They can then inform police if you dont return on time. The steepest ascent of the day is from here, up to Mt High and Mighty. Please enable javascript to access the full functionality of this site, View full screen
Tom patching blisters. Alex is pointing to Mount Cloudmaker, which at 1164m is the highest point visible. Usually referred to "Kanangra to Katoomba" or K2K, this is a classic walk in the southern Blue Mountains. We camped on the Friday night at Boyd Crossing Campground, after There is substantial loss and gain of elevation on the walk which means there are long descents and ascents. A good idea to follow the map for this one to ensure you stay on track. The trail heads steeply north down the obvious ridge, finishing at Kanangra Creek where you can fill up with water. Jonathan and Nicole on Kilpatrick Causeway looking up at Kanangra Walls. One thing I did notice was a few stands of prickly pear at Click the button below to review the gear list for this trip. The descent to Gabes Gap, the low point of the day, follows. Well, plans should always be fluid and ours didnt quite go as expected. Kanangra to Katoomba - Athol Abrahams (SUBW), Kanangra to Katoomba - Australian Plants Online, Kanangra to Katoomba - David Thurstun (SUBW), Kanangra to Katoomba - Shoalhaven Bushwalkers, Kanangra to Katoomba - Horst Bardhof (archive.org). Nifty footwork is required over the rocky knolls quaintly named Rip, Rack, Roar and Rumble. That is a 1000m range in elevation, and there are countless ups and downs during the course of the 3-4 days to add more to the amount of climbing and descending that you need to do! The next 4km was one long climb, punctuated by the occasional Here is a day-by-day itinerary for the guided hike: The Narrow Neck Plateau. Plateau itself. slog, but I hummed to myself the whole way up and the time passed quickly. There are several well known landmarks in the park, such as Mount Cloudmaker, Kanangra Walls and the Thurat Spires. 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. They breed from November to January. A short walk upstream is our campsite in a lovely peaceful river flat among casuarina trees. By this time it was 4 pm and the light was failing, so, out came the compass and map for what I anticipated was a navigational challenge to find the Cave in the dark (with only an estimated grid reference on my map and not having been there before). Don't walk it in summer! was a small cairn and log book, but it is not exactly a mountain that you On Day 3, we return to Kanangra Walls, enjoying the spectacular views in the opposite direction. Transport by chartered minibus from Kanangra Walls back to Katoomba at the end of the walk. Also on the last day the traverse around the base of Crafts Wall is rough, slow and hard on the ankles. From Kanangra Walls, we follow the scenic ridgeline to Mt Cloudmaker and on to 100 Man Cave where we will camp for two nights enjoying the ambience of this great spot. Just 180km from the outskirts of Sydney, Kanangra-Boyd National Park, part of Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, feels like youve crossed an ocean to get there. There are also intrusive igneous rocks from the Carboniferous period. The walking trail is rough and faint in places. Grid Reference: 395 403. On the trail to the lookout, theres a revegetation area abundant with silver banksia, bright red mountain devils and white flowering hakeas. [5], The Blue Mountains National Park contains 46 species of mammals, including 27 marsupials and two monotremes. Have only visited here once, but will certainly return, a few of these . K2K in a day: Kanangra Walls - Mt Cloudmaker - Mt Strongleg - Coxs River - Yellow Pup Ridge - Medlow Gap - Narrowneck: Rachel Grindlay, Alex Allchin [L], Vivien de Remy de Courcelles, Adrian Doyle, Naveen [SBW] My photos : Blue Mountains NP, Kanangra-Boyd NP: Bushwalking: 27/08/2017: 1: Pierces Pass - Grose River - Blue Gum Forest - return These are in fact a set of climbing spikes fixed into the rock. stores. 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. There are a number of small campsites on both sides of the creek. 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. onto Jenolan Caves Rd from the Great Western Highway, the snow started The Coxs River is generalleasy to ford just before a small set of rapids on the west side of Yellow Pup Ridge. However, on an Aprilweekend trip a year later, thecreek was bone dry as far as we were able to follow it. As a bushwalk, the Mount Manning (Bucketty) to . 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. Nicole at a lookout on the climb up to Cloudmaker. We spent a restless night regularly decanting the billies into water bottles, and were relieved to have collect six litres over night which was just sufficient to get our party home. Good navigation and prior knowledge of the route is therefore essential. a large mass of sandstone rising out of the surrounding bush. 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! I have had more than 30 years experience of bushwalking along this route and would welcome you on this trip. 