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1-3 Nov 2009, while an early-season heatwave was hitting NSW, we walked 44km in 1 and two half days in 35 degree C temperatures.
One thing about the Blue Mountains: when you are ‘up on top’, there is little water about...
Starting at Kanangra Walls, we headed north on the true right side of the Kanangra Gorge, over Kilpatrick’s Causeway, up Mt Stormbreaker to Cloudmaker and then dropped down to Dex Creek.
Next day, we continued north over Strongleg Ridge, down 900m to the Cox’s River, and back up the other side, climbing Yellow Pup ridge and finishing at Mobb’s Swamp.
Last day we headed east to Medlow Gap and climbed again, up Taro’s ladder onto Narrowneck Peninsula, which we followed north again back to where a taxi could pick us up.
The view down the gorge from Kanangra Walls Lookout.
Left: Thurat Spires
The route we took started on the right running along Kanangra Walls, Kilpatricks Causeway, below Crafts Wall, over Mt Berry, Mt High and Mighty, veering right at Mt Stormbreaker, and proceeding up Rip, Rack, Roar and Rumble Knolls to Mt Cloudmaker before dropping over the back to Dex Creek.
Lunch had beautiful views, though finding shade was problematic.
There was lots of interesting vegetation... (this first one is of a banksia that had been burnt last March, and was trying to flower).
We survived potential heatstroke climbing the Stormbreaker/Cloudmaker ridge, with the charmingly named knolls, Rip, Rack, Roar and Rumble. Unfortunately, not easily visible.
The next day, as temperatures climbed again, we headed down the aptly named Strongleg Ridge (800m descent).
Cox’s River was a very welcome and delightfully pretty cooling-off spot. But the valley simply got hotter and hotter, so we headed up Yellow Pup ridge (700m) towards our second campsite.
We stayed in a camping cave that night, entertained by a flashy lightning show as a little thunderstorm dropped some welcome rain around us.
That of course led to quite a steamy morning, and it took only a few minutes for us to become saturated as we brushed through the wet scrub.
Happily, the wind blew, and we were kept cool by the evaporative effect, especially as climbed the last ridge below Taro’s Ladder. Named after Blue Mountains walker extraordinnaire, the "Duke of Clear Hill", Walter Tarr (d 1969, aged 90-something). This set of spikes replaces the ladder Walter placed here in the 1930s.
Up on Narrowneck Peninsula, the flowers were outstanding!
Ruined Castle and Mt Solitary.
Taken from the southern part of Narrowneck Peninsula, looking east towards the Kedumba valley.
We had only visited the Ruined Castle and Mt Solitary in April 2009 (6 months ago).
That's probably Lake Burragorang on the right.
