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 exercise in abseiling and scrambling. The beauty of this area is 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.  Earlier trips are documented on my original canyons page, and other trips are indexed on my main canyoning page

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Trip 24 Wollangambe #1 and #2
21st May 2000
Vert. Elev:
Distance :
Time (approx.) : 7 hrs

Other Sources of information on this area : Canyons Near Sydney (Rick Jamieson)

This year was to be no different, other than the fact that many of my long suffering friends decided that in the past, I actually seem to have done quite OK without food over the 40 hour period, and therefore, to really earn the donations, I had to do something a little more taxing on myself than a quiet climb or outing to the local crag on the Saturday followed by a nice lunch at midday on Sunday.

And thus, the opportunity for a (semi-controlled) experiment on myself was born ...

The Evil Pope suggested perhaps a canyon was in order, and offered a substantial cash donation.

Sunday was chosen to be the day, that is, I would start the canyon after some 36 hours of famine and not eat until finished.
I decided I wanted to do a canyon I hadn't done before, but definitely one that was not too taxing, for the obvious reason of difficulty in getting out if I failed, (and possibly putting others with me, at risk too).

The other wrinkle was the weather.
In general, the canyoning season is regarded as over for now, (it now being May), as the weather has turned quite cool and the canyons quite cold.
We've been down a few in the Mt Wilson area lately and can attest the fact that the water seems colder week by week. (On the upside, it can't get much colder now can it ?!?)

After much thought and deliberation, I decided that I would do both the easy Wollangambe canyons (numbers #1 and #2). Although I have done much of #2, by way of exits from other canyons, I hadn't actually travelled it from beginning to end yet, and I'd never set foot into #1 before. The combination also provided me with an excellent escape route midway (exit from #1) if the cold and lack of food proved to be too much.

With that decided and several volunteers on hand to keep watch over me, all I had to do was pack my pack, and wait for the day.

Saturday was one of those crisp magical autumn days with bright sun, clear blue skies and the kind of light that seems to let you see just that little bit further than normal. Sean and I headed off at 4PM to pick up Geoff in town, before heading out to meet Ed at Mt Wilson, where we camped over night so as to get a good sleep and a decent start the next day.

A bright full moon lit the campsite that night and the clear cloudless sky hinted that Sunday's weather was looking good too.

Somewhat enviously I watched the other guys hook into hot snags and nibbles along with a beer or two, while I sipped my water and looked forward to a nice cup of tea for breakfast.

Thankfully not too early the next morning, Geoff was up first and heating water for the morning brew, and to fill thermoses to take down the canyon with us.
In no particular hurry, we changed into our day gear and inspected each others chosen floatation devices.

Geoff and Sean opting for the traditional Li-Lo but Ed and myself choosing more customised craft.

The Wardrobe:
My attire for the river trip was to be :

• Full wet suit, boots, gloves and neoprene hat.
• Woolen beanie and thinsulate balaclava
• Full Lycra suit plus thermals and sox
• floatation provided by my eldest daughters brightly colored inflatable surf mat and propulsion provided by my Mares fins.
• (Additional floatation via two dry bags in my pack)

Ed chose to wear his canyon wet suit topped up with a long-sleeved diving vest and wetsuit booties.
His craft appeared to be custom built. Based on a coolite surfboard complete with twin fins, and with additional strengthening provided by a small boogie board ocky-strapped underneath.
Looking something like a cross between a Power Ranger and a Ninja Turtle.

Both Geoff and Sean were on trad. Li-Lo's and were sporting thin wetsuits, thermals, and in Geoff's case... no booties ..

Has no-one been listening to me all week ... It's going to be really cold down there !

Walking from the fire brigade shed along the well marked track was easy and straight forward. Sean surprised us all by suddenly bolting down the track and without hesitating, we all followed. Although, as none of us actually read the route description, we did visit two of the very scenic lookouts before finding the track leading off the the left along the last cliff top, and down into the canyon. Once in the canyon there is a well defined trail winding back and forth through the lush undergrowth, over and under fallen trees and logs, for a few more minutes before stopping on a muddy bend in the river bank Despite our wanderings at the top, we found ourselves at the river proper, half an hour after leaving the truck. Thanks mostly to Sean's 'need-for-speed' at the top !! A few minutes was all that was required for donning wetsuits and packing away the dry gear. Stepping into the creek I felt an immediate chill as the ice cold water enveloped my feet within my booties and suddenly much of the light banter we had been enjoying up to now disappeared, to be replaced with a feeling of uncertainty and vaguely grim jokes about hypothermia. If I was feeling as cold as I was with booties and sox, how was Geoff going to cope with just sox and Volley's ?!?

