a car shuffle.
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Re: Clumner Bluff from Mersey Crag

Postby bushwalker zane » Fri 19 Apr, 2019 10:35 am

Some super lovely open walking up there! I did Clumner from Lake Mackenzie, as the Mersey Forest road was cut off from flood damage when I wanted to go there. Having already been up Turrana and Mersey Crag it was funny to take the long route passed both of them to clumner, however, the walking was so lovely with many open patches of grassland, and minimal scrub. Well worth it!

Between Mersey Crag and Clumner is plenty of open country, and from memory it didn't take very long to go between those two peaks. Here's my blog post on it if you're interested :)
http://abelzane.blogspot.com/2017/02/clumner-bluff.html
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Re: Clumner Bluff from Mersey Crag

Postby Tortoise » Fri 19 Apr, 2019 11:50 am

We went from Mersey Crag to Clumner and back a few years ago. We stayed high on the slopes of Mersey Crag on the way out, and had a lot of scoparia to play in. We took a lower route on the way back and it was much better.
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Re: Clumner Bluff from Mersey Crag

Postby vagrom » Fri 19 Apr, 2019 5:47 pm

b.zane, the tent in your blog on Clumner's an HBerg. Can you tell me what model?
Surgite et .. andiamo!
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Re: Clumner Bluff from Mersey Crag

Postby bushwalker zane » Sat 20 Apr, 2019 7:45 am

vagrom wrote:b.zane, the tent in your blog on Clumner's an HBerg. Can you tell me what model?


It's the Soulo in Green with a footprint. Absolute bombproof thing! Here's a link to the model on their website:
https://us.hilleberg.com/EN/tent/red-label-tents/soulo/
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Re: Clumner Bluff from Mersey Crag

Postby vagrom » Sat 20 Apr, 2019 7:28 pm

Thanks for tent info. Yes v.solid, and like a smaller Salewa. 2.4 kg, roomy, best materials - the Volvo end of the spectrum.
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Re: Clumner Bluff from Mersey Crag

Postby north-north-west » Wed 24 Apr, 2019 6:31 pm

Yes, that's the way I did it. Wonderful little bit of country and mostly very easy walking, just a little scrub below Mersey Crag itself.
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Re: Clumner Bluff from Mersey Crag

Postby LeftRightShoot » Wed 01 May, 2019 12:01 pm

Thanks all for all this info. Im back and I survived. What an amazing trip. Got through it in 3 days but planned for 4. I DID NOT find a suitable way across the Fish river so had to walk the extra km's on road. Heres my trip: https://ayvri.com/scene/e9k4xvl45o/cjur ... 65ymgg3few

I did Clumner, Mersey, Turanna, Jerusalem and King Davids. Started late and was always behind schedule until hitting trails on day 3. Jerusalem and King Davids were a snap and the short route down from Kings Davids to Wild Dog was easy to find and easier to walk. The book is right! Why isnt this the main trail!?

I managed to see the most beautiful moonrise I've ever seen, I had a friendly eagle following me for a while... and i didnt see a soul for 2.5 days. :)
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Re: Clumner Bluff from Mersey Crag

Postby bushwalker zane » Wed 01 May, 2019 2:01 pm

I found that unbelievably satisfying to watch! How did you make that trail video? Is it a special watch and website that does it? I've never seen anything like this before. That was great!! :lol:

Also, sounds like you had a really lovely walk :)
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Re: Clumner Bluff from Mersey Crag

Postby north-north-west » Wed 01 May, 2019 2:47 pm

Zane:
GoogleEarth will do something similar, if you're good enough at manipulating the perspectives.

cnschultz:
I'm rather surprised you didn't take the short route up Jerusalem from near Zion Gate. It's fairly straightforward - just drop a little south into the Powena Creek valley and up the southeastern spur. Much simpler than traversing all the way around the Eastern Wall, although it does mean you have to carry your pack all the way over.

As for the direct line between Herods Gate and King Davids: this is an old route that TasPAWS closed years back (due to erosion and rockfalls) and has been trying to rehabilitate. Fortunately the hordes mostly no longer use it so there is some progress in that department.
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Re: Clumner Bluff from Mersey Crag

Postby LeftRightShoot » Wed 01 May, 2019 3:00 pm

bushwalker zane wrote:I found that unbelievably satisfying to watch! How did you make that trail video? Is it a special watch and website that does it? I've never seen anything like this before. That was great!! :lol:

Also, sounds like you had a really lovely walk :)


Got the 3 days off my watch (suunto, but any should do it). I just stitched the gpx of each day together. Then I had to run a process over it to even out the speed (otherwise it paused at my campsites for a very long time). I used GPSBABEL for that. Theres a much simpler thing called "relive" (relive.cc) but it only works for short trips. Relive also links with strava so its super easy to generate. Google earth is ok but often your perspective disappears into a mountain. Very frustrating.
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Re: Clumner Bluff from Mersey Crag

Postby LeftRightShoot » Wed 01 May, 2019 3:03 pm

north-north-west wrote:I'm rather surprised you didn't take the short route up Jerusalem from near Zion Gate.


I did consider that. It was only superstition that convinced me otherwise. I'd had some "fun" bee-lining some other paths in teh last two days and didnt want to get cliffed (or bushed) out. Also there was a trail marked on my map! I hadnt seen one in 2 days and it was nice to follow one... for 500m until it ran out :(
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Re: Clumner Bluff from Mersey Crag

Postby north-north-west » Wed 01 May, 2019 3:41 pm

Yeah, it can be a bit hit and miss if you don't know the terrain. But that one is easy enough. Little bit of scrub low down but there are pads and plenty of leads and it opens out quite quickly, plus the cliffs are easy to avoid.
All the tracks fade out in Zion and Hinom, but it's not far to Jaffa Gate where they start up again.
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