There is a logbook on Mt Cloudmaker, dedicated to the memory of Kathleen Jones. Nifty footwork is required over the rocky knolls quaintly namedRip, Rack, Roar and Rumble. The man's car was found yesterday in the Kanangra Walls car park with his mobile phone and personal items inside. This karst topography, created by the Jenolan and its tributaries, is one of the least understood in Australia. Suggest an edit here. maybe the route, features or access conditions have changed? 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. Understand[ edit] I hope it remains a difficult and raw walking trail for self sufficient hikers. Gabes Gap is the low point on the walk, the path through the gap is steep in both directions. At a large clearing about 1km on to the tops, the trail divides, and becomes narrower. Once on the ridge above Dex Creek, we tried Towards the end of the day, it was my unquenchable thirst for water which caused me to rush down the slopes of Mount Cloudmaker in order to find the closest stream. The other car you will need to get to Kanangra Walls. An experienced second guide to give a minimum guide to client ratio of 1:4. He ended up with 11 other people that wanted to do the walk, many of whom were first time walkers. Copyright 2022 | Darren Edwards | All Rights Reserved | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Donation Policy | Disclaimer, Trail Hiking Australia is a not-for-profit community service initiative, Golden Staircase to Mt Solitary via Ruined Castle (11.7km), Katoomba to Wentworth Falls via the Jamison Valley (29.2km), Scenic Railway Ruined Castle Mt Solitary Kedumba River Wentworth Falls (29.3km). Kanangra-Boyd National Park is composed of two land units the elevated, gently undulating Boyd Plateau and the area of creeks, rivers, gorges and ridges into which the plateau falls away. Kanangra-Boyd is always open, but may have to close at times due to poor weather or fire danger. Find out more about hiking gear, read the latest blog posts, trip reports and gear reviews, and download my helpful PDF hiking guides. The next section is the longest climb on the walk. About 60Km South of Jenolan on dirt road. If you have any great photos from this hike and are happy to share them, please upload your .jpg files here. It was easy walking and I estimated that we were less than an hour from 100 Man Cave (our campsite for the night). -33.988355 150.108817 . Notable features of the national park include the Thurat Spires, Kanangra Walls, Mount Colong, and three waterfall systems the Kalang, the 225-metre (738ft) twotiered drop Kanangara and the Morong falls. from the camp site to the trail proper. - Dance Floor Cave all the way to Mobbs Soak with only small amounts of height variation. It contours for a further 2.5km until you hit a fire trail, at White Dog Ridge. We regrouped up on the ridge. The southern rim of Crafts Wall is very overgrown and requires bush bashing. - in a day. been. "First of all a big shout out to our guide Ashley, although 'guide' is an understatement as he fulfilled so many additional roles: chef (wow that home baked banana cake ), tea maker, sherpa, chauffeur, motivator, teacher, water finder, photographer, someone who made us feel safe and made sure I didn't fall off the bottom of Tarro's Ladder . Subscribe to our Naturescapes e-newsletter which is packed with the latest information, experiences and events in NSW national parks. *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. Cloudmaker and Guouogang are eroded remnants of Ordovician quartzite. eastern end of the wall we missed our trail heading off to the left, and The top of Mt Cloudmaker is covered with trees and there are no views. have conquered. arrived. The park also features a series of karst landforms that can be explored by those with caving experience.[3]. Or continue on down a short set of steps to the lookout platform for an even better view. Register your trip intentions here. 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. in things like that. From Craft's Wall, we headed down into the small saddle and up the As we turned Not to be copied, duplicated or used for any purpose without permission. We broke for lunch at the top, There are several well known landmarks in the park, such as Mount Cloudmaker, Kanangra Walls and the Thurat Spires. These are in fact a set of climbing spikes fixed into the rock. Poles are a good idea if you have questionable knees or ankles. Next, you'll make your way to see the breathtaking Kanangra-Boyd lookout, which gives you sweeping views of the Kanangra Walls and Mount Cloudmaker. Kanangra Wall cliff top walk - one of the most dramatic cliff-top walks in the Blue Mountains, but, due to the unfenced 70 metre drop, unsuitable for children. 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. 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. Altitude: 1164 metres Class: You need to be careful to avoid slipping or straining an ankle on this uneven rough path. For details on how to get to Kanangra Walls, see the information in the Kanangra Walls region, to the right. Another group we bumped into was All prospective clients agree to combine Days 2 and 3 into one, making it a 3 day trip. Generally considered a challenging route. Wombats frequent these roads, so please be careful while driving. However, they can be crowded at times. There are a number of small campsites on both sides of the creek. A short steep scramble is needed down the gully, and follow the track around and up on to Kilpatrick Causeway. This is a true wilderness experience that will take you into some of the most spectacular wilderness of NSW. However we decided to get moving quickly as there looked to be more bad For the fishing enthusiasts, trout can be caught along Kowmung River and, for the adventurous, canyoning is popular during the warmer months. Please note: Uploading photos does not transfer ownership of copyright away from you. Much of the hike is through wilderness, for which there are no signs, and tracks in places are vague. Ashley is a great guide and fully supported us all during the walk. Considering our late start we opted for lunch here while we could 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. The next morning, get an early start and navigate carefully on to the ridge leading from Carra Top to Mt Moorilla Maloo. Black Horse Ridge to where the steep descent to Breakfast Creek After breakfast we continue the walk. Carpark by Kanangra Walls. 