Popeye creek pops in and out of canyon sections along much of its course and it’s one I’d not done before.
A big Saturday trip had been foiled by thunderstorms and we just needed to shake out the cobwebs but couldn’t be arsed repacking ropes and stuff so thought why not have a look at some non abseil sections in Popeye.
Meeting at the crack of 10am, or there abouts we make our way in in no time.
We’d be entering the canyon a long way upstream of where the jamieson guide recommends but not too far from the increasingly popular Popeye falls.
The creek cuts a deep, promising looking cleft in the sandstone.
A short section of narrow u bends hide a pleasant little canyon.
There’s a bit of bridging to stay dry above the knees. But the water is a pleasant temp anyway
Not the figure 8 pool
It is very pretty.
Parts very similar to the Dumbano tunnels.
We are already impressed. the canyon opens up a bit and Waratahs line the banks.
Waratahs along a spur off Waratah ridge? Who would have thunk it
And soon we come to the falls.
Most visitors to here avoid the canyon bit and keep their feet dry by scrambling down the nose.
It’s a funky little waterfall through an arch in a side creek
We phaff about with photos for a bit, we have to pool all to ourselves., but then push on downstream to the next canyon section.
A bit wider and deeper it’s a nice walk through section
It’s nice
Again the canyon opens out. We believe it’s a 1km scrub bash down to the next bit so, happy with our easy day, we retrace our steps back up to the waterfall. A crowd of people are here now.
There’s an easier way in, says old mate sucking in a vape.
We came that way, replies Ellie very politely. We just had a look at some other stuff while out here.
We leave the guards and scramble out into the cliff top for lunch.
Gadget, Leo, Madie, Russ, Gibbo and Vince with cameos from Aleasha, Random Chris, Pippa and Oban.
To be honest caving hasn’t really been on my bucket list. I had worked as an underground miner so time off in the sunshine appealed more than spending my time off in another hole in the ground.
Sure I’d done the touristy ones and crawled into some Glowworm caves but that’s different.
I’ve since moved to an above ground role but being a little on the portly side full on caving made me a bit nervous.
Anyhoo, I asked the crew, do you have any plans for the long weekend?
Wanna come caving at Wee Jasper, they replied
why the hell not. I thunked. Time to push my comfort zone a notch or two.
The hills around Wee Jasper are riddled with limestone caves. Some, such as Carey’s are paid tourist caves. Some are wild and technical. We were aiming for somewhere in the middle. Well explored holes requiring rope work for access and optional squeezey sections.
First stop was the Dip series.
At the car park we run into Chris who shall forever more be known as Random Chris. He is heading into the Gong Cave, which is connected to the Dip series but the connections are too tight for human passage.
We chat briefly and go our separate ways.
Dip is a series of 5 parallel caves with interconnecting passages. 1 and 2 are usually walk throughs but some low life dumped asbestos at the mouth of 1 so it’s temporarily barricaded up.
4 and 2 have openings to the sky so we set ropes in them.
About now I’m starting to think it’s a good day for fresh air and sunshine or sumfink
I absolutely do not bow to peer pressure and we drop into 4
Kylie in the first cavern of Dip 4
we work our way over to explore 5
It’s quite nice.
We play around crawling through passageways and poking around holes. In the immortal words of Garron Noon: this one is tiny and it has spikey things. It doesn’t want you in there sir!
There are all sorts of mnemonics to remember the difference between stalactites and stalagmites but the best one for me is to think of a ballerina dancing on a termite ridden stage.
When the mites go up the tights come down.
Anyhoo
Back to 4 and more exploring.
Then rather than abseil into 3 and be committed to whatever squeeze is required to get from there to 2 I opt to jug back out and Kylie joins me.
We meet the others a short time later as they ascend out of “the day light chamber” of 2
Of course they regale us with tales of magical chambers, wide, crystal filled passageways and a super easy ascent and sparkling unicorns farting fairy floss…
A quick bite to eat and we head into the Gong
We’d read the entry to the Gong was harder to find but it wasn’t. Grotty clothing back on and in we go.
