K2K information

[TimSchoen]

Hey Guys!

Before I start just some information about me so you know who I am which might help you to give me more specific answers...
My name is Tim I'm a 18 year old half German/half Dutch who came all the way to Australia to travel through this beautiful country. I finished school exactly one year ago and have been planning to go to Australia since many years it's a very popular thing to do after school in Germany. However before I came to Australia I followed the German basic paramedic training (staatlich anerkannter Rettungssanitäter). In Germany many of the ambulances are provided by volunteer organisations and I have been in such an organisation for three years. In November I arrived in Australia together with my girlfriend, and have been working in Moree on a cotton farm and currently I'm working around Shepparton. Now the time has come where I'm gonna spend the money I have earned to explore this country (especially the eastern part). I planned to do some hiking (or Bushwalking as you call it ) solo and together with my girlfriend. I have been reading in this forum and searching in the www and I think the K2K sounds like a great walk for a solo trip - challenging but as from what I've read not too crazy, and the splendour rock (http://bushwalkingnsw.com/walk.php?nid=804) sounds like something me and my girlfriend could do together. The trip is going to be within the next 14 days (at least that's
what I've planned). I'm not a total newbie to Bushwalking in general, but I'm only familiar with the Western Europe forests. I've been preparing for the Bushwalking in Oz since at least 6 months so I think I'm pretty well equipped and not overestimating myself. (my father is an successfull German Army "Oberst" veteran (after WWII!)so I have the "fighter" genes somewhere inside me ) Besides that I grew up outdoors (yeah I had these terrible parents that didn't want to buy me a play station 1) and I know how to navigate with compass&map without walking in circles for three days;) and how to use all the nice things I bought during the last 6 months.

I own:
Backpack: Deuter Aircontact pro 70+15 with rain cover - might be a bit big but I bought it back in Germany and it also needs to have space for all my stuff I took with me on the plane.

Shoes: some in Australia bought Merell hiking shoes have been wearing them the last week and I really like them

Clothing: merino long underwear, 2x Columbia fleece shirt 2x zip off hiking pants from Germany, sports tshirt, hiking Socks rain jacket, fleece hat, fleece gloves, extra fleece pants, and normal underwear

Sleeping: 2p tent (2kg), good -2°C sleeping bag plus inside cotton cocoon, cheap foam sleeping pad (I don't have much experience with them I used these self inflatable sleeping mats in Germany but they are far to heavy so if you have any not too expensive suggestions tell me!)

Cooking: tangria(?) alcohol stove, lightweight aluminium pots/pans, cutlery, cup, extra fuel

Food: didn't really got into detail of planning this probable some milk powder and oats for the morning, snacks for during the day(Macadamia nuts, dried fruits, beef jerky, muesli bars) and in the evening some freeze dried meals.

Water: 3l hydration system, 2x 1l Nalgene bottle, purifier tablets, life straw

Navigation: extrex 20, kompass, plan to buy the maps recommender on: http://bushwalkingnsw.com/walk.php?nid=240, waterproof case

Extras: Knife, hiking poles, headtorch, spare batteries (torch&GPS), first aid kit, 2x lighter, matches in waterproof container, ductape, zipties, tiny sewing kit, little shovel, 15m paracord, hygiene stuff, whistle

That's all I can think of at the moment my brain is overheating right know after writing so much in a foreign language. I probably could go more lightweight but my backpack is really really good and I don't really mind the little bit extra weight for taking a few things to increase my comfort. Besides that I just don't have the money to buy ultralight stuff

Oh yeah I forgot to mention that I'm going to inform the police about my plans as well as my family (a part of my family migrated to Sydney 50 years ago) and I'm going to borrow a plb.

I'm hoping that you guys could give me some tips or share some of your experiences so I don't have to learn it the hard way. I've been reading a lot around here so please just don't give me a link from a 5 year old thread especially information about things like restrictions in certain areas with camping (can I camp just anywhere along the track) or something like that just stuff a not Australian might not know...

Thanks a lot

Tim

[icefest]

Achte aufs Wetter, es kann auch in Sommer dort oben schneien.

Don't go if the weather is bad, the rest you seem to be prepared for.

[Allchin09]

Hey Mate,

Welcome to the forum! It's good to hear that someone my age is actually into bushwalking!

As for the K2K, it's a great walk to get a taste of what some parts of Australia has to offer. It sounds like you have the equipment sorted out, so I'll only mention the track itself.

