A wet trip out to Clews Cave and the Island

Trip reports, stories, track notes. Multiple/large photos are OK in this forum.
Forum rules
Posting large/multiple images in this forum is OK. Please start topic titles with the name of the location or track.

For topics focussed on photos rather than the trip, please consider posting in the 'Gallery' forum instead.

This forum is for posting information about trips you have done, not for requesting information about a track or area.

A wet trip out to Clews Cave and the Island

Postby FatCanyoner » Tue 04 Mar, 2014 4:11 pm

G'day folks,

I can't claim this trip report, but I was half of the party, so I figure it's okay to share.

I just bought a pair of trail running shoes, thinking they'd be good for bushwalks with lots of road bashing / track walking. Despite the rain (which has been pretty set in recently) we decided to press ahead with a longish day walk, out the Drip Rock trail, off track to Clews Cave, then up onto the Island. It was that final spot, which overlooks the junction of the Colo and Wollongambe Rivers, that I was really interested in. It was a lovely, if rather wet, cold and tiring day.

Full trip report and some pics here: http://fatcanyoners.org/2014/03/02/the- ... lews-cave/
User avatar
FatCanyoner
Athrotaxis selaginoides
Athrotaxis selaginoides
 
Posts: 1048
Joined: Fri 12 Aug, 2011 7:45 pm
Location: Blue Mountains
ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS: www.FatCanyoners.org www.CanyonGear.com.au
Region: New South Wales
Gender: Male

Re: A wet trip out to Clews Cave and the Island

Postby DarrenM » Tue 04 Mar, 2014 5:48 pm

Nice work! Except for the shoes that is, and nicely written.
DarrenM
Athrotaxis cupressoides
Athrotaxis cupressoides
 
Posts: 465
Joined: Tue 19 Oct, 2010 7:10 pm
Location: Sydney
Region: New South Wales
Gender: Male

Re: A wet trip out to Clews Cave and the Island

Postby Allchin09 » Tue 04 Mar, 2014 7:05 pm

I can see why people are so interested by the Wollemi!

What brand of trail running shoes were you wearing Tim?
Tackling the unknown and the awesome one adventure at a time!

Check out my latest trips at http://aoacblog.wordpress.com/posts
Allchin09
Phyllocladus aspleniifolius
Phyllocladus aspleniifolius
 
Posts: 634
Joined: Fri 27 Apr, 2012 3:24 pm
Location: The Shire
ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS: Sydney Bush Walkers
Region: New South Wales
Gender: Male

Re: A wet trip out to Clews Cave and the Island

Postby FatCanyoner » Tue 04 Mar, 2014 7:10 pm

DarrenM wrote:nicely written.


I can't take credit for it, but totally agree. Em's lunch break today was well spent!

Allchin09 wrote:What brand of trail running shoes were you wearing Tim?


I bought a pair of Salomons. They seem pretty good, and did surprisingly well in the off track sections (they did make a lot of noise when wet), but I definitely won't be wearing them on any trips involving scrambling!
Last edited by FatCanyoner on Tue 04 Mar, 2014 8:38 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
FatCanyoner
Athrotaxis selaginoides
Athrotaxis selaginoides
 
Posts: 1048
Joined: Fri 12 Aug, 2011 7:45 pm
Location: Blue Mountains
ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS: www.FatCanyoners.org www.CanyonGear.com.au
Region: New South Wales
Gender: Male

Re: A wet trip out to Clews Cave and the Island

Postby DarrenM » Tue 04 Mar, 2014 7:44 pm

Who has time for lunch breaks these days! Nice one Em!

I was up at 4.30am to get the train for a Mt Solitary loop run but hit snooze. I'm getting soft. Glad you guys had a good trip.
DarrenM
Athrotaxis cupressoides
Athrotaxis cupressoides
 
Posts: 465
Joined: Tue 19 Oct, 2010 7:10 pm
Location: Sydney
Region: New South Wales
Gender: Male

Re: A wet trip out to Clews Cave and the Island

Postby davidf » Tue 04 Mar, 2014 9:45 pm

Fantastic.

How long did you take to get to the cave?