I’d heard this one was a lot more straight forward with less crawling so I take the good camera hoping to get some pretty stuff. I did, but then somehow formatted the memory card 🤦♂️
The others go off exploring while I snap away.
A trail of fresh blood has us worried Random Chris has done himself a mischief
We explore on.
Before ascending out.
we head for the camp showers which were gloriously hot and clean.
Luckily we run into Random Chris and enquire about the blood. Seems he cut his finger on a shard and hadn’t realised it was bleeding so bad.
Day 2 and we go looking for the Devils Punchbowl and find it just as Random Chris arrives.
You might as well share our ropes if you want. We offer.
He has done the cave before and tells us the must do chambers. And we sort of just absorb him into the group.
Looking back I’m not 100% sure it was consensual.
Gadget dropping into the Punchbowl
I’m a little more comfortable after yesterday’s introduction but still not overly keen on the tighter stuff.
Luckily it starts with a massive chamber
There are passageways heading off everywhere
We crawl down a few before taking Random Chris’ advice and head for a great adventure
We get to a squeezey bit.
I baulk.
Common! It’s a short squeeze then it opens out and keeps going.
I suck in my gut, think thin thoughts and shimmy on through. It’s actually not too bad. If you are a bean pole.
Back into a passage of sensible dimensions I round a corner.
Manic laugher erupts. The crew is hiding with lights out. It’s a dead end but they knew I’d be able to do the crawl. it’s their way of safely encouraging me to push my limits. I laugh with them.
They are laughing with me not at me. Maybe.
The crew at the dead end. Random Chris at his rightful spot as a semi captive in the middle. Stockholm syndrome has well and truly kicked in
A more sensible sized crawl.
We explore more passages. Squeeze through gaps and clamber up and down ropes.
We are in a side circuit that’s quiet pretty
Um this is a bit tight says Russ
Um is it Flynny size asks Madie
Sure says Leo.
Hmm says Vince. Not sure if forward or backwards is best.
This is awkward says Gibbo
Hmm there use to be a wider passage up there says Random Chris. I don’t remember this.
Seeing them squeeze into a narrow hole. I’m out of here says Flynny. And I back out like Iggy Pop out of a shirt.
Gadget accompanies me back the way we came and we meet the others back at the start of the circuit.
Some more bats. More exploring and we head back for fresh air.
Ascending out. A largish scout group was coming in thus all the ropes.
And with that me and Gadget bid the others fair well. They were going to visit Signature cave in the afternoon but we decide to hit the road.
Another fantastic adventure and over due catchup with these awesome peeps.
Surround yourself with awesome people. Experience awesome things.
It’s been a spell since I’d done a big scrub bash on a djinn’s whim of finding a questionable canyon and, TBH I had a tip off that we would find canyons in our chosen creeks
But you never know until you go.
We use to drive out here for a picnic over looking the Wolgan. Even a few years ago it was a reasonable (if legally questionable ) ride on the mountain bikes. Post 2019 fires regrowth is hectic.
Even since we did surefire late last year the scrub has engulfed more of the trail.
Anyhoo that was not going to deter us and we head out in good spirits.
There was a bit of debate about where to set up camp. Closer to our destination would give quicker access to the canyons in the morning but that meant lugging the camp gear further
Deadset this seems as good a place as any to set a rough camp.
Not wanting to carry a full tent we banked on it not raining and spread out under the stars.
Magical
I didn’t even feel the factor 3 earth quake that was conjured up and rumbled through the Bluies sometime that evening
Did you feel it? Asks Vince the next morning.
Nope, says I. I was dead to the world
We leave the camp gear and make our way further along the ridge before dropping into our first target.
We weren’t expecting much. unpublished “wilderness” canyons along this part of the Wolgan can be hit and miss but generally aren’t renown for high quality. (The high quality ones mostly found their way into the guidebook)
My good self and Vince making our way into a promising looking creek
We descend the upper cliffs without it really. Canyoning up and then it opens out again
Have we missed it? Asks Gadget. We’re not that far from the junction.
We are expecting the junction to be where the canyon ends.
