Surefire Canyon

26/1/2014

Party: Neil, Matt, Keith, Ian & Steph

Grade:  4 moderate to difficult- I would grade a 5 as it is a very very long day

Track notes: Day 3 of Australia Day long weekend and I have left the SBW group to meet up with Matt and my family. Getting to this canyon was very difficult with good navigational skills required. It took us probably 2 hours from the start of the car park to get to the beginning of the canyon, and I wouldn't recommend doing this without an experienced bushwalker. 

This canyon had about 5 abseils, all relatively short but with awkward starts. It is an immensely beautiful canyon however it is short compared to the bushwalking and bush bashing you do during the rest of the day.

After lunch we had to find the exit, of which we knew there would be somewhat a difficult rock climb out (hence why we brought our trusty rockclimber Matt to lead the way out).

In the end it took a very long 4 hours from lunch (after exiting the canyon) back to the car but it was through some of the most beautiful forest I've ever seen. It was again a bit of an orienteering challenge so I recommend going with experienced walkers.

Surefire is up there in my favourite canyons- but the walk in and out make it much less desirable. Only attempt this one if you enjoy bushwalking as much if not more than canyoning.

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

Rocky Creek Canyon

Rocky Creek Canyon

Rocky Creek Canyon

Rocky Creek Canyon

Rocky Creek Canyon

Rocky Creek Canyon

Rocky Creek Canyon

Rocky Creek Canyon

Rocky Creek Canyon

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