Danae

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

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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

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

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©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

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	flynny101 on Whungee Wheengee woohoo
	Evan S on Whungee Wheengee woohoo
	Jeanette Learned on Wollangambe Fire trail
	flynny101 on Wollangambe Fire trail
	Jeanette Learned on Wollangambe Fire trail

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Danae Canyon and Thurat Spires

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