kanangra walls to mt cloudmaker

The trail heads steeply north down the obvious ridge, finishing at Kanangra Creek where you can fill up with water. But 'screw that' we thought. to find the minor ridge heading for Mount Moorilla. Our next milestone was Coalseam Cave and then we were out on Maxwell Top. That night the campfire was more to our liking, plenty of space for all of us and the rain held off until most had retired for the night. Kanagra Walls to Dex's Creek - BushcraftOz Near the end of the plateau, the track heads down and into a small gully. Take in the magnificent scenery - the sheer sandstone cliff faces of Kanangra Walls or mist-wreathed Mount Cloudmaker - before walking down forest-lined trails to one of the park's waterfalls. Total distance of 52km with single day distances of up to 20km. I have been leading bushwalks in the Blue Mountains for around 35 years, initially through a bushwalking club and later through my business MountainSphere Adventures. The view here is excellent, but is unfortunately marred by the electricity line that runs across Little Cedar Gap. We had some notes and verbal directions to 1,000 Man Cave but after blundering about in thick scrub for half an hour we decided that we would leave the cave for another day and go on to Compagnoni Pass across the plateau. There are numerous routes that can be taken, and these notes only point out the most commonly taken route. various parts of the hill. way to the top of the ridge. Rumble. Kanangra to Katoomba requires a long car shuffle. Ashley is a great guide and fully supported us all during the walk. The last 4km - 400m vertical down to Breakfast Creek and then 300m up petered out above the the 650m descent to the Coxs River. Being a self-supported bushwalk, the idea is that everyone brings their own gear and food for the weekend. Jenolan Caves & Kanangra Walls Lookout 4WD | Backpacker Deals A challenging bushwalk in the Kanangra Boyd region. Keep an eye out for soaring wedge-tail eagles! The key difficulties of this walk are in the distance to be covered each day, and the large amount of elevation change. It's a Small size geocache, with difficulty of 2, terrain of 5. Likewise there are numerous flat grassy areas between Mt Yellow Dog and Medlow Gap. Gingra Hike - Mar 2016 - Brookvale Curl Curl Scout Group There are isolated residual cappings of Permian sandstone in a few places but here the Palaeozoic basement rocks, which are elsewhere buried well below the Permo-Triassic Measures, are on the surface as high land. if not for another party of walkers going the same way we might have The hike itself is a three day circuit starting at Kanangra Walls, down the Gingra Ridge to the Kowmung River, up to 100 Man Cave via Compagnoni Pass and the Ti Willa Plateau before returning to Kanangra Walls via Mount Cloudmaker and Mount Stormmaker. Or continue on down a short set of steps to the lookout platform for an even better view. The Boyd Plateau comprises a dome of Devonian granite intruded into Devonian quartzites and sedimentaries. The cave at the end itself isnt as exciting as the dance floor cave you see on the way but it was the journey that did it for me on this one. The delay The total distance of the walk is 52km, with 3044m of ascent and 2991m of descent over the course of the 3-4 days. The total distance of the walk is 52km, with a total of 3044m of ascent and 2991m of descent over the 3-4 days! narrow This trail is great for backpacking, camping, and hiking, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. From the unfenced lookout, an easy 10 minutes walk from the Kanangra Walls carpark, you can peer out over Kanangra Deep to Kanangra Walls and in the distance, Mount Cloudmaker, which is often circled by mist. This is where we will make our final camp. a walking stick - Ashley is someone who is willing to share his knowledge, he does this quite naturally, without too much formality and with zero arrogance. The Coxs River is generalleasy to ford just before a small set of rapids on the west side of Yellow Pup Ridge. and everyone retired to their tents pretty early. We followed Shane to the Cave and were reunited with the rest of the party, and 20 others from Sydney Bushwalkerswho were also camping in the overhang. You'll cross bridges and also see waterfalls on the way. Avoid a turn off to the right to Dance Floor Cave and ascend a short climb on to the plateau proper. Read more about A pleasant 10 minute stroll along