We continue down.
And then
Hmmm that looks smelly I wonder how deep it is ?
Kylie summons up the courage. Turns out it was smelly and deep enough.
The creek finally canyons up and begins to plummet through the lower cliff line
The abseils all have tricky starts. getting over the edge without getting jammed is a bit of a black art but we all got through.
Gadget below abseil 3 looking for an anchor amid the dead fall
Another tricky start and a long abseil over several ledges with no options to rebelay
It keeps going. like the army of the undead
It was an interesting little canyon dropping steeply through several ledges of various widths.
Despite the ledges the only anchor options is about 35m above me at this point
Ok first goal achievements . A quick look about and now to break a pass back up through the cliff and check out its neighbour.
Getting back up through the lower cliff was surprisingly easy.
We knew the adjoining creek also had a canyon in it and seeing as all the interesting bits of the first one were in the lower cliff line we traversed around and dropped into our next one.
It started with a bit of promise
But just didn’t deliver.
After the second scrubby abseil we realise we are 1 short abseil above the junction where our first canyon finished.
Disappointment
We ascend up the previous drop then scramble out a convenient side gully.
There was chatter about checking the upper section out as it is rumoured to hold cool abseils.
But open scrubby creek greets us as we make our way up stream. We gain the ridge and continue up, keeping an eye on our gully just in case it drops through a slot but there’s nothing of note below the top cliff line.
Another easy pass yields us the ridge top
And thus back to camp and homeward bound.
It was a longish walk out for 2 short canyons. But I still get a kick out of exploring little canyons few others bother wit h. These ones would be doable in a day with a fit, efficient group but camping out was half the appeal. Plus there is other stuff out here that’s worth a look
This was suppose to happen before Christmas but a big rain event had NP jumping at shadows and closing things down.
Even though it stayed dry for the next 4days the parks were still closed and we had to postpone.
Until now.
Yeah baby
First up pizza and beerios at Evans lookout.
Oh, and as a 70s child a 70s theme seemed to make sense.
These lads
They really are a legendary bunch of humans
After posing and yakking and general shenanigans we make our way down the Grand Canyon trail under a setting sun and drop into the slot to say g’day to the glowworms.
I always forget the walkin/walkout to canyon ratio for Grand blows but it is a pretty little slot in any light
Night canyoning is a different experience
Space girl
Traversing under worms.
Dick glows as much as any worm
I really am lucky to be surrounded by amazing people and it was a great night.
And backing it up the next morning with a trip through Twister and Rocky Creek was a great idea
Entering the maw
It’s hard to describe just how much I love rocky creek.
How could the weekend get any better?
I’m glad you asked
Fill what’s empty. Empty what’s full. And scratch where it itches. A Roosevelt Longworth
BACK oh and once again I’m raising money fir the Westpak Rescue Helicopter so please consider a donation
In the spirit of cruisey we push that start time 30min later..
That might have been a mistake. As I role up the mountain it seems like every second car in NSW is trying to get a car park at the trail head.
Are you with them? Asks old mate pointing at a large group as I step out of my car.
Not me.
Come on boys let’s get going. Says he. Oh which way is it?
I point old mate and his 2 sons(?) in the general direction.
I notice Leo T marshalling the aforementioned group. That’s a relief. A commercially guided group that all bought their own cars making it seem like it’s a bigger group than it is. I know Leo is efficient and quick with his groups so not too fussed there .
Another group jumps out of their car and heads off to beat the rush.
Madie and Leo arrive and introduce another two of the people milling around. Achi and Toni are with us. Excellent.
Everyone ready to go? let’s get going before anyone else shows up. Says they
Um we aren’t due to meet for another 10 mins and Brook’s not here yet. Says I
Bugger say they.
Another group of 4 arrive. Leo knows them from rescue they banter about getting the jump on us and head off.
Brook arrives. Ok let’s go.
A quick walk becomes a slow jog becomes “keep up!”
Oi! I was promised a cruisey social trip.
By the time we get to the wetsuit change spot we’ve over taken all the groups who started before us.
