Montagu Trails

Thursday 3rd March 2016

Montagu Thumbs

Thanks to Rambo for this route which I obtained from Share My Routes. The walk turned out pretty much as he described it and I chose to do it in an anticlockwise direction.
I started off from the car park in Betts Road and walked up the steep zig zag fire trail and then up to Cathedral Rock. It was a very clear day and an ideal temperature. It took me about 2 hours to reach here.

From Cathedral Rock

From Cathedral Rock

From Cathedral Rock

I stayed for a few minutes and then headed along the ridge line to Montagu Thumbs.

From Montagu Thumbs Ridge

From Montagu Thumbs Lookout

From Montagu Thumbs Lookout

From Montagu Thumbs Lookout

From the summit Montagu Thumbs

I stopped at the lookout and then carried on over to the high point and then down to the Montagu Fire Trail and down to Norris Hut. I had been here before but it always good to have another look. I climbed up on the large rock at the back of the hut and took a few photos.

Norris Hut

Norris Hut

Norris Hut

Prominent Rock above Norris Hut

View from Rock behind Norris Hut

Norris Hut from above

After this I continued walking down the fire trail which was steep and very rocky in places. I was thinking to myself that "I hope the track going across to Cathedral Rock is not badly overgrown as I would hate to have to walk back up this hill". I need not have worried because when I reached the turnoff, I found it to be in quite reasonable condition. It was about the width of an ATV but I don't know its history. This track passed through some very nice forest in places and was pleasant walking.

Nice forest

The track

The track

When I neared Grundys Creek I had to cut across to an old track which eventually intersected the fire trail that heads up to Cathedral Rock. It was mostly flat walking up to the Cathedral Rock turnoff and then steeply downhill and back to the car.
This was a good walk and the rain forest area was worth seeing but I found it quite tiring due to a fair bit of up.
Distance:17.3 kms.
Time: 7'35"
Ascent: 1208 metres
Click here to download GPX file.