Joel, Amber, Jen, Madie, Matthew, Gabby, Andrew, Sonya, Mark, Bernie and meee. Oh, and Geoff as the devil taking photos at the bottom
One day Joel (the sweet, innocent, shy fella he is) had an idea to do something wild.
Let’s have a dress up canyon party, says he.
And so we had to ask ourselves. What would Ginger Jesus do?
Um, He just suggested a dress up canyon…. Well der, dress up canyon party it is
The theme went from Anti-Valentine to Porn to Slotty to hot and wet to anything goes and eventually a mixed bag of fun loving freaks turned up to, um , have fun and, ah, be freaky in one of the most popular canyons in the Mountains.
If only someone had taken a camera…..
Note: there were more cameras than people
Jack Sparrow and some rock chick he picked up on the way in, AKA Madie and Matt
Cat Woman and Lucifer
We gathered out the front of the Conservation hut for some snaps
I’m only doing 1 canyon today, says Gabby. Like hell, retorts Madie. We’re doing all the canyons and we are doing them all today! Come on
Lucky Joel was there to settle them down
Like a bizarre Piped Piper Joel leads the sexy people away
Not your standard Empress Falls attire. It was almost disappointing that we only ran into 1 other group, and that was at the end of the canyon.
Gabby
Madie
With all the fun of the costumes at times I had to remind myself we were in a very pretty canyon
We’re not in Kanas any more Toto
Did I mention the canyon was pretty?
Cattitude
Cap’n Jack
School Girl Jen, Schooling
They’re fighting again
Wait. No they’re not
By the time we were all down the abseil there was a large ensemble of tourists/walkers cheering, jeering and leering at us. Well I say “us” but it was mostly at Joel.
and the looks we got as we hiked back up the tourist track for a bite to eat at the hut were priceless.
Party Size: 11 but we split into 11 groups of 1 because, like, who’d want to associate with those other weirdos.
Time: Time has no meaning when you are having that much fun
If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be: Maya Angelou
*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
Anyone up to squeezing in a Friday night canyon trip prior to the long weekend?
Ahhhhh, Hell yes.
And so I find myself once again following these two down a fire trail looking for adventure
We drop into the top section on dusk
it was a glorious evening
We reach the canyon proper just as the light is starting to fade and we decide to suit up and wait for full darkness. The night was warm, we lay in the creek talking about past experiences and future goals.
But then it’s time to drop in and join the glowworms
And just soak in the ambience
They always remind me of an Ani Difranco song. Tonight more so than usual
And then true to it’s name Serendipity strikes this shot was a complete fluke I had no idea Gabbie was in the shot and Madie had no idea I was shooting when she turned her red light on.
We spent so long in the canyon standing still, moving a bit, lights out, sit down, lay here,look up… we start to get cold even with the wetsuits and so we drag ourselves away and scramble out.
Just around the corner a warm breeze drifts up to kiss the canyon wall and we spend time drying off under moonlight looking for shooting stars. The banter has died down but eventually back up the hill we must go
Party Size: 3 all experienced
Time: 5.5hrs with lots of time just standing/sitting/laying taking it all in
Beauties and the Beast in the Bungleboori boondocks
12/01/2019
Me, Madie and Gabby
I’ve never given Steep Creek much thought but Kent talked up Bridge canyon as a great trip. Took me a bit to realise they were the same thing.
Anyhoo another trip out to this part of the world was high on my wish list for this year and me and Madie had started talking about doing it even before we had finished last weekends trip in Twilight Canyon.
I wasn’t sure when I’d be able to fit it in but then my weekend freed up and Mandy granted me a leave pass…
You want to do it this weekend? It was like Wednesday morning.
Hell yes!
Some last minute invites were sent out. We weren’t sure we’d get any takers with so late notice but Gabby jumped at the chance.
Some off the cuff planning was done.
The rest of the week saw afternoon storms roll through including a big one Friday that just seemed to keep coming. It made me a little nervous about the camp but the worse Fridays storm got the better the revised weather forecast for Saturday became. In the end the weather and water levels were near on perfect
Keen as beans for an awesome weekend in nature
It’s amazing how quick a long walk in can go with good company, a bit of banter and high expectations of what you are going to find. With just a small hickup in navigation that was easily corrected we arrived at the bag drop where we decided to stash the camp gear before spending the rest of the day exploring Bridge and Bjelkes Mind Canyons.
We make our way down to the start of the canyon don our wetsuits and scramble down.
