It might be hard to beleive but the town of Rylstone has one of the best Yum Cha/Tea house in Australia (29 Nine 99, do yourself a favour). I’d booked in with Mandy for a late Mothers day lunch and we thought why not do a walk while we were there.
Dunns Swamp is the gate way to the Wollemi and a hot spot for outdoor activity in the area but it’s a long way out of town and with the limited openning hours for Yum Cha we needed something closer and a bit more touritsy.
A quick google search told me there was a little nature reserve about 16km north of Rylstone that might offer up a pleasant walk. Fern Tree Gully
I wasn’t sure what I was expecting, certainly not a little canyon, but I was in fr a pleasant surprise.
A well maintained (Not a thing out of place, 1 discarded chip pack the solo piece of rubbish we carted out.) tourist trail winds down into a pretty gully the vegetation is completely different to what I’m use to in the blues and there were lots of little information signs to let us know what we were looking at.
At the base of the gully I commented it was almost a canyon… then we rounded the corner and it canyoned up. Sweet!
Mandy making her way down into Fern Tree GullyFern Trees aplenty
The walls close in and a canyon appears
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After a bit the gorge opens up a little as the trail ambles through the gullyEven close to midday the light was magicalFor all their calling and mimicry Lyrebirds are normally shy creatures that dart off into the scrub at the first scent of humans… This one didn’t get that memo. I think he liked Mandy to be honest.The canyon opens out and closes in a few times
The grey gums were massive
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At the junction with the exit gully a short board walk lead down the main gully to a little chair where a natural spring rises
There was more canyonette in the exit gully
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Did I mention the trees were huge?Steps back up to the lookout trail
The Lookout trail winds along the top of the canyons 1.4km back to the car park and offers some very nice views
So if you listened to the weather forecasters you’d expect to see a guy building a baot and collecting animals two by two or something.
Still I was keen to get out and was origanlly thinking one of the drier canyons out around Sunnyside might be nice with some rain.
Julie was keen and expressed an interest in doing Alcatraz instead.
Leaf posted on the Ozcanyons facebook group looking for trip she could join inon and we invited her along.
After a bit of discussion we settled on Alcatraz and a small double(or is it triple) canyon system out near the glowworm tunnel that I wanted to check out.
The forecaste went from gloomy to dire. There was some discussion on canceling the trip but thankfully we decided to roll with it.
Friday was ment to be the worse day. It was fine but the rain rolled in Friday night and belted down.
Saturday dawned sunny. A prefect day for a bit of exploring.
We met up and navigated the maze of roads into Alcatraz. The view down into the canyon from the cliff above showed the waterlevel well up but we suited up and carefully made our way into the anchor point.
Looking down into the slot, had me a bit concerned. I’d done it in high water with Ed and others a while ago and it was fine but this was up even more and without being able to see the exit I wasn’t comfortable dropping in.
We opted to descend the cliff beside it and make up way up from below. In hindsight it was likely doable but te canyons are always there for next time and I’m happy to play it safe.
Looking across into the spoutJulie setting the camera up while LEaf makes her way into the chamberThe chamber and exit were fineJulie and Leaf in the chamberInside the chamberInside the chamberThe exit slot
So a bit disappoint we didn’t abseil in but as I said there is always next time.
We made our way back to the cars and then continued out toward the glowworm tunnels for our next points off interest.
I had done the first little slot with Mandy from below and after checking the satelite imagry realised there was another system close by. This time we headed down the dry canyon (not so dry today) and then explored as far up the other system as we could get before retracingour steps.
So I always thought it odd there were some great canyons running off the Blue Mts Plateau on the North side of the Highway but not much to the South. Sure there was Empress, which is stunning, but I thought it an oddity in among the micro canyons, steep cracks and more open V-gullys running into the valleys on the south side.
Awhile ago I heard rumours that something else had been found but was vague on details. Then the 5th edition Jamieson guide came out with a brief description of the awesomely named “Great Uncle George” Canyon and I’ve been keen to check it out but just hadn’t gotten around to it.
Hey Julie, texts I, U off on ANZAC day? though my spelling and typing is even worse on text.
Sure am, says she or something to that effect and we hatch a plan to visit Old Uncle Georgeyboy. She contacts Jim who pioneered a different exit up an easy ridge back to Ingar Fire trail which makes a very short car shuffle or negates the need for one altogether if you don’t mind a bit of boring fire trail walking at the end.
