07/04/2018

Madie, Autal, Marchelle, Craig, Ev and me.

Madie told me she had trouble finding the entrance to the lower section of Bells creek on a solo mission. So we threw a few dates around. Nothing worked for us both

Poo i have to go to Zanzibar. Says she. I guess April wil be too late.

Na Aprils good. And shit Zanzibar!

Great Now I have a Hoodoo Guru song stuck in my head. And it’s not even one of my favourate Hoodoo Gurus songs

Anyhoo.

Man I’m back, keen for bells creek???

Apparently Madie’s back. We lock in a date. Others were invited. The weekend came and it was a warm one for this time of year. Perfect for Bells

I breifly considered a car shuffle from the Bells line of road out along the ridges but group size would make that awkward so I opted for the standard slog down to Du Faurs creek and over the ridge. A couple of people dropped out but any way it not a bad walk

I pull into the carpark next to the Mt Wilson fire shed. Marchelle, Ev and Craig are waiting. I look around sure Madie would have camped. Oh that looks like Autal down there.

Autal wanders up. Madie’s there. She is making coffee.

Yep she has a full on camp kitchen going on with a frying pan full of water on the boil. Anyone want coffee. I need coffee.

Sometime later we are all ready to go and set off along the fire trail.

It’s easy walking and with some friendly banter distracting us it seems like no time and we are making our way down the rope into Du Faurs creek

We reach the standard start point for Clatterteeth canyon but head straight across and make our way up through a series of little cliff lines on the oposite side

There is a slight track leading up to the ridge top but then we are on our own. The scrub has grown back since the last lot of fires but nowhere near the horror stories of yore.

I take a compass bearing and we make our way along the ridge and drop off the other side. I considered trying to drop into Little Bell but opted for the easy gully where a track comes and goes at random and soon we reach the start of Belfry Canyon.

It’s taken us just under 2hrs. Which is fairly good going.

For a trip that has a relative beginner rating of 2 in the guide book there are some tricky bits. The navigatioin being one and some interesting down climbs being another.

No one wants to carry in abseiling gear if they don’thave too, despite the unnecessary ring bolt above a realy nice natural anchor….. It looks worse than it is. It’s a pretty simple down climb and a deep pool below, if you land in the right spot…

Bellfry is such a pretty canyon in it’s own right and the early Autum sun light gave us some rays in the narrow bit

The yellows and oranges of the sandstone som give way to lush greens

We emerge from the dark swim and fnd ourselves at the junction with Bell Creek

From here there is a bit of creek walking interspaced with some bounder scrambling and a couple of down climbs that have you scrtching your head at the beginner rating

And then we descend into lower Bell Creek Canyon.

The constrictions in Bell Creek are really top notch. It’s a high quality canyon for a long way

Hulks hand? The Angry green man seems to like canyons.

The canyon closes in.

This time I decide not to make the same mistake as last time and suggest we blow the lilos up.

Oh, we didn’t bring any.

So me and Madie blow our lilos up and the others will be swimming

Again there is so much more light in this section than on my previous visit.

longish lilo/swim sections are broken by some wading, down climbing and boulder hoping

And then we get to the long dark tunnel like swim.

and just when you think it’s opening out it goes from a narrow dark canyon to a deep grand gorge

What time’s lunch? I’m hangry

How about we get to the junction with Du Faurs, there might be more sun.

How far it that?

Just around the conrer…

It was a bit further. but we continue

We eventually stop on a sandy beach and replenish energy supplies.

Then make our way up into the lower section of Du Faurs creek

And then we exit up Joes canyon.

From there it’s a quick walk around to meet the usual Wollangambe entrance track at the big Pagoda and a final slog up to the car park.

Another enjoyable day with a great bunch of people.

Party Size: 6 all experienced

Timing: A tad under 8hrs car to car

Include some foolishness to you serious plans. It’s wonderful to be silly at the right moment.

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