But then it opens out and it’s a long creek walk, scrambling over boulders with a few interesting abseils
It was pretty but not canyoning Wow
Madie in the “Steep creek”
It seemed like we we getting very close to the junction with the Bungleboori and I was starting to wonder what Kent saw in this trip and then the creek dropped into this
And then it opens out and we have one more abseil before we reach the bungleboori. We spend a bit of time backing up the anchor which was a large rotten tree that felt like crumbling paper.
We find a sunny rock in the bungleboori for a bit of lunch. I think we need to go down stream a bit but the going is difficult and Madie finds a way to scramble out onto the bank, stumbling across a faint exit track by chance.
We follow it up through the first cliff line and then make our way around for the second canyon of the day
*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
After a great night nestled in the amazing over hang looking out at the milkyway we were all up bright and early but took our time with breakfast and packing up camp before making our way up to once again exchange the camp gear for the canyon gear.
I hadn’t given Bubblebath much thought, I just tagged it on to the trip as it was suppose to be short and we were out there and sounded like it might be a cruisey way to start the day before the walk out . I would never had thought it would turn out to be the highlight of the trip. By the end we were all frothin on it.
The Bubble Bath.
Madie dropping in
It started pleasant enough, just what I was thinking a nice little canyon, nothing spectacular but nice
Madie through the Arch window. …Gabby
There were lots of laughs on this trip so many laughs
Gabby descending into a great bit of canyon
As I said never would I ever have guessed BubbleBath would be a highlight but Fridays rain combined with a slightly cooler day gave it a great atmosphere.
This sun beam would come through super strong, disappear then just as we put the cameras down to move on it would come back even better
If possible the end of the canyon got even more stunning, so much so it was at times hard to look away. It really was enchanting. Unfortunately my camera was out of battery, I was probably too mesmerised to get photos anyway.
As they say all good things must come to an end and so it was back up the hill to collect the camp gear and off for the long walk out.
*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
We’d just finished an epic day canyoning at Glen Davis. It had been a big day in scorching heat, we were driving home exhausted.
Oh course we started planning our next trip.
I wouldn’t mind doing Twilight some time this season says I.
Wanna do it next weekend replied Madie
Wheels were set in motion…
Anyhoo a ragtag group of adventurous folk meet up in the camp ground, the plan is to ride our bikes down the Wolgan river maintenance trail then stash the bikes and find a way up the hill. A bit of asking around had us confident our pass was viable and the bikes, in theory would make the haul down and back up the river faster, if not easier.
The ride down was fairly non-eventful and we were soon stashing bikes. The heat had already kicked in and Mark took a slight detour to lay in the river to cool off.
We follow a steep ridge littered with loose scree to the base of the mighty Wolgan cliffline. Breaching the cliff was surprisingly easy. Our original plan had been to scramble out onto the tops, across a ridge to descend into the top of the canyon. With the sun blazing overhead we opted to stay in a shady gully and found this gave us a relatively easy way onto the halfway ledge that runs above the canyon all the way up to the start.
After a hot haul in this pool was so welcome
Mark cooling off, Sterlo dropping in with Steve on belay while Madie checks out the cave
The jump through the arch was a definite highlight
And then the canyon opens up. A short bit of boulder hopping and we scramble out onto the ridge for an easy walk back to the bikes and hence back to the cars
Wanna sit in the river and drink beer? Oh shit yeah!
All canyon trips should finish like this
Party size: 7: 6 experienced 1 semi experienced
Time: I did 7hrs car to car relaxed pace with a bit of laying in the river prior to the ride out but Steve busted a deraileur so Gibbo had to do some bush mechanics to convert it to single speed and I rode back down to assist with carting packs once they had it going so the group did 8hrs total
Live your life governed by a compass, not a clock:- -Stephen Covey
*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
So for the past few years we’ve been getting together with family and friends to do a cruizy float through canyon as a recovery on New Years Day. This year Mares Forest Creek was suggested. It’s a long drive for a short canyon but it is really beautiful and the Limestone and marble walls are so different from anything in the Blue Mtns
Anyhoo, we meet at the car park at a respectable 11am and wander over the hill and into the bottom of the canyon then make our way up stream
Ed was happy with his boat
The water temp was lovely. I didn’t bother with a wetsuit and strong swimmers could get away without flatation
There is a fair bit of portage thou the boulder fields aren’t as complicated as the popular Wollangambe sections
Mandy enjoying the float
At the top of the canyon we have a bit of fun jumping off rocks
*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
This was another one people rave about. The canyon has 4 or 5 branches that all contain good quality canyons. The 2nd branch, or B branch, is one I had wanted to do for a while and one I had built up in my mind so when Kent put it on during a 5 day trip to Glen Davis I jumped on it.
