Mount Canobolas was the final significant peak that we summited on our recent trip to Australia. But it was also the easiest. Mount Canobolas is yet another eroded shield volcano. It is relatively young at 11 to 13 million years old and around half the age of the volcanoes that we had been up earlier in the trip. It is located 13kms south west of the city of Orange in New South Wales, and about a 4 hour drive west of Sydney.
This mountain, at 1395m, is the highest on the central tablelands of New South Wales. For us, it was a drive up, just a 25 minute ride from our accommodation in Orange. But we justified this mode of ascent to ourselves by also taking in, on foot, Young Man Canobolas and Mount Towac, which are subsidiary summits of the mountain.
Mount Canobolas often sees snow. Yet vineyards cover its northern slopes – a little known Australian wine making area.
The summit is now somewhat despoiled by a number of TV and communications masts and a lot of heavy-duty landscaping, including the formation of a car park.
A trig marks the summit.
The atmosphere was hazy, with the risk of thunderstorms forecasted. So the views out over Orange were not that great. We therefore decided to walk over to Young Man Canobolas. The route is a pleasant, signed path.
Trees prevent much of a view from this lower summit, which is a large rock 10m to 15m beyond where most visitors to this top probably stop. Trees and brush largely hide the rock. However, the top of the parent peak was visible.
We returned to the car back at the main summit, and then drove around to the start of the Mount Towac walking track. The last part of the road (Towac Way) is on an unsealed surface. The start of the trail is obvious and there is plenty of parking, together with an information sign.
The track is marked and takes a circuitous route up. There are decent views from this top (including of Mount Canobolas and Young Man Canobolas, Orange and the flatlands to the south).
The summit also sports a survey marker – 16483 for those who bag these.
As we were taking in the views we felt a few heavy spots of rain. So, we decided to beat a speedy retreat. Too late! The heavens opened and thunder crashed around us. By the time we got back to the car (which probably took only just over 15 minutes), we looked like the proverbial drowned rats.
So that marked the final summit of our Australia visit which included one Ultra, one P1000 (Ribu), six P600s and one P500.
My previous blogs relating to this trip are:
Tenison Woods Mountain, Mount Mumdjin and Bithongabel – here
Mount Superbus – here
Mount Maroon – here
and Mount Exmouth – here
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