Jim and his wife Lyn are keen to come along, even better.
Ed can’t make it as he is busy doing family stuff, which is a bummer. As I know he was keen to check it out too.
Tal was keen but when I woke him up at the crack of 7:45am he groaned, rolled over and pulled his covers over his head… Um OK. Julie shows up we stash gear and head up to meet the Cooks at the car park.
It’s a short walk in… if you veer through the private property but it may be best to skirt around the outside, avoiding the swamp and neighboring gully. Up top it’s a bit of an erosion scar. A trail dozed down towards the cliff edge must surely be an old fire break as it’s too steep for a standard 4WD.
Anyhoo we reach the abseil point. Jim set up on the rope, backs up and with a little hop disappears. It’s funny to watch. One second he is there, there next he is not. Hopefully I can get some video together over the next week or so as I have a good clip of Lyn doing the same.
Jim dropping in
A nice overhung abseil into a awesome amphitheater. A tall waterfall plunges into a sited up hole which must once have been a very pleasant swimming hole.
The abseil comes down beside this pretty fall. With all the earthworks/erosion up top the pool is silted up but I wouldn’t mind betting it was once a nice swimming hole.
A set of stairs lead back up the through the cliff line and while the rope is getting retrieved I fire off a couple of photos and head up the stairs to see where they go. A lot of work had gone into making the stairs and the trail above them. It takes me up to a little cave where more stairs are carved up the rock face to no where, as the trail continues around a nose and up above the top cliff line.
A Lot of work went into this track
Wind swept cave in the upper cliff line
Odd place for a step
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What followed was a pleasant stroll down a very pretty creek inter-spaced with some abseils and some nice canyon sections.
Julie abseiling the second dropJim on the third dropJulie on the 4th dropJulie on Camera, Jim on watch and Lyn on rope
More pleasant creek follows. It was mostly easy walking with a little bit of boulder hoping
Nice Creek walking
Starting to Canyon up
Some boulder scrambling and wades
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Several times the canyon threatens to form, swings around a corner and peters out
Jim, Lyn and, Julie in a canyonesque sectionthere were some tricky down climbsAnd lots of little waterfalls
And after a bit more creek walking a canyon forms with a bit of length to it
Jim leads Julie into the narrows of the canyon
Canyon Formation
Canyon Formation
Canyon formation
Julie photoing me photoing her
Boulder scrambles
Canyon opening out
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It opens out briefly
But it soon closes back in with some tricky abseilsLyn on one of the tricky overhanging startsJim past the tricky start an abseiling into a very nice chamber
While never overly deep or tight it does seem to keep going for a while
Julie disappearing down the next bit.
Canyon formation
Canyon formation
Canyon formation
Canyon formation
Canyon formation
Canyon formation opening back out
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And then there is more pleasant creek scrambling with enough awesome scenery to make it well worth while
Looking back up stream to our lunch spot and exit point
The Jameison guide says to continue down stream a while then out another creek, which requires a car shuttle but Jim had scoped another option last trip and we scramble up a break in the clifflines which leads to an easy ridge back toward the picnic area near the start of Ingar fire trail and thus back to the car.
So, while I wouldn’t say the canyon itself was overly spectacular it was a very nice trip in a beautiful creek that was, for the most part, very easy going. While a couple of the abseils had tricky starts they were all a bit of fun.
Party Size: 4 all experienced
Timing: 5hrs car to car with lots of photo phaffing, exploring, chatting and taking it easy )
All in all a great day in the great outdoors with great people
I thought the entrance chamber was so awesome I went back with Mandy and Tal a couple of days later for a picnic via the stairs
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We were trying to figure out why these stair would be carved under the cave, its certainly easy enough to walk up the slope beside them then Mandy cottoned on to a likely answer, could they have quarried blocks from here to use int he stair case below?
Despite a coolish day Mandy was keen to get under the Falls
I hadn’t even notice this that first time around. Blue Mountain Historical society had a few clues to the initials may have belonged to nothing that matched completely
I think Tal is disappointed a) he didn’t come on the canyon trip and b) we didn’t bring ropes with us todayA weathered inscription on top of the cliff. Could that be WRH, For Walter R. Hall? Unfortunately we couldn’t find an SC Hall or ED Hall to tie it in to the initials in the rock in on be of the previous photosLooking back on to the falls from the pagoda at the top of the stairsThis chick makes me happy
Julie invited me and Ed out on a trip out to one of the less raved about canyons on the Southern Bungleboori, accessed off Waratah ridge and we weren’t about to say no.
