It’s the Little Things in Life

July 15, 2020 | flynny101

Sunday 11/07/2020

Russ and meeeee. With a late inclusion of Leo and Madie

A few options were thrown about for weekend adventures but in the end it was cold and damp… Perfect weather for descending a couple of pretty little slots on the Sunnyside plateau

First stop Zorro

The road out is surprisingly clear. Of course I took the first fire trail, belatedly remembering the rough hill down the rocks. I pull up and explain my error. Madie doesn’t look too keen on testing the 4WD capabilities of her ute. Leo, in the drivers seat, looks like a kid on the way to a lolly shop but I decide to turn back and do the detour. Lucky, as looking back up the hill at the junction the link trail hadn’t been cleared for fallen trees

We find our car park and in no time we are descending between the parallel walls of the entrance hall.

And it’s not long until we get to the first abseil

Last year the canyon was as dry as I’ve ever seen it. Today more normal conditions saw a couple of pools, some of which required some tricky bridging to keep feet dry.

Leo contemplating the first of the little pools

Checking out the second drop. Russ pointing out the dodgy anchor some people abseil off.

I’ve always just down climbed this one. With some careful bridging you can stay dry. I missed a step and right leg went in up to my knee. That leg was too warm anyway

Have I ever mentioned how pretty the central chamber is

The soft light and mist really adding to the beauty

The exit hall was also very atmospheric today with the mist rolling in

Then it opens out for the final abseil.

Not mentioning any names but somebody <Coughitwasrusscough>may or may not have left the safety draw attached to the pull cord and had to prusik back up to retrieve it. Fun times

Then it’s a short stroll back up the hill to the car and we drive back up around the head of the main gully to some cool little features on the other side. The Cracks of DOOM!!

They start a tad squeezy and we got wetter sliding through COD 1 than we had in Zorro

Finally, a quick stop at Bardens lookout where Madie and Leo romp up a pumpy little climb to finish the day off

Saturday 12/07/2020

Mandy and me

We’d had a lazy morning but decide to head out of a lunch date.

I’ve always thought this one a pretty little canyon so I was a little apprehensive as to the state it would be in post fires.

Turns out the canyon itself was fairly untouched. Some of the ferns in the main chamber were brown but that looks more a result of drought

Some people like to cause commotion. Others like to be the commotion.

I prefer just to be in motion

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Xmas in July canyoning challenge

July 21, 2019July 26, 2019 | flynny101

20/07/2019

Jen, Jodie, Diana, Joel, Ed, Russ, Chewy and meeeeeeee

In an effort keeping positive vibes flowing on the Australian Canyoners FB group through the “Off season” (And to break up the flood of stunning photos Madie’s been posting about European Canyoning. Not that we are jealous. Not us. No…) I put out a Xmas in July canyoning challenge, So far Kylie and Colin had lead trips resulting in awesome photos.. Now it was our turn.

Me and Jen. And yes they are my own boobs. Legs together because the at the first down climb I took a big step and tore the crutch out of the candy cane stockings. Um I’ll be going first on the way down. MmmmKay..

After a round of photos it was into our first canyon, Zorro

How cool does the red look against the Aussie Bush in Winter

Zorro is an amazing little canyon with entrance and exit chambers that are consistently narrow and straight

It has some little challenges along the way too. Most groups abseil this drop which is a worry because when Chewy tested the anchor the sling fell out in his hand…. The sling was basically around a bit of mudstone that was more mud than stone

Ed embracing a game of the water is lava. With a bit of encouragement everyone managed to keep their feet dry

The Z chamber, which separates the entrance and exit chamber with a grand, perpendicular hallway

Jodie, Jen, Chewy and Russ bridging their way down the exit

Jen, Diana and Meeeee. With the gang in the back ground ©Joel

Jen and her magical polar bear slippers on the final abseil

And then it was back up to the tops for a lovely Xmas lunch over looking the One and Only Emerites Wolgan resort

As John Lennon sang, The sun is out, the sky is blue, it’s beautiful and so are….. Um the gang?

All the cool Blue Mts Canyoners where besta…. I mean polar bear ugg boots? While they lost an ear Jen managed to keep them crispy white.

Then it’s back to the cars for a short drive around to our next destination. Not so much a canyon as a crack.

Of Dooooom.

Those following along back home may remember me not finding it, not fitting through it and opting to go around it. Well 10kg down and this time through I went

looking back up as Jodie enters the Crack of Doom

Russ at the point the crack turns from Narrow to Squeezey

Ed almost to the bit where it allows you to breathe again

Looking back at the impressive crack that descends the cliff line

And then it was around to have a look at a bigger crack/micro canyon. Catherdral Canyon. AKA The diamond cavern

All up it’s only about 50m long but it’s kinda nice

From there we make our way back to our exit slot, The Crack of Doom 2.

A slightly more sensible width it’s still narrow and parallels the cliff with just a slight bend as it ramps it’s way up

It ends in an easy 3m chimney climb out.

Me giving Jen a little hand. Now my climbing style has never been described as graceful and Jen’s legs might be a little shorter than mine but humping the rock was never in my bag of tricks. You learn something new each day or sumfink… ©Ed

All in all a great day in the bush decking the halls, prancing about, jingling bells and generally having a laugh with seriously awesome people.

Group Size: 8

Time: Is meaningless on Xmas

Tomorrow owes you the sum of your yesterday. Nothing more than that.:-Robin Hobb

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Pagoda Canyons in the rain

September 9, 2018September 9, 2018 | flynny101

8-09-2018

Madie, Wouter, Meeee with a cameo from Jen

So with a bunch of other commitments I didn’t get out canyoning at all in August. In fact the last real canyon trip I lead was almost 2 months ago so I was frothing to get out.

