The hike from Kanangra to Katoomba is one of the classic longer walks of the Southern Blue Mountains, along with the Six Foot Track and Mittagong to Katoomba. were about eight tents in five separate groups set up. The track undulated There is a logbook on Mt Cloudmaker, dedicated to the memory of Kathleen Jones. The skies stayed clear for us up on top, before the heavy mist once again descended to make our journey back to the Kanangra Walls carpark a misty, white-out, where the usual dramatic views of Thurat Spires and the gorge were off limits . The Coxs River is generalleasy to ford just before a small set of rapids on the west side of Yellow Pup Ridge. arrived. been. Note there is another track from the top of Mt Cloudmaker that heads generally south east, and then east on to the Ti Willa Tops, so don't just assume any track is the right one. It takes in two excellent viewing areas - the first peers over the Kanangra Creek Gorge with Mt Cloudmaker to the north-east and the main ridge of the Blue Mountains beyond; the second takes in Kanangra Falls and the rugged ravines at the head of the gorge. 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. Views were incredible and area was not heavily trafficked.perfect spot to have a picnic and enjoy the view. Cloudmaker and Guouogang are eroded remnants of Ordovician quartzite. In 1984 I walked the section from the Coxs River to Kanangra Walls and by 1985 I had completed the remaining section between Katoomba and the Coxs River. The free NSW National Parks app lets you download maps and explore parks, things to do and places to stayall without mobile reception. 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). along the way, and so didn't have to organise our own car shuffle. 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!). Just 180km from the outskirts of Sydney, Kanangra-Boyd National Park, part of the Greater Blue Mountains Area World Heritage Property, feels like you've crossed an ocean to get there. 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. Altitude: 1164 metres Class: You can find out more about how DPE handles the personal information it collects online by reading our privacy policy. Read more about 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. With such a big group sharing the Cave, positions around the one and only campfire were at a premium. shelter only for the storm to blow itself out before it reached us. Please note: Uploading photos does not transfer ownership of copyright away from you. More Blue Mountains Heritage Centre and Blackheath office 02 4787 8877 Contact hours: 9am to 4.30pm daily. Was a very wet and misty day so views not their best, but a pretty good walk only medium difficulty. Cloudmaker hiker 'looked lost' - smh.com.au Kanangra Walls lookout gave spectacular views of the walls and the rest of the hike along the top - Kilpatrick Causeway, Craft's Walls, Mount Berry, Gabes Gap, Mount High and Mighty, Mount Stormbreaker, Rip, Rack Roar and Rumble knolls and Mount Cloudbreaker the highest point in the distance. At the Kanangra-Boyd National Park. The next section is the longest climb on the walk. So again, follow the map. slushy. morning was no easy task. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); We are a social community of women over 45 who enjoy walking together regularly for fitness in Sydneys natural bush and coastal areas. If youre an armchair bushwalker, someone looking for new adventures, or one of my friends who just wants to see what Ive been up to, this site is for you, sign up to get email alerts now! 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. Ideal fitness preparation would be similar activities to what we'll actually be doing on this walk, namely bushwalking with a backpack and climbing up and down long hills. The total distance of the walk is 52km, with a total of 3044m of ascent and 2991m of descent over the 3-4 days! From Mobbs Swamp, head north on the track, which swings around to the east as you pass Blue Dog Ridge. Flickr photos, groups, and tags related to the "KanangraWalls," Flickr tag. various parts of the hill. Become an active member of this fun, rewarding and adventurous community. While the hike 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. 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. The last day was only a short walk. . Mt Cloudmaker was only a short way past Rumble Knoll, although it was My first complete walk of the entire route in one go was in 1986. ALLTRAILS and the AllTrails Mountain Design are registered trademarks of AllTrails, LLC in the United States as well as certain other jurisdictions. 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. A challenging walk but well rewarded with the view. On Day 3, we return to Kanangra Walls, enjoying the spectacular views in the opposite direction. Enjoy the sunrise from Splendour Rock. From here it is a long descent to the Coxs River. Kanangra Walls to Carlons Farm - OZultimate.com bushwalking Expect long knee crushing descents and seemingly endless quad screaming climbs, especially on Day 3! Shot on Fuji Velvia ISO 50 using a Nikon F801 and an AF 24mm f2.8 lens. For a while it was like a winter wonderland, but we soon 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. Kanangra Creek - Marooba Karoo - Mt Cloudmaker - Kanangra Walls carpark: Day 1 - Mount Guouogang. During spring, peer into the undergrowth where you might see the antechinus, a small, rodent-like marsupial. If its offered as 3 days next year, I hope I can do it again. We followed Shane to the Cave and were reunited with the rest of the party, and 20 others from Sydney Bushwalkerswho were also camping in the overhang. Another group we bumped into was 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. Being a self-supported bushwalk, the idea is that everyone brings their own gear and food for the weekend. Much of the hike is through wilderness, for which there are no signs, and tracks in places are vague. This descent is what earns the trail a Hard grading. in things like that. Mobbs Swamp is on the south side of Warrigal Gully, at the head of the creek, and is reached after a steady downhill on the track. There was also time for a (slightly) longer walk to a point overlooking Kanangra Creek not far from Kanangra Falls. The descent to Gabes Gap, the low point of the day, follows. Play. a day walk, we set off to get the car shuffle out of the way. Konangaroo Clearing is a large grassy area next to Kanangra Creek, and would be an excellent campsite if doing the walk in two days. Ashley is a great guide and fully supported us all during the walk. Information submitted on this form, including any personal details, will be a matter of public record and will be stored in the Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) records system. The main Upper Silurian limestone belt, in the Jenolan River valley to the north-west, is 300 metres (980ft) thick, 8 kilometres (5.0mi) long and located in a valley 460 metres (1,510ft) deep. Shuttle by car from your Katoomba accommodation to the start of the walk. There are plenty of good campsites along the way. 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. Kanangra Tops at the south-eastern end of the Plateau is one of the Permian outliers. Good navigation and prior knowledge of the route is therefore essential. This is a steep climb to start with but eases off, passing through pleasant open forest. Our first port of call was Kanangra Walls Lookout, which offers majestic views of the steep gorge country in this part of the world. Traverse around the west side of the cliff for about 20m to find Tarro's Ladders. 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. Jonathan Join a group of like minded people to hike this iconic route with the reassurance of it being led by an experienced guide. Fill in a trip intention form to send important details about your adventure to your emergency contact. 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. Two of the features most spoken of in the Kanangra-Boyd National park are the Kanangra Falls and Kanangra Walls. way to the top of the ridge. You may take significantly longer, and may in fact need to turn back if the scrub gets too tough to push through. wide and flat-topped, and there were no views at all to speak of.