The canyon log is my chronological account of the various canyon trips that I have been fortunate enough to partake, and in some cases, lead.

Sydney is blessed with an abundance of rugged bush land less than two hours drive away, and in this bush land lie some of the most pristine and delicate environments that can be found.
Visiting these places may require no more than a simple walk along a creek, or demand bush craft and navigation skills just to get there.

These trips are 'canyon' trips which involves starting high in the range and following a creek or stream as it carves it's way down to the river valley. The Kanangra canyons are generally fairly open and following these is an excersise in abseiling and scrambling. The beauty of this area are the panoramic views along the Kanangra Walls and valleys. The incredible ruggedness of the area.

Blue Mountains canyons like Claustral, cut deep into the sandstone below them and over time have worn channels and gutters, deep enough that direct sunlight never reaches the bottom. Walking and swimming through these is a magical tour through a ferny green wonderland. A visit to the lost planet.

I have kept these notes as a reminder to myself of the individual trips, as well as to provide 'some' useful information for following excursions, or to supply to others planning similar outings.
As I have been hap-hazardly adding pictures lately, these pages are best viewed at 1024 x 768 !

Trip 19
Butterbox Canyon (also known as Mt Hay Canyon or Rock Pt Ravine)
27th Febuary Y2K
Geoff, Richard and myself
Length of trip : approx 3km (short way in and climb out)
Elevation : approx 350m
Duration : 1 medium day
Rope required : 50m
WET - canyon (wetsuits not required but advised)

Sorry ! No Photos...

This is yet another canyon that had been waiting patiently, high on our 'Must do' list. Several others had also expressed an interest in comming too, but on the day there was just the three of us. Alison had led a group the day before and had other commitments on this day, Hamish slept through, past his pick-up time, and Davo just never materilalised.

I arrived at the Mt Hay Rd turn-off in plenty of time, and plenty of fog and drizzle. So much fog, in fact, that at times I swear I couldn't see the front of the car as I was driving!

Geoff and Richard arrived exactly on time, and together we waited for half an hour in case Dave was till on his way. Eventually we decided to move on and, having decided on the short way in, drove to the end of the road (just before the 4WD track starts), and surveyed the intended route through the mist and gently falling rain. The canyon itself is pretty obviouse from the car park.

There is a small path leading west, down into the valley, and quickly crosses a small creek (or bog), and then winds out onto a rocky platform above a short cliff line. the whole valley encompassing the creek is one, almost continuose cliffline. We could see the creek we crossed earlier as it now streamed down as a waterfall from an overhang on our left.
In hindsight we could have abeiled from here and scrub-bashed down to the creek below, but we chose to search for a way down from where we were. Thrashing through the wet bush, and trying not to slide uncontrollably off the slope we eventually fell into a small dank, slippery, creek above a tricky 15m abseil. (some of us {well me actually} sliding a bit more than others)! We abseiled from a small tree on the left down a narrow slippery "V" shaped shute with an awkward log blocking one side, and landed at the base in a tangle of broken and rotting branches and logs. After this we shinnied down the next small drop a slippery log (which could be scrambled past by crawling through a damp cave on the right), and found our way to an open section with a straight forward dry abseil from a tree down to a lush wooded section below.

Almost immediatley after this we found a sling around a tree, marking another abseil down the creek. The steep awkward start bottoms out on a very slippery ramp with an overhang at the end, but you can avoid the pool by stepping right (as you abseil) at the very bottom. I suspect this is the first abseil of the canyon proper.

From here a faint track meanders back and forth across the creek and soon the first jump in is reached (approx 1m). It's only a short swim and we found the water to be fairly warm. (I guess the air temp wasn't!). (I had no wetsuit for this trip and was relying soley on my thermals for warmth ... out of the water!).

We found the next abseil again on the right hand side of the creek and from the top, it descends a veritable junk yard of boulders, branches and other debris. The view however, is sensational.
A deep narrow canyon presents itself before you, and beyond the visable choke below, the gulf looks huge and ominous! As we had a long rope (63m) I continued to rap all the way to the pool at the base, negating the need to risk slipping down the last ramp, which could be down climbed on a convienient (if somewhat slippery) log if one so desires.
Have I mentioned just how slippery everything was ?

We stepped across the small pool and climbed up on the boulders that form the next choke to find two large sturdy looking PETZL ring bolts for the next abseil.
Also the gut wrenching view of the narrow chasm tumbling away before us. The guide-book suggests ending this particular abseil on a large chock-stone about 15m down, and then continuing from there, although 2 x 50m ropes will apparently suffice to do both pitches as one. From the saftey of the big chock-stone below, I could see our single 63m didn't make the bottom by anything resemabling reasonable height, so I pulled it up, called the others down, and we made a second pitch of it. (there are another two big ring bolts here and enough room for three or maybe even four to stand! Be clipped in though... the only way is down, and it's a long way ! Another chock-stone above us had an old rope sling around it too!).

We arranged this pitch to go over the top of the flat topped chock-stone we were standing on, so as to remain dry and I rapped off initially into free space, and then straddled the waterfall and pushed off to the left to finnish up on ledges at the pool below, mostly unscathed by the mini-torrent.

You can also set the rope to go UNDER the chock and go that way too, but that way gets you very wet. Probably easier to get the rope down afterwards. (We had some difficulty with ours, but some perserverance by Richard and Geoff won out and down it came).

The short pool has another abseil immediatly after it, (8m) and likewise ends in a small pool requiring a very short wade/swim. These pools had bright red and orange yabbies everywhere! Even in the crevises I used as hand holds, in my attempt to climb around the top pool rather than swim it, had little orange feelers, fleeing or waving out at me.

We jumped the final drop (3m) into the last pool and swam to the other side. More simple creek following now, and from the right hand side, we cross again back to the left just above yet another slipery water fall and ascend slightly into the bush on the left.
There is a prodominant track here that leads up. It's not the one to follow. The view is good, but it just get's higher and the creek gets lower.
Instead, go down the bank, and from a ledge above a deep pool either jump and swim, or go back (right) and slither down a boulder to water level and gain a ledge that skirts the pool (on the left).

Shortly after this we found the final abseil on the right hand side of the creek again. (15m)

To return, we opted to follow the cliff line to the right and climb out, using the grade 11 route described in the guide-book. This proved quite easy to find, and the climb was neither grade 11 nor felt like 20m. I think the original grade 8 is more applicable but that's just my personal opinion. It is very well protected with 5 FH and finnishes on another sturdy ring bolt.

To exit in this manner, simply follow the track along towards the cliff line on the right (east) and keep going as it winds up and down and eventually goes into a steep loose gully. Go up, and just as it starts to level out again it switches back towards the canyon and goes at a fairly even level, back around the buttress again. A short grovel through a dusty cave and you're at the base of the climb.

Take 6 quickdraws for the climb and a few slings for the belays and to extend one of the runners (if you use them all).

After the climb go right (still towards the canyon) and the path becomes more and more substantial as it winds up through pleasant bush and spectacular views of the Grose valley and the ravine you've just been through.

Keep following the track right at each junction (unless you want to visit all the lookouts) and it takes you right back to the cars !