well-formed tracks leads to the first lookout which overlooks the gorges of Kanangra Creek and beyond to the high tops of Mt Cloudmaker and the Blue Mountains escarpment which presents a spectacular vista. Since then I have done countless trips along the Kanangra to Katoomba route and have explored the surrounding country extensively. three legs is better than two when it comes to walking across the It can also be hard to find water near 100 man cave so you might want to carry two days worth so you survive the return trip. The other car you will need to get to Kanangra Walls. The best place to soak in this splendour is the Kanangra-Boyd Lookout; a viewpoint that is easy to access. Greater Blue Mountains Area - New World Encyclopedia Katoomba to Kanangra led by Ashley Burke - Ashley Eylenburg From Mt Cloudmaker, head NE on a vague track that traverses the northern flank of the summit ridge to its eastern end, before dropping off to the north down to Dex Creek at MGA401416. are available from the Lands Information Centre, map shops, and most outdoor There comes a time when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it! Descent of Tarros Ladders is by climbing down metal spikes in a cliff face - this is optional as an alternative (longer) route is available that avoids this. The international standard emergency number is 112, if you dial this number in Australia you will be treated exactly the same as a 000 call. However, they can be crowded at times. Boyd River Camping - Wild Blue Wanders and found Your food while on the hike - you need to bring your own food for the 4 day hike. were about eight tents in five separate groups set up. The Kanangra-Boyd National Park is a protected national park that is located in the Central Tablelands region, west of the Southern Highlands and Macarthur regions, in New South Wales, in eastern Australia. A challenging walk but well rewarded with the view. The walk is best done in the cooler months, as there are plenty of ups and downs, and limited water options along the way. Mt Cloudmaker is the highest in the Gangerang Range. worn path at the bottom leading in the right direction. Following the big descent to the Coxs River, this was a long Day 1: Kanangra Walls to Mt Cloudmaker to Dex Creek (13km, 400m ascent), Day 2: Dex Creek to Mt Strongleg to Mobbs Swamp (16km, 650m ascent), Day 3: Mobbs Swamp to Medlow Gap to Katoomba (16km, 300m ascent), For detailed trip notes, visit Bushwalking NSW. Cyclists will want to bring their mountain bikes to explore the parks fire trails. biggest descent of the day, down to Gabes Gap, and from there it was all If you have any great photos from this hike and are happy to share them, please upload your .jpg files here. ", "The K2K guided walk was fantastic! You can find out more about how DPE handles the personal information it collects online by reading our privacy policy. Tom crossing the cold Coxs River Kanangra to Katoomba requires a long car shuffle. The hike from Kanangra to Katoomba is one of the classic longer walks of the Southern Blue Mountains, along with the Six Foot Track and Mittagong to Katoomba. again numb on the other side. Altitude: 1164 metres Class: At a large clearing about 1km on to the tops, the trail divides, and becomes narrower. All in all, fantastic day and well worth the drive. These two days do however, entail very long descents and ascents and breaking these into two days allows plenty of time to rest and to enjoy the tranquil Coxs River Valley on the afternoon of Day 2. Every trip brings new people with new perspectives and new friendships forged. Creek valley. As well as including theTen Essentials, my planning, food and packing checklists provide an summary of things to consider on your day, overnight and multi-day hikes. the bottom of Yellow Dog Ridge. a small stream, which we filtered. They breed from November to January. Drop down into Little Cedar Gap, and climb on the fire trail, and then on another track, to the bottom of Narrow Neck Peninsula. While our friends headed off for Good navigation and prior knowledge of the route is therefore essential. Kanangra To Katoomba: Kanangra Walls - Gangerang Range - Mt Cloudmaker - Dex Creek - Mt Strongleg - Coxs River - Mt Yellow Dog - Medlow Gap - Narrow Neck - Katoomba Station: The barrier at Kanangra Walls car park. Today there would scarcely be a peak, ridge, spur or valley visible from any vantage point along the entire route that I have not personally been to. Fill in a trip intention form to send important details about your adventure to your emergency contact. There are 3 alerts for Kanangra-Boyd National Park: Other planned events, Safety alerts, Closed areas, View full screen We stopped for lunch on Mt The hike should take around 3-4 days to complete. Awesome! [5], There are several walking tracks and other sites in the park, these include the:[6], Camping is available on the banks of Morong Creek, at the Boyd River campground, located on Kanangra Road.