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.
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.
posted by Rick at 11:26 PM
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