the first peers over the Kanangra Creek Gorge with Mt Cloudmaker . petered out above the the 650m descent to the Coxs River. There are plenty of good campsites along the way. Rock types include quartzite, diorite, Devonian rhyolites, rhyo-dacites, Silurian phyllites, slates, siltstones and tuff limestones. We walk out along the Narrow Neck plateau along a fire trail, a distance of 10km. The track heads WNW and then north to Mt Amarina, but it is worth climbing Mt Moorilla Maloo if you have time. On the Boyd Plateau, the misty mountain forests of brown barrel, messmate, ribbon gum, black sally, snow gum and mallee predominate. Points to remember: dirt road out to Kanangra had lots of pot holes and muddy areas that we would find challenging if we werent in a 4x4, lots of Roos on the road too! Directly across from our campsite is the base of the long spur up Mt Strongleg. Its fringing fault scarp Kanangra Walls comprises Permian sedimentaries of the Capertee Group which rests unconformably on a Devonian Lambie Group Basement. Drop down into Little Cedar Gap, and climb on the fire trail, and then on another track, to the bottom of Narrow Neck Peninsula. The On the first day at Kanangra . The remainder of the trail to Crafts Wall and around the northern rim is moderate. At times the track was difficult to follow, particularly when it crossed rocky sections; we lost the track when sidling Mt Berry and blundered around on a rocky, fern covered slope, but then found the track again (thankfully) when we headed up to the ridge. We were obviously not the first to use it as there was a well From the car park at Kanangra Walls, follow signs to the Plateau Track. The walk is best done in the cooler months, as there are plenty of ups and downs, and limited water options along the way. . The southern rim of Crafts Wall is very overgrown and requires bush bashing. Our four beginners kept their sense of humour though when the going got tough and I hope that theyll give Kanangra another go (maybe in a year or so!). 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. This elevation chart below gives you a good idea of the amount of climbing and descending day by day on this walk. Every person and every hike is different, so customise your kit according to your needs.Download your free checklists here >>. was a small cairn and log book, but it is not exactly a mountain that you But the rain had stopped and the sun came out at dusk. red spotted gum, Blakely's red gum, red stringybark and forest oak are also found. Most saddles between Mt Berry and Mt Strongleg offer a flat grassy area. No chardonnay tour operators, signs or huts please. The plateau is traversed by the Kanangra Walls Road and can be accessed either from Oberon or Jenolan Caves. Generally considered a challenging route. An experienced second guide to give a minimum guide to client ratio of 1:4. We first ended up fighting thick scrub all the Plan your water supply very carefully! crest of the ridge. Stop at the top of the steps and peer out over Kanangra Deep to Kanangra Walls, and in the distance, Mount Cloudmaker, which is often circled by mist. But 'screw that' we thought. Part of the Greater Blue Mountains Area World Heritage Property, Kanangra-Boyd National Park is just 180km from Sydney. all the way to Mobbs Soak with only small amounts of height variation. Water was a bit scarce - we continued up the track a short way On Day 3, we return to Kanangra Walls, enjoying the spectacular views in the opposite direction. 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. 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. About 60Km South of Jenolan on dirt road. My toes were Required fields are marked *. FIND YOUR WAY OUTSIDE is a trademark of AllTrails, LLC. RM2B9028G - 'English: Mount Cloudmaker, Kanangra Boyd National Park, NSW, Australia. The next section is the longest climb on the walk. 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 and Guouogang are eroded remnants of Ordovician quartzite. adding layer after layer of clothing as we cooled down, the wind picked were about eight tents in five separate groups set up. Theres nothing glamorous about bushwalking, caving or canyoning, but it sure is fun! Kanangra Walls Lookout and Kalang Falls Walk, Blue Dog and Black Horse Ridge Loop Track, Dunphys Campground to Bellbird Ridge Lookout, Kanangra Walls Lookout, Brennan Top and Cottage Rock, Cattle Dog Ridge, Knights Deck, and Ironmonger Track, Frying Pan Flat via Bellbird Ridge and Carlons Creek, Mount Guouogang and Mount Paralyser Circuit, Mount Mouin via Bellbird and Black Horse Ridge Track, Bullhead Mountian and Sullen Tor via Plateau Walk, Federation Track South: Bindook Highlands to Yass. 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. The K2K, or the "Katoomba to Kanangra" walk is a ~ 60 km trail (from the Katoomba train station to the Kanangra Walls Car park), which takes the bushwalker on a scenic traverse through the Blue Mountains National Park and the Kanangra-Boyd National park via the Coxs River. I think you are a great guide, and I think the effort you go to is over and above what most stand-alone guides would think of providing. All content copyright Ashley Burke 2018. 