Old Water Board Ladders

[Allchin09]

Hey,

On Saturday after a walk in the Blue Mountains, I decided to check out the old Water Board Ladders at the end of O'Sullivan's Folly Rd, on Narrow Neck.

For those who don't know, a set of three steel ladders were installed off the Western side of Narrow Neck running next to a large pipe. I believe they were installed by the Water Board and were known as the Water Board Ladders. At some point in time, the legal responsibility of the ladders was transferred to the local council, who deemed them to be unsafe and removed the top and bottom set but leaving the middle ones.

I had heard that some people had been able to get part way up, and that some sections had ropes to assist, but I wasn't sure if it was still possible to travel the full length of the ladders.

After parking my car where O'Sullivan's Folly Rd starts, I headed off the the end of the road, passing underneath an interesting rock overhang, and eventually reaching a building with a transformer within.

I then passed an old sign saying that the ladders had been removed, and made my way along a track to a concrete ramp descending into a slot. The ramp was about 3m or so in height, and had a rope with lots of loops tied in it to assist with the descent.

Just past the ramp, a large pipe appeared in the slot. It was about a meter or more in places above the floor of the slot, so I walked on top of it and climbed over the spikes.

After 20 meters or so, I reached the end of the slot. It was here that the pipe descended at a near vertical angle down the cliff face. About 6 or so meters below me was a rock ledge and the start of the middle ladder section.

A rope had been placed down to the ledge below so I tried to make my way down. Unfortunately, I could only make it halfway down as the footholds really became non-existent. I probably spent a good 20mins sitting in the crack trying to get down.

There was a small rusted steel ladder at the bottom of the drop, but it wasn't nearly long enough to be of any use. Until that section is fixed up, it's pretty hard to use the old Water Board Ladders.

[Lindsay]

Great pictures, a pity you couldn't complete the descent. I guessing that the track below the ladders leads to the 6 Foot track near the old Megalong village site? There is a sign there warning that ladders have been removed and there is no access to Narrow Neck.

[Travis22]

Amazing little adventure!

Thanks for sharing the report / photos with us.

I remember when we paddled down the Snowy a couple years ago there we're quite a few old ladders etc. in places.

Travis.

[ferozious]

haha, great photos!

I was with the group who installed that last small ladder (back in 2008-ish). My friend salvaged it (with permission) from Toongabbie Train Station where it was left lying between the tracks at the end of the platform. It helped us to get back up because we are all quite tall. A longer ladder would be better to bridge that last section but that was all we had. Good to see it still there assisting the occasional adventurer.

[Allchin09]

Lindsay - Hopefully next time I visit the spot I'll have some more equipment and a descent might be possible. Yes, there is a firetrail from near the old Megalong Valley site running to the base of the ladders.

Ferozious - I remember you talking about the placing of that ladder last time I spoke about the Water Board Ladders. I'm over 6' and there was no way that I could make it to the top of the placed ladder from above. It may be a different situation from below, but I think that the crack the you descend has filled up a little with some rocks. It means that there is an overhang that you have to work your way over on the way down, and the ladder that you placed is actually underneath the overhang by a little bit, making it just that little bit harder to get to.

I wonder how hard it would be to make/get a longer ladder for that section? I'd say that even a simple rope/wire ladder would be sufficient.

Alex.

[ferozious]

It was still quite a fight to get back up and we got quite wet in the crack. I don't think I'd be able to get down either.

I'd be keen to help put in a simple rope ladder although it might be an issue requiring notifying National Parks and some bush enthusiasts might consider it inappropriate.

It's definitely a great route with some history to it. Worth restoring in my opinion.

[jonnosan]

Howdy

I once got stimied at the exact same point you did, although to make matters a little worse while sitting there, in a fit of bravado I dropped my back pack down to the next level thinking it would motivate me to find a way to follow.

Nope!

So I had to go 'the long way' around which means down the devils hole, then turning left (not right, which is be the more obvious footpad, and as you know eventually joins up to the 6 ft track) at the NPWS sign below the canyony section. There is a pretty clear track till it gets to the creek , then you need to scramble up over some boulders, which then takes you to a big camp cave (which I believe is the 'real' Psyn Cave? And the cave reached directly from Glenraphael drive is 'upper' Psyn Cave'?). Then at the base of the cliff you will pick up a clear track that will take you to the base of the ladders. You may find it easier to climb up then climb down. Personally I got thwarted on my ascent by the exact same chimney. The very bottom section up to the 'middle' part being the old metal ladders is pretty flakey (ropes with a few bits of wood) but if I can do it I am sure you could.

BTW if you carry on past the base of the ladders, you will eventually (10 mins or so? And look for the beer barrel down the cliff to your right somewhere en route) come to a climbing wall where the track kind of stops. If you back track 20m or so from the end of that (or just have sharp eyes) you will see a cairn slightly down the slope, which marks a faint footpad that will take you (via a chain to traverse a small cliff line) to the western end of Mt Rennie tunnel.

This is all just for your edification, absolutely not something I would suggest you do....

[GPSGuided]

Q: In retrospect, should you have carried a length of climbing rope of your own? Would that have helped?

[Allchin09]

Jonno - I actually considered throwing my pack down, and I was very glad I didn't! I've heard of the Psyn Cave before, but not of it's location, so I'll have to check it out. As for the Mt Rennie Tunnel, thanks for the 'edification'!

GPSGuided - I did have 20m or so of climbing rope with me which I could have used. However, there was already a rope in place and it still wasn't sufficient for me to descend the crack, so I don't really think it would have helped. The main problem was that there were no footholds that I could use, meaning that all my weight would have been supported by my arms on the rope, and that's something that I would like to avoid, especially if I had to climb back up!

[Grabeach]

Apparently the original wire rope Dicksons Ladders (pre WB Ladders) when removed ended up installed somewhere between the Devils Hole and Megalong Cleft (6' Track). I've seen photos but have yet to head down for a look. Has anyone come across them?

[GPSGuided]

Wise decision not to push further.

[ferozious]

..in a fit of bravado I dropped my back pack down to the next level thinking it would motivate me to find a way to follow.

Nope!

So I had to go 'the long way' around...

haha I admire your confidence! Sounds like some good times were had on that trip!

[jonnosan]

Re Psyn Cave - this post http://www.david-noble.net/blog/?p=342 describes Psyn Cave as being just off Glenraphael drive (along with the etymology of the name).

But a few weeks ago I was looking at an old (70s?) book of rock climbs in the blue mountains, and it had a sketch map on it showing both 'Upper Psyn Cave' and 'Psyn Cave'.

[tom_brennan]

I remember passing the lower Psyn Cave back in 2003 on the way from 100' Slab to Tal. As you point out Jonno, it's shown on the old Mike Law Blue Mountains climbing guide. Bryden Allen has a picture of it on his web site

I've walked from Dicksons Ladders to Devils Hole many years ago, and from memory (and my report) it was easy going.

Unfortunately we got about half way up the next section before the ladders petered out, obviously removed. Not wanting to descend all the way back to the Devils Hole turn off, we started traversing north under the cliffs towards the Devils Hole. I thought we would get stuck in the corner where the creek comes down, but it was all pretty easy, and we soon joined the Devils Hole track, complete with creek running down it (something I hadn't seen before).