The Percys – Canberra Bushwalking Club

From ‘Percys guide 2015’ by David Dedenczuk, Training and Safety Officer, in April 2016 It

The ‘Percys’ are a list of 68 named peaks, or peaks with folk names, over 1000 m in height in the ACT. They are named in honour of Percy Sheaffe, an early ACT surveyor, who would have traversed much of the country in the early part of the 20th Century.

There are lists of peaks in other places – namely the Munros in the United Kingdom and the Abels in Tasmania. However, the main inspiration for the Percys list, its format and rules, comes with permission from the ‘Tasmanian Peak Baggers’ Guide’, published periodically by the Hobart Walking Club in the Tasmanian Tramp.

The ACT Percys are a very distinctive and challenging group of peaks. A number of the peaks are granitic ‘tor-tops’ and the final ascent is not possible for a mere walker. Consequently, no one is known to have climbed all 68 peaks in the post-European arrival, and the ACT has yet to see the first woman or man to achieve the feat. That person will need to be both a walker and a climber. That person will need to be undaunted by hours of pushing through stands of pea scrub and daisy bush. One who can dodge the Eastern Browns and brush off the Jack Jumpers, just to reach and climb great tors of granite, made the size of houses. It is unlikely that such a person exists, and it is thought that there is no one tough enough these days who could climb all 68 Percys.

The list has been hosted for a year on John Evans’ website, where the grid coordinates for the peaks can be found. Thanks to John for hosting the Percys and for his advice in scoring them. The 2015 list is just the first iteration. The Tasmanian list was originally published in 1968 and revised in 1983, 2000 and 2014, as peaks were variously added, removed, promoted or demoted. It is expected that a similar process will happen with the Percys.

To each peak, points between 1 and 4 have been allocated, according to notability (or notoriety), walking distance, walking elevation required, type of terrain, scrub and tracks, height of peak, and proximity to other peaks. The degree of difficulty is roughly commensurate with that used for the Tasmanian Peak Baggers’ Guide.

Peaks are grouped into seven districts and then arranged in order of descending height. In all cases, the highest point or rock must be reached regardless of the spot height shown on the map. To properly bag the peak, one must stand atop the highest rock. Repeat ascents do not count. The 68 peaks make for a total of 112 possible points.

So, how do you score? Are you a Capital Peak Bagger, or are you downright idle? There will be CBC trips to some of these peaks in 2016 and many a chance to increase your tally. So, get out there and add to your collection of Percys.

Scoring system

Peaks are allocated between 1 and 4 points. Points are allocated according to accessibility, scrub, tracks, type of terrain, distance, height to be climbed, proximity to other peaks and ‘status’. The degree of difficulty is commensurate with that used for peaks on the Tasmanian Peak Bagging lists.

0-24 points	downright idle
25-49 points	member of Old Lags’ Brigade
50-74 points	dishonourable peak bagger
75-99 points	honourable peak bagger
100-112 points	Capital peak bagger

Districts

Peaks are grouped into districts and then listed in order of decreasing elevation.

HO	Honeysuckle/Orroral
C	Corin
B	Brindabella
T	Tidbinbilla
CN	Central Namadgi
SN	South Namadgi
M	Monaro

