Ettrema Gorge First time

[Lee27roy]

Hi All,

New to the site so please let me know if this is the wrong place to post.

I am seeking advice on entering the Ettrema Gorge in NSW.
Currently looking at entering via Myall Creek or Jingle pass.

Seeking clarity on where to approach from (north or south side of Quiera Clearing)
How hard is Jingle pass to find and descend.
If Myall creek is taken the whole way is it 6 hrs from the car to the gorge bottom.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated as the a lot of the reports seem quite daunting.
This walk has been calling me for quite some time and think its time to attempt they describe as a mixture of heaven and hell.

Thanks
Lee

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

Jingles pass is easy enough to find if competent in nav, and under normal circumstances an easier way in than myall ck, but honestly I'd go via myall ck now given amount of regrowth on the slopes, Ie tryy to stay in the creeks as much as possible. Either way is best approached from south side of quiera clearing (even then you'll be bashing through regrowth but it's not for too long). Myall ck can be steep and slippery at times... recommended a handline for tricky descents. In particular there are three main waterfalls that are tricky: the first one is an exposed descent on the true right, handline useful. The two others are descended on the true left.. the latter of which is the choice of a really exposed traverse along a narrow ledge or backtrack a few metres to the previous cascade and look for a ramp on the true left and navigate around the waterfall, descending (with handline!) to join the pad coming out of the abovementioned traverse and then down to the creek below the pool at the bottom of the falls. Heaven and hell is right.... magic area but need to work for it. Thoroughly recommend a side trip up jones ck to tinga falls

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[tom_brennan]

If you are comfortable with scrambling/exposure, then Myall Creek is fairly straightforward in dry weather.

If you are not comfortable with scrambling then you will have a long and not particularly fun day!

If you are not comfortable with exposure then you have a few nervous spots as described by WFBW above.

There is a new marked entry north of the clearing - which we only found at the end of our last trip so I haven't taken it, and can't comment on whether it's any good. I've previously always gone south of the clearing, entering Myall Creek as described on https://bushwalkingnsw.com/walk.php?nid=203

If you do go south, I would probably suggest walking back down the road past Bulee Hill and contouring towards the white area, which may still be fairly open post fire. Certainly other white areas were the only "good" scrub in Feb 2023. You can see them as rock platforms on the aerial photos, and they make good walking. Most other vegetation types are slow to very slow.