1) Walk map - Shows route and waypoint locations

2) Photo from walk  (also see Photo Galleries)

3) 3D map view

4) Google map & Satellite imagery

5) Route profile

6) Walk description

7) Waypoint listing and grid references

[Click on map for full page version]

View NW from west slope of Mount Solus,

Oct. 2008.

[Click on photo for larger version]

More photos.

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of the walk area.

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

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          Route profile

39 kms SE of Armadale,  down Albany Hwy to Solus Road on right,  then approx. 6 kms along Solus Road (good condition dirt road).

14 field kms (60% off-track)

MEDIUM   (What does this mean?)

450m (positive elevation change)

YES

See Google Map for start point on road map.

Caution: Solus Rd is partly mis-labelled as "Thorpe Rd" on Google Map.  (Use zoom ladder for detail. Select 'Hybrid' to add satellite imagery.)

Park on roadside approx. 6 kms along Solus Road near poorly marked River Road track on right and before road crosses Serpentine River (and just before old Thorpe Road track on left).

Important access issue:   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 had 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 link below to "Serpentine Dam Catchment Area...Drinking Water Source Protection Plan". 

Via Solus Road (through middle of walk area) or Mountain Road to west, or Thorpe Road to east (see map).

/Highlights:

This is a nice compact walk which begins at the Serpentine River and features a traverse across Mount Solus (summit elevation 574m) which is one of the higher points in the Darling Range. There are good views from several points including toward Mounts Cooke (582m), Cuthbert and Vincent 10-14 kms to the NE/NNE and to the Windsor Rocks area (7 kms east). The route is mostly through open marri-jarrah forest and across several granite outcrops.  It also crosses at least three small streams which should be flowing after mid-winter rains. In spring there is a great diversity of wildflowers on display. The steady climb up  Mount Solus is not too demanding and the gradient averages only about 1 in 10 over the last 2-3 kms before the summit is reached.

Controlled burns:  Small burns have been carried out as recently as Spring 2007 (along the south flank of Mount Solus summit area).  A more extensive burn is currently scheduled for Spring 2009 and will impact on the whole walk route. See DEC's 6-season indicative burn programme.

Timber harvesting:  Much of this walk area has been harvested within the past few years since the route was first described here. However only short sections of the original walk route have been affected by the timber waste and land disturbance from the logging operations. Parts of some of the new (or re-cleared) forestry roads have also been incorporated into the amended walk route, reducing the amount of off-track walking from the original 80% to now around 60%). Future harvesting is scheduled for 2009 immediately east of the walk area and Start point, between Solus Road and Serpentine River;  This will not affect the immediate walk area but will likely have an impact on access to the area during the logging operations. - See the indicative 2008-2010 timber harvesting plans.  

Jarrahdale 1:50,000 Sheet (Dept. of CALM, 1990);

or Jarrahdale 1:50,000 Sheet 2133-3 (CALM/DOLA, 2001);

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

or Jarrahdale 1:25,000 2133-III, SE sheet (Dept. of Lands & Survey, 1984; Series R811) -available on DVD.

WalkGPS reconnaissance history: Click here for a map of past WalkGPS test walks in the walk area, plus the final route. The final route was selected only after several visits to the area which aimed to achieve a walk that would be the most rewarding.

"Serpentine Dam Catchment Area and Serpentine Pipehead Dam Catchment Area Drinking Water Source Protection Plan" (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 Report # 78 intended to prohibit recreational off-track bushwalking opportunities within the entire 690 sq km catchment area, far beyond the proposed ~120 sq km Reservoir Protection Zone, and including this walk area.

Trivia: Is this "Mount" (or "Mountain") really a "Hill"? - See Landgate's answers to frequently asked question # 13 about geographic names.

