1) Walk map - Shows route and waypoint locations

2) Photo from walk  (also see Photo Galleries)

3) 3D map view

4) Satellite imagery

5) Route profile

6) Walk description

7) Waypoint listing and grid references

[Click on map for full page version]

View from Mount Randall  SE to

Mounts Vincent, Cuthbert and Cooke,  

April 2003.

[Click on photo for larger version]

More photos.

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for Google Maps image

of the walk area. -Use zoom bar

for road details.

Step 1: Left Click here

For fly-in to waypoints and route on image of the walk area.

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Step 2: Left Click here

For fly-in to 3D view

 of the walk area.

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Hint: For enhanced 3D effect, set 'Elevation Exaggeration'

in Google Earth to "3" (via 'Tools' menu, 'Options' & 'View' tab).

       Route profile

29 kms SE of Armadale along Albany Highway.

13.5 kms (70% off-track)

MEDIUM   (What does this mean?)

350m (positive elevation change)

YES

See Google Map for start point on road map.

(Use zoom ladder for detail. Select 'Hybrid' to add satellite imagery.)

Park on widened verge on left hand side of Albany Hwy (going south), 5 kms south of the Gleneagle Rest area, and marked by blue  "P" (for parking) sign and just past a small pine plantation.  (Before leaving your car ensure it is well secured as it will be in full view of passing traffic.) 

For an alternative, less exposed parking place, continue a further 600m along Albany Highway and turn off to the right into an unlabelled vehicle track (Bulldozer Road) and park on the side of that track about 150m from the Highway. (For car turning space on the narrow track, continue for a further 150m to the intersection with another track.) Then start the walk (at 'START2') by crossing Albany Hwy from Bulldozer Rd, and head directly up the ridge via waypoint '2ALT' to waypoint '2A'.  On the return route, after waypt '43', bypass waypts '44' and '45' and head southward via '44ALT', '45ALT', '46ALT'  to 'OLDTRK', then back to the 'Start' point.

Important access issue (2008):   Walkers need to be aware that this walk area and many others on WalkGPS lie within drinking water catchment areas.  In 2007 DoW in effect recommended a prohibition of all traditional off-track bushwalking activities across the entire Perth region catchment areas covering 4500 sq km, far beyond the limits of  existing or proposed Reservoir Protection Zones (see map). By March 2008, in the face of growing community outrage, the DoW has reconsidered its published position, advising that it would now be allowing walkers ‘free-to-roam’ access to the forested water catchment areas outside of the RPZs. The community, including visitors to WalkGPS, need to remain vigilant to ensure that commonsense continues to prevail over regulatory zealotry.  See also Home page: 'Access' and Related access issues on WalkGPS, and links below to Drinking Water Source Protection Plans for Canning River  and Serpentine Dam.

West to Albany Highway.

Or north via Bibbulmun Track to waypoint 'E' (intersection with Randall Road), then turn left to follow Randall Road (forestry track) to reach Albany Highway.

Or south via Old Bibbulmun Track/Herold Road (via waypoints 'OLBIB4' and 'OLBIB5') to reach Albany Highway.

Main features

/Highlights:

This walk within the Monadnocks National Park includes an ascent of Mount Randall with its great view of Mounts Vincent, Cuthbert and Cooke to the SE.  The walk overlaps in a couple of short sections (totalling about 1.5kms) with the Three Mountains Walk.  Apart from Mount Randall it  features granite outcrops to the east and north which provide more views east across the Darling Ranges and NNE to distant Mount Dale. The route includes about 1.5km of the Bibbulmun Track and  visits the Monadnocks Campsite (hut) on the Track. Between the outcrops, the walking is mainly easy, through open jarrah (-marri) forest with balgas, and some tall grass trees,  sheoak and banksia, plus a few possible short scratchy sections of parrot bush around the outcrops.  The uphill sections aren't demanding and the walk can be taken at a leisurely pace. In wet weather extra care is needed on the outcrops which can become slippery in places.

For overnighters: For those keen to camp overnight in the area: The Monadnocks Campsite (which includes a 3-sided shelter; at waypoint 'BIBHUT') on the Bibbulmun Track is located after the initial 3 kms of the walk.  

Additional maps :

Jarrahdale 1:50,000 Sheet (WA Forests Dept., circa 1990);

or Jarrahdale & Yaganing 1:50,000 CALM Operations Graphics series 2003/2004, Sheet 2133-3 & 2133-2.

Other background references :

"Forests on Foot (40 walks in W.A.)" by Meney & Brown, 1985, pp.38-47 (Wescolour Press, Fremantle).   Includes two walks in the general area.

See Climbers' Association of W.A. site for a climber's perspective of Mount Randall.

Drinking Water Source Protection Plans : "Canning River Catchment Area..." (Report # 77, Water Resource Protection Series) by Department of Water (DoW), June 2007. - See pdf version (5MB). Page 32 is of particular relevance. 

