Galah Canyon

Amazingly for a weekend chosen months in advance it was fine and sunny, so we set off to start the season with one of my favourite canyons, last done three years previously. The 4km walk-in down the old 4WD track was quite a bit more overgrown than before, and there was a faint path from the end of it which took us most of the way before we turned sharp right and bushbashed painfully down the slope through the thick undergrowth. Eventually after the usual casting around and a couple of false starts, I got us into the same access gully we had used last time.

There was quite a bit more water flowing than in the last visit so the climbdowns in the upper slot were more slippery than before. There had obviously been some good winter storms as there were a lot of freshly fallen large trees that had to be negotiated in the forest walk down to the main slot. The main slot itself was quite clear of debris and we enjoyed the abseils down waterfalls and the log slide, though no-one enjoyed the knee-jarring slippery dip slide into shallow water.

We roped up for the exit climb, then started the return trip with more fighting through the undergrowth. My woeful lack of fitness was already starting to tell, and I was pleased to get back through the upper slot, then back up the hill to the track. The acacia seemed a lot sharper than in the morning and we all endured the constant additions to the scratches on our shins. As always, the walk-out back up the 4WD track seemed to be three times longer than it was in the morning and I played the usual game of “the car will be just round this next corner” for nearly an hour. I was very thankful to finally collapse back into the car’s comfortable seat seven and a half hours after setting off.

I spent the next two days hobbling everywhere as my protesting leg muscles slowly recovered. An excellent start to the season, and I am already planning the next couple of trips.