Walked out to Bonnum Pic last Thursday

[Webguy]

Sometimes you just gotta say screw work, going for a walk. So we did, a group of 4 of us went for a wander out to Bonnum Pic and back.

What a stunning part of the world, and a pretty easy walk really, a few mild ups n downs, some long hard sections of exposed rock, makes sore feet even more sore lol.

When we were driving down to our starting point, the entire valley was full of thick fog giving it the appearance of a white ocean, sadly, by the time we had done the forest section of the walk and finally made it to the cliff edge, most of that fog was long gone. A bit later when we were able to see the eastern cliffs, we could see the last of the thick fog being driven up and over the tops of those cliffs, spectacular sight.

The first part of the walk is marked with tape and NP's signs til you get to the fenceline and from there to the cliffs is a very well defined track. On this easy forest section we saw one beautiful red belly black snake on the track, the only animal apart from a very s,mall number of birds we saw or heard all day. (Apart from curious cows)

From the first time you reach the clifflines, the track is still pretty easy to follow with pink markers and cairns in many places, especially on exposed rock sections.

In some places, especially just after the "campsite" the track is easy to see on the ground, but overgrown, so you need to look for the track at ground level, and of course the pink tape bits. The gully just after the campsite we got "wrong" and went too far east into the scrubby creek/gully but then found the proper way shortly after.

We used a handline for the slide of death which probably made no difference apart from making you feel like you were safer lol.

Finally out at the end, the views were just brilliant! We all signed the walkers logbook, which, has seen better days and will be due for a replacement very soon, not many pages left to sign. Had some lunch here and started our walk back.

A highly recommended walking destination.

[FatCanyoner]

Nothing better than bushwalking on a work day! I'll have to start doing it a bit more again.

As for Bonnum Pic, a really timely reminder to me that I've been saying for years that I want to climb it. It stands out so much that it's no surprise the views up top are so magnificent.

[Grabeach]

Bonnum Pic is one of those must visit geological features not far from Sydney (like Pantoneys Crown and Rodway Reserve) that just jump out at you from the map. Another one in the Nattai area is Russells Needle. To access the Pic twenty plus years ago, possibly before it was National Park, we would drive out through private property unlocked gates without any problems. At some point, apparently because a few people did the wrong thing, I heard that you then had to get prior permission from a land holder who was virtually uncontactable. Good to see the access problems were sorted out.

Tim; It is a fairly easy scramble up from the bottom, provided you use the small gully at the top not too far back from the end on the west side. The top section had also been climbed on the eastern side closer to the end, but this looked very unstable.

[jackhinde]

My favourite southern highlands wander, glad you enjoyed it.
The book was placed there by some of my fathers intrepid teaching colleagues, it was in good condition early last year but a visitor didn't stash it right and it was sodden when I was last there...as there were only two names in it between my visits the culprits were identifiable! The issue with the landholder hasn't been a problem for quite a few years, but as the entry to the pic is through land currently being subdivided (the old wangaderry property) there will probably be issues in the future (a la the nearby fire trail to Mt Jellore which has been gated and signed with private property keep out) when the Sydney hobby farmers move in and start growing grapes to feed the highland currawongs.
Russells needle is a great scramble from the Nattai, I haven't ascended the Pic from the Wollondilly but now my appetite has been whetted.

[Webguy]

We parked just inside the gate just past the stockyards then walked down the firetrail to the NPWS sign and started from there. I do not believe there is an issue doing it like that.

[jackhinde]

I park at the stockyard too. If you accidently trespass into the paddock next to it there is an interesting archaeological site in the form of a convict built sandstone flagged floor of the original homestead. Also if you wander on down the hill past where npws want you to start the walk there is a coal mine that can be entered. You probably noticed the indigenous campsite that the walk takes you through in the forested section, the well is amazing and has a resident black snake (maybe the one you saw?). All that basalt you drove over (the big hill before the yards) was originally a rainforest pocket similar in nature to that of Robertson, only a few blackwoods left around the edges now, and that is what is being chopped up for hobby farms. It was one of the first properties cleared in the region due to the good soil there.

[FatCanyoner]

Just got home after a Nattai walk today. We climbed Russells Needle, which was amazing. It's a reasonably challenging scramble to get to the top, but the views are magnificent. The narrow tail of ridge running off to the south is quite unique too! I'm with Graeme and Jack in highly recommending it (as long as you don't mind a little exposure).

[Onestepmore]

Hubby and my 15.5 year old daughter went to Bonnum Pic today. Almost sounds like there needs to be traffic police there atm!

(First time they tried it was rainy and cloudy and poor vis and too slippery and dangerous, so they sensibly aborted)

Fatcanoyoner, how far can you go via road to accress Russels Needle from the Wombeyan Caves Road side - we've looked on the maps and there are locked gates, but we're not sure how close you can get access. It's next on my list for our 'backyard' walks. I haven't accessed it from the Hilltop/Wattle Ridge side yet either.