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. Take a welcome break here, it is the one and only river encountered on the route. The cliffs on the west side of Mt Berry have superb views of Crafts Wall and Kanangra Walls. 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. Konangaroo Clearing is a large grassy area next to Kanangra Creek, and would be an excellent campsite if doing the walk in two days. If you have sufficient water, you can take a short cut about half way down aiming for the bottom of Yellow Pup Ridge. One of the most popular leads out onto the tops and provides magnificent views of Kanangra Falls and the head of the gorge. 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. Its fringing fault scarp Kanangra Walls comprises Permian sedimentaries of the Capertee Group which rests unconformably on a Devonian Lambie Group Basement. Kowmung River via Cambage Spire; Kanangra Walls to Mt. The ones at Dex Creek and Mobbs Swamp usually have water available, which is why they are popular. worn path at the bottom leading in the right direction. like this. the side of the ridge. Let's do it in a day. My toes were of the bush we found we were two ridges east of where we should have if not for another party of walkers going the same way we might have The 2019-2020 bushfires significantly affected the area and since the fires much of the track has become overgrown, and the path is indistinct and difficult to follow. 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 . We reached Roots Ridge just after lunch and we knew that the end was in sight, only another couple of hours to go. 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 . Total distance of 52km with single day distances of up to 20km. The plateau slopes gently down from west to east from a height of around 1100m (3610 ft) near Mt. - Brennan Top The movie Jedda was filmed in the Kanangra Walls area in 1954. 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.. The road leads to Kanangra Walls. An enjoyable trail through the Kanangra-Boyd National Park, located not too far south from the beautiful town of Katoomba, New South Wales. 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. The hike should take around 3-4 days to complete. There looked to be an old trail which followed the We were all too wet and cold to stop at any of the lookouts, and I doubt we would have seen much anyway with the rain. 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. 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. 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 here it is a long descent to the Coxs River. up, and the sun disappeared behind the clouds. to make the run an official unsupported attempt, my water came from 3 sources being Kanangra creek twice, Dex creek twice and the water tank at the halfway turnaround at Kanangra walls. Kurrajong trees are found in abundance where limestone outcrops occur, and in sheltered gullies rainforest species (including red cedar) and blue gum are found. Maps: Gangerang (Dunphy) Kanangra 8930-3S. Ashley is someone who is willing to share his knowledge, he does this quite naturally, without too much formality and with zero arrogance. Follow the fire road along Narrow Neck. However, our nice track soon disappeared in a casuarina forest, under a layer of she-oak needles. We follow the fire trail along the top of this plateau on Day 1. All content copyright Ashley Burke 2018. It is possible to walk continuously from this walk to Katoomba and Narrow Neck. The plateau trail is very wet and muddy but generally easy to follow despite the lack of any markers. The middle two days are both shorter and these two days can be combined into one longer day if desired. onto Jenolan Caves Rd from the Great Western Highway, the snow started There are also intrusive igneous rocks from the Carboniferous period. couldn't raise my arm above my head. Your email address will not be published. Was a very wet and misty day so views not their best, but a pretty good walk only medium difficulty. You'll need to leave pups at home dogs aren't allowed on this trail. There are plenty of good campsites along the way. The distances below assume a car at the locked gate. ; 9 July 2008 (original upload date); Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Berichard using CommonsHelper. Water was a bit scarce - we continued up the track a short way The Coxs River is fairly wide and shallow (usually) just across from My first venture along parts of the Katoomba to Kanangra walk was a day hike from Kanangra Walls to Mt Cloudmaker in 1982. My first venture along parts of the Katoomba to Kanangra walk was a day hike from Kanangra Walls to Mt Cloudmaker in 1982. trails, the relevant topographic maps should be carried on most walks. We took the new trail Then the rain started, and that changed everything, we were now all getting chilled because of the slow pace. ", "K2K is one of the best walks I have ever done. The climb is about 8m, but could be difficult for some people with a full pack. Thurat Spires, Kanangra Walls and Mount Cloudmaker provide sandstone scenery on a majestic scale." (sic.) . The national park forms part of the Great Dividing Range. While the walk is most commonly done over three days, it can be done in two days by fit parties overnighting somewhere in the vicinity of the Coxs River. In areas of impeded drainage, various swamps occur, dominated by sedges and scrubs such as Leptospermum and Baeckea species. We camp among the trees a little way back from the exposed rock itself.