Bushwalk Australia

Hi All,

Next month I will be visiting he Blue Mountains and I am after some suggestions from forum members of full day hikes in the Blue Mountains.

I am looking for a “Hard Walk” something that’s going to take 8 hrs plus return.

Also it is important to me to climb to a peak on my walks. If any of you know St Mary Peak in the Flinders that is what I really enjoy for those of you who don’t you walk for a while then go up quite quickly and have to scrabble over rocks etc.

Also Bartle Frere in Qld is also a great walk for me so if anyone has done or know of these two then it will give you an idea of what I’d be looking for in the Blue Mountains.

Also if there are any photography buffs around with suggestions for great spots in the Blue Mountains particularly for sunrise captures that would also be appreciated.

Cheers,

Bingo

Want hard? Give yourself an extra day and look up the 3 peaks walk.

That's on my bucket list

Try the Mt Solitary traverse. It can be done as a hard day walk.

ninjapuppet wrote:Want hard? Give yourself an extra day and look up the 3 peaks walk.

That's on my bucket list

Ninja,

Well I did check the 3 peaks walk out and I have to say it's a worthy add to the bucket list.

It's not for me on this trip. Since its supposed to be a holiday to slow down a bit and I'm travelling solo on this trip.

Thanks for your suggestion I'll be back to do that one someday when I find another walker mad enough to join me

Cheers.

Lindsay wrote:Try the Mt Solitary traverse. It can be done as a hard day walk.

Lindsay,

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm putting the traverse into my trip itinerary.

Cheers

I'd second the suggestion of Mt Solitary for a great "hard" day walk with a summit.
There's some good track notes at http://ozultimate.com/bushwalking/walk.php?nid=237 which like most notes I have seen for multi-day trips suggests starting at Katoomba and ending at Wentworth Falls. But I think for a day trip, you are better off going the other way, i.e. start at Wentworth Falls and finish at Katoomba. That way you get the really dull bit (descending Kedumba Valley Rd, some of which is concrete) out of the way early, then you do the 800m ascent from the river up to the top of Mt Solitary, and then by the time you are on the other side, depending on time and energy levels, you can choose to climb the Ruined Castle, and exit the valley by the Golden Stairs, Furber Steps, Scenic Railway, or Giant Staircase.

For a good spot for photography, check out http://ozultimate.com/bushwalking/walk.php?nid=722

Furber steps are great, you get to walk up beside a water fall.

I might be back at the Blue Mountains in a couple months.

Hi Jonnosan,
Thanks for the info on doing the traverse starting at Wentworth Falls. I had come across the ozultimate track notes when googling the traverse hike from Lindsay's suggestion and I immediately thought it would be best to start at Wentworth Falls but not for the reasons you have mentioned. I was just thinking that since I will be staying in Katoomba I would prefer the shorter drive at the end of the walk back to accommodation. As I am doing this trip alone the car shuffle is going to be impossible so I’m just going to park the car at the Katoomba end then get a taxi to the start.
Also thanks for the tip for the photography spot.

Another good walk to Wild Dogs to Splendour Rock, or, Cloudmaker perhaps?

Could always do the K2K in a day....

Suggestions from Lindsay/Jonnosan and Webguy are good ones. There's not a lot of "peak"s in the Blue Mountains - mostly you're on the tops already, and you're going down!

My notes (ozultimate.com) suggest going Katoomba to Wentworth Falls as I would say the navigation is a little easier.

Bingo - I'm not clear from the walks you've mentioned what your navigation skills are like. St Mary Peak and Bartle Frere are on track, and marked as far as I know? There's not a lot of marked tracks in the Blue Mountains, so hesitant to suggest stuff that's on vague tracks (or off track!).

tom_brennan wrote:My notes (ozultimate.com) suggest going Katoomba to Wentworth Falls as I would say the navigation is a little easier.

