Coolah Tops Lava Cave

[JohnDaly TakeAWalk]

Has anyone been to the Lave Cave at Coolah Tops lately. Last time we were there, bad weather prevented us from exploring down the escarpment from Pinnacle Lookout. We hope to head back down that way soon and would like to visit the cave and we believe there is a route from the lookout.

[kjbeath]

It's been a long time but my memory is that the track leads from the Pinnacle Lookout, and isn't difficult to follow. NPWS were going to make it an official track, so you could ask them. You could also ask them why they don't put all that information on their website, as there is no information at all on walks.

[JohnDaly TakeAWalk]

Yes that is a bit frustrating, that's why I put the question on the forum.
I do have a very old sketch map that showed a track from the lookout but it is pretty obscure. We'll explore it more when new head back down south.

[jackhinde]

I was there last year, very well used track out along to the end of the ridge, that turns back on itself before dropping below the cliff line. Only difficult bit was crossing a small rock fall. A 3 year old and 5 year old and their mother accompanied me to the first three lava caves.

[Lindsay]

I was walking at Coolah Tops today, looking for the lava cave. I found the track down from pinnacle lookout OK, and just below the ridge top there was a sign saying the cave was 1.6 km along a rough unformed track. No problems so far. I followed the route down the steep slope then it reversed direction along the base of the cliff line. Passed a few small caves as the route made its way along the cliffs ans the valley narrowed. After an hour of scrambling I was almost at the end of the valley but had not seen any large caves at all. At this point the route seemed to peter out and I could not see any way forward, so I returned with my mission unaccomplished.

Did I take a wrong turn somewhere or should I have pressed on and searched for a route?

[Lindsay]

As I noted above I did not find the big cave on my last trip, but today that changed. I pushed on past the place I turned back, negotiating some dodgy rock slides and hanging on by my fingertips a time or two, avoiding a confrontation with a pissed off brown snake and getting a nasty nettle sting, I found the cave! An unseasonably warm climb back out though.

[awildland]

Thanks for posting your find Lindsay. Sounds good. And interesting. Have added it to the growing list of places to visit when we ever get back to Coolah Tops (such a beautiful park). Do you have any pics of the cave?

[Lindsay]

Got it worked out! Told me some files were too big.

[Bron]

My understanding is that the NPWS is unlikely to make it an official walk due to the unstable slope - litigation and all that. Not to mention cost cutting due to the recent resstructuring.

[awildland]

Cool. They look great, and quite substantial. Thanks for posting.