Best Technical / Adventerous Hiking Tracks - In & Around Syd

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Best Technical / Adventerous Hiking Tracks - In & Around Syd

Postby joelikestowalk » Fri 15 Sep, 2023 10:59 am

Hello fellow hikers,

I've been hiking around Sydney since I arrived 5 years ago, both me and my girlfriend LOVE technical hikes, ones with climbing, ladders, ropes, scrambles, finding hidden caves, canyones etc.

Can anyone recommend any further technical hikes we would enjoy ideally less than 2 hours from Sydney

Here are some I found technical and enjoyable if you are also looking:
1. Mount Solitary & Ruined Castle - Blue Mountains
2. Devils hole - Blue Mountains
3. Martins Lookout Loop Via Lost World (the shark cave route) - Blue Mountains
4. Hipocrene & Vera Falls Loop - Blue Mountains
5. Mermaid Falls and Tahmoor Canyon Circuit (got a bit lost on this one, not sure if its usually as technical!) - Tahmoor
6. Dadders Cave via Pisgah Rock & Jack Evans Track - Blue Mountains
7. Pigeon House Mountain - Budawang Range
8. Dr. Darks Cave (less technical but was fun trying to find the cave!)
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Re: Best Technical / Adventerous Hiking Tracks - In & Around

Postby jonnosan » Fri 15 Sep, 2023 9:46 pm

You many enjoy a trip that links up various passes on Narrowneck. Tarros ladder would be the obvious one to start with, but lots of others that you can research on this site or others.

This site may also be of interest: https://www.jamisonproject.org/home
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Re: Best Technical / Adventerous Hiking Tracks - In & Around

Postby ribuck » Sat 16 Sep, 2023 12:27 am

I think you would enjoy the miners' track descent from Mt Solitary.

Also, you could get yourself a copy of the Colo River sketch map and work your way through all the passes that are numbered and described on that map.
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Re: Best Technical / Adventerous Hiking Tracks - In & Around

Postby crollsurf » Sat 16 Sep, 2023 9:33 am

Seeing as Summer is just around the corner. Maybe get into a bit of canyoning
https://ozultimate.com/canyoning/canyon_areas.htm
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Re: Best Technical / Adventerous Hiking Tracks - In & Around

Postby Walk_fat boy_walk » Sat 16 Sep, 2023 11:34 am

Heading further into the budawangs than pidgeon house will open up whole new range of options

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Re: Best Technical / Adventerous Hiking Tracks - In & Around

Postby michael_p » Sat 16 Sep, 2023 12:36 pm

joelikestowalk wrote:3. Martins Lookout Loop Via Lost World (the shark cave route) - Blue Mountains

Consider coming back up the short track to Martins Lookout. Much steeper that the long (regular) track. Location: https://osm.org/go/uYoCHgbeF--?m=
joelikestowalk wrote:5. Mermaid Falls and Tahmoor Canyon Circuit (got a bit lost on this one, not sure if its usually as technical!) - Tahmoor

You can rock hop to the confluence of the Bargo and Nepean if you want to add some adventure to this walk.
I know some bushwalkers (not me) who ended up spending the night in the canyon as they got lost. The exit track was very close to where they stopped, they just couldn't find it and it was getting dark so they stopped. So don't feel bad about getting lost as you are not alone.
joelikestowalk wrote:6. Dadders Cave via Pisgah Rock & Jack Evans Track - Blue Mountains

For a bit of scrambling and some steep climbs the Tierney track is another option. Info at Wildwalks: https://www.wildwalks.com/bushwalking-a ... -cave.html

Cheers,
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Re: Best Technical / Adventerous Hiking Tracks - In & Around

Postby clarence » Sun 17 Sep, 2023 7:18 pm

Mumbedah Creek, you'll need 2x 50m ropes and 2-3 days.

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Re: Best Technical / Adventerous Hiking Tracks - In & Around

Postby Allchin09 » Sun 17 Sep, 2023 10:00 pm

clarence wrote:Mumbedah Creek, you'll need 2x 50m ropes and 2-3 days.
Clarence


Yes, Mumbedah Creek is great fun. If you're not yet up to abseiling, try walking down the ridges from Kanangra to where Mumbedah joins Jenolan and then climb your way back up the small waterfalls and watercourse of Mumbedah until you hit the waterfalls that Clarence suggests the ropes for. Then just exit via a ridge to where you started.

