australia

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

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Marchelle on the hand over hand

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

a lot of photos were snapped by the group in this section

There are usually some very dark sections on this trip

Last time this was pitch black. Such a nice light in here today thou

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

Again, I’ve seen abseils set up on easier down climbs. Autal and Craig giving Marchelle some tips while Ev takes photos and watchs with some *apprehension*

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

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

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

The canyon closes in.

There are some big log jams that are tricky to negotiate. Testament to the raging power of this place in flood

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

You can see by the moss that the water level is down a bit

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.

some soft sun rays in the usually dark section

Who needs a lilo? Not Autal, turning floating on his pack into an art

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

Madie and Craig adding some perspective to the scale

Madie waiting on Autal, Marchelle and Ev. It’s well past lunch time. I think she is getting hungry.

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

Traffic jam with another group coming down Du Faurs. AKA Clatterteeth Canyon

There are so many cool rock formations in this trip. Every time you look up you see something cool

Lots of options in Du Faurs to climb up the walls and jump back in

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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25-01-2018

Ethan and me

*Slight detour* in March I am again taking part in the West Cycles Classic to raise money for the Westpac rescue helicopter service. Whether preforming bush rescue, emergency patient transfers, and all the rest no one has ever had to pay to use the helicopter due to public donations. If, like me, you believe this is an invaluable service or if you just enjoy reading my blog think about pitching in with a donation. Large or small every bit counts. follow this link for details 2018 West Cycles

Anyhoo

I mentioned to the gang I wanted to do Grand at night this year. At some stage me and Ed discussed doing it the Australia day weekend but as he is a new dad I doubted he’d get the leave pass and so I promptly forgot about it.

Then I get a text, Are you doing the Grand Canyon trip tomorrow night? Ethan is keen

I had completely blanked it from my mind. Had no intention of doing it. I thought Ed must have known someone else doing it….

Now I’m keen thou.

A quick text to Mandy and Tal. Tal was a nope. Mandy was keen with a slightly earlier start. We’re in. Then Mandy had to pull out last minute.

Me and Ethan it is.

With dry lightning strikes causing havoc and starting bushfires in a lot of the canyoning belt I was keeping a close eye on both the weather and the Rural Fire Service updates, as well as NP closures but unlike the rest of the canyoning areas Blackheath got a bit of rain out of Thursday’s storm (10mm) and so it was damp and misty in the valley.

The soft afteroon/post-storm light was awesome

We dropped into the canyon around 6:30pm. Thinking by the time we phaff about with photos things would get dark about halfway through

The light was eerie and atmoshperic and awesome

Normally when I try this sort of canyon shot the sky and center is a blaze of washed out over exposure. The light today was something special, very little post editing done here

Ethan making his way down and the light continues to drop

Again this shot on a point and click camera would be horibly contrasty in normal light conditions. I could have lightened up the sides a bit but thought why bother, that’s how it looks when you are in there

Ethan contemplating stuff like if snake don’t have eyelids how do they sleep….

In this light it was hard to see with the lights off but even harder with them on as the mist got reflected back in your eyes like driving in fog with high beams

and the moody atmosphere kept getting better. I mean sun beams ar great and all but moonbeams are so chill

Giving the Gand Canyon a Claustral like feel

Um, we are at the last swim…. Depsite the photo phaffing we seem to have come through super quick. We breifly contemplated following the track back to the start and doing it all again but chose the better idea staying in the canyon, reversing it back to the start and coming down again in darkness. Excellent idea Smithers

It’s like 3 different canyons in the different light traveling different directions

The glowworms came out to play. they are hard to photo well but the little TG4 does OK

Looking up through a gap in the canyon walls. What are stars and what are glowworms?

Serveral times we just turned every thing off and sat in silence under the glowworms. It’s a special experience

Leaf tailed gecko spoted by another group who were heading in as we headed out

To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders. Lao Tzu

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	Popeye Canyon Lower… on Popeye canyon, upper
	Popeye Canyon Lower… on Banks
	Hole In the Wall… on Banks
	Banks – sleepw… on Nose Dive
	Banks – sleepw… on Hole in the Wall and Banks…

sleepwhenwearedead

blue, mts, canyon, canyoning, mtb, mountain bike, gardens of stone, Lithgow

Lower Bell Creek Canyon

Grand Canyon at Night