Wednesday 1 June 2022
Photos courtesy of Amanda, Helen, Tom, Gay and Peter
Finally the day dawned sunny and bright and after a couple of postponements the long awaited walk to the top of Pigeon House Mountain was happening. Eleven walkers met at the Batemans Bay car park on the north side of the bridge and on stepping out into the morning air, realised that it was a little chillier and windier than we had first thought.
With recent National Park alerts recommending four wheel drives for the road into Pigeon House, we set off in three appropriate vehicles. About five kilometres from Pigeon House, the road deteriorated in sections. It was muddy and looked very slippery and boggy, but our three trusty 4wd drivers and vehicles got us safely through. Passengers could clearly be heard breathing a sigh of relief!
After the dramatic entry, everyone was keen to get going on the track to the top of Pigeon House because it was cold and the wind chill made it feel colder. Didn’t take long to warm up! The first part of the track now zig zags for about 1 km and then we hit the ‘big’ steps. Morning tea was a welcome stop but only brief. We were rewarded with a nice long flat section along the ridge stretching out our legs and then it was time to tackle the steps. Just when you think you are at the top, there’s more…. They are relentless, as one walker was heard to mutter!
Spotting the ladders was a relief. Those with gloves easily tackled the 13 ladders as those hand-rails were bitingly cold. Note to self – pack gloves next time!
Views from the top of Pigeon House are spectacular. While it had now clouded over somewhat, we could clearly see Montague Island in the south. But did I mention the cold – it was now 8 degrees with the wind chill factor bringing that down dramatically, so while the views were spectacular we did not stay long on the viewing deck.
We retreated to the bottom of the ladders for a spot of lunch then it was time to head back down the track. Despite the chilly conditions, we all enjoyed getting back out on the tracks again. Oh and yes, our drivers got us safely back out through the muddy slippery ruts!
Gay