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. are useful and generally contain more, and more accurate, information on The word Kanangra is generally held to be a corruption of Gundangura and was called Thurat for some time. It was extremely stressful as I had mostly beginners with me and they were relying on me to get them into camp in the dark I wasnt sure I was up to the challenge! Kanangra Walls is at the terminus of the Kanangra Walls road, about 1 hour and 40 minutes' drive from Katoomba. I chose day 1 as my favourite day, however I really didn't have a favourite day, I enjoyed each day for what it was and what it gave me. The national park forms part of the Great Dividing Range. This descent is what earns the trail a Hard grading. - Seymour Top The track out along the plateau crosses a number of rocky clearings, but is fairly wide, obvious and well-maintained. Once on the trail the route was easy all the way to the Mount wilderness walk was the best thing for the June Long Weekend. A classic 3-4 day hike through the heart of the southern Blue Mountains, View towards Katoomba from Kanangra Walls, showing the Gangerang Range along which the route travels, About the Kanangra to Katoomba (or Katoomba to Kanangra) Walk. There is a log book on top of the summit cairn that you can sign. 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 Plateau we ran into our first problem - how to get down. A small knoll not too far ahead was a great vantage point for some 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. Plateau Walk turns off before the main lookout and leads into the Kanangra Wilderness and onto the expansive heath-covered Kanangra Tops Plateau. A lovely overnight walk in a beautiful national park, and great company from the welcoming groupof SBW walkers. But 'screw that' we thought. Kanangra to Katoomba requires a long car shuffle. . Early in 2014 I joined a bushwalking club to walk in some new areas and learn some new tricks. The next morning, get an early start and navigate carefully on to the ridge leading from Carra Top to Mt Moorilla Maloo. Mt Cloudmaker is the highest in the Gangerang Range. 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 hike incorporates the summit of Mt Cloudmaker, one of the famous Blue Mountains Three Peaks, and most walkers passing over this summit would sign the logbook there. The total distance of the walk is 52km, with a total of 3044m of ascent and 2991m of descent over the 3-4 days! 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. feel you We arranged to meet Fee, Sal and some of Sal's friends at Mobbs Soak enjoy the view. Just 180km from the outskirts of Sydney, Kanangra-Boyd National Park, part of the Greater Blue Mountains Area World Heritage Property, feels like you've crossed an ocean to get there. This will be arranged by me as part of my service to you. both north and south and endless photo opportunities. Cloudmaker and Guouogang are eroded remnants of Ordovician quartzite. - Rock climbing to descend off plateau, 2.7km: Rockclimbing to descend off of the plateau. of the bush we found we were two ridges east of where we should have Most of us rocked up to Boyd River Crossing on Friday night and were greeted with a blast of cold air when we got out of our cars, there was frost on the ground when we woke next morning. There is a logbook on Mt Cloudmaker, dedicated to the memory of Kathleen Jones. Tom Brennan : website@ozultimate.com : updated 1999-06-14, OZultimate.com - Canyoning Near Sydney - Bushwalking NSW - Tom Brennan. Carpark by Kanangra Walls. You can find out more about how DPE handles the personal information it collects online by reading our privacy policy. The trip itinerary allows 4 days, though this makes Days 2 and 3 rather short and in theory these could be combined. *The trip will be done over 4 days as per the itinerary unless: When I receive your application, I will review it and then contact you. As you can see, there are a lot of ups and downs! . My first venture along parts of the Katoomba to Kanangra walk was a day hike from Kanangra Walls to Mt Cloudmaker in 1982. I was able to download it straight into a gps app I downloaded the other day! The Kanangra-Boyd Wilderness is among the largest and most rugged wilderness areas in New South Wales. There looked to be an old trail which followed the Presumably this was to try to reduce erosion on the There is a steep eroded section about half way up, after which the track goes into a series of switchbacks. This is a true wilderness experience that will take you into some of the most spectacular wilderness of NSW. It didnt help that the person who was having the most trouble was wearing jeans which were now wet and making him colder than he should be. The Boyd Plateau is slowly recovering from logging, and is the highest land in the World Heritage Area. Kanangra Walls Craft's Wall Mt Berry Mt High and Mighty Mt Storm Breaker Rip Rack Roar and Rumble Mt Cloudmaker Dex Creek Morilla Marloo Mt Strongleg Cox's