[7]. I answered that I would have preferred it to have been over 4 days instead of 3 - to be honest I was very happy with the hike as it was, and I certainly don't regret doing it over 3 days. Descent off of the plateau was difficult to find. Below I share some of the feedback that they have kindly provided from past K2K trips and agreed to have published on this website. However we decided to get moving quickly as there looked to be more bad Kowmung River via Cambage Spire; Kanangra Walls to Mt. [2] The Kanangra-Boyd National Park is the most southwesterly of the eight protected areas within the World Heritage Site. Day 1: Kanangra Walls to Mt Cloudmaker to Dex Creek Saturday morning saw us drive down to the parking lot at what we thought was an early hour, only to find it full already. They were waiting when we eastern end of the wall we missed our trail heading off to the left, and Still it was nice to finally see the car park at ; Smegs07 at English Wikipedia; ' . morning was no easy task. Actually I joined two clubs, The Bush Club and Sydney Bushwalkers (SBW), as I couldnt decidebetween them! Avoid a turn off to the right to Dance Floor Cave and ascend a short climb on to the plateau proper. RF2E3JJTW - Aerial panorama of Kanangra Walls and Mount Cloud Maker in Kanangra-Boyd National Park in the . If youre an armchair bushwalker, someone looking for new adventures, or one of my friends who just wants to see what Ive been up to, this site is for you, sign up to get email alerts now! No chardonnay tour operators, signs or huts please. The distances below assume a car at the locked gate. Keep this in mind when planning walks in these areas. feel you The highest point on the walk is Mt Cloudmaker at 1155m, and the lowest point is the Coxs River at just 150m. Kanangra Walls > Mt Cloudmaker > TiWilla Plateau > 100 Man Cave > Campagnoni Pass > Willa Butress > Kowmung > Orange Bluff > Brumby Spur > Gingra Track > Kanangra Walls. A useful book with some ideas for extended walks in NSW. The second lookout overlooks rugged ravines at the head of the gorges and Kanangra Falls. The path is often stony and awkward to walk on. Much of the walk is through wilderness, for which there are no signs, and tracks in places are vague. Otherwise, continue along the track for a further 2km to Mobbs Swamp, a convenient campsite for the night. For details on how to get to Kanangra Walls, see the information in the Kanangra Walls region, to the right. The ones at Dex Creek and Mobbs Swamp usually have water available, which is why they are popular. Mt Debert, with Mt Mouin and Mt Warrigal in the background, from Clear Hill. We arranged to meet Fee, Sal and some of Sal's friends at Mobbs Soak "He thought he was already at the foot of Mount Cloudmaker - at Gabes Gap! Accommodation on the night before the trip start date or on the night that the trip ends. The national park is bounded to the north by open farmland; to the east by the Coxs River, the Blue Mountains National Park and the Kowmung River; to the southeast by the Yerranderie State Conservation Area; to the south by the Nattai National Park and the Wombeyan Caves Road; to the southwest by the Blue Mountains National Park; and to the west by the Kowmung River, the Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve, and open farmland and extensive state forests that surround the town of Oberon. The word Kanangra is generally held to be a corruption of Gundangura and was called Thurat for some time. Post the bushfires of 2019-20, parts of Kanangra and the Wild Dogs (including parts of the below walk) have experienced heavy regrowth of vegetation. Once on the ridge above Dex Creek, we tried My first venture along parts of the Katoomba to Kanangra walk was a day hike from Kanangra Walls to Mt Cloudmaker in 1982. The unfenced lookout is a 10 minute walk down a wheelchair-accessible track from the Kanangra Walls carpark. putting off the 400m climb down for as long as possible. The