Madie met me at my place early and we drove on down to meet up with the others. A quick meet and greet, ropes sorted packs on and we are away.
For the first part of the walk in we’d traverse the southern cliff line and then up into the bottom of the canyon so had bits of shade in between the baking heat.
The cool shade at the bottom of the canyon was a welcome haven and we took the opportunity for morning tea and a quick dip to cool off. Then it was back into the heat up the other side.
So much up
Kent on the tops
While the scrub was quite thick at times it offered little shade and so it was with a bit of relief, 5hrs after leaving the cars we reach the top of the canyon and wasted no time dropping in for lunch in the cool confines.
Madie
Madie, me and Slavr then went ahead to explore the canyon and set ropes while the others followed passing ropes forward as needed.
We soon came to the junction with 1 or A branch and explored up it aways. I failed to get up this little waterfall, Madie decided to show me how easy it was….
Slavr on a narrow bit
But wait, there’s more
and more
and more
Every time you think it’s about to open out… Boom there’s more
The water was a bit odd. It went from black to crystal clear to murcky brown and back in between disappearing for long stretches all together
We must be at the end now….. Nope
Madie and Slav
regrouping
and it continues
And then, just after I began to think the canyon would go forever we round a corner and we are back at the morning tea spot.
What an awesome day full of challenges, wild beauty and great people. A great way to finish off 2018 outdoorsP
Time: 11hr car to car. The fluctuation between heat stroke and hypothermia taking its toll a bit
So what did I think of it? The people I had spoke to about it invariably rated it “Best ever” or “Top 5”. Whether the low water levels affected my views I cant say but too be honest I wouldn’t put it in the same category as Claustral or Rocky Creek as far as jaw dropping beauty nor would I rate it on the bang for buck and out and out fun scale as high as Whungee Wheengee or Danae Brook but for complexity, length of constrictions and true untouched wilderness feel it’s certainly up there.
It’s a true canyoners canyon. Tricky Nav, obstacle after obstacle to figure out in a constriction that just seems to go and go and go and get better as it goes… I’d def do it again but maybe not when it was so hot and maybe I’d wait until just after a bit of rain.
Don’t waste time waiting on sometime. Get out there now.
*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
Jen put out the call to see who wanted to do a canyon on her birthday. Much banter ensued. Problem was it was it was going to be mid week.
Then after a couple of big weeks the boss suggested I take a day in liue. Woohoo. How’s Wednesday suit he said? More Woo. Longer Hooo.
The organisational banter continued online and before we knew it it was a dress up party.
Not your usual canyoning attire
Anyhoo, Breakfast creek is a short trip with a couple of nice sections in it
Dropping in
Portal into the strangeness and charm
Latest styles for the fashion conscious canyoner
One of the nicer bits
You may be cool but you will never be Zoot Suit canyoning Baboon cool
Unless you are a penis headed canyoning morman cool
Environmentally friendly anchors to maintain the wilderness experience
A quick look up another canyon (Quick Dip?) on the opposite side of Rocky creek, I’m sure there was a deep pool at the bottom of this when I last visited it
All little girls want a dress up party
New album drops March 5th. Or sumfink
I’ve done this climb twice previously. Once I disturbed a venomous snake on one of the ledges and the other we got stuck in a massive hail storm
Mandy and Della climbing out in the hail some time around the mid-late 90s
Another fun day in the bush with great people
Party size 4: All experienced
Time: 6hr car to car with some photo phaffing and hi jinx
“and I am convinced that the only people worthy of consideration in this world are the unusual ones. For the common folks are like the leaves of a tree, and live and die unnoticed.” The Scarecrow
I’ve said before the Kanangra style canyons of abseiling beside waterfalls for the sake of abseiling beside waterfalls never had a great appeal to me, but Danae was different. It was the most slot like of the Kanangra canyons so the short answer was yes. The long answer was I wasn’t sure I was up to it at the moment.
Danae is steeped in tales of benighted groups, 16 hour slogfests and epic challenges.
I also had other commitments so originally said, No. Well not yet but lets do it later in the season
But the idea began to germinate….
Ah Fugg it! lets do it!
In the week leading up an antarctic blast gave us plummeting temps, a good dump of rain and stupidly high winds so it was with a little trepidation I drove out to to the Boyd river camp late Friday afternoon. The rain had cleared but wind gusts up to 90kph ripped through the tree tops.
