Morong Falls

December 13, 2025December 15, 2025 | flynny101

13-12-2025

Kent, Pete, Joel, Tam, Cotter, David and meeeeee

I’m walking out of Butterbox and I get a missed call from Kent

I hadn’t heard from him for a while so called back straight away in case something was wrong.

Nothing is wrong he’s just been thinking about an abseil trip in one of his favourite places at Kanangra Boyd.

And so a trip down Morong falls is set up

Morong falls is a bit like big brother of Box Creek Falls.

But Having a much larger catchment it can be a disappointing trickle or a wall of white water death.

We got it almost perfect.

We meet up and waste no time walking to the end of the fire trail and making our way down to the upper falls.

We bypass the first cascade and its inviting plunge pool.

Kent leads us pass an anchor set mid river left to find another just to the left of the main flow.

All abseils except the big one have easy escape routes back to the exit trail so you can pretty much choose your own adventure with doing a part or the whole.

Our first 3 slabby abseils are between 8 and 15m high. They are a bit of fun and nothing technical.

It’s a beautiful series of falls interspaced with plunge pools

Joel and I have the long ropes and get sent ahead to set the big drop.

From Kent’s description I’m nervously looking for a narrow ledge I need to traverse across which may or may not be slippery.

I’m standing on the edge of a wide slopping platform with heaps of grip looking for something below.

Bolts are behind you. Says Joel

I look at the wall behind me.

On the ground.says Joel.

I know this particular drop was pioneered by members of one of the caving clubs a few years ago.

2 odd looking bolts are set on the ground 7 or 8m back from the edge. 1 is a 8mm cap screw. The other a type I’ve not seen before….

A nice shiney new glue in has been added and all 3 equalised using D shackles.

We set up and Joel leads the way down. We have about 76m of rope out and by the time he gets to the next big ledge and traverses across to the rebelay there is maybe 3m of tail left.

As Kent heads down the rope snags behind a nub of rock which gets dislodged as he traverses at the bottom. He calls up a warning over the two way.

The rest of us get down no drama but Kent is reluctant to pull rope from directly below.

Joel devises a plan which will allow us to descend the next 12m abseil on a biner block, tie the pull cord for the previous ropes to the biner and pull rope from both pitches together from a safe spot on the far side of the plunge pool

We all head down. Most swim across the pool. Joel does a nice traverse climb to avoid the swim.

Pete follows Joel but does not avoid the swim…

I stay dry, just

We start to pull and the system works perfectly

1 rope down.

2 two ropes down

3rd rope clears the anchor the end tumbles down and lands in a ledge. I start to pull.

It comes.

It comes .

It does not come.

Joel and I spend a bit of time trying different angles and stuff and it’s stuck good and proper on the only ledge not accessible from the exit track.

Next time we think we’d set this drop, leave the rope there and collect it on the way out. Not only would it avoid a stuck rope but it would avoid the need for 2 x 76m+ ropes and carrying it out the bottom half of the exit.

Joel looking further down as storm clouds begin to roll in.

Kent on the next one which passes under big boulder halfway down

Looking back up the main series of drop. Can you spot Dave, Cotter and Joel?

Finally we get to the wetter part of the trip. We are not quite 3/4 of the way down, still 150m or so above the Kowmung.

Below a series of falls and plunge pools

Above thou, the sky is cranky.

Dark clouds, thunder and a spattering of rain.

Big storms were predicted for later in the day. It looks like they arrived early. Standing on exposed granite in a lightning storm probably isn’t the best idea so we opt to abort the trip and scramble out to the exit track.

The storm doesn’t really hit in full, thou I later learn it hit the mountain with a good smash of hail. While disappointed not to complete the trip to the bottom we are comfortable with the call.

Besides, it gives us a good excuse to comeback and finish the journey.

“A river cuts through a rock, not because of its power but because of its persistence.” – Jim Watkins

Back

Bindook Chasm

August 21, 2023October 2, 2025 | flynny101

19-08-2023

Gadget and Meeeee

Despite being right next to Bindook cattle Station Bindook falls are in the middle of nowhere.

Sure it’s an interesting bit of nowhere but it’s a longish drive from anywhere.

The creek cuts a short but pretty slot down a series of Falls that have 2 main points of interest

1) they cut through hexagonal columns of basalt (Edit: apparently it’s not basalt but Barrallier Ignimbrite. Ignimbrite is basically the result of hot ash flows if I am understanding things, which I usually don’t)

b) it’s called a chasm.

Plus

iii) the distance means it’s less visited than a lot of blue mountains canyons.