As I always say, it’s not a competition. Unless you are winning, and right now we are winning.
Winning
Ok get changed and get into it. We’ll slow down when we get to the abseils.
Thank fugg for that.
The “black hole”
Overcast day meant sunbeams were unlikely but oh the ohm-bi-aunce
Despite the three thousand two hundred and forty eight cars at the car park we haven’t seen any one in the canyon since one of the groups got to the top of the first abseil just as our last member was roping up.
We figure most of them would have leapfrogged us while we were in Thunder but we catch back up to the group of 4 at the exit and have a chat while we dry off and have a bite to eat and it appears no one else is in front of them.
then it’s up, up and up.
There’s still a gazillion cars at the car park
And while winning is winning, my legs don’t work anymore.
we farewell Achi and Toni then head for a well earned beerio
It might sound like a tacky German porno from the 80s but Bangalore is a fun canyon/wet abseil trip.
TBH I wasn’t sure what to expect as I had heard it described as more creek than canyon and after yesterdays slip’n’slidefest in Urumbilum we were a little battered.
Once again the forecasts was for rain and severe afternoon storms but the river gauge was still sitting at around a modest 30Ml range and we knew it was more open terrain.
With Jason and Vince carrying the ropes and sharing anchor duties I got to play tourist and take a metric crap load of (mostly bad) photos.
I’m not sure where the creek walking rep came from as you are pretty much straight into it after hitting the creek.
Despite the creek being more open the abseils are in some nice flow. And at these water flows they were pretty chill.
And once again the sunshine defied the forecasts
Kylie in the froth
I always thought the blessed by good luck saying was “hit up the bum by a rainbow” but apparently smacked in the face by a waterfallbow works too.
Or maybe “whacked on the todger“
For an “open creek” it had some nice canyony bits.
The stench at the out flow of this one was spew worthy. Something very dead but yet not dead enough was caught in the log jam.
Then we come to the one that contains the log you can squeeze behind but poses a big risk in high flow.
There’s a line of traverse bolts we decide to check out. Vince has never set a traverse before so of course we send him first (we did talk him through it)
Jason is shaking his head.
We normally just sling off that tree over there. Says he
And he has a fair point. The traverse is a bit of dicking around when the tree is far easier and safer to get to and (looking back from the bottom of the drop) gives a far better line anyway.
Moral to the story: Don’t just blindly follow the bolts kids. Sometimes there are better options.
Anyhoo it gave us a bit of practice on a traverse in a non threatening environment.
Vince and Jason at the anchor at the end of the kinda pointless traverse. The low flow line goes behind the log. The tree anchor comes down a much nice line just out of shot to the left (canyon right) and you can walk to it out of the flow easily
There’s an option to exit here. We opt to keep going as it’s a bit of fun
A short creek walk gets us to the next bit
Another odd traverse bolt to get out to a weirdly placed anchor. Jason bemoans the original bolt placement on the other side of the creek had been removed.
The new anchor appears to be for better pulldown but Jason says the other had no issues and was a funner line. 🤷🏻
And still the wet abseils keep coming.
So much fun
And just like that we are at the Jade Pool and our exit. There is 1 more optional drop we could do but as you just go down to come back up we decide to skip it and head out.
The track up is steep but a hell of a lot easier than falling over 2.5km of slippery river rocks.
If Rosewood is the Empress of the north. Bangalore is their Dione Dell (minus dry line options.)
Mr. Burns : You must find the Jade Monkey before the next full moon.
Smithers : Actually, sir, we found the Jade Monkey. It was in your glove compartment.
When I first did a trip through the upper middle section of South Bowen creek with Ed I thought it was a spectacular canyon and I’ve been meaning to repeat it ever since.
But, despite having a look through the exquisite upper section I haven’t revisited this section until now.
We then make our way down stream. There’s a bit of creek walking down through pleasant coachwood forest before it drops into another dark canyon section.
Jason and Muz making their way down the canyon
The cool misty day made the light sweet
It was every bit as beautiful as I remember but now there’s nothing left to do but to scramble out
sleepwhenwearedead 