Edit - I just mentioned to hubby as we were brushing teeth (as all good bushwalking conversations between spouses go), and he said you guys went via the slot - he saw the SUB entry in the books at the Wattle Ridge carpark. If you've been from the other direction the question I asked above would be helpful though

More editing - it was from a SUB email he recieved, not the log book

[Webguy]

Did they enjoy the walk?

[FatCanyoner]

Yeah, can't help you on the access from the other side. Apparently there are 4wd trails you can walk much of the way, but I don't know how close you can drive. I'd be interested to hear what it's like when you do it.
I will point out that the ridge running out to the Needle would still make for some challenging scrambling (i.e. it's not going to deliver an easy cheat route to the top). From the Needle you can see a rocky spine running a long way along the ridge. (I thought it looked a bit like the great wall of china in places!)
We accessed it from Hill Top, but we turned off Starlights Trail and went down Slott Way (which cuts out a few kilometres of river walking to come around Ahearns Head). Even with the shorter access it was still about 18kms (according to the guy with a GPS) which with some slowish river walking and a steep, challenging scramble up the Needle, makes it a pretty full day walk.
It is totally worth it though. Russells Needle is an unreal place, and you feel on top of the world with 360 degree views all around.
Interestingly, we bumped into another group just after setting off who also said they were going to the Needle (it was four blokes if anyone knows the group). They told us they were going via Starlights. We said we might see them at lunch time. We never saw or heard from them again all day. I'm guessing they aborted their push for the Needle as they'd set off at about 10am, so were unlikely to have made it (we didn't get back to the cars until after dark even with our shorter route).

[FatCanyoner]

And here's a trip report and some photos to inspire some Russells Needle walks!
http://fatcanyoners.org/2013/04/13/russells-needle/

[Grabeach]

I've posted details on the Canyoners site of the alternative way in from the south we used back in 1988. Also been told that the Needle ain't what it used to be.

[Onestepmore]

Thanks guys!

[puredingo]

How did the needle used to be, grabeach?

[Grabeach]

I was trying to encourage people to go to the Canyoner's site! Copy and paste from what I wrote there:- One interesting thing I’ve been told is that Russells Needle used to be more needle-like (hence the name) , and a lot harder to get on top of, back in the 1960s. Apparently the top “several” metres fell off! .
Note the quotation marks on several. My informant had not personally seen it in its earlier state, and as he is deceased I can't quiz his source as to how much several metres is. I will ask a couple of 'old timers' I know who may have been there back then.

[FatCanyoner]

I was trying to encourage people to go to the Canyoner's site!

I'll have to start putting you commission!

I will say that even the current summit is overhung in places and has an impressive crack through it, and lower down the ridge there are some precarious pinnacles of rock, so based on the geology I find it entirely plausible that there was a higher peak that has since collapsed. I'd be very interested if someone does manage to track down more info. Perhaps an old slide from those early trips?

[michael_p]

...the well is amazing...

Is this the one you are talking about:

[Grabeach]

When I saw it the cover stone was in two pieces, but the pieces fitted perfectly together and completely covered the water. Water tasted good too. Wonder if the piece that's now missing is still lying around, maybe even in the water.

[michael_p]

When we saw it the cover pieces did fit perfectly. We took a loose piece out to get a look into the well and take some photos, then we very carefully replaced it as we found it. The well was a bit murky and had a lot of leaves in it but after an clean out and time for small particles to settle out it would be a good source of water.

There is another well like this on the way out to the Tessellated Pavements at Mt Irvine. It's just magic to find things like this. The time and effort that would have gone into creating them is mind blowing.

[michael_p]

Found a photo of the Mt Irvine well:

[jackhinde]

That is the well i was referring to, curiously the irvine well above is similar to others i have discovered close to the pic, would someone pm me a coordinate so i can have a looksy.

The access to russels needle via the cheats way requires permission from a landowner, which could be organised if you know a local. Going down the slot way is preferable to going up it, i recommend making a round trip and leaving via starlights. There is no needle camp a la sloss' book, but below the island downstream of the needle is a nice camp that i have used a few times.
My brother and i have been talking about putting a little book to sign on the needle for a couple of years but have never got around to it. It is just littering after all i suppose, but it gives people a sense of achievement and personal significance when standing in a wild place that makes them feel small and less than significant...

also if you do go the cheats way you would miss out on the cave and then the window that you come across when scrambling from the bottom, those who have done so will know what i refer to, although looking at the photos on that blog entry maybe not, as it seems you took an alternative route to the one i travel?

[michael_p]

PM sent.