Track across Pitts Amphitheatre, Blue Mountains NP

[Tyreless]

I recall seeing on an old map somewhere a track connecting Cyclorama Point and the base of the Golden Stairs across Pitts Amphitheatre and Causeway Creek. Does anyone have an old map showing this track? I found the Cyclorama Point end of the track when I was out walking yesterday and followed it for around 500 metres before it became vague and I lost it before reaching Causeway Creek, so the old map would help me locate it all the way across the valley.

[johnw]

Not exactly what you asked for Tyreless but this might help. I stumbled onto this site last week:
http://www.jamisonproject.org/index.php?pageid=2&subid=79

I haven't done the walk though often contemplated it, and might get around to it one day. A couple of occasional acquaintances have walked it. I think they found it reasonably challenging but doable.

[Tyreless]

Hi John,

I hadn't seen that website, but I did know about that walk (in fact, I did it yesterday prior to trying to find the track across to the base of the Golden Stairs). I've heard it called Bleichert's Ropeway.

[Grabeach]

It's on my 2nd Ed. Katoomba 1:25000. Surely someone you know who lives closer than me (Caringbah) has a copy. The most useful thing it shows, assuming it's accurate, is that it crosses the two arms of the creek about 50m above the junction. Last time I looked, maybe 25 years ago, the Golden Stairs end was fairly obvious.

[ribuck]

I have also tried a long time ago, unsuccessfully, to follow that route from the Cyclorama Point end. Perhaps the track was widely used after the landslide, then fell into disuse when a route through the landslide became passable again.

None of my current maps shows that track (I threw out my old map editions when I moved house). It would be great if someone can post an excerpt from an old map.

[tom_brennan]

Try https://maps.ozultimate.com/archive/02a_opacity_s1_s2/ - this has the old series as a layer. But it can be a bit flaky

[Tyreless]

Thanks Tom, that's exactly what I needed. Now to see if I can locate it on the ground...

[rcaffin]

Somewhere down at the bottom (on the creek) there are the remains of the old mining town as well. I forget exactly where.
Imho, at least half of what is around there has been 'lost' or forgotten. Odd railway tracks around the back of Ruined Castle, other old tracks heading towards Katoomba ... Just keep wandering around.

Cheers
Roger

[DaveNoble]

Bleichert's Ropeway is different to the track you are taking about. The ropeway goes to the Ruined Castle. The track crosses the valley and goes to join Federal Pass at the base of the Golden Stairs. I walked the track as a child on a family bushwalk back in the 1960's - and remember it then as being quite overgrown (lawyer vines).

Dave

[ribuck]

In another thread, DaveNoble has posted the 1961 Nelly's Glen sketch map compiled by Geoff Ford. I noticed that it shows the west end of the Pitts Amphitheatre track being well north of the base of the Golden Stairs, and the low point being well north of the creek junction: