Murdering Gully and Kanangra Creek

[melinda]

Hi all,
Is the route up Murdering Gully from Kanangra Creek to the tops an obvious track?
Melinda

[DaveNoble]

No - its a route rather than a track - and not all that straightforward. Its is easy to go too far to the east on the way up and end up under the walls. You can stick to the gully - although there are some parts that are tricky scrambles. - and as you go up - there are small tributaries and you need to pick the right one. Most people go up the gully at first and then deviate from it on pads to the left as you go up (true right) - but you need to be careful not to go too far to the left. You also need to watch out for stinging trees.

Close by - the spur to the west (between Murdering Gully and Kalang Falls, but closer to Murdering) offers another way up - there is a faint track in places - and it comes out near Echo Head.

Dave

[melinda]

Hi Dave,
Thank you for answering both posts.
I guess it is obvious that I have a round trip in mind.
Down Bourkes Buttress or perhaps Berry as you have suggested, and then out via Murdering Gully.
Plan is to visit the 'Pooken Hole'! (Don't know why, just like the name "Pooken Hole".)
Melinda

[Cheechako]

Melinda,
Jim here from SBW.
We came up Murdering Gully on 22 Aug and simply followed the main gully track up from Kanangra Creek and kept to the eastern side (ie left side) of the small tributary that flows into the main gully at about 750m on the Kanangra topo map. There are numerous tracks and pads through the bush at this point. We followed this trib. in a southeasterly direction till about the 900m elevation - following a line of red and white tapes that someone had laid out some time ago. There are quite a few fallen trees etc. At about 900m (GR 336357) the 'track' does a virtual 90 degree turn towards the southwest and up towards the saddle where it intersects the main track leading to the car park - just before the steps begin. We were running out of daylight and as we were climbing out from under the cliff walls at about 6pm, all we could see was the outline of the saddle against the western sky. Moral - make sure you have plenty of sunlight - and always carry your headlamp.

Hope this helps,
Jim

[melinda]

Hi Jim,
How long did it take to come up from the creek?