Katoomba to Mittagong

[Lindsay]

Is there any website or publication that gives a detailed description of this walk? I have been looking for a while now and although there are a few trip reports and reference to a book about the 'Ensign Berallier walk', I can't seem to find anything recent or a map of the route.

[Marwood]

I found this page gave the most information and links (even though it's basically a trip report):
http://www.mitupela.net/gnw/mittagongtokatoomba.html

Haven't done the walk... still in the "planning" (or "I must do that one day") stage.

[johnw]

Is there any website or publication that gives a detailed description of this walk? I have been looking for a while now and although there are a few trip reports and reference to a book about the 'Ensign Berallier walk', I can't seem to find anything recent or a map of the route.

Lindsay, That walk has long been on my "to do" list. Maybe one day eventually I'll do it. You could try and contact Robert Sloss directly re the Ensign Barralier guidebook. I have seen it for sale but have forgotten where. Possibly Map World in the CBD. http://www.robertsloss.com.au/Ensign%20Guide.htm

I'm pretty sure the walk is also documented in the one of the NPA volumes "Bushwalks in the Sydney Region". I have these but not handy right now. I'll have a look later.

[wildwalks]

Is there any website or publication that gives a detailed description of this walk? I have been looking for a while now and although there are a few trip reports and reference to a book about the 'Ensign Berallier walk', I can't seem to find anything recent or a map of the route.

Hey Lindsay
Have you stumbled on Robert Sloss' Book
You can buy it from his website, I have also seen it in a few shops in the Blue Mountains.
http://www.robertsloss.com.au/Guide%20Index.htm

You might find this page helpful
http://www.gphipps.com/bushwalking/mittagongToKatoomba.shtml

Hopefully of some help, but I have no personal experience - but sounds like a great walk
Matt

[wildwalks]

I'm pretty sure the walk is also documented in the one of the NPA volumes "Bushwalks in the Sydney Region".

Good memory Johnw (I am impressed)
it is in volume 2 page 130-134
Matt

[Chief]

Yeah definately get Robert Sloss's guide book, i got it about 6 months ago a very good detailed guide got GPS points as well etc.(i'm thinking a GPS would be an excellent idea for this walk i was down Nattai fire trail about 2 weeks ago and no way could i find some of the trail intersections etc)
I bought the guide from the Picton visitors centre by the way, also has alot of his other guide books there as well.
As has already been said by others this is on my "to do list" as well...Just gotta get a job where i can get that much time off work!

[Lindsay]

Many thanks for the information team. These are links I haven't seen before and I will chase up Robert Sloss's book.

[HitchHiking]

My info is a year old Lindsay but along the Nattai we would occasionaly come across the tags and markers and bits of foot pad and that would quickly dissapear. It was the best part of the trip I reckon. Luch at Belloon(SP?) was a highlight as well. Scotts main range was terrible. To spice it up you could drop down into the Kowmung. Drop me a PM if you would like more indepth details.

[DaveNoble]

I think the best way to do a long trip like that is to look at the map and work out your own route. Most of the country is not too hard and route finding is OK. Take a taxi out of Mittagong (eg to Hilltop) and you can walk down a nice track to the Nattai (Starlights Trail) - then wander down the River and cross to the Wollondilly via Beloon Pass (its marked on maps) - then to Yerranderie. Once there - lots of routes - you can go to Katoomba via Kanangra Walls - which can be nice, or via the Kowmung River (great country) or via the Blue Breaks (eg traverse Broken Rock Range). Now I know that some people do the walk in a day (as a run) or in 48 hours, but it is better to take from say 5 to 10 days and really enjoy the country.

Dave

[bumblefoot]

I agree with Dave's comments, the "official" route is boring with lots of road walking, from Yerranderie onwards there is a lot more scope for interesting off track walking if you take one of the options Dave mentions.

[Lindsay]

Thanks heaps for all this information. I am tentatively planning this trip for next spring, so I have plenty of time to research it first before setting off.

