Bushwalk Australia

Hey, was wondering how the mount Pillinger walk would be like this time of year? Are there many steep/slippery bits? Also, would you recommend going the arm river track route or the Lake McCoy/spur 2 track? How long roughly would the walk take?

Cheers

Hey Joey,

You might get some more up to date info, but I'd do Pillinger in winter with a good forecast. I'd be careful up the top if it's icy, but as you approach the top from the NE ish, ice shouldn't be too much of a problem. No boulder fields to cause grief. I have a friend who did it about a month ago via the Arm River track - I'll check with her if no other replies, and what time her group took. She hasn't done a great deal of bushwalking, and she mentioned it was long, but no tricky bits.

I've always gone via Magg Spur 17 track - maybe the same one as you mean? I haven't been to Lake McCoy yet, but I reckon I'd start from the same place.

The Arm River Track is now much easier with the switchbacks on the Hill, but last I did it, the first link track between that and the flat north of Pillinger was getting fairly overgrown. Might have been cleared since then. (The second link track, just before Wurragarra Creek, looked better, but that's out of your way if not continuing to Pelion.) And now the ART is better, maybe less people are using Magg Spur 17, so it might be more overgrown. I liked it, though. Gentle start, rather pretty in places, less of a highway. Need to keep an eye out for the track in places, though.

Should be fine in the winter, worth a crack.
I've done it via the Magg Spur track, it quite boggy once you get up onto the plateau.
I'm guessing a lot of people came in through the Magg's track and went through to Pelion hence the more western link track is less overgrown.
Once you get up near the summit of Pillinger I don't remember it being steep or anything that would be insurmountable in snow (worse case snowshoes).

If you can access the Maggs track then it starts higher up the hill and its shorter.
I've got vague recollections of cairns heading south from Pillinger I presume towards Lake McCoy.

Okay cool, yeah I've been to McCoy and remember the main tracking veering right after the creek crossing. Hopefully the creek is easily crossable after the recent rain we've had. Thanks for the info!

I’ve climbed Pillinger from the Arm River Track in virtually zero visibility and pouring rain a few months ago.Took me 4.5 hours from Arm River carpark return.