Urban Canyoners: 2013

Saturday, 21 December 2013

Twister (Sheep Dip) & Rocky Creek Canyon

21/12/2013

Party: Matt, Mark & Steph

Grade: Easy/Beginner- no abseils but wetsuit advisable as lots of swimming

Track notes:
This is a fairly popular canyon with many beginners. It's also great for a hot summers day and for just a bit of fun as there are no abseils so you don't need to worry about bringing a rope and there are lots of jump-in's and swimming involved.

The track starts at the Rocky Creek carpark, where after 100m there is a smaller track to the right. Following this track for about 10 minutes you reach the start point where you put on your wetsuit.

There are about 3 places you need to either climb down or jump- however the 3rd and final one you have to jump and it is about 3m high. There is then a fixed line where you can climb down to the right hand side (so pack a small 10m rope just in case it is gone!)

After this final jump you have reached the end of Twister canyon and there are lots of big boulders to climb down. You reach a T intersection in the mountain, where you turn right to go down Rocky Creek and left to go up back to the car park.

Rocky Creek is also a fun canyon but it is much more beautiful than Twister. Once we reached the end of Rocky creek (where the creek started to dry up) we turned around and came up back up it- then turned right at the T intersection to get back to the cars (about a 20-30 minute walk up a steep hill).

Entering Twister canyon

Twister Canyon

The first jump in Twister Canyon

The last jump in Twister

On the way to rocky creek

The first jump at Rocky Creek

Rocky Creek Canyon

Sunday, 24 November 2013

Breakfast Creek Canyon

24/11/2013

Party: Neil, Michelle, Caleb, Ian & Steph

Grade: Medium- 3 abseils, wesuit needed

Track notes:
Dad and I left Sydney very early to get to the start of the track by 8am, where we had planned to meet the Canberra mob who had come up the night before. We had planned to do Heart Attack canyon this day but the forboding weather and thunder in the distance made us think a shorter canyon was a much better option.

Breakfast creek canyon starts along the same road you use to get to Rocky Creek Canyon, but before it. I remember this canyon being a absolutely beautiful with 3 short abseils. My uncle Ian did not wear his wetsuit however it is greatly advisable to do so because it is a deep and dark canyon with very little sunlight.

The bottom of the canyon leads into Rocky Creek where you can then swim/walk upstream and do Rocky Creek Canyon backwards. However due to the high waters it would have been impossible for us to make it.

A great day and a beautiful canyon.

Michelle on the second abseil

In the canyon

Caleb on the 3rd abseil

Walking along rocky creek

The little beach at the exit

Sunday, 17 November 2013

Square Top, Round & Fosters Mountain Walk

5/10/13

Party: Neil & Steph

Grade: Mostly difficult off track overgrown scrub bashing.

Track notes:
As we were quite disorganised Dad and I didn't leave until the Saturday morning. On the drive down south to the Budwangs we realised that we had forgotten all the dry food and had to stop at Woolies on the way.

At about 10am after this set back we were finally on foot- the plan was meant to be to climb 5 mountains of about 300m height. However after we had climbed our first mountain- Square Top- we quickly came to realise this would be too ambitious. The scrub on this mountain was very thick and to top it all off we didn't even get the reward if a great view from the top because it was overgrown.

We then climbed Round Mountain and it was the same story. By this time it was getting dark so we decided to set up camp on the side of a fire trail as we didn't think we would make the camp cave off of Fosters mountain, and also weren't sure there would be any drinking water on the top of it.

The next day we climbed Fosters mountain and then headed through some swamps back to the car. All in all it was a bit of a disappointing weekend as we didn't get any good views and the walking off track was quite difficult.

Square Top Mountain

Round Mountain

Square Top Mountain

Sunday, 15 September 2013

Tahmoor Canyon

25/4/13

Party: Luke S, Steph H, Ayla S & Mitch C

Grade: Really really easy, no wetsuits or abseils

Track notes: Last minute we all decided we wanted to do something fun for ANZAC day so we decided to do this canyon as it looked really easy and it was something we bring our friends along for as they were new to this sort of thing.

The canyon starts in Tahmoor just underneath a bridge next to a creek. The start of the canyon isn't very appealing, the creek is cemented and there is a lot of rubbish around. It is clear that a lot of people have been through there which is sad. After about 15 minutes it starts to really look like a canyon, even though there are still a lot of fluro markers on the trees to tell you which way to go.

On the left you go past mermaids pool, which is an absolutely beautiful water hole that you can swim in, although it is quite difficult to get down to. We stuck to the path which veered left, and eventually made our way down into the canyon. Once down there we were able to navigate ourselves through the canyon, and eventually found the exit and made our way back up.

This canyon was great for real beginners like those who have never been bushwalking, as it isn't too intense and it is a good way for them to get a taste of what it's all about (despite all the rubbish around!).