The start of the track is well signposted.

Trying visibly to bolster each others spirits, we laughed off the cold, and Sean was the first wade across the pool and jump in, with me clambering down close behind him, eager to get into the water fully and get my wet suit working.
If there had been anyone at the canyon exit, they would have heard Sean's exclamations on his entry. "Cold" merely wasn't the word !

I kicked around the corner and watched the progress of Sean, Geoff and Ed as I put my fins on.
To say the least, it didn't look encouraging.

Sean was completely bug eyed and staring back at me, Geoff seemed to be in his own world and Ed was looking decidedly unhappy about having to put his hands in the water.

At this point Sean and I asked each other, "Should we be doing this ?", "Can we do 5 hours of this ?" ....
As neither of us said "No" ... we continued and soon we all reached a kind of equilibrium with the frigid water the outside, and just freezing cold water on the inside.

As we paddled along in our own worlds, Geoff broke the silence and pointed out the first water jump. A shelf on a corner on the left hand side, about 4m up. Very tempting ... Too tempting in fact and after checking the landing for obstructions, I beached myself and scrambled up to give it a go. Unfortunately the camera failed (cold batteries) but the memory remains. That done we contented ourselves with finding better ways of staying up out of the water, and perfecting our individual paddling and kicking techniques. For me I found that Nicky's surf mat worked best if I lay across it and kicked with my fins. Lying on it proper and paddling didn't seem to work anywhere near as well. Geoff seemed happy, riding high and dry on his Li-Lo and found that sitting and paddling backwards was the most comfortable and efficient for him. Aloha-Ed couldn't have looked  more at home at Bells Beach than he did paddling his surfboard through the clear deep pools with his now gloved hands.

The 1st water jump is well worth doing !

In this manner we made our way as fast as we could without racing, down the beautiful Wollangambe. Not surprisingly, we had the canyon all to ourselves.

At one point I rounded a corner to see Sean and Geoff scrambling out and up a pile of rocks blocking the way. My adopted finning position gave me a perfect view of the bottom of the pool, as I eased forward with each gentle kick, and something caught my eye. It was deep, I knew that, but I was sure I could get it ...
"Hey .. there's something down here!!" I yelled to the others, but they couldn't understand what I was saying over the noise of the creek through the boulders.
I slipped off my mat and wriggling out of my pack straps, finned back a few meters to have another look.
I was right!
It was definitely a thing worth retrieving. (or at least trying to!).
I managed to find it on my third attempt. Finning hard, eyes shut tight to not lose my contact lenses, groping blindly on the bottom... That feels like it... It's free... Head up now, float up... float up... float up.
Bugger this! Fin hard ... POP! GASP! Whoo-Hoo!
Ow ! Frigging Ice Cream Headache or WHAT !!!

The guys are impressed ! Who the hell would have lost one of these !?! Here !?!
Sean examines the thing and declares it a good one !! (I'm impressed with it too!) He folds it and stores in in his pack for the rest of the journey.

The low overhanging part

From this point on the Wollangambe becomes more interesting. A few short walks (in and out of the water) and several long pools, short jumps and one really cool low overhanging part. Impressive reminders of how high the water levels can get, were visible at every turn. "Look at that!", Ed point out a tree trunk, probably about 60 cm in diameter and 8m long. it's wedged into a crevice under a roof about 10 m above us. Another corner and "don't look up !". Spanning the canyon is another tree trunk, firmly wedged at the big end on one side, and just hanging in there by the little end on the other side.

We don't look like your typical group

Not far from the end of #1, Sean's Li-Lo which had been  looking sadder and sadder as the day progessed, finally met an ignominious end on a submerged rock. Of less use now than a wet plastic blanket, it was relegated into Sean's pack and he and Geoff began swapping Geoff's Li-Lo between them, alternating swims. Just before the exit point there is a neat duck under into a cylindrical chamber. There is no point in going in there other than 'because it is there', but it's pretty cool none the less. (Yes.. I did go in there ...) As we approached the #1 exit, Sean, who was looking less and less like Sean, and more and more like something that looks very very cold, announced that he was going to exit here, and Geoff likewise decided to call it a day here too. Ed gave Sean the keys to the truck and we bid adieu and made them promise to have a fire and a brew going for us when we got back, estimating our return to the campground to be a bit after 3:30pm.

I figured at this point, 2 hours more swimming and an hour and a half  to walk out, although I already knew the walk out was going to be longer than that.
It was only 12:00 !