River . All in all, fantastic day and well worth the drive. unfortunately was making visibility poor and when we finally broke out Hundred Man Cave had a good water supply when we were there, with given recent good rains, dripping from the cave into a gully. Many parties have run into trouble over the years, and walkers need to be competent navigators. If it is more than waist deep then it is dangerous to cross, and you may need to wait or return to Kanangra Walls. We did the 3 day option which i think suits someone who likes a physical challenge, the 4 day option would be good for some physical down time and allow more opportunity to stop and take it all in. Ashley is a great guide and fully supported us all during the walk. few kms of flat walking, we were heading along the faint track along The unfenced lookout is a 10 minute walk down a wheelchair-accessible track from the Kanangra Walls carpark. From here we descend on a well trodden walking trail to Medlow Gap, and thence continue around the Wild Dog Mountains staying on the well trodden trail until we reach Mobbs Swamp. 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. There is no public transport to or from Kananga Walls so private transport needs to be arranged for pickup from or dropoff at Kanangra Walls. You will do this in a friendly environment, in the company of like-minded people who are here for all the same reasons you are, in a spirit of mutual respect and friendship. started. biggest descent of the day, down to Gabes Gap, and from there it was all By allowing this amount of time you can enjoy the spectacular scenery, make side trips to points of interest such as Splendour Rock, and enjoy a couple of nights camping away from it all. I do this by more than just taking people on organised bushwalks. The delay . Time:2 hrs Distance:6 km Fitness:E Skill:EM Ascent:60 m, Excellent panoramic views from this easy-to-visit lookout off Narrow Neck Peninsula, Time:4 hrs Distance:9 km Fitness:E Skill:EM Ascent:160 m. A relatively easy day walk with excellent views at a number of points along the way. The highest point on the walk is Mt Cloudmaker at 1155m, and the lowest point is the Coxs River at just 150m. Nearby Kanangra Gorge is cut 600900 metres (2,0003,000ft) deep in rocks of the Lambie Group, and is one of Australia's deepest gorges. A short steep scramble is needed down the gully, and follow the track around and up on to Kilpatrick Causeway. One in particular looked like he was on his last legs so Shane and I took turns in either leading the group or looking after the person at the back. thermals, so that was one of the first purchases from the outdoor stores Crossing two national parks, it takes in some of the best scenery of both, including excellent views from the high plateaux of Narrow Neck and Kanangra Walls. ", "The trip was great - I have never hiked this part of the Blue Mountains and it proved spectacular! Or alternatively, push on to Dex Creek, combining Days 2 and 3 into one. Or continue on down a short set of steps to the lookout platform for an even better view. For the fishing enthusiasts, trout can be caught along Kowmung River and, for the adventurous, canyoning is popular during the warmer months. wrong one! We love outdoor adventures! He ended up with 11 other people that wanted to do the walk, many of whom were first time walkers. If you have a large group you may be able to avoid the car shuffle by splitting in two, and doing the walk in opposite directions. Jonathan posed on a There comes a time when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it! Many parties have run into trouble over the years, and walkers need to be competent navigators. three hour round trip to Kanangra to pick up the other car. The walk is best done in the cooler months, as there are plenty of ups and downs, and limited water options along the way. Russells Needle; Grant's Head; Nattai - Grant Head Spur, Emmetts Flat, October 2004. More Blue Mountains Heritage Centre and Blackheath office 02 4787 8877 Contact hours: 9am to 4.30pm daily. Nontrivial #4 - Kanangra to Katoomba (GC3K0DW) was created by jonnosan on 5/9/2012. Water can usually be found in the creek below the campsite, or a little further along where the creek crosses the main track. 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. If it's offered over 4 days next year, that makes it a different experience that I hope I can be a part of :) I think you go out of your way to make sure everyone is comfortable and well taken care off, and well informed, and provided for. Cloudmaker; Nattai National Park. We can camp here if doing the trip over 4 days, which makes Day 2 a short day with a relaxing afternoon by the river. Mt Cloudmaker is the highest in the Gangerang Range. Leave one car in Katoomba, either on Narrow Neck at the Golden Stairs car park or the locked gate, or in Katoomba itself. Even though the trail turned into piles of rock at various It was this desperate 'rushing' through the dense foliage, coupled with my chaotically negligent state of mind which caused me to lose my GPS. From the superb sandstone cliff faces at the Kanangra Walls to the Mount Cloudmaker, there is no shortage of sights to enjoy. All prospective clients agree to combine Days 2 and 3 into one, making it a 3 day trip. Being the June long weekend Reports and pictures of a walk/run from Kanangra to Katoomba, Trip report of a Kanangra to Katoomba walk with a particular focus on the flora, A brief tongue-in-cheek report of a longer Kanangra to Katoomba trip, A mostly pictorial account of a Kanangra to Katoomba trip, Tom Brennan 2002-2023 - Bushwalking NSW - Canyoning Near Sydney. 