Hole In The Wall Canyon

A reasonable forecast so off up the mountains and into the Newnes Forest for the first time this season to do Hole In The Wall Canyon – last done in April 2008. Down the firetrail , then steeply down the hillside and we were soon suited up and into the dark, narrow upper slot which was longer and more fun than I had remembered. After the first slot, the creek walk dragged on a bit, maybe because it was a bit more overgrown than last time, but we eventually got to the first little drop – an abseil for me (of course) and a jump for all the others. Then quickly onto the second abseil down the line of a large half rotted tree trunk. Immediately after is the cave which was longer than I remembered, and well stocked with glowworms.

We got the impression that we were first through the canyon for quite a while as there was a lot of debris blocking the small hole you have to crawl through to get into the next cave – washed in by some of the heavy rains of a week before. We quickly cleared the muck and as we were all fairly slim (more or less) had an easy squeeze through. I went through first and then in the totally dark, confined space, tried to get some video footage of the others coming through. I tried with night vision on and night vision off, but I think my footage merely conveys the chaos of darkness, running water, and pushing packs and people through. Then it was on towards the light and back out into the slot where another little climb-down leads to the third abseil into another dark cave where I also tried and failed to get some footage.

On through the final scrambles - clearing more debris covering a fixed rope, then I went ahead to get footage of the others emerging from the Hole-in-the-Wall, marvelling yet again at how a great canyon is hidden behind such an innocuous narrow keyhole. Upstream in the cold Bungleboori water with double the length of swim that I remembered from last time, before the wade and scramble on upstream to the exit gully and the big flat lunchtime rock where we could change and munch on chocolate biscuits. The uphill walkout was fairly painless and we were back at the car just under six hours after setting out. I did get some usable footage so I should be able to churn out another five minute video for general entertainment.

Upper Bowens South

Christmas family commitments, then post-Christmas sloth, then day after day of unfavourable weather forecasts – you don’t want to be in a narrow slot canyon full of tree trunks and other movable debris when “rain periods and afternoon thunderstorms” are forecast – meant it was nearly two months since the last outing. So we grabbed the opportunity of the first day with a reasonable forecast. I had last done Upper Bowens South two years before, but this was a chance to get some video footage of one of my favourite canyons - which means another exciting five minute multimedia production will soon be available to entertain and delight everyone.

We started with a 2km road walk then dived into the bush and followed the faint path along the ridge, down the hillside and into the stream. We soon came to the first of the many awkward little climbdowns (see below) where I always tried and usually failed to avoid an uncontrolled drop into the water. In a slight variation from previous trips my nephews avoided the 2nd abseil with a double climb/slide down.

Following the abseils the slot opened out into the coachwood and sassafras forest which was as beautiful as always, and (as always) I have failed to capture it properly on film. Then the stream dropped away again and it was back into the narrow slot – dark even in the middle of the day – with more climbdowns, crawls through caves, and log slides to keep us amused.

After the canyon finished we wandered on down the stream 300m to the not very obvious exit point and the path which wends it way out – up to the first cliffline, along to the right, sharply double back to crawl up through a little tunnel, up to the next cliffline – heavily bolted by climbers, walk right some more, round a little waterfall, up some more to the final cliff which is climbed via a fixed rope, and finally push uphill through the scrub to get to the firetrail. Back to the car just over 5 hours after setting off, and feeling knackered as I am so unfit. Down the hill to you-know-where to load up on fats and carbohydrates.