Key to Districts

The list

District	Name and Comment	Elevation (m)	Map 1:25000	Location UTM MGA94	Point Score
HO	Orroral Hill Easy scramble to pipe on top	1609	Rendezvous Creek	674901-6053719	2
HO	Split Rock (Cotter Rocks)	1560	Rendezvous Creek	670068-6055509	2
HO	Blue Gum Hill	1474	Corin Dam	678529-6064981	2
HO	Ridge of Stone (The Belfry) Good luck with this one!	1380	Corin Dam	677428-6057497	2
HO	Honeysuckle Crag (The Spinnaker)	~1360	Corin Dam	678554-6059175	1
HO	Tennent To bag, stand by the fire tower ladder	1355	Williamsdale	685331-6064039	1
HO	Booroomba Rocks (SH1396) Not the cliff, the high point SW	1396	Corin Dam	680330-6062744	1
HO	Deadmans Hill	1317	Williamsdale	681887-6062192	1
C	Dutchies Peak We think you’ll need wings for this!	1620	Corin Dam	670009-6060840	3
C	McKeahnie	1603	Corin Dam	669709-6061292	3
C	High Range	~1510	Corin Dam	670524-6068437	2
C	McKeahnie Trig A bag if you reach the base of the trig	1490	Corin Dam	669769-6063756	1
C	Billy Billy Rocks	1464	Corin Dam	671989-6069153	2
C	Peak 1409 (Greens Peak)	1409	Corin Dam	668849-6068274	2
C	Square Rock	1350	Corin Dam	671113-6065811	1
B	Bimberi Easy stand in the trig	1913	Rendezvous Creek	662082-6052355	4
B	Gingera The tors 100m NW of the guyed pole	1856	Corin Dam	661255-6061566	2
B	Murray Mt Murray West is higher but why not visit both	1846	Rendezvous Creek	662098-6049003	2
B	Ginini Touch the security fence, can’t get to the marker	1763	Corin Dam	660723-6066781	1
B	Ginger Ale Border marker F59	1760	Corin Dam	660187-6058609	1
B	Little Ginini Walk up the rock pile in the Snow Grass	1738	Corin Dam	661057-6063854	1
B	Little Bimberi	1655	Rendezvous Creek	663478-6050507	1
B	Franklin Stand under the trig	1646	Tidbinbilla	661117-6071680	1
B	Aggie	1496	Tidbinbilla	660361-6073916	1
B	Snow Gum Hill	1484	Tidbinbilla	661005-6075892	1
B	Bendora Hill	1452	Tidbinbilla	662387-6078199	1
B	Coree	1421	Cotter Dam	664567-6091346	1
B	Bulls Head	1370	Tidbinbilla	664735-6082700	1
B	Ginini Touch the security fence, but can’t get to the marker	1238	Cotter Dam	668315-6093137	1
B	Bushrangers Hill	1307	Tidbinbilla	662147-6080181	1
B	Hardy Range	1059	Tidbinbilla	670629-6082310	1
B	Blundell Hill	1047	Cotter Dam	666468-6087824	1
T	Pierces Trig After touching the trig, dangle your legs to the east	1615	Tidbinbilla	669510-6075957	2
T	Tidbinbilla Peak	1562	Tidbinbilla	670683-6076921	2
T	Domain	1508	Tidbinbilla	669666-6072740	2
T	The Pimple	1462	Tidbinbilla	669434-6077097	2
T	Camels Back (Camels Hump) Have morning tea by the cairn	1450	Tidbinbilla	671988-6079094	1
T	Johns Peak	1442	Tidbinbilla	671378-6077329	1
T	Ginini Touch the security fence, but can’t get to the marker	1365	Tidbinbilla	672657-6080390	1
T	Sugarloaf Peak (the Pyramid) The very highest rock is a tall granite tor! One needs a rope and strong nerves to scale it	1172	Tidbinbilla	674948-6072338	2
T	Red Hill (Tidbinbilla)	1097	Tidbinbilla	672075-6075048	1
T	Gibraltar Rocks	1071	Tidbinbilla	676765-6074315	2
CN	Kelly Enjoy the weathered trig post	1826	Rendezvous Creek	669856-6046043	3
CN	Scabby High Point	~1800	Yaouk	668130-6041041	3
CN	Namadgi Can you see the little cement marker?	1784	Rendezvous Creek	670978-6048104	3
CN	Mavis A scramble to the high point with a small cairn	1740	Yaouk	672655-6039670	3
CN	Burbidge	1724	Rendezvous Creek	671583-6046264	2
CN	Pierces Trig After touching the trig, dangle your legs to the east	1711	Rendezvous Creek	672279-6049323	3
CN	Sentry Box	1697	Yaouk	671929-6033702	2
CN	Herlt	1620	Rendezvous Creek	673975-6047963	3
CN	Yankee Hat south	1558	Yaouk	674934-6041542	3
CN	Coronet Peak 360º view from the cairn and pipe	1495	Rendezvous Creek	667815-6053115	3
CN	Yankee Hat north	1447	Rendezvous Creek	675621-6042421	2
CN	Thunder Bluff	1434	Rendezvous Creek	673588-6053138	2
SN	Clear	1605	Bredbo	686352-6027822	2
SN	Booths Hill	1586	Michelago	684560-6044198	2
SN	Boboyan Trig leaning trig marker	1460	Colinton	679652-6036554	1
SN	Pheasant Hill	1455	Yaouk	677832-6029260	1
SN	Nursery Hill	1428	Rendezvous Creek	678092-6048335	1
SN	Hospital Hill	1424	Colinton	679925-6038108	1
SN	Shanahans Mt	1424	Colinton	682516-6032885	1
SN	Boboyan Hill	~1390	Yaouk	677506-6029927	1
SN	Potters Hill	1386	Shannons Flat	680246-6027736	1
SN	Wrights Hill	1345	Shannons Flat	677475-6025678	1
SN	Billy Range	1332	Michelago	683907-6050377	1
SN	Burnt Hill	1307	Bredbo	680281-6025161	1
M	Yarara	1241	Michelago	690852-6047661	1
M	Rob Roy Not much of a view	1094	Tuggeranong	693060-6069952	1
	TOTAL				112

Thank you to Club member David Dedenczuk for compiling and scoring the Percys.