Maybe also google 'Orphan Rock'

I agree there's plenty of fun to be had with the passes of Narrow Neck

Maybe the scramble at the end of Bonnum Pic?
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Re: Best Technical / Adventerous Hiking Tracks - In & Around

Postby joelikestowalk » Mon 18 Sep, 2023 2:55 pm

crollsurf wrote:Seeing as Summer is just around the corner. Maybe get into a bit of canyoning
https://ozultimate.com/canyoning/canyon_areas.htm



Would love to do some canyoning, can you recommend one that's easy enough to do without guide/equipment?
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Re: Best Technical / Adventerous Hiking Tracks - In & Around

Postby joelikestowalk » Mon 18 Sep, 2023 2:56 pm

Allchin09 wrote:
clarence wrote:Mumbedah Creek, you'll need 2x 50m ropes and 2-3 days.
Clarence


Yes, Mumbedah Creek is great fun. If you're not yet up to abseiling, try walking down the ridges from Kanangra to where Mumbedah joins Jenolan and then climb your way back up the small waterfalls and watercourse of Mumbedah until you hit the waterfalls that Clarence suggests the ropes for. Then just exit via a ridge to where you started.

Maybe also google 'Orphan Rock'

I agree there's plenty of fun to be had with the passes of Narrow Neck

Maybe the scramble at the end of Bonnum Pic?


Bonnum pic looks great, have added it to the list!

I am not sure what you mean by where Kanangara to where Mumbedah joins Jenolan, on the map they look really far apart, do you have a screenshot of a map you could share?
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Re: Best Technical / Adventerous Hiking Tracks - In & Around

Postby joelikestowalk » Mon 18 Sep, 2023 2:57 pm

jonnosan wrote:You many enjoy a trip that links up various passes on Narrowneck. Tarros ladder would be the obvious one to start with, but lots of others that you can research on this site or others.

This site may also be of interest: https://www.jamisonproject.org/home


This looks great, thanks!
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Re: Best Technical / Adventerous Hiking Tracks - In & Around

Postby joelikestowalk » Mon 18 Sep, 2023 3:01 pm

ribuck wrote:I think you would enjoy the miners' track descent from Mt Solitary.

Also, you could get yourself a copy of the Colo River sketch map and work your way through all the passes that are numbered and described on that map.


Yep, I have done that and loved it!

I had a look at the PDF, looks interesting but will need to do some more research as I am not super familiar with the area: https://fatcanyoners.org/wp-content/upl ... -Final.pdf
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Re: Best Technical / Adventerous Hiking Tracks - In & Around

Postby joelikestowalk » Mon 18 Sep, 2023 3:03 pm

clarence wrote:Mumbedah Creek, you'll need 2x 50m ropes and 2-3 days.

Clarence


Is a rope actually needed or just recommended? The only post I could really find they didn't have any photos with ropes; https://ozultimate.com/tom/bushwalking/ ... photos.htm the descent looks pretty nuts though.
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Re: Best Technical / Adventerous Hiking Tracks - In & Around

Postby tom_brennan » Mon 18 Sep, 2023 5:10 pm

joelikestowalk wrote:Hello fellow hikers,

Hikers? Bushwalkers! :wink:

joelikestowalk wrote:Would love to do some canyoning, can you recommend one that's easy enough to do without guide/equipment?


A number of the ones around Mt Wilson just need wetsuits & possibly lilos depending on your swimming ability/tolerance for cold water. See http://ozultimate.caramon/canyoning/can ... s_list.htm where you can sort by number of abseils to find ones that don't need much technical equipment.

joelikestowalk wrote:
clarence wrote:Mumbedah Creek, you'll need 2x 50m ropes and 2-3 days.


Is a rope actually needed or just recommended? The only post I could really find they didn't have any photos with ropes; https://ozultimate.com/tom/bushwalking/ ... photos.htm the descent looks pretty nuts though.


Yes, the descent is off Goolara Peak and involves some scrambling/exposure. Mumbedah Creek abseils are higher up than we went that trip.

joelikestowalk wrote:
ribuck wrote:Also, you could get yourself a copy of the Colo River sketch map and work your way through all the passes that are numbered and described on that map.


I had a look at the PDF, looks interesting but will need to do some more research as I am not super familiar with the area: https://fatcanyoners.org/wp-content/upl ... -Final.pdf


Start with the "easy" ones - T3 Track, Mailes Ridge, Canoe Creek - and then maybe Crawfords Lookout.