Any hoo it’s been on my radar for a while only I thought you needed permission to cross the private property and I thought it was a very long drive to get to.

A tiny bit of research revealed you can skirt around the property within the boundary of the National park and it wasn’t that much longer a drive than it is to Kanangra which makes it an easy day trip from my place.

And so we thought why the hell not.

It’s a pretty drive made prettier by a dusting of snow coating the pine trees on the way out through Shooters Hill. And the road past mt Werong to Bindook is very scenic indeed. It’s awe inspiring country

We had no problem finding a spot to park and making the short walk to the start of the chasm.

Making our way down to where the creek first cuts into a narrow slot we are greeted by 2 smallish drops each with a long swim at the bottom and little to no anchor options between

We discussed setting an anchor for the first abseil and linking them together but it looked like it might be a tricky pull down in cold water so we opted to bypass a short section and abseil in from the side.

There was a reasonable flow of water so I believe the murky green is due to calcites in the strata?

Bypassing the first 2 drops with a 40m traversing abseil from trees above.

Looking down the amazing “chasm” towards the chock stone. With a bit of effort we were able to use the ledge on the left to avoid the early swim.

The anchor for the next abseil was threaded throu a single piton jammed in the back of the chock stone.

We searched for a while for a feasible back up without luck. Test weighting the anchor showed the piton to be solid and with a stepped, scrambley abseil we decided it was good enough and Gadget went down first.

You don’t really notice the columns until you look back

I perch above the pool and pull the rope. It comes easily and I stop to take out the biner block I had in place then go to pull the last bit down…. It locks solid!

It had come super easy til then. But nothing I could do would get it to budge. I assume the end has knotted itself on the ring and not wanting to waste too much time as Kylie was wet and waiting at the next anchor, I resort to cutting the rope.

The next anchor looks like it needed replacing 15years ago… it partly crumbles as Gadget inspects it. Other bits are so stiff we had to cut them out.

The next abseil is off old pitons again. At least there are 4 of them but we take a bit of time to set new tape. It was impossible to equalise them in the direction we wanted to abseil but again they felt solidly placed. And Gadget lead the stepped 45m abseil.

Another cold swim greeted us at the bottom of this one.

We pull rope from the far side of the pool then have a brief look for an anchor for the final 60-70m drop.

There wasn’t much in the way of obvious anchors and spying a steep ramp leading up to the right we opt to exit early.

It’s steep, loose and at times narrow but it goes.

Back up top we push our way through black thorn thickets up to the clearing below the property fence line, then make our way back to cross the top of the chasm and thus back to the car

Part size: 2

Time: 4hr car to car.

Big places help you realise how small you and your problems are

BACK

Box Creek Falls.

June 11, 2023 | flynny101

10-06-2023

Kylie, Jason, Aimee, Jen and meeeeee.

With cameos from Dave and Phill

It’s June. We are sleeping in and heading to Kanangra for a lazy half day of canyoning.

If that sounds odd we aren’t really “canyoning.”

The plan is to do the abseil trip down Box Creek falls. Ropes aren’t really necessary as you can scramble down right beside all the drops (as Dave and Phill did) or take an even easier walk down a little bit further right.

But anyhoo we had ropes so we were going to abseil.

Friday had been misty and miserable Saturday dawned bright and cold!

Like really cold.

It’s been ages since I’ve seen Jen so it was cool to catch up with her. And it was the first time meeting Phil and Dave.

It’s a pretty creek. But for an abseil trip… as Jason said you could ride a mountain bike down it.

Kylie psyching up for a cold swim at the bottom of abseil 1

Apparently I missed the bolts on this one as I walked down the slab beside it …

Jen wondering if it’s worth another cold dip

In the end she decided just to walk down and have a snooze in the sun while we continued to play with ropes

Aimee was keen to keep braving the water

Jason handled rope duties for most of it.

Phil and Dave walking down beside the “falls” to take photos of the idiots in the water.

And then we get to the top of the big drop.

Normally if I was at the top of a 65m abseil at Kanangra I’d be a little nervous. They are intimidating.

This one wasn’t.

It didn’t look to be that big or committing.

We set up.

There’s a series of ledges. Says Jason as he leads the way.

Going over the edge I see it doesn’t really get vertical at all. But it’s a bit of fun.

Dave decides to give the last one a crack

It would be cool to see with more water, thou I doubt it would hold water for long. Aimee says she walked up to the base in 2018 and it was bone dry.

Lunch in the glorious sun back at the top of the last absiel

So what did I think of it?

It’s kinda like an even less technical Dione Dell without the crappy walks between abseils. It’s not canyoning but a nice creek scramble between 2 optional abseils. It would be a nice spot for a swim early autumn.

