Location: S 31:32.716, E 138:36.307 (GPS at the summit)
In Flinders Ranges National Park, South Australia
Climbed July 13th. 2003.
Information:
How to get there:
This mountain is located in the Flinders Ranges
National Park, in the state of South Australia.
This park is about 460 km north of the city
Adelaide. There is a small village, Hawker, about 50
km south of the park. Hawker can be reached from
Broken Hill via Peterborough, about 480 km on good
roads or from Port Augusta, only about 100 km (But
then you need to get there in the first place!). The park
is more than 1000 km south of Alice Springs.
The Wilpena visitor center has a general store, automobile
fuel, a campground as well as a motel. This Wilpena area
is approximately
530 meter above sea level. Route description:
The Wilpena Pound is a remarkable "oval of mountains" with an
almost flat basin enclosed inside. It does look like a crater,
but has been formed by uplifting of the rocks around. The flat
basin accumulates more moisture (from the slopes) and is rich in vegetation
(fantastic trees) as well as a very good place for kangaroos.
The trail is well marked from the visitor center of the
park. From the park lodge (or from the trailhead near the
visitor center), cross the creek and follow it upstream along a
dirt road
(that is you walk with the creek on your left). The trail
to Ohlssen Bagge is well marked where it leaves the main
(dirt) road sharply to the left as it crosses the creek.
The trail is quite good and not difficult (US) class 1, as it
gains elevation and contours up towards the summit. Higher up,
the trail traverses more to the left in order to find an easy
access to the summit area. Comments:
We had just driven almost 500 km from Broken Hill in
New South Wales and wanted a short afternoon hike. Thus, this
hike was a family hike, Heidi and my son Pål Jørgen,
age 14, came along. It took us precisely one hour from
the trailhead to the top. We spent about 15 minutes enjoying the
good views from the summit, then about 45 minutes on a leisurely
descent.
It is a bit unclear (at least until I can find a topo map) what
the primary factor of this peak is. The next peak along the rim
is clearly higher, however, the drop to the interconnecting
saddle looked non-trivial. Ohlssen Bagge is the first peak
south of the Wilpena park center and certainly worth the trip.