Coal mine in Pierce's Pass?

[davidmorr]

The Mt Wilson map shows an abandoned coal mine part way down the Pierce's Pass track into the Grose Valley. It seems to be at the bottom of the cliff line where the track heads off down the spur.

Is there anything of the mine still visible?

[johnw]

The Mt Wilson map shows an abandoned coal mine part way down the Pierce's Pass track into the Grose Valley. It seems to be at the bottom of the cliff line where the track heads off down the spur.

Is there anything of the mine still visible?

David, which version of the Mt Wilson map do you have? My copy doesn't show it, nor does the online topo map viewer.
I've walked up and down Pierces many times but haven't noticed this adit (a vague recollection I knew it existed), need to keep my eyes open in future. However I did unearth some information. You may need to hunt around a little but possibly not too much. The area has been subjected to wildfire in recent years and regrowth could have obscured it. From page 98 of Andy Macqueen's "Back From the Brink: Blue Gum Forest and the Grose WIlderness" First Edition 1997:

“Back on the northern side of the valley, at the point where the Pierces Pass track breaks out of Pierces Ravine into the main valley, a short adit can be found in the coal seam just above the track, under the cliffs rising towards Rigby Hill. It is believed that the adit was dug sometime after the construction or restoration of the Pierces Pass track in 1930, and before 1938. Various residents of Mount Tomah or Bilpin might have been involved, but it is likely that Pierce and Hungerford, the track's constructors, had a hand in it. The presence of the coal may even have been one of the motives behind building the track. Hungerford's daughter Molly has recollections of the two men conducting backyard experiments on what they thought to be oil shale, presumably from near the site.”

IMHO this book is essential reading for anyone keen on exploring the Grose. The detailed map in the back of the book shows this adit. Interested to know if you find it. Clarence Hungerford was the local farmer who would have destroyed the blue gum forest to plant walnut trees had bushwalkers not intervened.

There are other old mine sites around the upper Grose, some are easily accessible on foot and quite interesting. Asgard and Blair Athol are two that I've visited. You can walk 200 metres down the Blair Athol shaft, to a point where it is flooded (take head torches...and mind your head). NPWS had a log book at the entrance when I did it years ago.

[climberman]

I think there may also be one below Hanging Rock in Bleakheath. Foot access isn't obvious to me. You could rap off the climbers' access to Burramoko Buttress. Which you'd then have to climb to get out, I s'pose !

[davidmorr]

David, which version of the Mt Wilson map do you have? My copy doesn't show it, nor does the online topo map viewer.

It is Mount Wilson 8930-I-N Second Edition 1982.

Thanks for the interesting info. I must try to track down that book.

Cheers

David

[Phil S]

I walked along the base of the cliffs under Rigby Hill recently (after being rained off one of the rock routes nearby). There is certainly some evidence of activity but I didn't see the actual adit. I would suggest traversing perhaps 25mts below the cliff base as a start.

Let us know how you go if you ebd up venturing out.

[Packo]

It is there. It is on my topo map also. I went there to find it 20 years ago and back then as I remember it wasn't hard to find at all. Heading down the track on the left hand side near the base of the cliff line. I remember it being quite close to the track itself. May be less than 30m but twenty years is a long time for my memory to go back. I do remember leaving my blue jumper at the mine entrance and I was too lazy to go back and get it.

[Oldman]

Hi guys,

Im new to the forum [first post] I am interested in any information on the Abseil route down Burramoko Buttress, number and length of pitches, fixed or natural anchors, route description and any exit track/s at the bottom.

Before you ask "yes' I am competent On Rope and I understand and realise that any rope activity comes with an inherant set of risks etc...

Hope you can help.

Cheers Oldman

[climberman]

Hi guys,

Im new to the forum [first post] I am interested in any information on the Abseil route down Burramoko Buttress, number and length of pitches, fixed or natural anchors, route description and any exit track/s at the bottom.

The route is the cover picture (P3?) of "Rockclimbs in the Grose Valley" ed warwick Williams 1995.

from that book, p50:

Burramoko Buttress** 19 150m
An alpine style route, some runouts, good positions.
Take 10 quickdraws, slings, rack of SLCDs, double ropes, 6+ brackets and wires.
Start: the arete / buttress R of Hanging Rock. Rap in 50m + to old chain. 30m to DBB, 25m to trees and BB, 40m to tree on small ledge
1. 40m 19. Up thin corner. R to BR on slab, up arete BR to cave, 3 FH's on wall to crack, up to trees and BB. Good pitch.
2. 30m 19. Up slab (FH's). Up, SLCD's (avoid old aid bolts(!?), arete (3 BR's) to ledge. Left to DBB. Good pitch.
3. 27m 16. Up to ramps BR, R to arete. BR's to ledge and chain. Good pitch.
4. 50m+ (17) Up wall / buttress (5 BR's and SLCD's) to top tree.
Bruce Cameron, Tom Williams (alt).

the topo sketch shows another pitch to rap below the tree on the small ledge (ie, the climbing starts a pitch off the deck. There are two alt starts listed at around grade 20+. From memory it is sandy below (which is disturbing, given many peoples' view of the rock above). Fun route if that's your style of thing (adventure climbing with the odd bolt). The description generally accords with my view of it but it's about 15 years since I've climbed it and I have had a lot of beer in the intervening period so make your own calls. There is no 'walk out' in any tradional or usually accpeted sense of the phrase. Rap it with the intention to climb the route. Otherise you may as well rap off hanging rock on a single and jug out.

