Christys and Arabanoo Creek

[Allchin09]

Hey,

Looking at my old Kowmung sketch map over the weekend and having read the story of Barrallier a few times, I've become interested in venturing into the Christys Creek area. My thoughts are to do a loop from the Kanangra Walls car park, back along Kanangra Rd and travel down to the Kowmung via either Christys Creek from Dione Dell or down West Christys Creek from Wheengee-Whungee.

From there, I'd travel up East Christys (Arabanoo Creek) until I hit the rear of Kanangra Walls at the end of First Ascent Creek, allowing me to make my way back around to the car park.

I know this area is pretty rugged and steep, but I've only ever viewed it from the Walls and the Kowmung, so I really don't know what I'd be in for.
Would a trip of this nature be possible? or would it required endless abseils and steep rock climbs?

Alternatively are there sections that wouldn't required such practices, instead leading me to climb out early up the nearby ridges.

Any info of first hand knowledge would be greatly appreciated!

[puredingo]

Mate, I can't answer any of your questions but that sounds like an unreal loop walk. Good luck with it.

[DaveNoble]

All these creeks have waterfalls - that can either be scrambled around or abseiled. Sometimes it can be tricky to scramble around them. But - less waterfalls lower down. So you may want to start at Central Christies (Christies Ck/Wheengee-Whungee junction) - below the waterfalls in that system (enter via the ridge past Barraliers Crown - or from the South Boyd Range). Arabanoo Ck has waterfalls high up that are quite large and are best abseiled - but if you enter from the ridge at Cottage Rock - you miss the big waterfalls, and there are a few smaller waterfalls that are a delight to find a way around.

You also need to be aware - there may be the odd swim or two.....

Route suggestion - go down Arabanoo Ck, camp on the Kowmung (can be a long day if you walk slow and have trouble at the waterfalls), then go up Christies Ck (camp at Central Christies - terraces above the creek) - then out via a ridge.

Delightful creeks - but getting a bit cold and slippery now with the limited sunlight.

Dave

[tom_brennan]

There's a few waterfalls in Arabanoo Creek - a couple between Errie Gully and First Ascent Creek, and about three between First Ascent Creek and the ridge leading to Murrarang Top. I'm sure you could climb out and around them, though it may involve loose scree slopes and nettles.

Photos from a trip some years back: http://ozultimate.com/canyoning/reports ... photos.htm

[Allchin09]

Dave - thanks for the response.

I try and avoid abseiling where I can on bushwalks, so I'll definitely consider entering and exiting the creeks sooner on.

As for the time of year, I never seem to get it right... Attempt the hard long bushwalks in the middle of summer and the dark and cold water ones coming into winter. One day I'll sort it out but for now I just go on trips when I get the time, without too much regard for how it fits in with the weather. Thanks for the heads up though.

Tom - Thanks for the photos. Not sure how successful I will be with avoiding the abseils after looking at your photos, but it's not going to deter me, well not yet anyway! How far down did you go, what route did you return via and how difficult was it?

Alex.

[juxtaposer]

Am I the only silly fool who has sidled every waterfall in East, Middle & West Christys? If I had my time again I would definitely abseil them.

[Allchin09]

Am I the only silly fool who has sidled every waterfall in East, Middle & West Christies? If I had my time again I would definitely abseil them.

Haha. I ended up doing a trip last year where we abseiled down Dione Dell. We then spent a good hour and a half climbing around Margaret Falls on the Eastern side via the spur below Tor Titan. Upon reaching the creek below, we came out right about Cronus Falls but decided not to abseil down it as the slings were terrible and I was inexperienced to descend directly in the flow of the waterfall.

Where we had come out was quite canyon like, and we could only travel 100m or so upstream before we reached a small waterfall that prevented any further travel in that direction. The Eastern side of the creek to shear to climb up, our only way out was not forwards, but back up the spur which we had just come down...

It was all good fun, but I'm not sure how you would have gotten past the falls without a rope! Maybe traversing on the Eastern side would have skipped Cronus, meaning that you could continue onwards.

[juxtaposer]

We sidled Margaret Falls to right (west). It was lengthy, but we rejoined the creek upstream of that little waterfall you couldn't get up, Allchin, which, when heading down, is a simple jump and swim in summer. Getting around Cronus might have been the hardest part; we did have a 20 metre line for hand-over-hand, which is a must in there, and might well have used it at this point. I started sidling right but got stuck on a ledge. Seeing I was baulked, the others of course went the other side, and I had to sing out for the tailender to come and pull me out, which he eventually did, God bless him. So yes, the eastern side was the go. Another time climbed out from below that little waterfall (or possibly from back up towards base of Margaret Falls), up the east slope to the saddle between Bungin and Colboyd, which went well enough.