With cries of Aloha and Kowa-Bunga, Ed and I rock hopped away from the #1 exit point and plunged into the next deep pool to continue down the only part of #2 I haven't been down before. As always, the steep walls on each side and the abundant ferns and moss clinging to life on the sides makes me feel small and insignificant, but not particularly vunerable. (The cold water is doing that nicely!) We passed a family group exiting from Serendipity and copped a few friendly jibes regarding our equipment. (How rude !) They asked if we were intending on exiting at the big-bend. Ed and I just blinked and nodded ... Four hours in the cold water was starting to take its toll. Somewhere along here we found a punctured red and blue Li-Lo, that some low life had decided would look better on a tree rather take out with them like Sean did with his. I know we should have removed it, but at that point in time, I knew I didn't want the extra weight. If it's still there next time, I'll take it out with me ... We pushed on. I don't recollect passing Whungee-Whengee. In retrospect, I remember I saw Ed point something out, but he could have been pointing out anything. The relief at seeing the final boulder choke was immense. Less than 200m to go now !

Sean's dead li-lo warms Geoff

To begin with, the walk out started OK for me. I prefer the steep scramble up the first section much more so than the continuos uphill walk that I know is to follow. We pretty quickly dispatched the first section and paused just at the first level section, to remove some layers and take in the view and gulp some water down. About here I started to feel I was having problems controlling my breathing. I was resting and it should have been recovering, but it wasn't. On the bright side, I felt as though I had warmed up a tad in the sunny afternoon light and my movements weren't nearly as wooden as they had been. After a few minutes we moved off and I managed a constant pace along this thinly wooded level section of hillside. For the next 10 or 15 minutes all went well, that it, until the gradient increased, and suddenly I found myself breathing uncontrollably, and unable to lift my feet properly. Unexpected stumbles brought on brief periods of cramps in my quads. (I hadn't told Ed about the two minor cramp attacks I'd had in the water towards the end of #2, I was just glad to get out).

Geoff floats on

.... and on

I really didn't care much about the time anymore I just wanted to sit and rest. Ed was fantastic. Every time I stopped he kept encouraging me, and motivating me to keep going. "C'mon Bro ... not much farther now"... "You can do it man !" ... At one point I remember saying all I wanted to do was go to sleep ... but then, that would mean what ... even hungrier ? I had some food with me and it was well past midday ... but we were so close to finishing. "C'mon Witman ! Let's GO !!" ... Pathetically, I stumble on after him, sucking air and wondering why all the colors around me are so bright. "Fuck!" ..."These ferns... They're all red!!!" ... "Oh ... Hang about ... they're meant to be .. ".. "OK OK .. I'm coming now !"

I've always liked this area up here. Giant ferns tower amongst the openly wooded gums, and the ground is alive with small birds darting through the undergrowth.
Behind is the canyon we've just left, and the ridge drops visibly on either side of us. The fire trail is an old one that always reminds me of the trail a lawn mower leaves as you push it through tall soft grass. For nearly a full minute I walk doggedly behind Ed trying to match his steps but even on this pathetically small grade, I fall behind. I stop for a breather again. Bent double I look up and can see the main track less than 10 meters ahead. "5 more minutes to go dude !" calls Ed.

He's right. I know it now ....
On the final stretch and this is the part I've been looking forward to ... the downhill bit. I let gravity do it's thing and soon we're jogging roughly down the grade, hopping over fallen branches and loose rocks. On the final hill I feel my sense of humor returning and I turn to Ed and say in jest "There better not be any cars coming along the road !". ... Premonition or what !.
Not only is there a car on intercept course with our path across the road, but as we slow and divert to go behind it, IT SLOWS AND PULLS OFF THE ROAD DIRECTLY AT US !!!.

We stop. It stops. We move off across the road. It pulls back on the road and drives off leaving the sound of the passenger laughing, in my ears. Sean and Geoff have done well. There's a fire going and it looks like there's a pot boiling ! But I'm knackered. I try to get a jog going again but it just doesn't happen. Instead I stumble my way across the campground and drop to the ground just short of the fire, and accept an apricot fruit bar and choc chip muesli bar from Ed. It was over... The World Vision 40hour Famine had become Wit's Weird 44hour Famine and Fatigue Experiment, and was now complete. All that remains now is to collect the pledges !

at the start of the day

This year I have raised $442.00  for World Vision with several more pledges still to go, I'm hoping to make over $500.00 by the end of the week.
In total, the company I work for raised $(TBA) for World Vision this year !

The steepest part

Geoff is yet to feel the water

A nice view of the Wollangambe

My clean white shirt

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Final note ...
I don't think I'll experiment on myself like this again ....

for a while anyway ...

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