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. The view here is excellent, but is unfortunately marred by the electricity line that runs across Little Cedar Gap. I didn't have any After a further kilometre, the track climbs briefly to the bottom of Crafts Wall, and traverses along steep slopes along its north west side. a day walk, we set off to get the car shuffle out of the way. Take the afternoon off and have a swim in the river, and for those interested, learn some navigation skills similar to those taught on my. Join one of my informally yet professionally led and well organised expeditions in one of the most spectacular wilderness areas in New South Wales. North Marramarra National Park In areas of impeded drainage, various swamps occur, dominated by sedges and scrubs such as Leptospermum and Baeckea species. It's a site filled with tips and advice to help you get out in nature and return safely. On the first day at Kanangra . were about eight tents in five separate groups set up. - in a day. Konangaroo Clearing is a large grassy area next to Kanangra Creek, and would be an excellent campsite if doing the walk in two days. The unfenced lookout is a 10 minute walk down a wheelchair-accessible track from the Kanangra Walls carpark. Every trip brings new people with new perspectives and new friendships forged. ", "K2K is one of the best walks I have ever done. Expect long knee crushing descents and seemingly endless quad screaming climbs, especially on Day 3! Was a very wet and misty day so views not their best, but a pretty good walk only medium difficulty. ended up at the Kowmung River! Mount Cloudmaker (from Kanangra Walls) | Kanangra-Boyd National Park | BeyondTracks BeyondTracks BeyondTracks ExploreListMap Mount Cloudmaker (from Kanangra Walls) Kanangra-Boyd National Park 21km Distance 8hr 43min Duration 1,637m Ascent 1,637m Descent Return car Sidetracks Dance Floor Cave- Sidetrack Return| 67m - Your next park adventure starts here. From Mt Amarina it is easy walking over Kullieatha Peak, down into the saddle and around the east side of Mt Strongleg. Kanangra Walls - Mt Cloudmaker Hike . Many ups and downs and some slow and tiring sections of trail, particularly on the last day. The cliffs on the west side of Mt Berry have superb views of Crafts Wall and Kanangra Walls. The place is literally riddled with fire trails and a few walking tracks. Enjoy the sunrise from Splendour Rock. The hike should take around 3-4 days to complete. For details on how to get to Kanangra Walls, see the information in the Kanangra Walls region, to the right. We follow the fire trail along the top of this plateau on Day 1. Jonathan Follow the fire road along Narrow Neck. in any case. A unique form of tall open forest occurs in the Kedumba Valley, dominated by Camden white gum, an endangered species limited to these populations. Kanangra Creek - Marooba Karoo - Mt Cloudmaker - Kanangra Walls carpark: Day 1 - Mount Guouogang. Much of the walk is through wilderness, for which there are no signs, and tracks in places are vague. We camp among the trees a little way back from the exposed rock itself. Generally considered a challenging route. At From the Walls we followed the well-defined track across the plateau and down the pass which took us to Kilpatrick Causeway and past Craft Walls. ridge straight up, and a newer one which zig-zagged back and forth along If you believe your life is at risk, activate your personal locator beacon (PLB), then make your position visible to rescue teams and keep warm and dry. Well-worn tracks were present for the entirety of the third day, making navigation simple. We eventually found the Pass and while having lunch at the top of the Pass, a Bush Club group arrived and told us about a lovely campsite at the River. Tom crossing the cold Coxs River Pause
