The Catholic Walking Club of Victoria invites you to join them to Explore the Splendour of the Sherbrook Forest. This walk is part of the Try Bushwalking Month, celebrating the 90th Anniversary of Bushwalking Victoria, the peak body representing 60+ bushwalking clubs across Victoria.

Enjoy the majestic Mountain ash and tree ferns, lyrebirds (possibly!) and the challenge and sense of achievement of walking up, and down, steep mountain tracks.

DISTANCE: Approximately 13 kilometre loop walk that will take 5 hours.

WHO IS THIS WALK FOR? Suitable for walkers with a good level of fitness and stamina as it involves steep uphills and descents on possibly muddy tracks.

CHILDREN AND PETS: This walk is for adults 18 years and over, and due to the nature of the walk, we ask you to leave dogs and other pets at home. Please contact the club directly to inquire about service animals, and any family or pet friendly walks.

AWT GRADE 3 (Medium): Two walking poles are strongly recommended for the walk as there are a couple of steady climbs uphill for up to half an hour-40 minutes at a time, and then some steep descents for a similar period of time. AWT Grade information.

PACE: A steady pace with breaks for water, snacks and lunch on the track.

TOTAL ASCENT: approx 550m ascent. Hills of approximately 100 metre climbing up and down will be encountered throughout the day.

WALK DESCRIPTION:

Walking will be on signed, compacted dirt tracks which can be quite muddy and slippery after rain. The sights, sounds and smells of the forest will delight the senses throughout the day: bird song, the earthy aroma of the decaying leaf litter and the neck-straining height of the tall timber are special features. The walk also passes Sherbrooke Falls which are not so much a waterfall, but a cascade over rocks. Regular breaks will be taken for water, snacks and lunch will be taken along the track in the forest.

MEETING POINT: Meet at the car park to Grants Picnic Ground, 70 Monbulk Rd., Kallista, at 9.15am for a 9.30am start. There are toilets here and it is suggested you allow enough time to visit these prior to the start of the walk.

DIRECTIONS: From Melbourne drive 38km along Burwood Highway to Belgrave, then up Monbulk Road towards Kallista for 3 kms. Turn right into Grants Picnic Ground car park, 70 Monbulk Rd, Kallista. GOOGLE MAPS: Grants On Sherbrooke

CARPOOLING/PUBLIC TRANSPORT: The start of the walk is an easy drive from Melbourne on bitumen roads all the way. Carpooling will not be organised by the leaders. Public transport: train to Belgrave, then Bus 663 to Kallista and 7-minute walk.

PHONE SIGNAL: Phone signal should be available throughout the day.

TOILETS: Toilets available at the start and end of the walk, and also at O’Donahue’s picnic ground which is near the end of the walk. Otherwise, no toilets along the track.

WHAT TO BRING

Mandatory:

Emergency contact form with medical info. Download this form here, or get one from the leader on the day.
1.5L water
Backpack
Rain jacket
Personal first aid kit (your health is your responsibility)
Sun hat/sunscreen

Recommended:

Lunch
Two hiking poles strongly recommended for the steep, and possibly slippery, slopes.
A small piece of foam mat or plastic can be useful as a seat at lunchtime as the ground can be damp.
Bug spray

LEADER: Jan and Peter- contact via info@catholicwalkingclubvic.org.au. The leaders will be in touch with participants by phone during the week prior to the walk to answer questions.

EXTRA INFORMATION: Please contact the leaders directly if you have any queries.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RISK: When registering for this event, we ask that you view and agree to our Acknowledgement of Risk.

ABOUT OUR CLUB: The Catholic Walking Club of Victoria, founded in 1951, is a small club of approximately 100 members providing a variety of walking, cycling, cross country skiing and camping opportunities for anyone (not just Catholics!) with a love of the outdoors. Visit our website.

PRIVACY:

Your privacy is important to us. Bushwalking Victoria and its member clubs are committed to safeguarding your personal information and ensuring that your privacy is protected. The personal data we collect from you is used solely for the purpose of facilitating your participation and communicating important details about the event.

Please note that your contact information will be shared with Activity Leaders for the purpose of organising activities. Your information will not be shared with any external parties without your consent, except where required by law, but may be used for follow-up contact regarding your participation in this event.

You can view the BWV Privacy Policy on our website.

Inclusion in Photographs

We encourage participants to take photographs during activities, which may be shared publicly through various channels such as newspapers, magazines, websites and social media. If you do not wish to be included in any photographs, it is your responsibility to inform the photographer and take reasonable steps to avoid being captured in the images.