"Serpentine Dam Catchment Area..." (Report # 78, Water Resource Protection Series) by Department of Water (DoW), July 2007. - See pdf version (2.3MB). Pages 42-43 are of particular relevance.

Note: DoW's recommended protection strategy in the above reports intended to prohibit recreational off-track bushwalking opportunities within the entire 1420 sq km of these two catchment areas, far beyond the combined 180 sq km of proposed Reservoir Protection Zones, and including this walk area which is 20km SSE of the Canning Reservoir and over 10km ENE of the Serpentine reservoir.

Head approx. ENE off-track from the 'START' point to reach a small stream bed at waypt '2'. (If starting from the alternative Start point, where Bulldozer Road meets Albany Hwy, as per the Access notes above, start the walk at 'START2' by crossing Albany Hwy from Bulldozer Rd, and head directly up the ridge via waypoint '2ALT' to waypoint '2A'.) Turn right and head gently uphill SE through fairly open forest.  Cross an old track (at 'OLDTRK').  Continue SE to reach the crest of an westward-sloping ridge and immediately after meet an old forestry track at '2A'.  Turn left to follow the track NE uphill until a side-track is reached on the left, marked by a small rock cairn (waypt 'CAIRN'). Follow this foot-track approx. north uphill via waypoints '4', '5' and '6' to reach the foot of an outcrop near the summit of Mount Randall.  Veer westward to ascend a gap in the rocks and reach 'VIEW' at the top of a sloping outcrop with nearby views SE to Mounts Vincent, Cuthbert and Cooke.  Then follow a clear foot-track only 30m north to reach a small cairn at 'CRN2' on a smaller outcrop. [At this point if you're keen you can make a short diversion up to the actual summit area of Mount Randall to a large granite slab at 'SMTVU' on the western side (a favourite area for rock climbers) with sweeping views, including northward to Eagle Hill.]   Descend from 'CRN2' via a foot-track which initially follows the eastern ridge of Mt. Randall to waypt  '7'.  Continue gently downhill following the vague foot-track (which someone has marked with ribbon tree-markers) approx. eastward via '8', and slightly south of the ridge crest. Near '9' the foot-track wanders through a patch of shrubland  and veers more ESE to soon reach the Monadnocks Campsite (at 'BIBHUT'), a good place for a rest stop. Follow the track SE from the campsite to reach the Bibbulmun Track at 'OLDBIB', close to where it veers SE away from the old Bibbulmun Track (Herold Road). Follow the Bibbulmun Track southward via '11A to reach 'FALLOG', then veer ESE gently uphill to cross the crest of a broad ridge and reach waypt '13' on the more steeply sloping eastern side. Turn left (north) and gently descend along the slope to reach  'ENDROK' near the south edge of a large eastward-sloping granite outcrop. Follow a kangaroo trail through a very short section of scratchy shrubs fringing the outcrop. Then follow the upper slope of the outcrop (which provides good views to the east) approx. NW via waypoints '16' to '19' to reach some large boulders at 'BIGROK'. Then descend to the foot of the outcrop (via  '21') to reach '22' which is approximately the halfway point of the walk.  Re-enter the forest and after less than 1.5km (via waypoints '22A' and '23') of easy walking, mainly along slope and among scattered tall grass trees, reach waypt '24' at the foot of another outcrop which rises quite steeply to the west. Climb a short distance up the gentler lower part of the outcrop to reach '25' then soon after re-enter the forest to reach '27' to the north. Veer NW upslope and soon reach another outcrop at  'BIGRK2' which gives a good view of distant Mount Dale, 23km to the NNE. Follow the outcrop via '29', then downslope to '30', then veer NW to re-enter the forest and reach '31'.  Veer further westward to reach the Bibbulmun Track again at waypt '32'. Turn right to follow the track NW to '33'. Then veer to the left off the track through the forest via waypoints '33' to '35' to cross a small stream and reach the foot of another outcrop at 'BIGRK3'.  Walk less than 50m south along the foot of the outcrop to locate an easy route to walk up to the higher rock slope and then mainly along slope to '37'. From near '37'  follow an animal track to pass through a short scrubby section and back onto rock outcrop at '38'. Soon after '38' re-enter the forest to the north and reach a ridge at '39'. Veer west to follow the ridge uphill  via '40' to reach the narrow ridge top at about '41'. Follow the eastern edge of the ridge  southward for less than 100m, then at '42', head due south to cross the ridge top and descend the southwest flank to meet an old overgrown forestry track at about '43'.  Follow the track for about 1.3 km, via '44', and '45', to its exit point at Albany Highway (at 'C'). Then go off-track for a short section to get back to the Start point of the walk. (If returning to the alternative Start point, at 'START2' on Bulldozer Road, after waypt '43', bypass waypts '44' and '45' and head southward via '44ALT', '45ALT', '46ALT'  to 'OLDTRK', then back to the Start point.)