Your solitary notes currently say 'last checked 2005' - is that true? In which case you may not have seen the NPWS signposts that mark the major navigation points e.g. where you leave the Sublime Point Ridge firetrail onto the walking track that descends to the creek, and the junction half way up the Col between that track and the track from the firetrail that goes past Kedumba farm. When I was doing the traverse on Sunday (via Lions Head Pass for a bit of variety) there are a couple of spots on top of Mt Solitary where the trail can get a bit faint (e.g. near Chinaman Cave, possibly because once people get near there they all scatter looking for somewhere to camp or take a pitstop). But being naive, I would have thought those faint spots would have the same impact regardless of which direction you go?

tom_brennan wrote:Bingo - I'm not clear from the walks you've mentioned what your navigation skills are like. .

Thanks for the input Tom.

To clear up on the navigation skills or in my case lack thereof I have no interest in walking and navigating it just of no interest to me but I know that is part of the fun for others.

You are correct St Mary Peak & Bartle Frere are on tracks however it’s still easy find yourself off track (trust me done this on both plenty of times)

All though I know no navigation skills for as long as I can remember I’ve had an uncanny) or at least to those I’ve myself compared to) sense of direction and location. I don’t know why I just can’t seem to get lost (for long anyhow) whether it be driving in an unfamiliar big city, wondering around by foot / public transport overseas or when I “just wander off into the bush for a walk”.

Having said that I don’t deliberately go off to get lost and last thing anyone wants is to start a search and rescue just because of someone’s recklessness.

Thanks for your track notes on the traverse and other walks at ozultimate.com I will take you advise at start at Katoomba.

jonnosan wrote:Your solitary notes currently say 'last checked 2005' - is that true? In which case you may not have seen the NPWS signposts that mark the major navigation points e.g. where you leave the Sublime Point Ridge firetrail onto the walking track that descends to the creek, and the junction half way up the Col between that track and the track from the firetrail that goes past Kedumba farm.

Partly true. I have walked sections of the trail at either end more recently, so I have seen some of the new signposts. When I originally wrote the notes, the section of track between Kedumba Creek and the Sublime Point trail had only been relatively recently marked and cleared. These days there's probably not that much difference in difficulty of navigation.

Hi

Maybe use these (my) notes and Tom's. Different styles but both helpful.

http://www.wildwalks.com/bushwalking-and-hiking-in-nsw/blue-mountains-katoomba/mt-solitary-and-kedumba-valley-circuit.html

A great walk, enjoyable area to explore. This is a huge day, can be done but in winter you are likely to run out of day light, so you will need to be prepared for that or Tao the wider circuit ruturning via the road.
Matt

Thanks Matt,

I figured the daylight might be an issue. I'll be doing this mid September and I had planned on leaving real early with my trusty head torch to light the way figuring that I can get at least a few k's before the light comes up would this be advisable and if so which start point would be better to get the most walking done in the dark.

Cheers

bingo wrote:Thanks Matt,

I figured the daylight might be an issue. I'll be doing this mid September and I had planned on leaving real early with my trusty head torch to light the way figuring that I can get at least a few k's before the light comes up would this be advisable and if so which start point would be better to get the most walking done in the dark.

Cheers

Hi Bingo, In that case it would be best to start from Wentworth Falls as the fire trail section would be far quicker and easier to follow in the dark than the walking track at the Katoomba end.

Lindsay wrote:easier to follow in the dark than the walking track at the Katoomba end.

And in that case hopefully then I'll be finished before it gets dark

thanks again for the help.

Might be worth coming back via kings tableland. More road but might be better considering your lack of light
http://www.wildwalks.com/bushwalking-and-hiking-in-nsw/blue-mountains-katoomba/scenic-railway-ruined-castle-mt-solitary-kedumba-river-wentworth-falls.html

Happy walking

Matt

Mt Sol Traverse definitely worth doing. Forget starting at Wenty Falls as you'll be scrambling up the Col and it's hard-going and not pleasant. Sliding down is much more fun and the rock scramble to the plateau is better going upwards.

We did this walk in the height of winter. Started at 7am and kept a brisk pace with morderate length meal breaks. It wasn't a push and I took forever to get up to the hospital gate from Kedumba River (not fit enough plus not enough fuel) and still made it out before last light.

I would say I am of moderate fitness and was not walking much before tackling this one but mental strength can substitute. In my opinion, it's not a "very hard" walk in physical terms, only "hard" but it is long which comes with peculiar risks that qualify it as a "very hard" walk overall.