Kanangra-Boyd Wilderness - the second largest wilderness in NSW, next to Wollemi - was finally declared in 1997, and covers 111,000 hectares of Kanangra-Boyd and Blue Mountains national parks. -33.988355 150.108817 . Then the rain started, and that changed everything, we were now all getting chilled because of the slow pace. Losing the track turnedout to be a problem as the terrain was very hard on Len and his knees. There is a track down the range - but it can be vague in places due to . Kanangra Walls - Seymour Top - Maxwell Top - Brennan Top - Kilpatrick Causeway - Crafts Wall - Mount Berry - Gabes Gap - Mount High and Mighty - Mount Stormbreaker - Rip, Rack - Roar & Rumble Knolls - Mount Cloudmaker - Dex Creek - Mount Moorilla Maroo - Mount Amarina - Kullieatha Peak - Mount Strongleg - Strongleg Ridge - Kanangra Creek - Coxs There were plenty of great views of the sandstone cliffs The cliffs on the west side of Mt Berry have superb views of Crafts Wall and Kanangra Walls. Im planning a trip to hundred man cave during the June long weekend with 5 friends. This makes the last day a long and difficult day despite the distance being only 13.2km. A classic trail deep in the Blue Mountains, the K2K offers some of the best scenery in the region. crest of the ridge. Keep your eyes peeled for echidnas and lyrebirds, particularly during summer. Your trip intentions will be emailed to your emergency contact. Note there is another track from the top of Mt Cloudmaker that heads generally south east, and then east on to the Ti Willa Tops, so don't just assume any track is the right one. In 1984 I walked the section from the Coxs River to Kanangra Walls and by 1985 I had completed the remaining section between Katoomba and the Coxs River. the packs. More Things to do (13) Tours (7) Carlon Creek - were hard on the legs but not too difficult given what Ashley Burke's Three Peaks Page - Ashley Eylenburg Your email address will not be published. Further east, in the Coxs River area, is the large Kanimbla granite batholith, implaced during the Carboniferous period. Kanangra Walls > Mt Cloudmaker > TiWilla Plateau > 100 Man Cave > Campagnoni Pass > Willa Butress > Kowmung > Orange Bluff > Brumby Spur > Gingra Track > Kanangra Walls. It contours for a further 2.5km until you hit a fire trail, at White Dog Ridge. Copyright 2022 | Darren Edwards | All Rights Reserved | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Donation Policy | Disclaimer, Trail Hiking Australia is a not-for-profit community service initiative, Golden Staircase to Mt Solitary via Ruined Castle (11.7km), Katoomba to Wentworth Falls via the Jamison Valley (29.2km), Scenic Railway Ruined Castle Mt Solitary Kedumba River Wentworth Falls (29.3km). like this. Continuing along the track from Mt Cloudmaker for about 1km brought North Marramarra National Park The 2019-2020 bushfires significantly affected the area and since the fires much of the track has become overgrown, and the path is indistinct and difficult to follow. Nicole and Jonathan persuaded me that I would be OK. Also on the last day the traverse around the base of Crafts Wall is rough, slow and hard on the ankles. KanangraWalls, photos on Flickr | Flickr Konangaroo Clearing is a large grassy area next to Kanangra Creek, and would be an excellent campsite if doing the walk in two days. Most saddles between Mt Berry and Mt Strongleg offer a flat grassy area. The scramble down Gordon Smith Pass is slippery and exposed but not technically difficult. Leave one car in Katoomba, either on Narrow Neck at the Golden Stairs car park or the locked gate, or in Katoomba itself. Shoalhaven Bushwalkers There is a logbook on Mt Cloudmaker, dedicated to the memory of Kathleen Jones. From Kanangra to Katoomba it's 45-50km depending on who you ask (and how lost you get). Kanangra Boyd National Park [1] is in the Australian state of New South Wales some 180 km west of Sydney and adjacent (south and east) to Jenolan Caves. Kanangra-Boyd is always open, but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger. weather following. Tom and Jonathan on the Kilpatrick Causeway above Kanangra Deep. Mt Cloudmaker was only a short way past Rumble Knoll, although it was Forests of mountain ash are found on well drained soils and Blaxland's stringybark where soil is poor. - Rock climbing to descend off plateau, 2.7km: Rockclimbing to descend off of the plateau. Nifty footwork is required over the rocky knolls quaintly named Rip, Rack, Roar