How did it look like foe a descent into the creek for colo river access?
davidf
Athrotaxis cupressoides
Athrotaxis cupressoides
 
Posts: 283
Joined: Thu 24 Jan, 2013 12:17 pm
Region: New South Wales

Re: A wet trip out to Clews Cave and the Island

Postby FatCanyoner » Wed 05 Mar, 2014 7:56 am

davidf wrote:How long did you take to get to the cave?


I think it was about 4 hours to the cave, but we moved pretty quick in the morning.

davidf wrote:How did it look like foe a descent into the creek for colo river access?


We weren't looking to go to the river, we didn't have time for that, but there are quite a number of passes near the Island. Brian Corlis' book "Colo River: Passes and Routes" lists several routes near there. He expanded on those identified on the classic Bob Buck sketch map. There are passes north, west, and south of the Island. They are all pretty steep by the look of things. From my understanding creek from Clews Cave definitely goes to the river. If I were going to the river that way, I wouldn't bother detouring via the cave, as the creek looks like reasonably slow going.
User avatar
FatCanyoner
Athrotaxis selaginoides
Athrotaxis selaginoides
 
Posts: 1048
Joined: Fri 12 Aug, 2011 7:45 pm
Location: Blue Mountains
ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS: www.FatCanyoners.org www.CanyonGear.com.au
Region: New South Wales
Gender: Male

Re: A wet trip out to Clews Cave and the Island

Postby davidf » Wed 05 Mar, 2014 10:07 am

Thanks.
Where is that book available if anyone knows off hand?
davidf
Athrotaxis cupressoides
Athrotaxis cupressoides
 
Posts: 283
Joined: Thu 24 Jan, 2013 12:17 pm
Region: New South Wales

Re: A wet trip out to Clews Cave and the Island

Postby DaveNoble » Wed 05 Mar, 2014 10:29 am

davidf wrote:Thanks.
Where is that book available if anyone knows off hand?


Try the author - briajen@optusnet.com.au

It costs $35 inc postage. It was published by the author and not sold in bushwalking shops.

For some information see page 12 of -

http://www.bushwalking.org.au/bushwalki ... nter05.pdf

Regarding Clews Cave - I seem to recall some discussion about whether the cave marked on the maps is actually the cave used by Clews?

Dave
DaveNoble
Athrotaxis selaginoides
Athrotaxis selaginoides
 
Posts: 1031
Joined: Sun 03 Feb, 2008 3:56 pm

Re: A wet trip out to Clews Cave and the Island

Postby jonnosan » Wed 05 Mar, 2014 8:16 pm

There is a copy of that book in the state library, as is a copy of the Buck map.
User avatar
jonnosan
Phyllocladus aspleniifolius
Phyllocladus aspleniifolius
 
Posts: 893
Joined: Fri 27 Jan, 2012 4:06 pm
Region: New South Wales
Gender: Male

Re: A wet trip out to Clews Cave and the Island

Postby Allchin09 » Wed 05 Mar, 2014 10:49 pm

FatCanyoner wrote:
Allchin09 wrote:What brand of trail running shoes were you wearing Tim?

I bought a pair of Salomons. They seem pretty good, and did surprisingly well in the off track sections (they did make a lot of noise when wet), but I definitely won't be wearing them on any trips involving scrambling!


I had a pair of Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra 2 Gore-Tex shoes which I liked, but I found them to be too slippery in the arch of the shoe as hard plastic was used there, and the shoes also wore out too quickly. I then bought a pair of Salomon X Ultra GTX shoes and I haven't had any problems with them yet. I find the quick-draw lace system used on the shoes to be really beneficial.
Tackling the unknown and the awesome one adventure at a time!

Check out my latest trips at http://aoacblog.wordpress.com/posts
Allchin09
Phyllocladus aspleniifolius
Phyllocladus aspleniifolius
 
Posts: 634
Joined: Fri 27 Apr, 2012 3:24 pm
Location: The Shire
ASSOCIATED ORGANISATIONS: Sydney Bush Walkers
Region: New South Wales
Gender: Male


Return to NSW & ACT Trip Reports & Track Notes

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests

cron