[Wolfix]

Have a friend who did this walk north with a group. Lots of up and down and you'll need heaps of protein. I think this would be an ideal opportunity to try UL hiking!!

[mountnman]

I bought the guidebook last weekend when I was up at katoomba. I also have Robert's Mittagong/Nattai Book, which has notes about other tracks in the Nattai area. Over the next few months I'm planning to do a few overnighters to get a feel of the track and campsites. I want to go from Mittagong Post office to Katoomba Post office, so our first day will be along Gibbergunyah creek, following Claude Lee Pass, then following the Nattai River to either Drapers Creek or Stockyard Creek. then the second day through Blatchs Pass, and hopefully camping near Russells Needle. But in saying this the only part of the Nattai I have walked is the Claude Lee Pass Circuit, along the Boxvale Track, down the incline, along the river and up near Forty Foot Falls, so that is why I plan to do some overnighters. If someone has an itinerary of the walk, or estimated walking times (the book only has distances, my guess is because track conditions change) it would be greatly appreciated!!

[Chief]

mountnman, i would suggest if your looking to do overnighters and wanna get a feel for the area/terrain etc try doing some walks starting from Wattle Ridge and heading down either Starlights,Nattai management trail or the Slotway.
I just got back this afternoon after spending last night down there, did Starlights track down to McArthurs flat and continued down stream hoping to make it to Cathedral Forrest for the night.
Made it to Cattle crossing but with fading daylight and just not prepared to do the river crossing i headed back to McArthurs for the night.
A GPS is definetly on my to get list now, this is the 2nd time i've tried doing the Cathedral forrest circuit (other time was from management trail end) and alot of time can be wasted finding the route and looking for markers etc.
But if you like the isolation and "having the bush to yourself" it's a great area, and relatively close to Sydney, in all the time i've been going down there i have still never bumped into anyone at all.....

[Vern]

I agree with Dave Noble, and from what the trip reports say the info in the guide book may be a little outdated...not sure as I haven't done the walk. I have however looked into it and made myself a map on map my run. Here's the link if you're interested: http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/14474206

I think I would get some maps and a gps and make my own way as people have stated already in this discussion.

[Lindsay]

I agree with Dave Noble, and from what the trip reports say the info in the guide book may be a little outdated...not sure as I haven't done the walk. I have however looked into it and made myself a map on map my run. Here's the link if you're interested: http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/14474206

I think I would get some maps and a gps and make my own way as people have stated already in this discussion.

Great map Vern. It gives the best overview of the entire route I've seen.Thanks for posting the link. I have now aquired the appropriate topo maps and will put together a route.

[buggeriamold]

I just got back this afternoon after spending last night down there, did Starlights track down to McArthurs flat and continued down stream hoping to make it to Cathedral Forrest for the night.
Made it to Cattle crossing but with fading daylight and just not prepared to do the river crossing i headed back to McArthurs for the night.
A GPS is definetly on my to get list now, this is the 2nd time i've tried doing the Cathedral forrest circuit (other time was from management trail end) and alot of time can be wasted finding the route and looking for markers etc.
all.

Hi Chief,

I am planing to do this walk sometime over the next week, just wondering if the walking along the river is particularly slow, or is it just dificult finding where to cross etc?

Mark

[Chief]

I just got back this afternoon after spending last night down there, did Starlights track down to McArthurs flat and continued down stream hoping to make it to Cathedral Forrest for the night.
Made it to Cattle crossing but with fading daylight and just not prepared to do the river crossing i headed back to McArthurs for the night.
A GPS is definetly on my to get list now, this is the 2nd time i've tried doing the Cathedral forrest circuit (other time was from management trail end) and alot of time can be wasted finding the route and looking for markers etc.
all.

Hi Chief,

I am planing to do this walk sometime over the next week, just wondering if the walking along the river is particularly slow, or is it just dificult finding where to cross etc?

Mark

Its not that difficult along the river, just time consuming if you havn't been that way before.
Most of the time you will be able to follow a very faint trail where others have gone in the past and by looking out for the tin markers on tree's.
Let us know how you go, i plan on going back within the next fortnight as well i'll find the way eventually..

