Kylie, Jason, Jen, Kirstie, H, and meeeeeee

Anyone want to come on a trip that might be a big day of scrub bash to a poor quality canyon? Say I

Hell yeah! says the above awesome folk.

It’s been a hot minute since I’d organised a semi exploratory trip to a canyon I’d not visited before so it was about bloody time I got out of my funk and Kylie might have gave me a bit of a nudge.

The entry in the Jamieson guide labels it “Ashcroft Ravine” with the description it includes the best bit of Wentworth Creek. There was a reference elsewhere of “Cut-throat canyon.” None of it was clear on what was what and where was where but anyhoo.

The little information we could find suggested the first part of the creek (Variously marked on maps as “Franks” or “Franki”) was a viscous scrub bash so we substituted that for a slightly less scrubby bash down a ridge to drop in right at the start of a canyony bit via 2 short abseils.

Straight away it was more impressive than I was expecting and every bit as slippery.

And that would be the theme of Franks(i) short, South Bowenesk canyon sections and more open ravine.

We made it to the junction with Wentworth creek and had Elevensies.

Tucked away in alcoves along the walls are a series of Stalagmites and Stalactites. In sandstone! I’m assuming there is a drip line passing through an ironstone layer high in manganese or some such, but if any geologist out there have a better explanation please leave a comment.

The banks opened out a little and we alternated between traversing high on banks and wading down the creek depending.

Just before the tributary we had marked as our exit Jen and Kirstie spotted a ramp leading up in roughly the right direction that looked like it might bypass one of the 3 climbs Jamieson described.

Kylie and Kirstie scouted up while the rest of us got changed.

It’s bit dodge but it looks like it goes, Called they.

Be careful, called us.

Before long the agreed whistle blasts came to inform us it did indeed go.

We were now in the exit creek but soon came to the small waterfalls that would be the main challenge of getting out.

Reports I had been able to find described a climb on the right.

Kylie gets up to a series of fractured ledges that looked doable but sketchy and dropped a rope down. Jason and I ascended up to her.

The next section looked shit and we weren’t sure what was above. Kylie stood on a log to step up to the next ledge but the log snapped with a thud.

In the meantime the rest of the group were looking for other options.

Back to the left might be doable. Called they

The lidar looks better on the left. Says Jen

I’ll drop back down and check the left option. Said I

Kristie leads me back around bulge and across a very narrow ledge. A short slab climb (maybe grade 7 or 8 but very exposed) presented itself. Up I went. A narrow ledge ramped up below the cliff line.

It goes. says I.

We got a rope up and the rest followed.

It had taken us about an hour and a half to work this puzzle out but once solved it was simple enough.

From there is was a trudge back up to the top of the ridge and back to the cars.

William Charles Wentworth, Billie C-Dubb to his mates, was a statesman, pastoralist, newspaper editor, politician, author, reformist, and advocate.

That’s the type of stuff people could achieve before TV or social media.

That and having 10 kids (Seven daughters and three sons.)

Who Frank, Franki or Ashcroft were I have no idea.

But the creeks named after them are both worth an explore.

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