A Savage Peak

An Analysis Of The Mt Savage Logbook

by David Noble (SUBW).

(From The Bushwalker Vol 20 No 3, Feb 95) © David Noble

Mt Savage is one of the major peaks of the Colo part of Wollemi National Park. It is flanked by the steep cliffs of the Colo Gorge and also has a protective layer of scrub on all sides. So it has a reputation as being a peak worthy of a visit. There are no worthwhile views from its summit but nearby are excellent views of the Colo. About 20 years ago a small logbook was placed on the summit in a metal ice cream tin. On a trip to the peak during October 1993, Rob Hynes (SUBW) and myself found this old logbook had been partly eaten by ants and the tin having rusted partly away. It would obviously not last too much longer so I decided to carry it out. Below are a list of all the entries In the book as best as I can decipher them. Some entries are very faint and some have decayed (or been eaten by the ants!).

5 May 1973 (date difficult to read) - The book was placed by a party from the National Parks Association (NPA). The top part of their entry is impossible to read but they probably went to the peak from the Grassy Range fire trail and Canoe Creek, climbed Buck Pass 17 (Colo Sketch map compiled by Bob Buck and Geoff Daley for the NPA), went to Mt Savage and then went back to the Colo via Tambo Creek. They would have returned to the fire trail via pass 19. The party consisted of (?) Foley, Tim Herborn, Bob Buck, Brian Walker, Ted Daniels, Barry Davis (?), Dennis Danaher.

21 May 1976-a SUBW party of Chris and Bronwynne Cosgrove visited the peak. They too started from the Grassy Range trail and visited Tambo Creek on their way back. They also went down the Colo to Angorawa Creek and then headed out to the Putty Road.

30 July 1977 - A party of three from the Kameruka Bushwalking Club (KBC) - David Noble (also SUBW), Bob Sault (also SUBW) and Hugh Paterson (YMCA Ramblers) repeated the route followed by the NPA party.

7 October 1977 - Tom Williams from the Springwood Bushwalking Club (SBC) and David Noble (SUBW) visited the peak as part of their northern three peaks trip. They left the Putty Road and walked to the Colo via the Grassy Range trail and climbed pass 17. They then climbed Mt Savage and crossed Tambo Creek and the three branches of Main Ck before reaching Mt Mistake, their second peak. They then followed an un-named creek to the Wollangambe River just before its junction with the Colo. They then climbed the Island (peak 3) and returned to the Putty Road.

24 April 1978 - Tim Hager, Margaret Dinan, Bob Burton and Vince Murtagh from the Catholic Bushwalking Club (CBC) were the next party. They went from the Grassy Range to the Colo and then went to Pinchgut Ck, Mt Barakee, Mt Savage, Tambo Ck, ColoR, Parr West and then the Island.

22 December 1980 - Milton Sams and Matthew Moore traversed to the peak from Lithgow, via Deep Pass, Nayook Ck, Mt Cameron and Mt Tambo. Comments include "no water thanks to the drought" and "if anyone ever tells you that long pants are an optional extra on a sojourn in the Blue Mtns then you could safely tell him/her to jam his/her fully extended Swiss army knife into whatever orifice it might fit. I'm dreaming of Levis."

8 May 1983 - R MacKillop and M Wilson (Macquarie Mountaineering Soc. and Three Peaks Outdoor Soc). They started from the Putty Road, went along the Drip Rock trail towards the Island, up Main (?) ck to Baldy Grass Hill, Pommel Hill, Tambo Limb, down Bull Ring Ck and up Annie Rowan Ck, then along part of Tambo Ck, Mt Barrakee, Pinchgut Ck, Mt Savage, Colo River,  Little Pass (pass 18) and then back to Drip Rock. This was an 8 day trip.

May 1983 (day obliterated) - Ian Hickson and Anne Bromfield from Canberra Bushwalking Club visited Mt Savage -probably a day or two later than the party above. They record - "Met the above two who somewhat spoilt our "wilderness experience". Its getting like bloody Pit Street round here". They were on a ten day trip. Their route - Hollow Rock (Culoul Range), pass 7, pass near pass 17, Mt Savage, Camp Ck, Wolgan R, Capertee R, Gospers Ck, Green Hill, Girribung Ck, Munee Ck, Wollemi Ck and back onto the Culoul Range via pass 1.

2 June 1984 - An SUBW party of David Noble, Steve (Gus) Henzell and Rob Jung (ex MUMC) repeated the now standard trip to Mt Savage via Canoe Ck and pass 17 and back via Tambo Ck and pass 19.

6 October 1985 - Dave McIntosh and Bob Noss went to Canoe Ck, then down the Colo and up Tambo Ck, climbed out to Mt Savage and then dropped into Pinchgut Ck. They report the undergrowth as being burnt.

7 October 1985 - the day after the previous party, Graeme G Hall visited Mt Savage as part of a week long solo walk. His route -Grassy Hill, Pinchgut Ck, Mt Savage, Tambo Ck, Main Ck, Mt Mistake, Wollangambe Colo Junction, Island, Parr West, Angorawa Ck, Grassy Hill. He reports meeting the above two in Pinchgut Ck.

5 April 1986 - An SBW party of David McIntosh, Bob King and Fazeley Read visited the peak. No details of their route are given.

30 November 1986 - Ian Reed and Bryan Beresford-Smith reported "great ridge walking around here, good to verify that there is no need for long pants". No route details.

27 September 1993 - An SUBW party of David Noble and Rob Hynes visit the peak as part of a 6 day Colo to Bell trip. They used pass 17 from the Colo and crossed Tambo Ck high up to climb Limit Hill and then crossed Nayook Ck and then to the Valley of the Swamps. They then went to Bungleboori Ck and along the Waratah Range before road bashing to Lithgow.

This was the last entry in the book. They left a scrap of paper in the remains of the tin. They both visited the peak again on 29 October 1994. This was an SUBW trip and they were joined by Bob Sault, Doug Bock, Ashley Burke and Sally Partridge. No other parties had recorded a visit in the interim.

Summary

Year
 Parties
 People
1973
 1
 7
1974
 0
 0
1975
 0
 0
1976
 1
 2
1977
 2
 5
1978
 1
 4
1979
 0
 0
1980
 1
 2
1981
 0
 0
1982
 0
 0
1983
 2
 4
1984
 1
 3
1985
 2
 3
1986
 2
 5
1987
 0
 0
1988
 0
 0
1989
 0
 0
1990
 0
 0
1991
 0
 0
1992
 0
 0
1993
 1
 2
1994
 1
 6


In 22 years, the peak has been visited by 14 parties or 34 individual bushwalkers.

It should be noted that not all bushwalkers record their visit in logbooks. Some don't make an entry for philosophical reasons. Also the Mt Savage book was not located on the actual highest point of the peak but rather a short way down (in a slightly more open place) on the ridge leading to pass 17. The tin was to be found within a rock cairn. So some walkers may not have realised a book was there.
Pass 17 is the quickest way to reach the peak from the Putty Road side. This pass has one tricky exposed move that may put off some walkers. All around the peak is to be found thick tangled and prickly scrub. Some walkers may prefer leather gloves and gaiters or even long pants. Tambo Creek is very beautiful featuring long sections of open slabs and is highly recommended. Pass 19 is aptly described by Bob Buck In the notes on his map - "steep ridge, with a 15 ft difficult section of rockwork - 60 ft rope needed". Views from this pass and the ridge back to Grassy Range are excellent.