Mt Cole cave in the Budawangs

[khouw]

It has been a long time since I camped at the Mt Cole cave, rather excited to be walking in the Budawangs again this weekend. Can anyone confirm the availability of a nearby water source? I can only remember vaguely a creek running nearby. Also I wanted to show my fellow bushwalkers what the grotto cave looks like. Photos on the web does not give a good perspective, does anyone out there have some shots of the cave please forward to me. Thanks in advance.

[Tony]

It has been a long time since I camped at the Mt Cole cave, rather excited to be walking in the Budawangs again this weekend. Can anyone confirm the availability of a nearby water source? I can only remember vaguely a creek running nearby. Also I wanted to show my fellow bushwalkers what the grotto cave looks like. Photos on the web does not give a good perspective, does anyone out there have some shots of the cave please forward to me. Thanks in advance.

Hi khouw,

I was there on Saturday just past, the waterfalls either side of the main Mt Cole west cave had water flowing, after some heavy rain on Sunday I would think they are still flowing.

I lost my camera on top of Mt Cole but I think have some photos of the cave at work which I will post tomorrow.

Tony

[buggeriamold]

Hi khouw,

I was there on Saturday just past, the waterfalls either side of the main Mt Cole west cave had water flowing, after some heavy rain on Sunday I would think they are still flowing.

I lost my camera on top of Mt Cole but I think have some photos of the cave at work which I will post tomorrow.

Tony

Hi Tony,

(Bit off topic here, sorry)

Did you happen to walk in from the Neriga entrance? We saw one ute in the car park on Friday night when we arrived, gone by lunch time Sunday. We found something on the track that may belong to your party.

Mark.

[Tony]

Hi Tony,

(Bit off topic here, sorry)

Did you happen to walk in from the Neriga entrance? We saw one ute in the car park on Friday night when we arrived, gone by lunch time Sunday. We found something on the track that may belong to your party.

Mark.

Hi Mark,

That was my mates ute we also walked in on Friday afternoon, was it a Nalgene water bottle.

If it was, it does not belong to me, I found it in the gully coming down off Mt Owen and decide to carry it out as I do most of the litter I find, but did not have the room inside my pack, my side pocket is not the most secure in thick scrub.

Tony

[buggeriamold]

Hi Tony,

Yep, nalgene it was. The Scout that found it was quite pleased, I imagine he will take it on our long weekend walk, recycling I guess!

Mark

PS. On the original topic, after the amount of rain that fell last weekend, I imagine that there will be no shortage of water, puddles & pools should be full at the least.

[khouw]

Hi Tony et al,

OK that's good news, I now remember a small waterfall on the North side as you walk towards the cave. Aye, would appreciate a few snaps of the Mt Cole cave. Does anyone also has shots of the Burrumbeet Brook cave campsite? Would like to see what that also looks like after all these years!

Tony, we got 3 days up there this weekend, an option is to climb Mt Cole and or Mt Owen on day 2. You never know, where about on top of Mt Cole you reckon you lost your camera?

Another question, what about water availability between Mt Cole and Wog Wog, anybody been up there recently?

Steve

[Tony]

Hi Tony et al,

OK that's good news, I now remember a small waterfall on the North side as you walk towards the cave. Aye, would appreciate a few snaps of the Mt Cole cave. Does anyone also has shots of the Burrumbeet Brook cave campsite? Would like to see what that also looks like after all these years!

Tony, we got 3 days up there this weekend, an option is to climb Mt Cole and or Mt Owen on day 2. You never know, where about on top of Mt Cole you reckon you lost your camera?

Another question, what about water availability between Mt Cole and Wog Wog, anybody been up there recently?

Steve

Hi Steve,

Burrumbeet Brook cave now has a very good pit toilet, I do not have any photos of the main Burrumbeet Brook cave but it is big, the Mt Cole west cave are much smaller and you would have difficulty finding more that 3-4 flat sleeping places.

There is some good water on the way to Mt Cole west cave near the end of Bibbenlike Mountain on the little creek that flows into Angel Creek, there is also good water flowing from Trawalla Falls.

