Millers Bluff

[ILUVSWTAS]

So I had a trip up to Millers Bluff on Tuesday. The plan was to go with a buddy, but at 630pm I got a msg saying he had to pull out due to work commitments. Seeing as how I had permission from the landowner, I figured I’d make the most of the access across private property and go ahead and do it solo.

Leaving home at 430am, I did the 2.5 hr drive into THE DEN. I decided while in the area, to bag my last (providing Millers was a success) peak in the area, Stevenson’s LO. This was relatively straight forward, with the help of my Mountain Bike I made short work of the forestry roads until I was 950m underneath the peak. It was pretty straight forward up and back, a nice little warm up of a 500m elevation climb........
Back at the car by 10, I set off to park at the landowner’s gate, which provides access to Millers Peak. The key CAN be obtained, but I was in the mood for a challenge and as a road went fairly close, thought an 8k ride might be a bit of fun....... Miller’s peak ended up measuring 1220m according to my GPS, and at one point the road dropped to 200m so it was a further 1000m to climb. After my previous walk of 500m, it was proving to be a very exhausting day, especially as temperatures were in the mid 20’s with no breeze.

Riding the road was good fun, with lots of deer and a couple of wombats spotted. Soon enough though, the road started to go up.. and up, and up. I ended up pushing my bike most of the way up.
At this stage I had come 4k’s from the car, so I was starting to feel pretty confident of bagging this huge mountain. A very long and tiring walk pushing my bike, soon had me passing several road junctions, a quick check of the map and GPS at everyone saw me on the right roads, and soon I came to a small overgrowing sidetrack which seemed to be the one I was looking for. I decided this road was a bit rough, so I left my bike leaning against a tree and continued the rest of the way on foot. I had been 2 hrs to this point.

30 minutes later, the road stopped at a small hut. I had a quick browse, and missed the blaze in the tree off to the left. Not seeing anything obvious, and knowing the summit was only around 800m away, I just went up off track. BAD MOVE. Another 30minutes later had seen me travel around 200m through some of the worst terrain I had ever encountered. VERY scrubby Hakea, Scorparia, Dwarf Myrtle, and Tea tree was thickly growing in amongst some HUGE boulders and awkward cliffs. Progress was as slow as I had ever encountered.
I had actually stopped to contemplate my situation, and had decided that the going was too slow and difficult to go any further, at this point I was REALLY missing my walking companions, as we usually spur each other on in such situations. But I was really worried I wasn’t going to make it back by dark. So I sat down to study the maps taking in the AMAZING view of Ben Lomond.
After deciding I was in fact defeated, I started to head back, but thought I’d swing more to the East to see if progress was any easier. Once back in view of the hut, I spied a cairn.... Sure enough there was a rough track zigzagging through the maze of rock and scrub. Absolutely exhausted and overheating, I now decided I HAD to go for the summit. 30 minutes later, I started to see the towers and solar panels that littered the summit.

Stopping on top for only 10minutes, I took a few photos, and then headed back. 30 minutes later I was passing the hut and on my way back to the bike. It was now 3pm. After taking nearly 5 hrs to get to the top and back to my bike, I was back at the car at 330. The ride down was AMAZING fun. Going so fast at some points a fall would have been very very nasty.
A few more deer were spotted on the way back along with some surprised forestry workers, who all in all were quite friendly, especially when they realised I had the landowner’s very kind permission to be on his land.

All in all it was a fantastic day in very warm, but clear conditions. A great peak, but would be MUCH easier if the key to the gate was obtained, but would still be a worthy 2 point peak on the peakbagging list.
Still I am very proud of the way I did it. and surprisingly didnt feel too sore the next day.

[ILUVSWTAS]

and a few more.

[ollster]

Looks nice, wish I could've been there...

[ILUVSWTAS]

Yep, you'd of liked it. Was a real work out!! Very satisfying, especially as i've now bagged the 4 peaks in that area. You would have too had you come along.

[stepbystep]

Nice report mate, going solo gives a good sense of achievement hey!

[ILUVSWTAS]

Thats for sure!! Especially on a big trip like that! I drove home with the windows down stopping 3 times for cold drinks, smiling the whole way!! I'll look over at Millers fondly now every time I go past it!!

so pleased I spied that cairn on my way down or it would be quite different.....

[Neil Grose]

You didn't see any signs of the rumoured bushrangers hideout did you?

Legend has it that one of our more notorious bushrangers had a camp in a cave/rocky overhang on Millers Bluff.

Interesting pic of the deer shooters hut - the buggers always seem to make their mark wherever they go. I'm assuming it is a deer shooters hut.

I have often wondered about getting to the top of Millers, and drive within view of it probably four times a week, so thanks heaps for the report.

Cheers
Neil.

[juju]

Great report, I can imagine the feeling, looking at that peak and feeling more intimate with it now. Makes me want to be a peak bagger too...
must..
fight...
the...
urge!

[abowen]

Well done Mark.
The adrenalin always seems to pump more when you are solo. The cairned route would have been a blessing.
Cheers
Andrew

[ollster]

Great report, I can imagine the feeling, looking at that peak and feeling more intimate with it now. Makes me want to be a peak bagger too...
must..
fight...
the...
urge!

It's a great way of getting out and meeting new flora!

[ILUVSWTAS]

Thanks everyone, very kind!! It was a great trip, and not only for peakbaggers!! (I was a bushwalker long before a peakbagger, as Oll says tho peakbagging is a great way to get to "interesting" places)

Im not sure what that old hut is, there is the remains of an old one lower down on the landowners property, sure is alot of deer around!!

No sign of a bushrangers hut, thats interesting. Would be cool to scope that out sometime!!

[doogs]

i was on top of stacks bluff that day! it was a cracking day. living in the midlands i know millers bluff is going to be winking at me after reading your notes, in fact drove along the Cressy roadf today but it was cloudy.
for future reference could you please tell me who the land owner is.
Thanks.

[sirius Tas]

For those wondering about the hut...it was used for camping overnight by the Towerman when the above Fire tower was in use...quite some time ago.

[slparker]

Goddamnit!! been thinking about climbing up there for years...like you I was going to use my MTB as I see there are logging roads up the spur to the summit... let me know if you want to do it again...