The original plan was to do 4 Dope but after all the rain the Julie suggested Dead Tree (AKA “Dead Log” in the Jameison guide) instead as 4 Dope required 1km of wading, swimming and, scrambling upstream to exit the Bunglebooori which may well be pumping.
I had previously read on Dave Nobles blog that he hadn’t thought much of the canyon on his first trip through (thou that was at a time when canyons like Rocky Crk, Crikey, Steep crk… were still being discovered) and while on a much later trip he was more impressed with it, of the 2 he still preferred 4 Dope. So even though Julie assured me she liked Dead Tree better I didn’t have high expectations for a spectacular constriction.
Whether it was these low expectations, the extra water flow or a combination of both I thought it was a great trip through a very pretty constriction with plenty of challenges to keep you thinking.
Anyhoo I get ahead of myself.
Oddly the Jameison guide suggests 1 day for 4 Dope but, even though it has a shorter walk in and out, suggests a “long day” for Dead ‘Log’ I’m figuring it must be slow going in the canyon so was a little surprised with reasonable starting time and we roll out of my place a little after 8.30am.
The Waratah Ridge car park was empty when we arrived (though had another 3 cars by the time we returned) and the walk out was fairly uneventful with a clear trail for fair way before we veer off the main ridge and head into trackless scrub. Julie is navigating and I enjoy just tagging along.
We wander out to the end of our ridge to a big pagoda complex that offers views out over the trackless wilderness of the Southern Bungleboori.
then we back track slightly and drop into our creek
Delicate irons stone structures
Themighty cliffs of the Bungleboori
Julie leading out across a small ridge
Doesn’t look like much ahead
Avoiding an abseil via a Plately pagoda and a slippery chute
Straight away we are greeted with a very pretty pool at the base of a small cascade. I set the little camera up in live comp mode and leave it recording as we don wetsuits and harness’s
This pool was crystal clear and looked fairly still but Olympus live comp mode compiles images in a basic histogram type thing that keeps adding the bright sections to the background image and them blends it all together in camera. The guide says it’s for getting good fireworks photos but it is great for waterfalls and foam/leaf swirls too. Here foam bubbles are captured in a slow swirl
Next up we are straight into a cool little tunnel.
Cool in more ways than one. brrrr. fresh
Ed follows Julie into the darkness
It was a short swim through darkness
What follows is a bit of a slog down the gully. It wasn’t too bad but lots of dead fall, peeled bark and washed down stick jams to negotiate between some slippery boulder scrambles.
And then the canyon closed in and we were met with a lot of tricky little down climbs and abseils that looked higher than they were. You’d be squeezing down a hole, trying work out how to get your foot over the next ledge by feel as you couldn’t see then you realise that ledge was the floor…
With the water levels up a little the waterfalls were all very pretty and a few of the abseils had you swinging under them. it was all very enjoyable.
Julie and Ed at the drop into the constriction, we ended up down climbing rather than roping upJulie making her way down a very slippery, dead tree/log with an old sling at the bottomAnother drop down a Dead Tree/log follows, this time it stops 2 meters or so from the water level so a rope is needed.The constriction was narrow, deep and dark in placesEd squeezes down an tight hole on one of the many awkward abseils.Canyon formation
Julie and Ed in the Canyon Formation
Canyon formation
Ed in the canyon
Canyon formation
Julie on another tight abseil with a tricky start
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Ed on rope with Julie looking on from below
Canyon formation
I’m sure the little extra water flow added to the experience
Julie making her way through the canyon
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Ed on rope, Julie on photo duties below.Ed watching Julie disappear down into one of the darker chambers
Canyon formation
Canyon formation
Canyon formation
Canyon formation
Ed and Julie in the canyon
Canyon formation
Canyon formation
Canyon formation
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Julie on the final abseilEd on the final abseilJust above the junction with the ‘Boori
After the coolness in the canyon we scrambled up into a patch of sunlight to thaw out and grab a bite to eat and then it was back into the water and down stream on the Boori.