Unless you know the track very well I would not try and do Mt Cole and Mt Owen in the same day, there is no track on top of Mt Cole and it very scrubby on top, my camera is deep in that scrub and probably gone forever.

From the Wog Wog carpark it is 15k to Burrumbeet Brook cave and a further 7k to the Mt Cole west cave, the track is a bit rough and boggy in places, it takes a full day to walk from Burrumbeet Brook cave up to the top of the gully to Owens Nose down the Monolith Valley and back a good 23-25k day.

Tony

Mt Cole West Cave

P52800251.jpg (119.09 KiB) Viewed 9060 times

Scrub on top of Mt Cole

P6010037.jpg (140.79 KiB) Viewed 9060 times

[khouw]

Hi Tony,

Thanks for all the tips. Aye I had been on Mt Owen before but from the MV side. But no intent to try both Mt Owen and Mt Cole.

When in the Venturer Scout, I once went from Wog Wog entrance to camp at Mt Cole cave, then circle North of Mt Cole into MV, climbed The Castle then descend through the tunnel onto other side to the Long Gully campsite. I am attempting this journey again, but we are all old farts now. Am not sure if it was a 3 or 4 day hike.

Now we need to replan our accommodation strategies...

My question #1 to you and others, do you thing we are pushing it too hard to get to Mt Cole cave from either Wog Wog entrance or the Long Gully campsite in one day?

Question #2, you mentioned the capacity of the Mt Cole West cave is about 4 people maybe (I though it was bigger than that), what about the other one. closer to the Trawalla fall, how big is that one?

Question #3, how about the Burrumbeet Brook cave, I know it is huge but can't remember much about it. How many people can we fit in there?

Appreciate a prompt response by anybody for we will leave tomorrow arvo.

Steve

[colinm]

My question #1 to you and others, do you thing we are pushing it too hard to get to Mt Cole cave from either Wog Wog entrance or the Long Gully campsite in one day?

We did WogWog to Bibbenluke in one day last winter, it was a full-on walk, but we're all old farts. I wouldn't want to be pushing the Bibbenluke-Cole saddle at dusk, just for the navigation challenges. Bibbenluke would be a fallback, and you're easily within striking distance of Cole next morning.

I've not done it, but I'm sure a fitter person than me could do Long Gully->Cole in a day (I haven't done it, but getting to the caves from MV might be difficult if you left it too late.) Fallback is camp at Cooyoyo.

Out of curiosity, are you doing a car shuffle between long gully and wogwog? I'd be interested to hear how long the driving takes you.

Colin.

[Mark F]

I think you will rather surprised by the regrowth if you haven't been there in a long while. What used to be quite open grasses and sedgeland is now head high scrub around Corang Peak and beyond.

[colinm]

Yeah, what MarkF says is so. The only sedgeland I saw at the end of the drought (so, 5 years ago?) is now waist high. The only other sedge is a little bit between burrumbeet and bibbenluke, the rest is fairly dense scrub.

Here's the trip we did, WogWog->Cole in April 2012 ... it might give you some sense of it https://picasaweb.google.com/1155910059 ... redirect=1

While I think of it, be very careful as you move through the rainforest from BBL to Cole Saddle, heading east. There was a large tree which fell directly on the track, obscuring it as it headed downhill to cross the creek flowing from bibbenluke. We missed the track and ended up bashing through dense ferns across the little gully, then ribbon grass so thick I had to flop down on it to make progress (yeah, should have backtracked.)

[khouw]

Thank you Tony, Mark, Colin and others,

Colin your Picasa images are good references, appreciate it. And I posted you an email seeking further insights. We'll be monitoring this forum till 4 PM then off we go to this beautiful wilderness. So if anyone wanted to add more, please.

Well we are all excited about this bushwalk over this long weekend, probably an understatement.

Steve

[buggeriamold]

Question #3, how about the Burrumbeet Brook cave, I know it is huge but can't remember much about it. How many people can we fit in there?

Appreciate a prompt response by anybody for we will leave tomorrow arvo.

Steve

Hi,

There's more than one overhang in that section of cliff, you could probably sleep 60!

Mark