[Oldman]

Thanks for the info, The intention 'was' to Rap to the valley floor and use a 'Track out' as there are none to speak of [except Pierces Pass, wrong side of the Valley] I will sit back have another cleansing ale and ponder whether I really want to JUG out....

Cheers!

[Grabeach]

You could head round to the west and scramble up Crayfish Ck.

Graeme

[DaveNoble]

Or exit via the base jumpers track

[climberman]

Or exit via the base jumpers track

Where's that one go dave ? Wasn't really base mecca when I climbed there.

[DaveNoble]

Haven't been on it - but there is a lot of base jumping there, and they must get back up somehow. So probably a track going back up via Crayfish Ck? See the film "Smitten" for the base jumping - and watch the Lucky Chance scenes (they are on youtube e.g. - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLWIkJfAYK8 )

Dave

[johnw]

Well I decided to go up to Pierces Pass yesterday and try to find this old mine adit, using the limited information available. After much searching up and down the track we could not find any evidence of it. Whether we were looking in the wrong places, or it has been obscured by regrowth is an unknown.

We started searching early in Pierces Ravine and continued well down into the valley, out of the ravine to a point where the track had deviated a long way from the cliffline below Rigby Hill. Apart from finding the odd rockclimbers track heading up to the cliffs, and evidence of the coal seam, the valley was not giving up any clues on this occasion. Frustrated, we headed back up and had a more intense look on the way, including a few short off track scrambles to some likely looking but fruitless locations. As a consolation we walked around to the falls below Yileen Canyon then up to Rigby Hill and Walls Lookdown, so the trip wasn't a waste of time.

If anyone has a grid reference for the mine it would be appreciated. I'm prepared to go and have another look at some point if I can get more detailed info. Though for some reason I'm convinced that I have seen something looking like an adit above the track, but much further down, quite close to the Grose River.

[kanangra]

Warren,

By coincidence I was out there yesterday as well. Waled out after a night down in the valley. I too kept my eyes open but didn't see anything. At one point I saw a rough track heading up to the cliff line but didn't investigate. I will look out the old maps and take a look for the reference. I noticed what looked to be some grey shale on the track as it sidles not far below the cliffs after exiting the ravine. What a great afternoon it was up there yesterday.

K.

[johnw]

Warren,

By coincidence I was out there yesterday as well. Waled out after a night down in the valley. I too kept my eyes open but didn't see anything. At one point I saw a rough track heading up to the cliff line but didn't investigate. I will look out the old maps and take a look for the reference. I noticed what looked to be some grey shale on the track as it sidles not far below the cliffs after exiting the ravine. What a great afternoon it was up there yesterday.

K.

Thanks kanangra, a GR would be great if you can find one (unfortunately I only have the 3rd edition Mt Wilson map, which doesn't show the mine). Yes, I also noticed the grey shale. Pretty sure we investigated the same rough track which appeared to be a rockclimbers access route. We had great weather and a good time on Sunday despite not finding the mine. The visit to the falls exiting from Yileen Canyon was an unexpected gem for me as I wasn't aware of it. My son had done the canyon so knew the exit track.

Regards,
John (aka Warren )

[kanangra]

John,

According to my old 2nd. edition Mt Wilson the mine is in the cliff just as the track emerges from the ravine. The reference is: 524:818. the map says: Coal(Abandoned).

k.

[ramgrabber]

Hi gents, thanks for the discussion I love finding out about old abandoned areas. It's a beautiful area haven't been up hungerford's so can't help but I've added this mine to my to-do list!

here comes the apparent locale ©ourtesy department of lands, keep in mind the older topo deviates slightly from the 3rd ed in that it does not propose handrailing the ck until a bit past the topo clifflines


keep us updated how things go!

[Packo]

I went back last weekend to try and find the mine again. I was unsuccessful

I climbed up to the bottom of the cliff face to where I remembered it being and found no evidence of it. From there I walk up and down the cliff base and nothing felt familiar to my previous trip. I ended up back at where I started and after looking around the area a little I have come to a conclusion that it has been buried by a landslide.
On my first visit 20 years ago I used the topo map to find it, and I walked straight too it. This time I used the same map and walked straight to an old landslide area as seen in the pic below. My guess is, it's under that rubble.

[johnw]

John,

According to my old 2nd. edition Mt Wilson the mine is in the cliff just as the track emerges from the ravine. The reference is: 524:818. the map says: Coal(Abandoned).

k.

Thanks kanangra. Next time I go up there I'll try and remember to take the GPS and see if I can track it down that way.
Packo that spot looks familiar, I hope you're wrong but it can't be ruled out. Ramgrabber, thanks also for the input. Commiserations to all, maybe whichever one of us finds it first should get a prize . I suspect that the 2006 fire is another possible influence with regrowth covering up the location.

Reinit's mine is another I tried to locate without success a couple of years ago. Might resurrect that quest as well.

[kanangra]

One other thing I might mention is that when out there recently I noticed an old track and stairs descending to the ravine. I didn't follow it down but I'm not sure where it leads or why it was put in?

K.

[johnw]

One other thing I might mention is that when out there recently I noticed an old track and stairs descending to the ravine. I didn't follow it down but I'm not sure where it leads or why it was put in?

K.

From memory it just goes down to some cascades on the creek below. I think it might have been signposted once. I've been down there before but didn't bother last trip. Pretty sure the side track would have been put in by either either NPWS or the party that restored the track into the Grose back, maybe in the 60s/70s (from NSW Confederation of Bushwalking Clubs I think)? I think it is just to provide access to a pleasant spot, but happy to hear differently. I might have a look down there next time as well.