22/11/2025

Kylie, Hywaida, Kris, Jason, Monica, Levis and meeeeee,

Continued from HITW

I hadn’t done Banks Canyon since the last time I had done Banks canyon.

At that time we had followed Jamison’s guide and went up North East Canyon. We repeated that route when we visited Nose Dive Canyon.

This time we went directly across and found a rough trail up the major north south gully. It was a bit scrubby to start but once we gained the base of the eastern cliff line it was relatively easy going and lead us up to the even fainter trail in from Rail Motor Ridge.

While slightly longer I think this option was a bit quicker as it avoided problem solving some sketchy scrambles in North East and was relatively easy going.

Banks is darker and more constricted than Hole in the Wall and the upper section is more sustained, it just seems to keep going.

And being a bit less visited it has a wilder, more adventurous feel. There’s a bit of problem solving in terms of anchors and down climbs and duck under and squeezes. Which I love.

Blue Mountains canyons often have short upper sections that cut through the Banks Sandstone layer. These are usually low quality. Occasionally, though, upper sections, like the ones in Hole in the Wall, South Bowen or Bell are surprisingly high quality. But the upper section in Banks is exceptionally good. Thus the name.

We had slowed down quite a bit in Banks. Partly because of the problem solving, partly just to soak it in.

But eventually we emerge back into the light.

We are just about at the junction, says someone. We’ll start heading down.

I’m sure there’s another abseil. Say I. I remember a longer one.

We begin boulder hoping and get out on what appears to be a track on the banks.

I dont’remember this, says I

and soon the creek plummets below us and we are forced to back track as bit to get back in.

A tricky down climb later we come to the biggest drop of our trip. An 18m abseil into the wider, shorter lower section

1 more abseil gets us to the junction with the Bungleboori/ Dingo Creek

There is reportedly a tricky exit downstream but this section of the Bungleboori/Dingo creek from Banks upstream past Hole in the Wall to the exit is remarkably beautiful, especially in the soft light of a slightly over cast day. we go upstream.

From here we make our way back to camp to recover for Popeye