You might want to consider joining a bushwalking club. There are lots of off track walks involving scrambling that don't make it on to internet websites, that are run by clubs.

Other ones to consider:
Bushwalking NSW - http://bushwalkingnsw.com
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Re: Best Technical / Adventerous Hiking Tracks - In & Around

Postby crollsurf » Mon 18 Sep, 2023 8:02 pm

joelikestowalk wrote:
crollsurf wrote:Seeing as Summer is just around the corner. Maybe get into a bit of canyoning
https://ozultimate.com/canyoning/canyon_areas.htm



Would love to do some canyoning, can you recommend one that's easy enough to do without guide/equipment?


Here is a list. All the ones with 0 Number of Abseils should be fine
https://ozultimate.com/canyoning/canyon_track_notes_list.htm
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Re: Best Technical / Adventerous Hiking Tracks - In & Around

Postby joelikestowalk » Tue 19 Sep, 2023 8:47 am

tom_brennan wrote:
joelikestowalk wrote:Hello fellow hikers,

Hikers? Bushwalkers! :wink:

joelikestowalk wrote:Would love to do some canyoning, can you recommend one that's easy enough to do without guide/equipment?


A number of the ones around Mt Wilson just need wetsuits & possibly lilos depending on your swimming ability/tolerance for cold water. See http://ozultimate.caramon/canyoning/can ... s_list.htm where you can sort by number of abseils to find ones that don't need much technical equipment.

joelikestowalk wrote:
clarence wrote:Mumbedah Creek, you'll need 2x 50m ropes and 2-3 days.


Is a rope actually needed or just recommended? The only post I could really find they didn't have any photos with ropes; https://ozultimate.com/tom/bushwalking/ ... photos.htm the descent looks pretty nuts though.


Yes, the descent is off Goolara Peak and involves some scrambling/exposure. Mumbedah Creek abseils are higher up than we went that trip.

joelikestowalk wrote:
ribuck wrote:Also, you could get yourself a copy of the Colo River sketch map and work your way through all the passes that are numbered and described on that map.


I had a look at the PDF, looks interesting but will need to do some more research as I am not super familiar with the area: https://fatcanyoners.org/wp-content/upl ... -Final.pdf


Start with the "easy" ones - T3 Track, Mailes Ridge, Canoe Creek - and then maybe Crawfords Lookout.

You might want to consider joining a bushwalking club. There are lots of off track walks involving scrambling that don't make it on to internet websites, that are run by clubs.

Other ones to consider:



Hello fellow bushwalker*!

That's crazy that you responded, I was admiring some of your other posts yesterday, the "Pantoneys Crown" one you did looks wild, want to give that a go ASAP!

All of these recommendations look great, thanks so much! I will deffo be giving them a go.
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Re: Best Technical / Adventerous Hiking Tracks - In & Around

Postby Allchin09 » Tue 19 Sep, 2023 11:36 pm

joelikestowalk wrote:I am not sure what you mean by where Kanangara to where Mumbedah joins Jenolan, on the map they look really far apart, do you have a screenshot of a map you could share?


Something like this, heading in a clockwise direction
mumbedah-creek-circuit.jpg
Mumbedah Creek
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Re: Best Technical / Adventerous Hiking Tracks - In & Around

Postby damomcdermott » Wed 20 Sep, 2023 7:21 am

Deep Pass Campground out near Newnes in Wollemi NP is surrounded by some great canyon walks of varying levels. You can base yourself at Deep Pass and do a day trip out to River Caves Canyon or do the Nayook Creek Canyon closer to the campground.

https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/ca ... campground

The Nayook Canyon is a really enjoyable easy route that has fixed ropes set up to help, our group went there in Winter this year and really enjoyed it:

https://vimeo.com/836374548

We did another walk out from Deep Pass to budgery Creek canyon a couple of years earlier (trying to find River Caves).

https://www.randomfootprints.com/single ... ional-park

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Re: Best Technical / Adventerous Hiking Tracks - In & Around

Postby Walk_fat boy_walk » Wed 20 Sep, 2023 8:29 am

Allchin09 wrote:
joelikestowalk wrote:I am not sure what you mean by where Kanangara to where Mumbedah joins Jenolan, on the map they look really far apart, do you have a screenshot of a map you could share?


Something like this, heading in a clockwise direction
mumbedah-creek-circuit.jpg

Oh wow I had no idea Mumbedah was navigable without rope that far up? Have always considered it a "canyoners only" trip but might have to reconsider
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