Twelve keen trampers started from the Maitai Dam on a chilly Sunday morning for an exploration up Schlanders Creek and back down Peaking Ridge track. A good warm up on the Dun Mountain bike trail to start and then we branched off to the right on the Maitai Cave track which follows Schlanders Creek.
After a few small stream crossings and with mainly dry shoes we reached the Maitai cave turnoff. With no keen interest to visit the caves we continued up the creek stopping for morning tea. After a few more stream crossings and evidence of a foot trail to the right and up to Peaking Ridge we started climbing a spur to the left (true right of Schlanders Creek) aiming for Point 753.
Going up the spur we caught glimpses of what looked like Wooded Peak way above. There was an attempt to sidle before reaching Pt 753 to the saddle and junction of the Coppermine Trail with our track. After lunch in the sun we left the saddle and headed up the Black Diamond Ridge MTB and walking track. We are all prepared to look for the missing junction sign that shows NTC on the post. The old sign was located just past a junction. NTC is faintly shown on the top of the post and sign shows Third House, Wooded Pk Dun Rocks Hut Pelorus, Fringe Hill.
We followed Fringe Hill for a few meters and then found the MTB sign, Sunrise Ridge track, our route back down the ridge to the Maitai Dam. Further down the ridge a new MTB track went off to our left and a bit further along we came across the sign for the foot trail we had noticed in Sclanders Creek, down to the Maitai Caves.
Andrea and Chris had previously come up this route which they said was very overgrown at the top. A nice decent down Peaking Ridge track found us back on the Dun Mountain bike trail and out to the cars. A few of us knew to park below the Dam car park as the gate gets closed at 5pm. We were out in plenty of time.
A 16 to 18km tramp with 1015m of up and down.
A lovely day out thank you Andrea and the group of Harry, Ash, Ray, Kath, Maaike, Linda, Chris, Era, David, Kathy.
Scribe: Andrea S