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. Don't walk it in summer! three hour round trip to Kanangra to pick up the other car. The Gangerang Range mountains in this area have delightful names, Mt High and Mighty and Mt Stormbreaker among them. 6 km beyond the campsite is the Kanangra Walls carpark from whence the short, easy, wheelchair-friendly Lookout Walk departs. The track out along the plateau crosses a number of rocky clearings, but is fairly wide, obvious and well-maintained. The views along the way, particularly from the Kanangra Walls plateau and Mt Stormbreaker are wonderful, and at night we went up onto the Ti Willa Plateau under a full moon and were rewarded with a wide horizon view of sparking lights from Sydney to Wollongong. It offers expansive and majestic views over the Kanangra Walls and Mount Cloudmaker, which - as its name suggests - is often ensconced in the fog. Or continue on down a short set of steps to the lookout platform for an even better view. Reaching the corner of the Wall, take the track to the north west, which heads down a hill, and then up to the conglomerate bluff at the southern end of Mt Berry. Mt Cloudmaker is the highest in the Gangerang Range. A classic trail deep in the Blue Mountains, the K2K offers some of the best scenery in the region. started to look a bit dodgy as the weather began to deteriorate. Thurat Spires, Kanangra Walls and Mount Cloudmaker provide sandstone scenery on a majestic scale." (sic.) Keep your eyes peeled for echidnas and lyrebirds, particularly during summer. There is a log book on top of the summit cairn that you can sign. 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. 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 total distance of the walk is 52km, with a total of 3044m of ascent and 2991m of descent over the 3-4 days! There are a number of small campsites on both sides of the creek. In 1984 I walked the section from the Coxs River . There are numerous routes that can be taken, and these notes only point out the most commonly taken route. In quick succession we passed the Length: 47km Duration: 3-4 days Grade: 5 Style: One way Start: Locked gate Kanangra-Boyd National Park End: Katoomba Station Location: Kanangra-Boyd National Park Closest town: Katoomba Being a point to point walk, one of the logistical challenges is arranging transport to or from Kanangra Walls. morning was no easy task. -33.988355 150.108817 . 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. Ashley is someone who is willing to share his knowledge, he does this quite naturally, without too much formality and with zero arrogance. With such a big group sharing the Cave, positions around the one and only campfire were at a premium. way to the top of the ridge. The Coxs River is fairly wide and shallow (usually) just across from a large mass of sandstone rising out of the surrounding bush. if not for another party of walkers going the same way we might have The next 4km was one long climb, punctuated by the occasional It is strongly recommended that all participants undertake some form of fitness training for at least the 2 months prior to the trip. ; 9 July 2008 (original upload date); Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Berichard using CommonsHelper. The other car you will need to get to Kanangra Walls. Not to be copied, duplicated or used for any purpose without permission. feel you You can find out more about how DPE handles the personal information it collects online by reading our privacy policy. We follow the fire trail along the top of this plateau on Day 1. Fortunately an alternative descent route called Duncan's Pass is nearby, and this route is available for anyone not wishing to descend on the metal spikes. It is recommended that clients book accommodation in Katoomba for the night prior and night after the trip, though if you live in Sydney it is possible to drive up very early on the day the walk starts and drive home late on the last day. Well-worn tracks were present for the entirety of the third day, making navigation simple. The trip overall was not overly formal, pretty low key and provides an experience that allows you to challenge yourself whilst feeling safe. . Let's do it in a day. New walkers to this area should consider an over night walk to 100 man cave which is just over Mt Cloudmaker so they can gain experience and understanding of the terrain before considering K2K. - Dance Floor Cave Whilst most of the walking is along a well defined walking path, both the first day and the last day are rather long (20km and 13km respectively) with lots of ups and downs. Expansive mountain gorges, magnificent lookouts and a series of wild and scenic rivers give a special edge to Kanagra-Boyd's wilderness. Hundred Man Cave had a good water supply when we were there, with given recent good rains, dripping from the cave into a gully. We started out from the Kanangra Walls car park at 8am and were quickly on our way, we knew that Saturday was to be our best day and it started out with blue skies and warm sunshine which was slowly melting the ice on top of the puddles along the way. Shuttle by car from your Katoomba accommodation to the start of the walk. Strongleg. An overnight trip toMt Cloudmaker sleeping in Hundred Man Cave, Kanangra Boyd National Park, in April was the last of myqualifying walks to become a member ofSBW. Keep an eye out for soaring wedge-tail eagles! Looking back to Kanangra Walls High and Mighty Resting on Rack Knoll Bushwalking is a bloody business Ti Willa Top and Byrne's Gap Yerranderie Peak (left distance) and Mt Colong (right) On top of Cloudmaker (Brett took the photo and later edited himself into the picture using Photoshop) Jennifer leading group in Tai-Chi More Tai-Chi More Tai . Tom crossing the cold Coxs River There looked to be an old trail which followed the Stormbreaker, which had some nice views of the surrounding area. It is exposed and some people may feel insecure on a vertical rockface with no more than metal spikes to hold onto with hands and feet. From Kanangra to Katoomba it's 45-50km depending on who you ask (and how lost you get). are available from the Lands Information Centre, map shops, and most outdoor You can see for miles at Kanangra-Boyd lookout, an easily accessible viewpoint overlooking Kanangra Walls and Mount Cloudmaker. reached the Kanangra Walls (dirt) Rd, where everything started to get If its offered as 3 days next year, I hope I can do it again. I If you are lost or require help and have phone reception, call 000 and ask for police. We love outdoor adventures! ; Smegs07 at English Wikipedia; ' . At Mt Dingo, a well defined track branches off to the right up to the summit, and you can visit the lookout at Splendour Rock if you have the time. 