4 gorges Karijini NP

[sebastien]

Is anyone walked the gorges Weano and Hancock?

The trip would be to descend Handcock gorge to Red gorge and come back throw Weano Gorge.
We would be 2. We are very experienced.

I am looking for a little writing guide to would describ the main difficulties.

A first search on the web and on the NP office did get anywhere.

Thanks

[farefam]

You won't find much info from National Parks as they are trying to discourage people from doing the full Hancock Gorge- Weano Gorge route due to the increasing number of rescues (and the death of a rescuer). You're now required to obtain a permit from the ranger (must have relevant accreditation) or do the route with an accredited guide. A shame in some ways, but an understandable position as the gorges are dangerous and both did seem somewhat more slippery recently than they were on my first visit back in the 90's. You'll probably find a detailed route description on one of the rock-climbing or canyoning websites.

[Hallu]

Yeah I've also found very strange the lack of info on Karijini. Only short day walks are mentioned, you won't even find day circuits connecting the short walks until you get there and checkout the info signs. Walking times are ridiculously overestimated, and they basically tell you that for a gorge to gorge walk you need expert climber gear, and a professional guide with you. With the awful roads in the park, no wonder its tourist affluence is dropping continuously since the late 90's... So you should talk to the ones doing the guided tours in the gorges, they should be the only one able to help you.

[sebastien]

Thanks Hallu and Farefam for your reply

I would not mind to be part of a guide tour....but only once. It would be a safe way to understand the level of this trip.
In Australia, the danger level is always overestimated. And it is worst with the time. After each accident, our freedom is restrained. It is now really difficult to recognize what is dangerous because everything became dangerous. So, having a look at the gorge with a guide would be a good way to really estimate this level of danger.

But the idea would stay the same: walking Red Gorge with some friends, by ourself.

I sent some messages about it to the Department of Parks and Willife ( DPAW ) but they never answered...
So...

Here are some interisting information about Red Gorge:
http://www.outdoorswa.org/files/Karijin ... 0Guide.pdf

[sebastien]

OK, it is getting much better.

DPAW answered my email at last!

They sent a non commercial form:

Registration/parmission to conduct non-commercial organised education and leisure activities.

And they emailed a canyoning commercial guide that i already had.

The last step will be to get my friend to Oz....

[farefam]

post deleted

[farefam]

Good to see you got some official info.
Hancock/Weano/Knox or Joffre Gorges are difficult to moderate access routes into Red Gorge that require a permit, rock climbing skills (and in some cases abseiling equipment). And the rock pools along any of these access routes can be very,very cold and you'd best take a wetsuit or a lilo to get past those due to the very real risk of hypothermia. The gorges are very slippery underfoot in some places.
There is also the risk of getting caught in a flash flood during the rainy season.
This is a hazardous and remote spot and rescues are hazardous, expensive and potentially very, very time consuming. Hence I'd always discuss plans in detail with the rangers as if you require a rescue and they didn't know you were there in the first place you're likely to get into a lot of trouble from Parks, the police and the volunteer rescue services.
I wouldn't consider trying to reach Red Gorge via the lower part of Wittenoom Gorge due to the asbestos risk.
Although I've been into Red Gorge and lower Hancock Gorge in the less restricted early 1990's, for maximum adventure on my next visit, due to the current restrictions I'll probably say hang the expense and book a guided tour going through Knox-Gorge/Red Gorge and exiting via Weano Gorge. In my opinion Red Gorge itself is not as interesting as the adjacent lower sections of Knox, Weano and Hancock Gorges. And safety is worth more to me than money now that I'm not so young and agile and foolish anymore!

[sebastien]

Good to see you got some official info.
Hancock/Weano/Knox or Joffre Gorges are difficult to moderate access routes into Red Gorge that require a permit, rock climbing skills (and in some cases abseiling equipment). And the rock pools along any of these access routes can be very,very cold and you'd best take a wetsuit or a lilo to get past those due to the very real risk of hypothermia. The gorges are very slippery underfoot in some places.
There is also the risk of getting caught in a flash flood during the rainy season.
This is a hazardous and remote spot and rescues are hazardous, expensive and potentially very, very time consuming. Hence I'd always discuss plans in detail with the rangers as if you require a rescue and they didn't know you were there in the first place you're likely to get into a lot of trouble from Parks, the police and the volunteer rescue services.
I wouldn't consider trying to reach Red Gorge via the lower part of Wittenoom Gorge due to the asbestos risk.
Although I've been into Red Gorge and lower Hancock Gorge in the less restricted early 1990's, for maximum adventure on my next visit, due to the current restrictions I'll probably say hang the expense and book a guided tour going through Knox-Gorge/Red Gorge and exiting via Weano Gorge. In my opinion Red Gorge itself is not as interesting as the adjacent lower sections of Knox, Weano and Hancock Gorges. And safety is worth more to me than money now that I'm not so young and agile and foolish anymore!

Thanks fareman

Same...the first time i went there in the 90', the rules were not that bad.
I obviously understand the safety rules. I would be dead since a while if i did not understood them!
But i am not naive, there is a commercial interset into the restrictions to Red Gorge.
270 aud for a day trip! That's a good business!

Thanks a lot for your advices about the interset of the gorges. I would not really mind about the abestos problem. It is not that bad as long as it is wet and that you do not make any dust of it. And it will never be as bad as what we had to breath on the construction sites a while ago or still today on the renovation sites...

My friend is a climber and he asked me to wait for we get the park agreement. I have the feeling that it will not be a piece of cake ( insurances...)

[tom_brennan]

While I can see the need for some regulation, the situation is completely ridiculous now. I rang up the ranger station having done 200+ canyon descents in the Blue Mountains, and all they cared about is whether I had paper certificates to lead abseil and climbing trips on natural surfaces (which I don't). Silly thing is that the Karijini canyons are technically much easier than the Bluies.

There's only one commercial guide running trips there, and he's quite protective of his turf. Some friends went in April, with a permit, and got a pretty frosty reception.

We were going to go with the commercial guide, but he wasn't operating when we went (August, too cold apparently). In the end we did an illicit Knox/Red Gorge trip since we had enough gear for that. Lucky we'd got a couple of pool floaters to double as lilos as the water in Red Gorge was freezing in August.

I'll PM you a link - more information on the Class Six sections.