wide and flat-topped, and there were no views at all to speak of. Len S had put this three day walk on the BWOC calendar mainly because I'd convinced him it was a good walk, neither of us had been to 100 Man Cave before, and he loves Kanangra. There Mount Solitary; Grand Canyon, Bluegum Forest & Perrys Lookdown; The Six Foot Track; Kanangra Boyd National Park. However we decided to get moving quickly as there looked to be more bad In my mid-teens I had the privilege of being introduced to this area by people who inspire me, and through my guiding services I hope to awaken the same spirit in others that was awoken in me so many years ago. English: View from Kanangra-Boyd lookout over Kanangra Walls and Mount Cloudmaker, Kanangra-Boyd National Park, New South Wales, Australia. Eventually we retrieved the other car and made it back to the Mt We hadnt walked far when out of the gloom appeared Shane who thought hed mosey on back to meet up with us; Ive never been so pleased to see someone (I think I gave him the biggest hug!). [5], About 1,000 flowering plant species occur in the Blue Mountains, in some 40 plant communities. In a few places the path is very faint and you need to push your way through dense and stiff vegetation to finally reach our second night's campsite at Dex Creek. Awesome! Some of the tracks on the ground may be heavily overgrown, or non-existent. Take the north east branch, which keeps close to the northern edge of the tops. If you have any great photos from this hike and are happy to share them, please upload your .jpg files here. My first complete walk of the entire route in one go was in 1986. The 68,660-hectare (169,700-acre) national park is situated approximately 180 kilometres (110mi) south-west of Sydney and is contiguous with the Blue Mountains National Park and the Nattai National Park. High altitude areas subject to strong winds generally support heath and closed scrub communities. 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 parks waterfalls. Near the top of Mt Strongleg the trail 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. Please enable javascript to access the full functionality of this site. I will send you an invoice, you can make a deposit, and then your place on the trip is confirmed. . Wednesday afternoon's walk, from the Kanangra carpark, took us first to the Kanangra Walls Lookout (spectacular views of the Walls and Mount Cloudmaker), the nearby Thurat Walls Lookout and then to Kalang Falls - many steps! Since then I have done countless trips along the Kanangra to Katoomba route and have explored the surrounding country extensively. A chartered minibus will be waiting for us at Kanangra and will take us back to Katoomba. It is also done by some groups in one day as a challenge - "K to K in a Day" is one of the well known "hard" walks in the Blue Mountains, along with the significantly tougher Three Peaks. Hug the wall to the right and zigzag the way down. However, they can be crowded at times. points along the way, for the most part it followed the ridge line, Kurrajong trees are found in abundance where limestone outcrops occur, and in sheltered gullies rainforest species (including red cedar) and blue gum are found. My services as your experienced guide for the entire length of the 4 day trek. Or continue on down a short set of steps to the lookout platform for an even better view. 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. My expeditions are always held in a spirit of friendship and respect between all participants. One last steeper section gets you to the top. given the cold forecast. Over 200 birds and 98 reptile species have been recorded. Suggest an edit here. Kanangra Tops at the south-eastern end of the Plateau is one of the Permian outliers. Trail Hiking Australia is the go-to website for finding your next hike, bushwalk or trail run. Total distance of 52km with single day distances of up to 20km. Mobbs Swamp is on the south side of Warrigal Gully, at the head of the creek, and is reached after a steady downhill on the track. Mount Cloudmaker (Ian Brown) Mount Cloudmaker emerging from dawn mist As part of the Great Escarpment this is big country, with the greatest relief in the whole Blue Mountains: nearly 1200 metres from the Coxs River to the summit of Mount Guouogang on the Krungle Bungle Range. I did not realise how beautiful and rugged some parts of the Blue Mountains could be and we walked through the heart of it all. Saturday morning saw us drive down to the parking lot at what we 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. It is also done by some groups in one day as a challenge - "K to K in a Day" is one of the well known "hard" walks in the Blue Mountains, along with the significantly tougher Three Peaks. a small stream, which we filtered. Over the crest of Mt Berry was the It's usually done as a two or three day hike and with incredible ridgeline and riverside campsites, you'll be spoilt for locations to pull in for the night. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. However, in the middle of June it also .gb-container-d6e79c73{margin-top:20px;}.gb-container-d6e79c73 > .gb-inside-container{max-width:1390px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;}.gb-grid-wrapper > .gb-grid-column-d6e79c73 > .gb-container{display:flex;flex-direction:column;height:100%;}. The next section is the longest climb on the walk. The track wound along a knife edge ridge, gently undulating and with fabulous views either side. We first ended up fighting thick scrub all the Any personal details provided on this submission form will not be shown on the website or used by me in any way other than to email you to say thanks.