Monday 19/10/2020 Grand High Tops Track – Febar Tor – Macha Tor – Hurleys Camp – The Breadknife – Bluff Mountain – West Spirey Creek Track
Warrumbungle National Park, NSW
Kamilaroi country
Participants: Stephen Davies (Photos), Sue Davies (Report), Trish Law, Dave Whitelaw
We headed out on the trail early as we had aspirations for a long day walk. It didn’t take long to appreciate that this was a popular, heavily used track with National Parks having paved long sections and added the occasional retaining wall and stairs, seemingly all the way to The Breadknife. This has become a very popular trail and for good reason.
Max elevation: 1188 m
Total climbing: 1813 m
Total descent: -1814 m
Average speed: 3.60 km/h
Total time: 10:08:20
We really enjoyed diverting to the side trips with rougher tracks and less people. There was not much evidence of yesterday’s day of rainfall, 16mm apparently, except for water held in the wildflowers which were looking gorgeous in the early morning light.
By the time we reached our first lookout at Febar Tor, Trish and Dave had caught up to us, having started about thirty minutes behind us. At Febar Tor we enjoyed scrambling around the rocky outcrops looking for the best vantage points. Next was Macha Tor and many more photos.
Dave and Trish on Macha Tor
After completing the Macha Tor sidetrack we rejoined the main Pincham Trail to suddenly find lots of other people. Not much further along we had morning tea at Spirey View Lookout. Thereafter we took a short side trip to Hurleys Camp, located just beneath Belougery Spire. This is a small campsite next to a very small creek with a huge, imposing rock face seemingly within arms reach. All the creeks around here were currently dry, even after a day of rain yesterday (reported to be about 16mm), as National Parks points out the local streams are ephemeral, so camping out around here would involve carrying a lot of water.
Backtracking to the main track again there were impressive stairs almost all the way to The Breadknife. The views along this section are fantastic, especially when you position yourself in gaps and look lengthwise along The Breadknife, both sides at once, tall and narrow! The Grand High Tops certainly does not disappoint. The Breadknife was particularly impressive viewed from above where you can see the 500m extent of this volcanic dyke.
Steve and I decided on another detour to conquer Bluff Mountain. From a distance it looks massive but is only a 1.3km detour, so how hard could that be? Trish and Dave decided to head back after generously sharing some of their remaining, “spare” water with us. The climb up Bluff Mountain is gradual but seemed a long way up. One man we encountered descending told us it was the longest 1.3km of his life! About half way up the ascent we passed through an impressive stand of grass trees whilst the views from the top are panoramic and look down on many of the features you have previously walked past, providing yet another completely different perspective of the area.
Our homeward descent followed the West Spirey Track which thankfully was not paved, again allowing us to feel a little more “out there” and at one with the landscape. We arrived back at the car just before 6:00pm observing two feral goats on the way out, close to the track. A long day but definitely a good one!
Information on NSW National Parks signage along the way
“A brief geological history of the Warrumbungle Mountains
IF YOU HAD STOOD IN THIS EXACT SPOT 17 MILLION YEARS AGO YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THE FIRST RUMBLINGS OF THE WARRUMBUNGLE VOLCANO.
What was to follow was about 4 million years of often very violent eruptions. Ash, lava and rock were scattered in a wide area producing a broad, dome-shaped mountain with a diameter of 50 km.
The type of material that spread from the many vents during the life of the volcano varied, producing different rock types and the formations you see today.
The more spectacular formations such as Belougery Spire and Crater Bluff are made from trachyte.
These formations have been exposed by millions of years of erosion.”
The Walks
Gould’s Circuit
Grade: moderate to steep Distance: 6.3 km circuit Time: 3 hr Start: Pincham Car Park
A pleasant walk then steep ascent to Macha Tor, a rocky summit. Unhindered views of the Grand High Tops and Bluff Mountain. Descend via a wide ridge down to Spirey Creek.
Breadknife and Grand High Tops (Pincham Trail)
Grade: moderate to steep Distance: 12.5 km return Time: 4-5 hours Start: Pincham Car Park
The most popular walk in the park and listed as one of Australia’s Top Ten Walks, The steep climb will have you surrounded by impressive spires and domes with views back down to the Breadknife. Return via Dagda Shortcut.
The Breadknife and Grand High Tops Circuit (via West Spirey Creek)
Grade: steep Distance: 14.5 km circuit Time: 5-6 hr Start: Pincham Car Park
The full Grand High Tops circuit with impressive views of Bluff Mountain. At Point Wilderness the narrow snout of Mt Exmouth is revealed. Keep your eyes peeled for turquoise parrots in the sandstone country around West Spirey Creek.
Head off early almed with plenty of food and water Great views of Crater Bluff are revealed on the way up. From the summit soak up the mountain views and vast western plains.”
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