Thread: Negotiating the Browning range, south westland

Just planning a trip to southwest land and planning on walking down the browning range from the Turnbull pass to my Franklin (up the Turnbull river) and just wondering if there was anyone that has done it before and would have some advice. Cheers

Originally Posted by wkain

Just planning a trip to southwest land and planning on walking down the browning range from the Turnbull pass to my Franklin (up the Turnbull river) and just wondering if there was anyone that has done it before and would have some advice. Cheers

The Franklin is in the Okuru.
Mate you are in for a trip.
Know that country like the back of my hand.
Access down to the Franklin from the Turnbull or the Joe's is bluff city.
The map is nothing like the ground.
Have pulled a number of people off the hill up there that have tried it both ways. Turnbull side isint that bad but the drop into the Franklin is where it is hairy.

If you know someone that has done it recently fair enough but even the walk up from the Turnbull Mueller junction is boulder city.

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That’s pretty sound advice right there^^^^^^^^^ sounds like that’s some very solid country R93

Massive country. I walked from Ossify Creek, up Commotion Creek into the Browning Range, around headwaters of Franklin Creek to Howe Crags down Nosegay Spur around and back up around onto Browning Range, along to Turnbull Pass and to Mt Lycia, then back down to Blossom Spur and to the mouth of Accident Creek where our base camp was.

Did that in a day, but it was a massive day, and I was fit. Got home to camp well after dark - although I did sit up in the tops above the Cramp Creek basin waiting for a stag to show himself and headed back to camp in the dark. Some gnarly country around Mount Franklin. You have to drop altitude and climb back up several times to negotiate bluffs and canyons/huge gutters. I wasn't confident trying to go over Mt Franklin, didn't know if you could, and it was foggy at times.

I was lucky and managed to avoid getting bluffed, especially after seeing the country from above on the flight out. Generally the tops are very clean and good travelling. The worst thing I found was the short grass and mountain herb steep faces, they're slippery as!

Absolutely stunning hunting country, and well worth a trip even if you don't traverse all the country you would like to.

Looking across to Mt Franklin in background - note wallow...


Heading towards Turnbull Pass - Cache Creek out to the right


Ossify Valley on left, looking back towards the dark faces of Accident Creek


Some nice animals in there


Looking down from the true right side of Ossify, towards Turnbull. You can see the Pass in the distance (centre-left -ish)


Plenty of these up there. Did see a one horned Doe who's horn would have cracked 11 inches easy, if not 12

Stunning looking country alright but definitely for the fit and experienced.

Cheers @JoshC and @R93 absolutely awesome advise and great photos, nothing better that getting advice from people that know the country rather than looking at a map!!!