Type 1 fun*, says Julie as for the most part we lie back on our packs and let the extra current take us. Some short, shallow rapids were shot. Sure the video makes it look tame but it felt fast and fun at the time and sure beat wading up stream.
Julie letting the current do the work
We forgo the exit suggested in the guide and continue down to the one next to Arch canyon. This is a fairly easy pass with a bit of route finding but with slight side trips offers nice views over the arch, only slightly obscured by trees.
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Back on the ridge top it’s fairly easy going. The trail comes and goes from clear as clear, well trodden and defined to nothing but the scrub is sparce and we know we just need to follow the tops. Eventually we find the trail proper and it’s an easy march back to the car park.
A most enjoyable day
Party size: 3 all experienced
Time: 8.5hrs car to car
After all the rain there was a lot of fungi out and about and we spotted some nice looking ones. If you can identify any of them I’d love to see it in the comments below
Don’t eat the red ones: Boletellus obscurecoccineus willkilluious deadii
White ones. What ever you do don’t eat the white one. Glowious inthedarki deatheous
I thought these were fallen flowers
Deathiate bi beautii
Like fantasy castles waiting to launch an attack on your mind and kidneys
Tremella fuciformis, the white brain that will fry your brain. Like crystal meth but spongy
Smurfs disguised as ‘srooms. They are sure to kill you. evil smurfs
Shagadelic. 1 sniff and you’ll be talking to a great dane and eating Scooby snacks
If you peel it and boil it for 4hrs then tip the water out and boil it again it’ll probably still kill you
Tpye 1. Good old plain fun. Its fun planning, it’s fun doing and it’s fun looking back on. You really wish you were doing it now
Type 2. It was fun after the fact. You know once you’ve forgotten the 3km of scrub the scratched the crap out of you on the way to the fun and you have also forgotten also the 5000m of vertical you climbed to get out of the fun. You’d definitely do it again
Type 3. You claim it was fun. You tell your mates it was fun. But you’d would never do it again.
It’s just before 9 as we pull into the Rocky Creek car park and we have the place to ourselves. That might sound unusual but it’s in the PM and our head torches cast eerie shadows through the mist.
Ethan and Ed soon join us. The refracted moonlight gives a strange illumination. We lament the lack of stars but soon we’ll be greeted by constellations of another kind.
We turn off onto the steep track that descends into the head waters Twister. Thick vegetation creates a tunnel effect and the bright spot of the head lights focuses your attention. Without the peripheral distractions of grand landscapes the walk in seems even shorter than normal.
There is nervous chatter as we change into wetsuits. It had been a long time since I’d canyoned at night. The Wollangambe trip at night use to be a favourite of ours. The looks you got from the masses as they were getting back to the car park just as you were leaving… Youse are too late. You’ll never get there before dark! That’s the point we’d grin. Dolphin torches at the ready…
Anyhoo for most of the others it was a first. Me too, I’d never done this trip at night. Wetsuits on. The cloud cover had trapped the warmth of the day, there were a few comments of how hot it was in the suits. Hold that thought.
In we go… Marvelous. Nerves turn to adrenaline.
Heightened awareness.
Man Twister if fun!
The water is Twister and Rocky crk seems warmer than normal at the moment. As warm as I’ve ever felt it. OK not bathy and you wouldn’t just float there of hours in your speedos but it not take your breath away bracing either.
Concentrating in finding foot placements in the dark I had to remind myself to stop and look around. Not far in I spot that familiar green glow. The first of the glow worms. A few dim spots nestled into cracks in the wall
Jodie had never seen glowworms before. Lights off. let your eyes adjust Wow its like Christmas lights, says she. I Love Christmas lights.
Every chamber it was tempting to turn the torches off and just soak in the glow but I knew it was only going to get better
Twister felt like it was over in no time and we continued down towards Rocky Crk.
More and more Glowworms adorned the steep walls that overhang the access trail. Soon enough we reach the start of the canyon. In the still night the roar of the waterfall seemed amplified 10fold.
This was the first canyon I’d ever done. I still remember the feeling of awestruck wonder I felt first looking down that drop into the narrow chasm. It sparked my love of canyoning. Countless trips later that feeling returns every time of reach this point.
In we go.
I was hoping to get some stars in the background. But still… Wow
The glowworms in Twister were nice. The ones along the entrance track were magical. Once in the jaws of Rocky they are on another level again.
