A revisit pack-carrying walk in the Lerderder Gorges.
Getting There
Follow the Western Freeway M8.
9 km past Bacchus Marsh, take the Myrniong exit.
Continue along the Myrniong-Greendale Road about 1km, turn right on the Mt Blackwood Rd.
Continue on the sealed road for 8 km to Lohs Lane turn off on the right.
A further 0.5 km to the start.
Grade Hard (not many kms, off track, many river crossings, very steep spurs).
Hiking boots and trekking pole/s recommended. Do it when weather permitting.
Map: Lerderder State Park Visitor Guide. Preloaded map on phone for offline use.
Phone use only if need be. Pack a spare light-weight & compact power bank for a demanding walk.
Lohs Lane car parking and signpost to Lower Chadwick Track
The Start
Day One: Lohs Lane – Lower Chadwick McKenzie Tracks 5 km, 2.5 hrs
the walk in 2011.
I am now 14 years older than I was in 2011 and carried a 3-night pack, which was loaded with warm clothes for winter conditions, gear for cooking & sleeping, and equipment for navigation & safety.
Go through a gate and shut it. Follow Lohs Lane past a few houses on your right and after about 700 m, you will reach an entry gate into the park. Go through the gate and please shut it. There is a signpost indicating the start of Lower Chadwick Track, that used to be a vehicle track.
After about 1.2 km of a gentle downhill and a gentle uphill, I reached the junction of Lower Chadwick and McKenzie Tracks. I turned right into McKenzie Track and followed it east for about 300 m down to a saddle, then a walk up about 100 m took me to the knoll at an elevation of 480 m.
GPS full route & the graph of Lohs Lane to the Lerderder River via Lower Chadwick McKenzie Track.
The final section down to the Lerderder River was very steep and care should be taken. My trekking pole was very useful for the descent. Carrying less water on the day was a bonus because the campsite was near the river.
Finally, I reached the Lerderder River. Water was perfect and it was so crystal clear.
McKenzie Camp on a nice river flat surrounded with tall eucalypts.
I was 14 years older - the same route-in, the same river & campsite, the same jacket.
Lerderder 2011 Walk The old light-weight hiking tent has been used for car camping.
Day Two: Along Lerderder River and up Hogan Track 6.4 km
Views on the other side of the river.
After this river crossing, walk downstream. Stick to the bank and follow the foot pads, instead of walking on stones or rocks in the riverbed. Keep an eye out for the easy side of the river for crossings. There were about 8 crossings along the 4.5 km river walk to the Ah Kow Track, where there was a marker showing direction to the Ah Kow camping area. While I was having a break looking at the paper map and the map on the phone, I saw 2 walkers with day packs and 1 day walker with 2 walking poles but without a pack, descending from Hogan-Ak Kow Spur. They were on their way out via Ah Kow Track on the other side of the river.
The walk up Ak Kow Spur - Hogan Track was a tiring climb (with an overnight pack). Like when descending the McKenzie route, extreme care should be taken. I was so tired when I reached the top of the spur. A check on the phone message from my contact gave me a warning of a short rain burst in the area in the late afternoon. Therefore, I called it a day, looked for a suitable spot, and quickly pitched the tent up before the rain hit. Glad that I missed the rain?
The green graph is of the walk along the Lerderder River and the steep & tiring climb.
Day Three: Hogan Track - Lerderder River - McKenzie Camp/Route - Back out.
I started early this morning to avoid possible rain. I followed Hogan Track for about 100-120 m trying to find a starting point and/or a foot trail descending to the Lerderder River, but I had no luck. While I was checking out options, there was a light shower. Fortunately, it was short, however, having to keep changing the rain gear, the rain jacket and the pack cover, cost me my beloved beanie that had been with me for a few decades and had travelled with me all over the place in the state of Victoria, other states around Australia as well as some other parts of the world. I will miss it. What a beanie!
Finally, a decision was made. The aim was to descend 450 m NNW to the closest river bend. I started moving with the compass in hand, looking for a walkable pad. After a zig zag descent of about 70 m, I saw a reasonable-sized rock, possibly intended as a location marker for the way ahead which was about 80 m down a water race, a channel, or a gully.
There were options when I reached there. After a check on the map, with the phone and the compass, I stuck to the plan by following the rocky water race. The river was not far away, but it was a demanding descent through scrub - one step at a time - and I lost one of my crocs, which was hanging on the back of my pack. Then, it was a relief to hear the sounds from the river flowing below and it came into view. The river bank was an ideal spot for morning tea.
Descending from the water race (L) and retracing steps by walking upstream for about 500 m north
back to McKenzie camp (R).
From McKenzie camp, I avoided the direct climb to the top of the hill by skirting the base to reach its highest point at 480 m elevation, where I kept an eye out for a foot trail to follow. After an easy 200 m walk down to a saddle, the trail turned into a narrow goat track, which required a test walk without the heavy pack and with the trekking pole to check its safety. Glad that it was only a short distance.
After this tricky bit, the 2 km track back to the starting point at Lohs Lane was easy to follow. However, there were quite a few ups and downs. Near the end of Lower Chadwick Tk, I met a few visitors who just started their short day hike.
All in all, it was a challenging walk. I enjoyed it, apart from the loss of the beanie. To my beloved friend who kept me up-to-date with the forecast, a lot of thanks.