Mermaids Pool

At the bottom of the canyon

Pencil falls

View on the way out

Kanangra Plateau & Mount Berry Walk

6/4/13 - 7/4/13

Party: Luke S & Steph H

Grade: Very easy

Track Notes: This Easter long weekend Luke and I decided to go camping for one night down at Kanangra Walls- however thanks to Luke leaving behind the tent poles we had to sleep in the back of his car.

We drove down on the Saturday morning and stopped off at Jenolan Caves where we did a cave tour of the Temple of Baal Cave which was amazing. We also explores some of the free caves around it. After staying over night, we had an early start and drove over to the Kanagra Walls car park and began our walk.

We started with the Kanagra Walls Plateau walk, which is absolutely mind blowing. The views are just incredible and surreal. After walking across the entire plateau along the clear path, we started our descent down into a little gulley and ensured we veered left. Continuing along this path we started our ascent again up towards Mount Berry. We kept walking until we reached a huge pagoda, where we then turned right and walked along the pagoda until we found a way to climb on top of it. Once we got to the top, the views were even more stunning- 360 DEGREE VIEWS!! Unbelievable! After a well deserved lunch break amidst the scenery we returned :) The walk was about 3 hours return.

All in all, a great little weekend away! Kanagra Walls is definately one of my favourite places by far and would highly recommend it.

Jenolan Caves

Temple of Baal

Waterfall walk from Kanagra

Kanangra Walls lookout- Plateau walk in distance

Along the walls

Along the walls- dark areas are canyons- can see Danae Brooks from here

Sunday, 10 March 2013

Empress Falls Canyon

10/3/13

Party: Steph H, Luke S & Neil H.

Grade: Easy, 1 long abseil, wetsuit advisable.

Track Notes: We started off the day in a failed search for a lost Aboriginal Axe in some remote undisclosed bush lands, then headed off towards Wentworth Falls.

Starting at the car park for the falls, we began our walk to the right of the car park (there is a quicker route to the left where the main tourists go, where the path then veers right). After about half an hour we came to the start of the canyon and put our wetsuits on. The canyon itself is very short but beautiful, it probably took us 15 mins to get to the abseil so next time I will take my time going through the canyon.

There are two anchor points one on the left and one on the right- the one on the right is usually where the commercial groups go and it is the best side to go down as you are directly in the waterfall. An overhang at the top begins the abseil then about 30m later you are at the bottom of the waterfall in a huge pool :) As it is a popular tourist walk/sight you will probably be cheered on by your spectators!

***Make sure that you go before or after 2-4pm as this is when commercial groups operate this canyon! ***

Steph in the canyon

Luke and Neil

Luke on the abseil

Steph doing a jump in

Steph and Luke

Monday, 7 January 2013

Claustral Canyon

05/01/13

Party: Steph H, Luke S, Adrian S, Damian, Jeremy & Sivaraman, led by Tim V

Grade: 4 (moderate to difficult), 4 abseils, wetsuit strongly advisable.
Track Notes:

We left Sydney at 7.30am to get to the starting point off Bells Line of Road by 9am. We left the cars past Mt Tomah on an obvious gravel area beside the road on the left hand side, where we then walked back towards the bend in the road behind the roadside barriers to find where the track started. Due to the closure of the usual and quicker route into Claustral, we had to go in this way.

After about 10 minutes we came across a large rock platform with great views of the mountains. Heading left, we found an obvious track that lead us down the gully and to the start of the creek (Turning right down the creek, we end up coming from the left at the end of the day). After a while we came to the first abseil which was an easy, short drop. We then came to the Hole of Calcutta- a series of 3 amazing abseils in quick succession. We brought 3 ropes so we could set this up quickly, as because it’s so dark down there and not much room to stand, this would allow for us to move quickly- particularly as we were a large group. The third abseil was the darkest- where you climb through a hole in the wall and abseil down and swim through the darkness to the light (veer right).

From here we entered the most beautiful part of the canyon- and I tried to take my time so I could enjoy it! We saw some baby snakes and a huge yabbie. We then came upon a junction- to the right was Thunder canyon. We left our bags at the intersection on a sandy bay and walked to the end (approx an hour and a half return). There is a huge rock pile where you can either climb up and over or there is a dark tunnel you can climb through. There is also some swims. At the end was a beautiful waterfall which we climbed through, and lay inside a very tight cavity full of glowworms!

From then on we continued down the canyon until the exit on the left. Due to the extreme heat, I was a bit slow! Once at the top you reach a large rock that overlooks the region. Continuing along, we traversed along a ridge (to the right) where upon we veered left and headed down the gully back into the creek- where to our relief we got to dip back into the icy cold water to refresh ourselves :) Then walked along the creek until we came across the red marker on the tree where we came in, and walked back up to the cars.

All in all, It was a very long, hot day (approx 8 hours car to car) but it was well worth it. Claustral is without a doubt a beautiful canyon! A few of the guys on the trip also knew my Uncle Ian from his SUBW days, which was pretty cool.