Even the snotty webs coating the walls reflected the light of the head torches, making the whole canyon seem to glow.
Unfortunately just as we get to the Washing Machine Jodie jars her ankle on a submerged ledge. She and Garry decide to start heading back up while the rest of us continue down to the starts of the tunnel swim. Not knowing how bad the injury is we opt to finish the trip there and head on back up.
Brown Eels, glowworms and yabbies greet us in a passage. We try not to disturb them too much
Ghosts in the machine.The Tunnel swimLight trails and glowing walls
I couldn’t get my little tripod set up here so it was hard to capture just how awesome this cave section was. With torches off there were enough glowworm to be able to see.
Beautiful by day stunning by nightLight trails under shifting glowwormsTime to exit
Party Size: 6. Mostly experienced
Time:~4hr car to car with a slow ascent due to injury
There was a bit of history repeating tonight. Just before I started canyoning my little brother and his mates did a few night trips to Rocky Creek. 1 I remember as one of the girls in the group broke her ankle before they had reached the canyon. While we were able to walk of injured out (Some tough determination and a lot of grimacing) they were not so fortunate and spent the night carrying her back up to the car park…
Disclaimer: While canyoning at night poses pretty much the same risks as doing it in the daylight the consequences of things going wrong is much greater. Without the beams of sunlight to warm you between darker swim sections Hypothermia is a heightened danger. Limited peripheral vision may mask hazards that would otherwise be easily identify.
Navigation can also be much harder. You should be very familiar the canyon and it’s entry/exit tracks before attempting it.Even on this trip with clear trails the guys missed a turn started back up towards twister on the way out.
It’s also worth noting the creatures out and about at this time of day are creatures of darkness. They don’t want thousands of lumins shone on them and massive groups disturbing their peace. We kept our beam set on low and trod as lightly as possible. As you always should in these pristine environments.
Mandy, Sharon, Sean, Tom, Claire, Tillie, Mick and Robbie.
And Me!
Aaaaand Weeze!!!
Last weeks blog about Sheep Dip Canyon addresses the naming confusion between these two canyons. I wont go over it again but todays canyon is Twister. It’s near the Rocky Creek Canyon car park and now days most people use it as a warm up (should that be cool down?)on their way into Rocky Creek Canyon. A Lot of people still mistakenly refer to it as Sheep Dip.
Anyway this was a cruzy morning with family and friends where we did Twister on it’s own, which is kinda unusual, but it is a fun little trip to show beginners down. I was a bit busy looking after the kids (and adults) to concentrate of either photos or video so they are not my best work but I got a little bit and I’ll let them tell the tale.
Tom keen to get the party started. The small stream drops down into a labyrinth between the mighty pagodas behind himTillie was a little apprehensive at firstIt’s not deep or overly dark but Twister has some nice canyon sections
Weeze had been lamenting she was the only one of my siblings who had not been canyoning before. I’m sure it wasn’t the first time she had been invitedThe smile on Tom’s face says it all. It’s a very fun slide. Unfortunately I didn’t have the GoPro going as Sharon came down out of control in what I am sure was a deliberate attempt to skittle her whole familySome of the jumps can be intimidating to those not use to it. There was very little hesitation in the group today.
Tillie had been a little reluctant on the first few jumps. By the end, while still a little scared, she was still willing to take the leap of faithSean and Tillie in the water. Robbie about to do the slide.Claire is a bigger adrenaline junky than I am and was keen to lead the way. Nothing daunts this super chickTom on the last drop into the plunge pool.I never seem to get a good shot of this sectionThe secret is out. All good so long as you are not after that wilderness feel (and there are other canyon that offer that.) The car par was so full it seems the camera had to cut that subaru in half.
Party size 10. 2 experienced the rest beginners
time: 2hrs car to car taking our time and enjoying it.
While it is an easier canyon it has beenthe scene of many rescues over the years and at least 1 death so it still needs to be treated with respect. You are a long way from help so need to have the right gear and know how to get out of trouble when things go wrong.
So I’ve always been a fan of Teva sandals for my outdoor adventures but then I strained both Achilles at basketball. Clambering up steep hills in any shoe at the moment is a little uncomfortable for me. In the canyon they didn’t bother me too much but on a steep descent and, oddly worse, on a long flat walk out the heal strap on the sandals has given me a bit of curry and certainly done me no favours. Bearable while still moving but once I stop they flare up, by the end of the car ride home I’ve been struggling to walk to the house.