Surround yourself with awesome people. Experience awesome things

4.5hrs car to car relexed pass

Back

Danae Canyon and Thurat Spires

December 30, 2021December 30, 2021 | flynny101

28/12/2021

Leo, Madie, Russ, Aimee and Meeeeeeeeeeee

Hey Flynny, want to do something tomorrow. The standard message from Madie

Sure.

Would you rather do K-Main or Danae or both?

Now some people may think she was joking but Leo and Madie had recently completed the 3 in a day, Danae, Kalang and Kanangra Main challenge in a tad over 13hrs car to car. She was serious

Now both canyons are awesome but I’d missed out on some great trips to Danae this year due to other commitments and I ain’t fit enough to do both in a day I so I’m pushing for Danae.

Cool. Leo wants to try the exit over the Spires…..

In the back of my head I recall horror stories of the Spires. Climbing up to abseil down to climb up some more. Getting benighted. destroying souls…

Will I get up the climbing? Ask I

It’s easier than Butterbox. Says Leo. It’s just a walk. (The things Leo says: 1a.)

Anyhoo it’s early but not stupid early when we hit the fire trail and trek in.

During their 3 in a day the Mad Ones had descended Danae in fairly high flow. As we crossed the upper reaches of first, Kanangra brook (Kalang) then Kanangra creek they remarked they were up considerably compared to then. Hmmm.

But Danae is hard to judge. Despite the Kalang and Kanangra crossings being up the top of Danae looked to be down a bit

Top shows the levels on our trip. Bottom a month ago on the 3 in a day trip ©Madie

And once in the slot it water levels were considerable lower than I had expected (Though still highish for me)

Leo dropping in to join Madie in the slot

Anchor bitches for ensuring safe pitches

Back not that long ago I hadn’t been all that interested in the Kanangra canyons. I’d done Dione Dell and Kalang (dry line) a few times but mainly because of the company. The trips themselves just seemed to be about abseiling beside waterfalls for the sake of abseiling beside waterfalls, which wasn’t a big appeal to me.

But then we did Danae. I’d been told Danae was a bit Blah in low water and a bit Waaa in high water. We got it pretty much perfect for our skill levels at the time and when we got to the waterfall abseil. I was like, Ok. Now I get it.

Looking back the water levels were quite tame, but our skill set has grown a lot since the days of us using double rope throw and go.

2018 seems like forever ago

Today it was a good level for fun with an experienced crew

You swing behind the flow momentarily then halfway down you cop the lot

Product placement #Rodcle, #AdventureBase #freead #sponsorme #wank

Aims heading into the hole on the drop known as Danae Direct

And then comes the boulder field

Field is misleading. It’s more a tumble. A steep tumble.

Last time I was here is was fairly dry and hot. In the cool with more water it was a lot more interesting. But I was having a bit of an off day. I just felt a bit unbalanced so I was slow(er than usual) and it and the creek walk below sapped a bit of energy

Looking down Pooken Hole from the top of the boulder Field

And at the end of the boulder field is this prime example of an anchor. Bolts are bad. 80yo pitons are Ok. MKay?

I was pretty glad to get to the junction with Kanangra creek and stop to stuff some food in

but then it was time to go up.

The start wasn’t too bad. No where near as steep and stabby and the standard exit

It got steeper and soon we were swimming through the veg. Still it wasn’t spikey like absolutely everything on the standard exit. And I had 4 people in front of me breaking a trail 🙂

But still we go up. Still it gets steeper.

And every rock was loose under hand and under foot.

Hey Madie. Say I. I think we are even

What for? asks she

For whatever the fuck it was I did to you to make you hate me so much (Things Flynny says 1.0)

Now we may have taken bets on when Madie would cry but the harder it got the more she laughed at my suffering. that’ll learn me

Hey Leo are you sure it’s easier than Butterbox?

It’s nothing like Butterbox. You don’t need a rope (The things Leo says 1.b). It’s just a walk

It never really progressed from scrambling to rock climbing but it was exposed and everything was loose. Even the stuff that looked solid you couldn’t trust as it was liable to crumble. test every foot hold. Wiggle every hand hold

From the top of the lower Spire we descend down a bit to a narrow saddle/bridge to gain the upper Spire. I can’t say I wasn’t nervous getting to the saddle or crossing it

There a 400m drop to Kanangra creek on one side and 300m drop to Danae on the other

And the climb up to the upper spire was steeper

We get almost to the top of the second Spire and there is a small wall in front of us.

What do the track notes say?

If you get to a spot where you think you need to rope up you are off track, retreat and look for another way.