[DaveNoble]

Just back from a Mittagong to Katoomba walk - during a very windy week - so had to have a flexible route. See -

http://www.david-noble.net/blog/?p=198

and

http://www.david-noble.net/bushwalking/ ... oomba.html

Dave

[Vern]

Great trip report Dave!

[DaveM]

Hello all - new here, baan a walker for years, just found this site.

Glad to spot this topic - I walked from Kanangra to Mittagong years ago (mid 90's). Got a badly infected foot froma leech bite & the Nattai but that came a few days after the finish.

We went via Unirover trail area to Kowmung then around Waterfall Ck area past some caves then via Mt Colong, and the only road walking was Yerranderie/Wollondilly. Followed Nattai till Gibbergunyah ck up to Mittagong.

Walk over the Wangenderries was good.

[DaveM]

Just remembered the caves we went past - Church Creek Caves. Nice area.

I'm a Nothofagus Cunninghami - happy about that - 10 years in Tasmania I enjoyed the Cunninghami and Gunii immensley.

[juxtaposer]

Nothing beats a good Katoomba to Mittagong, unless it's a good Mittagong to Katoomba. By the way, I claim the record for the slowest ever Katoomba to Mittagong - a journey of fourteen days.

[Rodsports]

I bought a copy of Robert Sloss book today at Map World, Parramatta. $15. Their topos are pretty cheap, only $10 each (I dont work there). What is the best way to do the walk- Katoomba to Mittagong or Mittagong to Katoomba?

[Lindsay]

OK, the planning is just about complete and i will be setting off in early October (work permiting) I have worked out a route based on Robert Sloss's book starting at Mt Waratah, down the Nattai to Beloon pass, across to Yerranderie, along Scotts Main Range to Mt Feld, down Denis Ridge to the Kowmung, up Roots Ridge to the Gingra track and on to Kanagara Walls, then to Katoomba via Mt Cloudmaker and Narrow Neck.

Looking forward to it, and to refining some lightweight innovations I experimented with in NZ earlier this year, although the need to carry water will add some unavoidable weight.

[Marwood]

Sounds like a great trip - I'm looking forward to hearing how it goes. Over the past week I've been doing some preliminary planning for this trip maybe for autumn next year, but I'm thinking of starting from Hilltop and going down Starlights track, and missing the upper part of the Nattai. After reading Dave Noble's trip report, I'm keen to follow a similar route but I think I'll need to spend a few more days than his group did! I'm planning on doing some overnighters to check out some of the tracks and campsites in advance, since I'll be hammock camping I want to check out the suitability of the campsites. My current plan means finding a good overnight hanging spot up near Cottage Rock or the Coal Seam cave.

I'm finding mixed reports on the quality of the water along the Nattai gorge, either from the river itself or from the side creeks if they're flowing. From what I can tell, it's not as bad as in years gone by. Do you have any up to date info on this?

[buggeriamold]

I always treat water.

Having said that, the water coming out of the side creek near Mcarthers flat on the weekend was pretty good.

I have drunk the Natti water in the past & even filtered it had a bit of a smell about it.

Mark

[DaveNoble]

Nattai water - if you can, get if from the side creeks. On our trip, we drank fresh water from the side creeks and boiled water from the river at our camp.

Dave

[wallwombat]

I did this when I was at hight school. Did it during the June school holidays in 1982,1983 and 1984. We always went via the Kowmung , Kanangra, Dex's Creek, etc, etc.

It was a fantastic walk. I'd love to do it again, incorporating parts of the Blue Breaks. The Scotts Main Range road bash is painful and no fun at all. Niether is the Narrow Neck road bash but you have a light pack by then and your gunning for the finish.

[Lindsay]

Just saw a new post on this 10 year old thread! I did start this walk as planned but injured myself on the second day. Had to abort and had a bit of a sore walk back to Mittagong. Have not been back there since..one day maybe...