With this in mind and to get the pressure off the tendon I’ve decided to retire them early and try out a canyon specific boot.
I’m a big fan of Five10s for riding so was attracted to them first but a few people had said the heal strap in the five10s was uncomfortable, something I was trying to avoid. I’ve also heard of people complaining about longevity and quality in them, something that has been somewhat an issue with the riding shoes since Adidas bought them out.
The Fat Canyoners had a good write up on the Bestards so I decided to give them a go.
Here are my initial thoughts.
Postage got held up a little in the Christmas madness so when they finally turned up I popped them straight on to break them in a bit. No real need. These are one of the most comfortable boots I’ve ever tried out of the box. I wore them around all day doing some maintenance on my ute. Wow.
They are much lighter than they look too.
I’ve now had a chance to get them down their first canyon. Du Faurs creek
They have some features that shows just how much thought the good folk at Bestard have put into them, Notably built in spats, to help keep sand and burrs out, and lace pouch.
Lace pouch? Sounds like a wank yeah. But on scrubby walks I was often waiting for others (I’m looking at you Mandy, dearest love of my life….) to stop and do up laces. Tucking the knot and lace ends up into the little pouch on the Bestards tongue means this should never be an issue with these boots. Attention to that sort of detail gives me high hopes for these boots (Or at least helps me justify to myself spending so much on them)
The only concerns I had so far was how hot they be on a long walk out in high summer.
Price.
They aren’t cheap and being a tight arse I would not have spent that coin on a shoe for canyoning had I not suffered the achillies thing.
They generally go for around $175 Euro,that said I picked mine up for $115 euro from the Canyonstore. Postage was hefty adding another $50aus meaning all up it was a tad over $200Aus
Looks.
What can I say? They are friggin moon boots straight from a dodgy 80’s sci fi show. Cool is you are into that sort of thing.
I am
Fit.
At the time of ordering there wasn’t anywhere in Aus that stocked them (New store openning in Katoomba is suppose to be stocking them now) so getting the sizing right was a bit of a concern. My Five10 riding shoes are all US10/Euro43 but my clipless riding shoes are US10/Euro45. Both fit perfectly (how does that even work?). My Teva Sandals are a Euro 43 and slightly tight so I split the difference and with widish feet and habit of wearing thick woolen sockswent Euro 44.5. The fit was pretty spot on, slightly roomy across the foot so the 44s may have been better. The lace system helped pull every thing tight enough.
Grip
Fat Canyoners said they needed to scuff the soles up a bit to get comfortable with the grip. I didn’t have any issues in Du Faurs but it isn’t the most slippy canyon out there so I’ll reserve judgement
Sand
There is a fair bit of wading down a sandy bottom creek in Du Faurs. At the end of the day not a scearic of sand in the boots. Win
Swimming
After the naturalness of the Tevas to swim in I found the Bestards to be a little weird in the swims. They had a bit of a floaty sensation. Not bad, just weird. Might take a bit of getting use to
Wear
To early to tell.
Comfort
As stated earlier one of the most comfortable boots I’ve ever put on out of the box. None of that breaking them in and taping things up until the skin toughens up you normally associate with new hiking boots
The day wasn’t that hot so I didn’t get a chance to see how hot they be on a long sunny walk out but so far so good.
Definitely took the pressure off my achillies. Stepped out of the car and walked inside feeling almost normal. A big relief to me.
So I’ve been a long time fan of Teva adventure sandals for canyoning and it’s been about 8months since I updated my old set to a set of Trail Dozer 3s and in that time they’ve done around 25 canyon trips, a dozen or more bushwalks and they have also seen a little day to day wear so it’s time for a long term review.
Price.
The Trail dozer models go for around $115. I think I got mine on special for around $75. Dearer than Volleys, cheaper than some of the canyon specific shoes out there
Looks.
I’ve never really cared to much about looks. I’ve always been a function over fashion type of guy. I guess they are not much to look at but they aren’t butt ugly either. The greyish green certainly bucks the trend of bright gnarish colour schemes some other brands seem t think outdoors types prefer.
Fit.