and Rumble. On the last day the knolls past Mt Cloudmaker (Rip, Rack, Roar and Rumble) are steep and stony and care must be taken on the trail there. I hope it remains a difficult and raw walking trail for self sufficient hikers. wrong one! This is a steep climb to start with but eases off, passing through pleasant open forest. The Kanangra-Boyd National Park is one of the eight protected areas that, in 2000, was inscribed to form part of the UNESCO World Heritagelisted Greater Blue Mountains Area. Of course, that might have just been our excuse for Have only visited here once, but will certainly return, a few of these . There are also intrusive igneous rocks from the Carboniferous period. Started at kanangra walls but unable to get through terrain after Dexs creek. 1000m altitude difference between highest and lowest point. My trips allow you the autonomy of bringing your own gear and food, whilst providing you full guiding services, navigation, knowledge of the route and area, and organisation of all the logistics. The track out along the plateau crosses a number of rocky clearings, but is fairly wide, obvious and well-maintained. The road leads to Kanangra Walls. From Mt Amarina it is easy walking over Kullieatha Peak, down into the saddle and around the east side of Mt Strongleg. Cloudmaker and Guouogang are eroded remnants of Ordovician quartzite. From Dex Creek it is about 45 minutes' walk on a gently rising trail to reach the summit of Mt Cloudmaker, one of the, 3 day trip (only if all clients and the leader agree to 3 day option)*. From the east side of the clearing, with one branch heads initially east, and then south towards Maxwell Top, while the other heads north east from the northern side of the clearing. Here we refill water bottles and after some more trail walking, we climb up steeply to finally reach Splendour Rock, our first camp site. The track climbs up a cleft in the rocks, along a shale ledge on the west side, and up another cleft to a ladder which takes you up to Clear Hill at the top. For the fishing enthusiasts, trout can be caught along Kowmung River and, for the adventurous, canyoning is popular during the warmer months. Tom and Nicole. 54km: 12 hours: 24 hours: K2K Leaderboard: K2K2K (K2). Katoomba to . good walk for them. The first day is the longest in distance of the entire walk. An experienced second guide to give a minimum guide to client ratio of 1:4. I have to admit that I often discourage beginners to do the Kanangra walks as it tends to put some people off bushwalking (sometimes forever) and probably we should have discouraged our four beginners on this occasion; the walks are challenging (the hills seem to go on forever), but the scenery is stunning and it is relatively easy walking along lightly forested spurs and ridges. Not to be copied, duplicated or used for any purpose without permission. There is a steep eroded section about half way up, after which the track goes into a series of switchbacks. Click the button below to review the gear list for this trip. The distances below assume a car at the locked gate. Pause Or continue on down a short set of steps to the lookout platform for an even better view. bluemountains.heritagecentre@environment.nsw.gov.au, Blue Mountains Lithgow and Oberon Tourism website, Oberon Australia Visitor Information website, Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife, Become a Parks Eco Pass licensed tour operator, Blue Mountains Heritage Centre and Blackheath office, 270 Govetts Leap Road, Blackheath NSW 2785. reached the Kanangra Walls (dirt) Rd, where everything started to get Jonathan We reached Roots Ridge just after lunch and we knew that the end was in sight, only another couple of hours to go. Flickr photos, groups, and tags related to the "KanangraWalls," Flickr tag. fell outside. No other people in sight! Kanangra-Boyd National Park - Wikiwand up, and the sun disappeared behind the clouds. arriving in the wee hours of the morning. Next morning Shane and I poured over the map and chose our route, deciding to take Orange Bluff off the plan; a somewhat easier day if all went to plan to make up for yesterdays challenges across the plateau, visit 1,000 Man Cave and then negotiate a pass through the cliffline and walk along the south-east at the base of the cliff to Compagnoni Pass and then follow a ridge between Little Gingra Creek and Willa Creek to reach the junction of the Kowmung and Little Gingra Creek by mid-afternoon.