The Easy Trip ~ 24-25 November 2003
Party: Dave Lee, James Bevan, Konstantin Seiler, Nicole, Megan Richards
After a quick stock up at Franklins, we began the road bash (my first) towards Narrowneck. Dave found a nice little short cut track through from the corner of Cliff Drive & Oak St down to Glenraphael Drive.
It was an overcast day, with continuous, drizzly rain The bash was just that until we arrived at clear hill.
Megalong Valley
Kedumba/Burragorang Valley
Clear Hill. From front: Megan, Nicole, Kosta, Dave
Its raining in the catchment
Dave looks on as Nicole, Megan descend
Kosta coming down tarros ladders
At Clear Hill many photos were taken and an attempt was made to find Duncan's Pass. I found out after the trip that it actually starts round to the left of the spikes....have to try next time! We descended Tarros easily enough and had lunch on a rocky platform on the way up Mt Debert. From there we followed the usual route through Medlow Gap and found the turnoff to the Wild Dogs a few hundred metres on.
After making good time we decided to head down Blue Dog Ridge and camp at the junction of the Cox's River and Breakfast Creek. Along the way the familiar call "are we there yet" was heard quite regularly and questions were posed as to why this was advertised as an "easy" trip.
The campsite was in fine form. Recent rain had raised the Cox's sufficiently to let Kosta and Dave practice their eddying, yet not too far. We were still able to make a fire at the water level.
Cox's River looking downstream at its junction with Breakfast Creek
Eager to start.....if only we knew what lay ahead
The next morning we broke camp at 9 and agreed to travel up Breakfast and Carlon Creeks to avoid the dreaded Ironmonger Spur (GRRRRRR!!!). However, rock hopping (and missing) made the going quite slow. The plan was to ascend Narrowneck via Carlon Head. We managed to make our way to Green Gully, but then the rain hit. As the party was tiring, the chains of Carlon Head were deemed too dangerous in the wet. Instead, we went back to tarros ladders, adding an extra 15km to the day.
The rain continued all the way up Mt Debert. Kosta and Dave managed to use the bike chain at the top to create a system of "mechanical advantage" to haul some packs up Tarros (using nylon rope...err...twine?). While I was changing clothes at clear hill, Nicole said to me "what's wrong with your tummy?" I found I'd been in 1 way symbiosis with a leach. Strange place to find it!
Nicole climbs Tarros
We began the haul along the neck at about 6pm. Initially there was a sense of purpose in our stride. We thought we could get to Burgers at Cafe Zuppa by 9. I got a mobile phone call from anxious parents (about 7.30?). Somewhere after sunset, the pain set in. Each milestone seemed to take forever to reach. First the gate, then Golden Stairs, and Cliff Drive. After several failed attempts to flag down a car along the back streets of Katoomba, we sat. We knew getting back up would be near impossible, but we had to. Dave offered sponge cake, and Kosta bread. I was ravenous, but couldn't muster the energy to eat (for the first time in my life!!!). After getting back up, we managed to hitch a ride from somewhere along Ficus St.. We crammed in, all 5 five packs and their very thankful smelly bodies. At 11pm, we opened the door to the waiting room of Katoomba Station and the warmth hit us....heaven on earth.
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