Platform Peak

Tuesday 21 July 2015

There was some sun during the drive to the start of the walk, but soon after starting a high cloud cover took over and remained that way for the remainder of the day. The ground was frosty and even after lunch some ponds were still frozen.

Track on ascent to the plateau of Platform Peak

Once out of protected areas there was a cold wind but quite a lot of the walk was through forest with plenty of understory, including one stretch where Teatree had overgrown the old vehicle track. Lots of tapes mark the route and on the climb, traverse and descent of the main massif there were also triangle markers, although those nailed on live trees have been hammered in far too tightly and most of these are in stages of either being ejected by the growing tree; quite a bundle of these were picked up off the ground where they had fallen.

By far the Platform Peak was the best part of the walk. Once the forestry tracks and roads are left behind for the climb the vegetation becomes more interesting and the Boronia over the massif would be really good when in flower. Once the 900 metre height was reached we were in really delightful Snowgum woodland. At the top of the climb a rocky prominence gives good views and the large summit cairn can be seen on the summit 600 metres away at the northern end of the plateau.

Cairn on Platform Peak close to the north end of the plateau.

We did not stay on the top very long because of the strong and cold wind and headed down the track to complete the circuit. The track came out on a fairly good forestry road and turned off this to follow a lesser track to join our inward track.

It took 4 hours, excluding lunch for the 12.7k circuit. A height gain of 500 metres.

 

 

A photo album can be viewed by clicking the image below

Platform Peak