First off, I would suggest walking from Kanangra towards Katoomba. The hills aren't as bad in that direction, and it is easier transportation wise. The walk is almost entirely in wilderness (besides the firetrail along Narrow Neck) so there are no signpost or markers along the track. The track is also not maintained, and is a little patchy in places (descending down Strongleg Buttress towards the Coxs River), but if you can use a map and compass, you should be ok. Sticking to ridges is your best bet if you get in trouble.

The track is also not marked between Mt Cloudmaker and the Coxs River, so you will have to mark the track onto the topo maps why you buy. The route from the sketch maps on the Bushwalking NSW website which you link are good to use.

As for campsites, you can camp anywhere along the track, however I don't suggest you do so! Possible places to camp include Gabes Gap, Dex Creek, Konangaroo Clearing, Mobbs Soak, Medlow Gap and Clear Hill (on top or in the overhang). All these places have spots to pitch a tent, however Dex Creek, Konangaroo Clearing and Mobbs Soak are the most popular because they have access to water and due to their location along the route. Do note however, Mobbs Soak and Dex Creek can become quite low on water, sometimes so that it is hardly trickelling. This depends on how recently it has rained, so if water levels are low, you must be comfortable with drinking water with little wriggles in it! Purification tablets (or other methods such as boiling or filtering) are recommended when collecting water for any source other than Kanangra Creek. The Coxs River, whilst the largest water source, is unfortunately polluted and some people get sick after drinking from it.

If you want to include a trip to Splendour Rock (well worth it!) then I suggest dumping your packs at the K2K track junction with the track to Mt Dingo (it's the first intersection you come across after leaving Mt Yellow Dog. Follow this track up, looking for the little cairns that mark the way (these are little piles of rocks, 3 or so high, placed in the bush by walkers to serve as markers to show the route of a track, or to mark track intersection or turn offs). Turn right at the top, following the cairns, and head out to the end of Mt Dingo. It is probably best to return the same way, as the route North along the tops can be a little hard to follow.

Make sure you allow enough time (10mins or so) to visit Katoomba Police Station and fill out a trip intention form so they know where to find you if you need assistance. They will then allow you to borrow a PLB free of charge (they usually require a drivers licence as a form of ID - not sure if they will accept other types).

Enjoy your trip, and let us know if you have any more questions about the area, one of us will be sure to help you out!

[TimSchoen]

hey thank you very much,

icefest are you German?

allchin09 thank you for the detailed information.
why shouldn't i camp anywhere? because besides from the campsites everything is really bad, or because the campsites are really good? or different reasons?

[icefest]

We moved here in `95.

I think allchin09 meant that camping where it's flat and near water is preferable to having to lug water up hills and having problems finding a flat site.

[Kimberly]

There are some well established and beautiful campsites in the flat between the Y of Kanangra Creek and Coxes River (to the left of the trail, not sure if thats one of the areas already mentioned without the map in front of me). We camped in a saddle just below Mt Cloudmaker as we started from Kanangra a bit late, and then got to the Coxes river area (after a very steep descent) and decided it was worth enjoying a relaxing afternoon at the campsite there even though we knew it meant a long day the day after. Taro's Ladder up onto narrowneck can be a bit daunting if you don't like exposed scrambling, but it's not technically difficult.

[jonnosan]

Just FYI there was a good supply of water at Dex's Creek on 23rd April. Sure was cold though!

[Trailrider74]

Welcome!

Sounds like you have all your gear sorted. If anything, I'd suggest leaving a detailed itinerary with your family and the police station. Definitely take a map and compass and the knowledge to use them and treat and boil your water. Good luck and enjoy the walk




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[tom_brennan]

From my experience with OS visitors, navigation in the Blue Mountains is not easy.

Make sure
- you know where you are all the time, particularly at the Kanangra end of the walk, by following your progress on the map
- the tracks on the south side of the Coxs River are vague in places, and there are a number of false leads
- there are no signs for 95% of the walk
- if you feel like what's on the ground is not matching your map, confirm with your GPS
- ensure your GPS is set to the right datum for the maps you have, and verify this by agreeing the GPS with your start point
- know how to translate a 6 figure UTM grid reference to your map
- be aware that there are two different datums & map grids, where they are used, and what the differences are - http://ozultimate.com/canyoning/map_grids.htm
- know the local magnetic declination and how to adjust your compass to take care of this

Some of these may seem obvious and straightforward, but it's surprising how they can trap the unwary