by | Jan 11, 2014
The Wentworth Creek takes a very meandering route through rugged terrain down to meet the Grose river north of Faulconbridge. There are several ridges that run out from the towns on the plateau, with firetrails running at least part of the way along most of them. This area doesn’t seem to get visited much given how close to transport it is, I guess it falls between the cracks of being much harder walking than the byzantine network of old tourist tracks on the southern side of the highway, yet not as picturesque as say the Kowmung. In any…
by | Jan 3, 2014
This was going to be a trip down the Colo River from Crawford’s Lookout to near Canoe Ck. However, after posting the trip on SUBW, Alexa wondered if the Coloul Range Fire Trail was actually open and not it wasn’t (that was our starting point), Grant called to tell me that the water levels at this time of year are low and the distances would make it a bit of a push for two days (next time I’ll make it a three day trip), and T2 emailed with low water information as well. Thank you!…
by | Dec 28, 2013
What better way to escape the scorching temperatures of Australia’s hottest year on record than to hang out in some of the more remote canyons in the Wollemi National Park? That said, we nearly didn’t make it to the Cooroongooba campground, with 11 fires flaring up in the Wollemi region just before Christmas and the campground taken over by remote firefighting helicopter operations. Fortunately, the…
by | Dec 26, 2013
The ridge trail was at times faint but as it turned more to the north near hill 998 we kept on east, then eventually round to the south, down the scrubby untracked ridge down to a point where the vegetation cleared a little and the patchwork of mostly burnt with some unburnt bush on Waratah Ridge was visible. Other ridges…
by | Dec 26, 2013
Just a quick report on my 3 peaks walk the other day. Summary is I just made it, but it was hard going and I wasn’t very well for most of it. Set off about 5 am and made good time to the Cox’s river, just over 5 hours. Went down Yellow Pup track but then up Mt Konangaroo & Bullagowar as I was doing it “anti-clockwise” with Guougang the first peak, having done it the “normal” direction previously. That was…
by | Dec 26, 2013
Having already completed a few easy solo walks over the past year or so and with a bit of free time over the Christmas break, I was keen to get out on something a little bit more challenging. I had never walked in the Blue Breaks before but had heard a lot of good things, and its remoteness served as a brightly coloured lure I simply could not resist. So, when…
by | Dec 22, 2013
Following a late night email on Saturday night, Hossein was the only one who was able to get away at a reasonable hour on Sunday, but even so, it was after 11am when we left the car. There were 7 cars parked at the Claustral entrance / exit and none any further up the road, so we were confident we would have at least Ranon Canyon to ourselves. It was…
by | Dec 22, 2013
Carrabeanga Falls is described in the canyoning guide book as being “an epic, due to its remoteness, problems of loose rocks, and the exposure of some abseils”. This always sounded like a good fun trip for me and this summer I finally got a chance to schedule it. Due to its length, Carrabeanga is usually done as a two day trip, with the walk in and the canyon on day one before walking out the next morning after camping at the junction with Kanangra Creek — if the party doesn’t get benighted. In fact,…
by | Dec 14, 2013
Such was the breadth and depth of SUBW attending this trip it would seem that just one trip report written by just one attendee can’t do it justice. The trip would be worthy of multiple trip reports should anyone else wish to write one. The Christmas Dinner Walk, held in December every year is one of the most important dates in the SUBW calendar because it is the weekend when members both new and old descend to the same spot on the Coxs River for a weekend of camping, socializing, swimming, eating, drinking and lazing around by the riverside. An alternative…
by | Dec 7, 2013
The realisation of items forgotten started early in the trip when Adrian took a call from home. Had he forgotten a small rucksack still sitting in the kitchen? Yes … but following some quick calculations it was decided it contained nothing vital. Then after the turnoff to Hampton Helen declared she had left her abseiling glove behind. The situation…