My old trail dozers were a US10, Euro 43 and fit me like a glove (for my feet) so I ordered the same. The new ones were noticeably smaller. They were fine barefoot but combined with my favourite canyoning woolen socks (hole proof heros) they were a little snug around the toes. Not painfully so but noticeable.
Grip
Originally the Teva guys strapped a bit of car tyre to their feet to help stop them falling out of their kayaks or something. Things progressed from there.
I always thought they were as grippy, if not more so, as the Volleys. The new models were no different. In the 25 or so canyon trips I did in them I slipped maybe 3 times, more due to lack of attention then shoe tread.
Sand
I think this is what I liked most about the old Tevas. Sure you’d get a bit of sand under your foot at times but the just the act of wading forward flushed it out. I was a little concerned the new, more enclosed design of the Trail Dozer 3 or 4 models might trap the sand in there a bit more. This wasn’t an issue. They flushed themselves out just like the old models. I can’t remember ever needing to take them off mid canyon to rid them of sand.
Swimming
They really are the best shoe I’ve swam in. It’s almost like you are barefoot. Feels pretty natural.
Velcro strap
I’ve read a few comments on other shoe reviews of people being very wary of velcro in canyon environments. I can honestly say in 20 years of using Tevas outdoors I’ve never had the velcro fail. Infact on my last pair the leather loop holding the plastic lug the straps went through wore out while the velcro was still holding strong
Wear
After fair bit of walking the soles are showing a bit of wear but there is plenty of treat left in them.
The uppers have worn a bit but they’ve seen a fair bit of thick scrub. The spungy uppersole showed a bit of wear early on, especially around the heal but haven’t seemed to deteriorated since.
There are a couple of spots were the stitching has copped a flogging and they are looking a bit scruffy, especially the outside just behind the toe box
Comfort.
If you had have asked me 6months ago I would have rated the comfort pretty high. Then I strained both Achilles at basketball. Clambering up steep hills in any shoe at the moment is a little uncomfortable for me. In the canyon they didn’t bother me but on a steep descent and, oddly worse, on a long flat walk out the heal strap and slightly small size has given me a bit of curry and certainly done me no favours.
I’d still rate the Tevas highly and if it wasn’t for the achillies issues I’m sure I’d stick with them. As it is to get the pressure off the tendon I’ve decided to retire them early and try out a canyon specific boot and have purchased a set of Bestard canyon guides.
Devils pinch is one of several canyons accessed via the Pipeline trail just down steam of Newnes. I’d done a few of the others and was keen to get back for this one as it was reputably one of the better ones in the area.
Ed arrived a my place nice and early and we headed on down hoping to do the climb before the heat of the day. Good plan.
At the car park we debated taking wet suits. We hadn’t used them last year when we did Pipeline Canyon but we had heard the wet section in Devils Pinch was longer, darker and more sustained. We decided to take them, they offer good scrape protection when scrambling down rocks if nothing else. Not such a good plan.
Bags stuffed full we headed down stream to the start of the Pipeline trail and began the climb up. It starts fairly gentle and we had a slight breeze in the shadow of the tower cliffs above us. The higher you go the steeper it gets and it wasn’t long before I was stripping off my sweat soaked shirt to get a bit of that breeze on my skin.
It still amazes me the effort it must have taken to build the pipeline between Glen Davis and Newnes (not to mention all the way to Newnes Junction near Clarence). Back when men were men and so were women or something and hard work was par for the course.
I bet those guys didn’t go home from work and talk about their feelings. says Ed.
I dragged steel pipes up a mountain all day but Ed was mean to me and called me names. Says I.
Anyhoo. We reach the top, dump the bags and make the short detour to the look out. Man how good does it feel to walk through the bush without a 75l pack stuffed full of gear on your back? (What was I saying about men being men… Yeah na, my shoulders hurt.)
We snap a few photos and then continue up to the watershed (It’s not like an actual shed, Stupid…) and veer off onto the Starlight trail. Once again we lost it somewhere around where you’d turn off for Pipeline canyon but corrected our error and pick up the main trail without too much drama.
The cliffs overlooking the Glen Davis end of the Pipeline trail and you can make out the awesome conical peak of Tayan Pic in the distance across the Capertee
Considering the popularity of Devils Pinch canyon I expected there to be a bit of a trail veering off the main track, if there is we missed it but found our way down to the headwaters of the creek without incident.