Head initially SW down Solus Road to cross the Serpentine River. Veer southward at waypt '3' to leave the road and walk uphill through forest to reach a granite outcrop on the west flank of a ridge at about waypt '4' (with nearby good wildflower displays in spring). Then continue approximately due south to '10' to reach a stream at the base of a larger granite outcrop, along the way crossing  outcrops between waypoints '4' and '6', and between  waypoints '7' and '8'. From '10', walk SE along the outcrop to 11' (with westward view of  lower north ridge of Mt Solus), then veer NE through forest to cross a very gentle ridge and reach '12' on the eastern flank.  Then veer SE  and cross a patchy granite outcrop and heath (and a slope of Slender Smokebush in spring). There are good views from here to Mt Cooke (8 kms NE) and to the large outcrop at Windsor Rocks (7 kms due east). Re-enter the forest after '13'. Cross a small ridge, then walk south to cross further patchy outcrops to  '14'. Then veer SE again and descend through forest and thickening Water Bush understorey to cross a stream channel  at '15' (using the fallen log as a bridge if your balance is OK!) and reach a granite outcrop close by with a small cairn on the lower slope (at 'CRN'). Continue approx. SE  up the outcrop and re-enter the forest to reach a ridge at '16'. Walk approx. south uphill. The ridge flattens before arriving at the T-junction of two forestry roads at '17'.  Follow the road ahead which heads initially SW-ward. At '17A'  when the road veers S-ward, continue straight ahead SW and off-track for about 200m to soon cross a small gully and reach a new forestry road at 'RD-NU'. Turn left to follow the road initially S-ward uphill. Meet the original road again at '18' and turn right to follow it approx. westward quite steeply uphill via '19'. When the road begins veering right, continue straight ahead on an old disused forestry track to cross Solus Road at '20' and follow another recently re-cleared forestry track uphill. The track very soon veers WNW and climbs gently along the narrow, forested SE ridge of Mt Solus. (Note: You will probably notice the strange and striking contrast in vegetation on either side of the track along the ridge. On the south side of the track, a dense new understorey of Water Bush, Bossiaea aquifolium, has become established (by 2008), resulting in a monotonous, 'monoculture' understorey which contrasts with the much more open and diverse understorey on the northern side,   more typical of the original jarrah forest understorey. These differences probably reflect variations in the timing of prescribed burning and land disturbance associated with past and recent forestry operations. Water Bush also appears to have become more prevalent in several other parts of the Mt Solus area disturbed by forestry operations in recent years.)  After '21' the track veers westward and then briefly SW, giving a good view to distant Boonerring Hill, 18 kms SE. The track then climbs for a short distance  and then flattens  onto the Mount Solus summit ridge. At '22' it veers sharply left (westward) and descends for 100m to meet another track. Turn right to follow this track on its short steep ascent to the summit area of Mt Solus at waypt '574m', close to a prominent, fenced-off  fire lookout tower.  (Alternatively, at '22', when the track veers west continue NW off-track in  scratchy scrub and forest, and soon climb over or around outcrops to reach the summit area.)  The summit area is about the halfway point on the walk and a good spot for a rest stop. There are good views to Mounts Vincent and Cuthbert (14 kms NNE) from rocks near the summit. Descend approx NNW from the summit, passing granite boulders and reaching the top of a granite outcrop at '24'. Follow the outcrop quite steeply downslope to the NW to about '25'(with some good views to the NW). At this point, it is now recommended (2008) you  bypass the section between waypts '25' and '30' by heading almost directly for '31'. - See the alternate route segment, in orange on the map. Over the past few years a thickened understorey has developed over some sections of the WalkGPS walk route shown on the map, particularly between '26' and '28' NW of the outcrop (where a quite dense 'invasion' of Water bush/Bossiaea aquifolium and Karri hazel/Trymalium sp. now occurs).  For an excellent alternative, bypassing that section, initially head NE-ward from '25' up the outcrop and through patches of shrubland  into the relatively open forest along the ridge. Then head approx. due north along the flank of the ridge to reach the top of another large outcrop at 'NU-VU' (with a good view again to the NW).  Continue north, picking a route around the large boulders at the top of the outcrop. At the north end of the outcrop re-enter forest, pass a group of large boulders (at 'RT-RK') and soon cross the crest of the ridge.  Then continue for almost 1 km down the northern slope of Mt Solus through mainly open forest via 'NTH-1' and 'NTH-2' to rejoin the original route at the small outcrop at '31'. This bypass route cuts about 600m off the original total walk length.

[Alternatively if you wish to stay on the original WalkGPS walk route (in red on map) from '25' to '31', continue NW down the outcrop from waypt '25'. To avoid thicker areas of shrubland covering parts of the outcrop, soon veer westward (to the left) to stay fairly close to the small stream gully along the SW edge of the outcrop to reach '26', near the bottom and close to a stream where the outcrop is partly covered in heath. Soon after '26' re-enter the forest where you will encounter the thickening understorey on a steepish hillside.  (which persists for about 300m, but is not too difficult to ). Continue approx NW around the hillside, threading a way slowly through the understorey via '27' to reach '28' on a patchy, partly heath-covered outcrop (with further good views to the NW). Veer approx NNE to pass through a short section of forest and another smaller outcrop at  '29'. Continue to '30' and then veer approx. ENE through forest around the NW flank of Mt Solus to reach '31' at the small outcrop.]  

From '31' head NNW down the outcrop and meet a nearby new forestry road at 'NU-RD2'. Turn left to follow the road a short way westward to the ridge crest (to partly bypass an area of recently heavily logged forest) and then head northward downhill through forest to reach a larger outcrop at waypt '31A' (with flowering Verticordia in spring). Follow this 400m long outcrop NW downslope to '32'.  Veer NNE, soon leaving the outcrop after about 200m and pass initially through scrub and then open forest soon cross a gentle ridge (partly through a thickening understorey of Water Bush) before meeting a forestry road at '33'. (Alternatively, to avoid some of the Water Bush section, before reaching '33', veer NE to descend from the long outcrop, then continue NE to reach the southern end of  of the forestry road at 'NU-RD3'. See second orange route segment on the map).  Follow the road northward gently downhill until the road bends sharply westward (to left) at 'LVRD. Then head NE-ward off-track to soon reach another outcrop at waypt 'ROK' (with view of Mt Cooke, 10km NE). Veer approx. east and follow the patchy outcrop approx. along slope, partly through open heath, then descend through forest to reach Mountain Road at '35'. Follow the road SE to reach Solus Road at approx. '36'. Finally follow Solus Road to recross Serpentine River and retrun to the Start point.