I was keen for a couple of the Pagoda canyons on the Plateau before the weather warmed up and when Madie said she had the weekend off I thought why not combine a few of the smaller ones to make it worth her drive.

I also thought she’d might be nutty enough to join me for our first wet canyon of Spring.

Can I bring a friend, asks she.

Yep says I. And so Wouter, would be joining us for his first canyoning experience.

Jen had a morning free opted in for the first canyon too.

After a long dry spell a week of steady drizzle was welcomed by all and certainly made the first two usually dry canyons a bit more special.

The rain made the ledges a little more slippery

Wouter and Jen Tip-toeing along the tiny ledges

The Acoustic chamber could be called the TARDIS chamber. It’s bigger from the inside

The first recorded group through here called it Acoustic Canyon due to a series of these chambers. But as there was another little canyon out in the Nayook system already called Acoustic this one is now normally just called Sunnyside, though the Jameison guide also lists it as Wombat.

You can normally get through this one without getting your feet wet. Not today

All the little side waterfalls were amazeballs. Madie doing a “Supermodel” pose, Jen wondering what sort of nutcases she has gotten herself mixed up with

such soft light and textures in the mist

Back to the car we say goodbye to Jen and make our way to the next one.

After the amount of water in the last “dry” canyon I was expecting a bit more in this one

I normally don’t bother with a rope here but the walls were extra slippery so we played it safe

Not sure why we are trying to stay dry at this point

So do you guys want to slip over and check out the tops or make a dash for time and go and get wet in another canyon? Asks me

Why can’t we do both, replies Madie in her best el Paso impersonation.

Right on!

From the top you wouldn’t imagine that goreous, airy chamber is just down there

Then it’s back up the ridge, into the car for a longish drive around to our next stop. I have to say I was a bit excited for this one. Madie was so excited she wetsuited up while we were driving. I’m not sure Wouter knew what to make of it all.

We made the car park at a bit after 3. Starting a canyon, a wet canyon so late on a cool, wet, early spring day would normally not be sensible. But this one is super short, we managed to go car to car in just over an hour which is nuts.

But it is nice as a side trip on the way home.

So are we going to abseil down beside a waterfall? Asks Wouter on the way in

Um not exactly, says I

Now I’ve done this one at normal water levels. I’ve done it with Ed when the water was pounding. I’ve been there with Julie when the water was so big we decided to bypass the falls

After a long dry then a week of drizzle I wasn’t sure what to expect but as we short-cutted over the ridge we could here the falls roaring and as they came into veiw it looked just right.

41363529_720577098289876_2018296739747856384_n — To answer Wouter’s question, we wont be going down “beside” the falls. ©Madie

41440929_2132670233614589_5862282642782683136_n — He was more than up for it. ©Madie

41202523_2177116649229903_1711821454191886336_n — ©Madie

It’s a cracker of a abseil

41347748_2110291149223657_3800921502908416000_n — ©Madie

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All in all another great day in the bush

Millions long for immortality who don’t know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Party Size. 4 for Sunnyside/acoustic. 3 for Zorro and Alcatraz

Timing: I think it was about 2hrs car to car for Sunnyside (with a bit extra walking along the firetrail due to trees down). a fraction under 2hr for Zorro and 1hr for Alcatraz with a bit of time driving between the lot

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Zorro

September 28, 2017 | flynny101

28-09-2017

Garry, Jodie, James and me

As David Bowie once sang, the only thing I ever got from you was Zorro… or something like that, I was never a fan so could be wrong….

Anyhoo it was back up to the plateau for more canyonng fun. Shoes and harness was still damp from yesterday and a bit of drizzle had set in but that wasn’t going to curb my enthusiasm.

This time we took a left and headed out along the Sunnyside ridge trail looking for a couple of short but spectacular canyons.

Our first goal was Zorro and we had no dramas on the way in.

The entrance was lined with wild flowers

the canyon gets narrow and deep very quickly.

Jodie in the amazingly straight and narrow canyon

Jodie watching James and Garry descend the canyon

There follows a tight shimmy down to a cold pool. There is an anchor above so I guess people rope up for it but it looks like tha would be awkward. It is a fairly straight forward down climb.

I have no idea how deep the water is but there are narrow ledges just below the water level so only you feet get wet.

James tries to bridge above the water but is unable to. Wanting to keep his shoes dry he wedges himself above the water level slips off a shoe and hurles it over the rock he thinks marks the end of the water. It makes a big splash in the small pool just beyond the rock…. No dry feet for you.

Then the canyon suddenly opens out in to the gorgeous Z chamber which links the parallel fault lines the entrance and exit passages follow

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Then it’s more bridging over what is usually a long pool but in this dry spell it’s starting to dry up

Then all that is left is a final abseil to exit, but before we do Gaz shimmies around the ledge to check out the views

zorro a.jpg

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A quick scramble around the base of the cliff brings us to the exit slot, which is a nice, short canyon in it own right looking like something out of Jarassic park

Once ontop we slip out the ridge inbetween the two slots with the idea of having lunch in the sun with a view

zorro b.jpg

Wind and drizzle interupt our plans and we abandond that idea and head back to the car

It’s not even noon so we do a quick car shuffle and go head in to check out some other features near by.

The Crack of Doom!!! with appropriate skull shaddow

James taking in the grandour of Cathedral canyon

Then it was back up the Crack of Doom!!! 2 for an easy exit

And back tot he car for a much earned beerio.

Party size:4 all experienced

Time: about 5 hours total for both canyons

Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity…
― John Muir

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Zorro

It’s the Little Things in Life

Xmas in July canyoning challenge

Pagoda Canyons in the rain

Zorro