The heat is getting oppressive now so we are keen to get into the cool of the canyon. The creek threatens to “canyon up” a few times before we reach the spot where it drops down a dark slot. Woohoo.
We scramble along a ledge beside the slot to the abseil point and now have to put our gear on balanced on small stances. Didn’t think that through…
The top section is suppose to be fairly dry should we put wetties on now?
It says the abseil lands in a pool and there are some climb downs into water.
Rather than putting harnesses on now, then doing some deep wades and have to take harnesses off, put wetties on and harness up again we chose to put the wetsuits on now. Bad plan.
I’ve said it before but abseiling for me is just a means to get to the next bit of canyon. But this abseil is really cool. Relatively easy start then a long drop into an awesome slot but one you touch down it keeps going down another dark, narrow drop. About 25m all up, or down I should say.
Ed on the second bit of the first abseil
We’re now in a deep, dark narrow cleft. It’s really beautiful. There is a tight squeeze climb down a twisting chute before we are on the cleft floor. The pool the guide suggested we would land in is nonexistent at the moment, just a damp patch of mud.
Edwin contorting down the chute
Rounding a bend and all too soon the canyon opens out into a wide gorge. Scrambling down the valley the creek bed is as dry as a nuns nasty and the heat is slowly cooking me. We stop and strip the top of our wetsuits down in an attempt to stive off heat stroke.
It was disappointing to see this section of otherwise pristine creek was infected with backberry.And Flys! I’m pretty sure there was an international convention of the bushfly alliance. Millions of them swarming around, we were expecting to come across something dead but nothing, just clouds of flys. I’m pretty happy at this point they weren’t bitey.
Finally, droping down through a layer of strata a small trickle of water appeared in the creekbed. I wasted now time in splashing the cool liquid over my head.
And then we come to the next section of shallow canyon with the welcome sight of a deepish pool waiting at the bottom. Rotting vegetaion leaching tannins gave the water what Ed described as a lovely shade of Earl Grey (What’s that Paul Kelly line about the coffee being the colour of the river but not nearly as brown?) but we pulled the wetties back up and jumped in.
Ahhh, Bliss
Ed scrambling into the wet section
The next section of canyon is really nice. It’s not all that deep but has some narrow squeezes, tricky climb downs and deep wades.
Small pot hole you can’t touch the bottom off in at the bottom of a narrow climb down
click images to enlarge
This section is reasonably long and has a lot of fun bits but eventually it drops into another deep narrow section.
Overhanging abseils are nice but usually have shity starts as you work your way over a tricky lip. This one just gradually turns over hung so it’s a really nice start then a 17m abseil hanging in space.
This section is awesome. Deep and sustained and, despite being midday, the play of light on the walls was divine.
click images to enlarge
We come to a slightly wider chamber and Ed points down to a funny looking rock. Look a skull. Oh yeah a wallaby skull, fair size. Must have fallen in…. Oh shit goanna.
Sitting on a rock about 3feet away is a small, beautifully patterned lace monitor. I guess that’s who dragged the wallaby in. It’s dark and cool in here but it turns out it an easy walk up from the exit portal so I’m pretty sure it hasn’t fallen in and become trapped. Unfortunately around the corner is the remains of a much larger one, just under 2m long.
Lanna the canyoning goannaLanna looking up the slot but keeping an eye on us
The rest of the canyon is an easy walk down a sublime slot.
Click images to enlarge
At the exit portal we get out of the harnesses and wetsuits and eat lunch in the shade enjoying the cool breeze drifting down out of the canyon.
Once fed we opt to by pass the final two abseils and scramble down beside the steep gully to the Wolgan river before commencing the 5km hike back to the camp ground. It was hot, damn hot and our water was getting low. When we did Pipeline canyon the weather gods blessed us with a cooling down poor of rain on the walk out. No such luck today.
A hot but very worthwhile trip.
Party size: 2 both experienced
Time: 6.5 hrs car to car. Bit of Photo Phaffing, not rushing but moving steadily all day.
On such a hot day it would have been fine for most people without wetsuits. The water was cold but the pools short and there were plenty of little patches of sunshine flooding in.
I tried the helmet mount for the go pro, didn’t have the angle right for much of it so most of my clips were unusable, I’ve salvaged what I could…
sleepwhenwearedead 