We’d be joined for the trip by Madies friend Jeremy, who it turns out I knew from my bike shop days. Also joining us for the night was Matt and Madie’s Dad and step mum.
After much banter and a feast of butter-chicken we seek the warmth of our beds. The plan was to break camp at 5am and be on our way soon after.
Morning came and the wind had calmed considerably but the temperature was still winterish. We sorted packs and ropes and by the time we dropped a car at the pick up point 3 of us set out on the Thurat fire trail just after 6am.
On a big trip like this I’m always a tad nervous until we we start walking and then everything calms and I enjoy the simple pleasure of being in the bush with like minded people
Track notes are deliberately vague but sometime later we veer off into the scrub, cross a couple of minor gullies and then drop down into a tributary to avoid the horrendous scrub on the ridge top. We reach the first abseil point at 7.30.
From there it’s into the stunning slot and abseil after abseil after abseil.
Madie stops on the chock stone to grab a photo and retrieve a stuck rope a previous party had lost.
Madie and Jeremy enter the slot
Danae swallows and humbles you. Madie on rope
The waterfall abseil. Danae can be dry, or it can be dangerously pumping
get the balance right and it is awesome. Jeremy in the fall
Jeremy at the bottom of the “Waterfall abseil”
Looking down to Madie at the bottom of “Danae Direct”
It is even more stunning in real life
And still the abseils come in the tight confines of Danae
On gritty Blue Mtns sandstone this would be a simple down climb. The quartzite of Kanangra however is slippery as ice covered snot when wet so we rope up for safety
Madie watching Jeremy descend
And then comes the boulder field. A steep chute littered with house sized boulders. A massive 3D puzzle that takes about an 1hr to negotiate.
And a final abseil or two then the creek levels out and it’s another 1.5hrs of smaller boulder hoping down to the Junction with Kanangra creek.
From the Junction the haul up to the Kilpatrick causeway is like climbing a ladder for 1.5hrs, only the rungs are uneven, at odd angles, made out of loose dirt and covered in pickle bush, stinging trees and biting ants…
Not even the prickly pea and stinging trees could wipe the smile from my face.
A final scramble up a small cliffline and we top out to amazing views south towards Mittagong and east to the Blue Mts where the classic shape and colour of the Hydro Majestic can clearly be seen nestled on the cliff tops.
and of course the views down over the terrain we’ve just come through is amazeballs. The gully in the Centre is Kanangra main, Danae is behind the spired ridge in the middle distance to the right
Another hour of walking and one more cliffline to get through and we reach the car exhausted but fulfilled
What an Awesomely epic day with awesomely epic people.
Group size: 3 all experienced
Timing: 10.5 car to car.
Note this is reasonably quick, especially as none of us had done it before. We were expecting 13hrs.
To do it we had to be efficient on the abseils so we had 3 ropes. A 30m, which was kept with the last person on the bigger drops as the emergency back up, and 2x 60m. The first 60 would be set and as soon as the second person reached the bottom of the abseil the second 60 would be set for the next one. As soon as the last person was down the first would go again.
Rope management was also key with efficient coiling and uncoiling needed, though I confess to ending up with a tangled mess at least once as fatigue began to kick in.
GPS tells me we covered 19km with a bit over 1300m elevation gain.
Remember your comfort zone is the most dangerous place to be. In it your senses get dulled, your muscles lax, and your brain turned to mush. Flynny
Madies Time log:
3 ppl
5.55 start
7.45 first abseil
7.55 2nd abseil off 2 trees difficult start
8.26 4th abseil off boulder
8.36 5th abseil 10 m off boulder swing under
8.40 6th abseil down waterfall lots of water
8.52, 7th abseil through hole dark slot under boulder
9.03 8th abseil w traverse line
9.30 9th abseil 5m onto log
A few scrambles
9.40 10th abseil 5m off shitty sling without malion on rhs
9.50 11th abseil 7 ml in sun off rope on rhs
10.03 down sketch 5 m climb and 12th abseil start off 2 bolts and wires on lhs
10.30 scramble over centre of null
10.40 13th abseil off tree onto boulder field
11.34 14th 15m abseil in to pool awkward
11.45 15th abseil 10 m into pool of pitons on rhs
11.55 lunch rock after abseils
12.20 lunch over
1.22 Kanangra Creek junction
1.40 leaving change spot
3.15 track -killpatrick
3.30 hill
4.20 murdering gully
4.27 main lookout track
4.31 car