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. Kanangra walls to Mt Cloudmaker - Blue Mountains - Australia - June 2010 1,791 views Jun 7, 2010 We walked from Kanangra Walls to the base of Mount Cloudmaker and camped overnight.. We will add a further half day at the . The ones at Dex Creek and Mobbs Swamp usually have water available, which is why they are popular. Splendour Rock is a truly spectacular place, a prominent rock outcrop from where panoramic views of the southern Blue Mountains can be beheld. Time:3 days Distance:27 km Fitness:M Skill:MH Ascent:870 m. An excellent walk showing off the great variety of scenery in Kanangra-Boyd NP. 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. are useful and generally contain more, and more accurate, information on 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. 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). We car-camped at Boyd River campsite the night before, and were up early for a 7:30am start. 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. I've built this site as a community service as I'm passionate about the outdoors and getting people out into nature safely and with confidence. Still it was nice to finally see the car park at 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. Report of a Katoomba to Kanangra trip - and back! The track is often rough, stony and hard to follow with many dips, turns and obstacles. Kanangra-Boyd is always open, but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger. Your food while on the hike - you need to bring your own food for the 4 day hike. The metamorphic and igneous rocks, steep . 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! One of the most popular leads out onto the tops and provides magnificent views of Kanangra Falls and the head of the gorge. arriving in the wee hours of the morning. *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. It is recommended that you book your own accommodation in Katoomba for the night prior to departure. The plateau slopes gently down from west to east from a height of around 1100m (3610 ft) near Mt. Im pretty sure that they werent having fun as we blundered along the side of Mt Berry! [5], The complex geology, climate, fire regime, and topography has enabled a wide variety of ecosystems to develop. This out and back route begins and ends from the end of Kangara Walls Road, which is more suited to 4WD vehicles, especially after rain. Avoid a turn off to the right to Dance Floor Cave and ascend a short climb on to the plateau proper. 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 - Kanangra-Boyd is always open, but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger. Read more about 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. Altitude: 1164 metres Class: Konangaroo Clearing is a large grassy area next to Kanangra Creek, and would be an excellent campsite if doing the walk in two days. We spent 15 minutes climbing down to a rock ledge for The steepest ascent of the day is from here, up to Mt High and Mighty. Register your trip intentions here. Keep to the right of the cliff until you can walk up a gully on to the tops. The rock climb down the cliff was an exciting bonus. Gabes Gap is the low point on the walk, the path through the gap is steep in both directions. Len S had put this three day walk on the BWOC calendar mainly because Id convinced him it was a good walk, neither of us had been to 100 Man Cave before, and he loves Kanangra. I would highly recommend his walks and training to anyone and will be looking forward to the next adventure.". ended up at the Kowmung River! 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. 1000m altitude difference between highest and lowest point. Creation of a "trail-side museum" at Kanangra Walls, op the lines of similar attractions in U.S.A., is planned as . From here it is a long descent to the Coxs River. If you dont have some of the items on this list, I have a limited supply of gear that I can lend you, or alternatively some items such as tents and cooking equipment can be shared. Descend from Splendour Rock and continue along the Wild Dog Mountains walking track to reach Mt Yellow Dog. Understand[ edit] The K2K is a "classic" Blue Mountains walk that goes from the spectacular sandstone walls of Kanangra to the Narrowneck peninsula of Katoomba. If it is more than waist deep then it is dangerous to cross, and you may need to wait or return to Kanangra Walls. Pause You now walk through sub-alpine scrub, heath and forest to finally reach Dex Creek, the high headwaters of a small creek fed by a pristine hanging swamp. Fill in a trip intention form to send important details about your adventure to your emergency contact. For a while it was like a winter wonderland, but we soon 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. in any case. There is a large but gloomy camp cave just above the creek below the campsite. I want to provide you a pathway that will help you regard the bush as your home, the place you go for solace, to get away from it all, and to learn self reliance and confidence. The cost of this is included in the fee for the trip. Kanangra-Boyd National Park. Description from the NSW National Park Website. However, they can be crowded at times. There are a confusion of competing tracks in the area. An easy day trip from the Blue Mountains, Kanangra-Boyd also has quiet campsites among the snow gums at Boyd River if you want to get away from it all.