David-Stephen, Jess, Ev, Madie, David, Tim and meeee
The only way to back up a fairly late night in Rocky would be a reasonably early start for another canyon
And so, blearied eyes and muddle-headed I find myself driving up to join Madie and Ev waiting for the others for a quick trip through Arethusa canyon.
I was suffering sleep deprivation and the trip is a bit of a blur so I’ll let the photos tell the things
Standard way in
More exciting way in
It really is a stunning bit of canyon
Butterbox gets all the glory for being an adventurous canyon with climbing exit but for me Arethusa is hands down a better all round canyon and the climb out excellent.
Ev asked if she could lead and we happily let her. Wow she handled the climbs like a bomb and set belays like seasoned pro. So cool to watch
itch 3 is 1 tricky move then an exposed traverse
Ev on lead
Madie on the other hand…..
Sure my climbing style sucked the big fat one too but people were kind enough not to capture that in too many photos..
And with international women’s day just gone what better way to celebrate
Party Size: 7
Time: 7hrs car to car
The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly without fear for newer experiences: Elenor Roosevelt
Madie, Ethan, Dave@, Kylie, Shauna, Roy, Mark, Dick, Luke, Joel and meeeeeee
I’ve said it before I’ll say it again Rocky creek is my favouritest canyon ever. I’ve been through it many times and hearing the the little waterfall on entry never fails to give me goose bumps and remind me of the first time Scott dragged us through there to spark my canyon addiction.
The light is always magical, even at night
Anyhoo with people coming from all directions several meeting places were teed up, things got confused, no one had reception but eventually we all met up at the Rocky Creek car park. Late but keen.
A quick meet and greet and then down the hill and into Twister.
We head on into Twister right on dusk and the light quickly fades and the glowworms begin to appear.
We found a way to stop Madie giggling… briefly
And just like that we drop out of Twister and make our way down to Rocky Creek
The glowworms are out and the crew spend some time just checking them out, but we are still on the walking track and I try to explain they are only going to get better.
I don’t care how many times I see glowworms I will always be stuck with a sense of awe. In a canyon setting that is amplified a thousand fold.
Most canyons around these parts have glowworms, especially at night but Rocky is next level
There are 7(possibly 8) species of glowworm found throughout the world. 5 of those are found only in Australia and New Zealand and are the larvae of a fungus gnat, most live of fungus and their glow is redundant . The ones endemic to NSW are Arachnocampa richardsae and they are still predatory. Their light attracts small insects that get trapped in silk snares they trail down off the roof which they then consume.
For the most part if they are hungry they glow brighter and just after a feed they dim.
They are sensitive to noise and light and will turn off to hide
The pupae also glows but the males dim and stop glowing altogether just before they emerge as adults, while the female’s glow gets more intense to ensure they have a choice of males waiting as she emerges.
The adult flies can’t do much but reproduce, they can’t eat, they can barely fly but they do flash little lights to attract their mate.
Anyhoo, Glowworms are freakin cool ok.
But on we go
Dave@ Ethan and Madie under a ceiling of glowworms
And we are back to the start and climb out to change into semi dry clothes for the slog up the hill
Broad tailed gecko, AKA Southern leaf tailed gecko AKA Sydney leaf tailed gecko AKA phyllurus platurus. What ever you call him he was a cool little dude Kylie spotted on the walk out
Back at the cars we revel in the night but some have long drives home and some have an early morning for their next adventure.
Party Size: 11
Time: 3hrs 40
Surround yourself with exceptional people, experience exceptional things
Disclaimer: While canyoning at night poses pretty much the same risks as doing it in the daylight the consequences of things going wrong is much greater. Without the beams of sunlight to warm you between darker swim sections Hypothermia is a heightened danger. Limited peripheral vision may mask hazards that would otherwise be easily identified.
Navigation can also be much harder. You should be very familiar the canyon and it’s entry/exit tracks before attempting it.t.
It’s also worth noting the creatures out and about at this time of day are creatures of darkness. They don’t want thousands of lumins shone on them and massive groups disturbing their peace. We kept our beams set on low and trod as lightly as possible. As you always should in these pristine environments.
*March 2019 I am once again participating in the Wests Cycle Classic to raise money for the Westpac rescue helicopter. If you enjoy my blog or just want to help this great cause think about making a small donation
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