Well that’s as handy as a handful of dandruff to a bald man. There were spots where Id say a lot of parties would have liked to rope up already. We are on a narrow ridge, left looks shit. Right looks worse. There’s no other way.

This is the most fucked exit I’ve ever done. (Things Flynny says. 2.0)

Madie sends Leo down to check out a ledge to the right..

I like the look of the face. (Things Leo says 2a)

Leo ropes up and climbs the small nose. hey there is a pass on the left if I can get rid of this tree. He proceeds to jump on the fallen tree to dislodge it.

You still have me on belay yeah? (things Leo say 2b)

The pass proves to be another easy scramble.

This seems to be the theme of the Spires. You look up at an imposing face and just around the corner sometimes left, but mostly right is a much easier scramble

Now we are on top of the Second Spire and we are looking at a deep saddle and the imposing face of Spire Head. 3 Abseils are needed to get down to the saddle.

and then it’s up again.

The view form on top of Spire head is amazeballs. That’s Kalang Falls pumping with the Walls stretching out to the left. Further left out of shot is views over the dam and the Blue breaks

From there it’s a fairly easy walk with Madie leading the way up over Big Misty and out to the car

13.5 hrs car to car at a fairly steady pace.

As I said before I had been a bit off (too much Xmas cheer or sumfink) so it was a big day for me. But an awesome day none-the-less, spent with amazing people.

Now lets never ever mention exiting by the Spires ever again (Things Flynny says 3.0)

TBH the views were amazing and the climb up, while long and expose in spots wasn’t too difficult so I probably would do it again. Just not tomorrow. Or even next week. but maybe one day…

I didn’t tell you it would be easy. Only it would be worth it. Anon

BACK

Kanangra Main

October 20, 2019October 20, 2019 | flynny101

19/10/2019

Jamie, Aimee, Mamie, Gamie and shamie…. I mean Jamie, Aimee, Matt, Mark and Meeeeee

Confession time: I’d not done Kanangra main before.

Abseiling for the sake of abseiling doesn’t really float my boat so it wasn’t a trip that ever featured high on my priority list but with anchor options that put you into more of the waterfalls rather than beside them it sounded fun and when Mark invited me on a trip I thought it high time I pop my K-Main cherry

After an early meet up we set off into the Kanangra wilds amidst banter and bravo. Before long we arrive at the start of the epicness and gear up

Aimee is picking up rope craft really quick, wont be long before she is leading us

Epic is a word used a lot with the Kanangra wilderness and I have to admit it humbles you as you get dwarfed in the terrain.

While water levels are down after a long dry spell, and even at normal level it’s not considered anywhere near hi-flow there is something about being swallowed into a waterfall halfway down a rope

She took control of this anchor and look at her go with feeding the rope out of the bag. Nice work

Below is a typical “Ethical and safe” blue mountains anchor…. sling crumbled with 1 sharp tug

I’m glad Mark converted me to releasable systems and flaking ropes into/out of bags. Constantly coiling and uncoiling ropes on this trip would be a PITA. We got the others into it too

Rope stuffing beside waterfalls, it’s a thing we are into…. Or sumfink

Looks like a jump, feels like a jump, smells like a jump… Well half a jump. Woot woot

And then we rock hop down the the Kalang junction and begin the “gentle stroll” back up manslaughter ridge… Helps if you stop to smell the orchids every now and then

Another great day with great people

You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face : Eleanor Roosevelt

Party Size: 5

Time: 8.5hr car to car taking it steady

BACK

Aimee’s take on the day

https://youtu.be/blwicasL_9g

Danae Brook

November 25, 2018December 7, 2018 | flynny101

24/11/2018

Madie Jeremy and meeeee

Wanna do Danae?

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.

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”

And still the abseils come in the tight confines of Danae

46526232_1946784645387475_1018438412052463616_n

46652413_258549345019224_2944416912831938560_n (1)

©Madie

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

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…

46687650_343951363049157_5052880284731572224_n (1).jpg — 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

BACK

Kalang Falls

October 14, 2018October 15, 2018 | flynny101

13-10-2018

Tim, Al, Gabby, Ev, Geoff, Roy, James and me

I’ve said before that for me the abseils are just a means to get to the next bit of canyon.

I’m far more excited by exploring the dark confines of a slot canyon. I’m captivated by the play of light as the sun arcs over head. I get fascinated by the way water and time have sculptured the rock, and I’m dazzled by the ferntacious greenery…

Ayhoo with that in mind the Kanangra canyons have never held a massive appeal to me but when Tim invited me on a trip down Kalang Falls I thought I may as well check it out to see what the fuss is all about.

With the east coast experiencing some much needed rain it was moody in the forest waiting for the others to arrive.

After a week of drizzle mixed with rain we’d check the water levels and if it was too high we’d abort and do Dione Dell instead.

As it was it was pretty much prefect

And so our group of merry adventurers set off from the car park with a buzz of excitement and a swagger in our steps.

Despite a few of the others having done the trip before myself and Al got nominated leaders so the real leader, Tim could follow along at the back of the group as safety man with the spare rope. So we set off to rig the first drop.

Making our way down towards the first abseil conditions were very slippery making it slow and steady going

There is a bit of scrambling to get down to the first anchor and Tom’s notes warned the final drop before the anchor could be dangerous so in the wet slippery conditions we rigged the abseil from above it.

I have to admit the waterfalls are stunning

As with all of Tim’s trips we had multiple ropes and walkie-talkie communi-doonies so the group could spread out. Me and Al would set rope, the next person would arrive, we’d take their rope and descend to the next one. And so on and so forth etc etc etc. So even with a largish group taking their time on slick rock we made good time down the ravine.

Al, Fingers crossed I’ve tied the knot right Bro.

It’s technically a dry trip but I got soaked in the spray off this one. If doing it in winter with this much water you’d want some good waterproof clothing

Rope management was the theme of the day. Lots of vegetation and ledges for ropes to get tangled on. I can see where flaking it out of a rope bag would be handy on a trip like this.

You can just make out Ev about to come over the edge

Tim at the 3rd anchor, this one is a little hard to locate.

Not the best silky smooth waterfall photography today but not bad for hand-held shots with the TG4

Al below the 3rd abseil. You can see Ev on belay where the ropes come down to the right

I found the scrambles between the falls took a lot of concentration. The quartzite is a lot slipperier than the standard Bluies sandstone and also tends to have a lot more loose rocks ready to roll your ankle.

Ev at the bottom of the big drop with Gabby way up high on rope to the right at the top of the falls

Despite the cool day Gabby felt the need for a bit of a swim. Ev is trying to dissuade her.

But….

Then he went for a swing and only good team belaying by Ev and Gabby kept him dry

Geoff’s enthusiasm for the bush is infectious

And then it was up Manslaughter ridge and out

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Probably really common, but can anyone tell me the species?

How did I find it? Well the waterfalls were stunning, the company was awesome, the abseils were abseils and the walk out wasn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be.

Another great day in the bush with great people.

The mind is like water: capable of going anywhere but once hemmed in by walls of it’s own making it takes a powerfull flood to burst it’s banks and change its course: me

Group size: 8 all experienced

Time: 9hr 20min car to car, not rushing in the slippery conditions and taking it easy up the exit ridge.

BACK

Dione Dell

September 25, 2016September 26, 2016 | flynny101

25-09-2016

Jodie, Garry Edwin and me

Dione Dell is a good introduction to the Kanangra-Boyd style canyons. Unlike the dark, sandstone constrictions of Blue Mt canyons the ones out this way are more steep ravines that drop through a series of water falls as the streams cut down through the quartzite landscape.

Now at first glance quartzite looks a bit like sandstone, and once upon a time it was just that but then it got subjected to heat and pressure which melts down the granny structure and metamorphises it into and different beast.

Gone is the grittiness that offers some semblance of grip, and it’s harder too so tends to break off in lots of block sized chunks. Loose and slippery. It can make for hard going as you try to traverse it.

Anyhoo it had been ages since I’d been down Dione Dell (Almost 18 years) and I was keen to take Tal, he and his mates had other ideas and went camping instead but I was still excited to show the others through it.

As I said earlier, it’s a good intro into Kanangra Walls canyons. One of the smaller trips out this way it consists of 4 major waterfalls, which are, for the most part, descended in single pitches, and a relatively easy walk out.

All that said it shouldn’t be taken lightly. The quartzite is slippy and loose and some of the abseils have quiet a bit of vegetation and in high water it would be a bit of a challenge.

In summer it is possible to take the direct route down through the falls. Today we opted to stay mostly dry (‘Cept for me who fell in. Pay back for the time I took Della down in the snow and he fell in multiple times)

But enough of my blabbering. here are some photos to wet your appetite.

Edwin testing out my new Canyonfire rope

Party Size: 4 (3 experienced I beginner)

Time: About5 hr car to car with some photo phaffing

	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

Boyd

Morong Falls

Bindook Chasm

Box Creek Falls.

Danae Canyon and Thurat Spires

Kanangra Main

Danae Brook

Kalang Falls

Dione Dell