Budawangs - Camping Rock Ravine

[yogibarnes]

Hi all
Just back from four exhausting days in Camping Rock Ravine of the Budawangs. It's pretty rough country, highly dissected rock and chockers full of dense scrub. We were lucky to make half km per hour in there and only able to successfully navigate crevasses and rock ribs using 1974 aerial photos and a stereoscope. One area we looked down on has a Monolith Valley appearance.
Didn't see any sign of previous sorties into this area apart from an old fireplace about 20 yr old on the ridgetop rock running southeast off Island Mountain.
Couldn't find any records or verbals from local walkers as to if anyone has previously explored the lower Ravine. The old 1960 bushwalking map shows it as "Crevasse Canyon", aptly named which suggests someone has been there. If so, I would love to hear of it. Perhaps the owner of the fireplace (with "backing stones") may read this?

[jackhinde]

you are made of stern stuff, i am waiting for a fire before heading back into that part of the world. what route did you take?

[north-north-west]

I used to dreeeem of doing half a km per hour . . .

[yogibarnes]

Route was to leave Folly Point track and head westwards into the lower ravine. Establish camp near Camping Rock Creek. Explore southwestwards up on to the toe of Island Mtn. Return same way. A report will soon be on the Batemans Bay Bushwalkers web site.

[FatCanyoner]

Make sure you put a link to the trip report here too. I'd really like to read it.
I really need to get back down to the Budawangs for some serious walking. What amazing country!

[yogibarnes]

My trip report is at http://www.baybushwalkers.org.au/rockravine.html
I would love to hear from anyone who knows something of this area, especially the lower Ravine basin as it spills through the cliffline.

[jackhinde]

ta for the info. i'll go poke around in there soonish. maybe you could let the campfire get away next time to make it easier for the rest of us?

[jackhinde]

ta for the info. i'll go poke around in there soonish. maybe you could let the campfire get away next time to make it easier for the rest of us?

[FatCanyoner]

Wow. Some great photos. Looks like an absolutely marvellous area for further exploration. Thanks for sharing!

[clarence]

Nice trip report, great photos. I am inspired to visit the area again.

I was told about the ravine by a guy in Wollongong in the 1990s. He described sections of it as an impressive "dry canyon". Following his information I did a trip down there in early 2000s. It was in flood and we had to retreat to the Folly Point track less than 200m below the junction with Strang Creek. Next day when we went into the lower ravine (at GR 484987 (Endrick map 2nd ed) from the ridge at GR494988) there was debris 5 metres above the then "normal" levels of the creek in one constriction. I think we probably missed the most impressive part of the canyon due to our need to exit- but it was the only sensible decision. We exited around the foot of the cliffs on the SE side of Island Mountain (leaving the creek at GR 486976) and then out via Kilpatricks Creek.

Took us three days in total.

I would like to repeat the trip, exiting over Island Mountain. There is supposedly a rock bridge over one of clefts onto Island Mountain from the north where the cattle were walked in to be grazed in the early days (this is mentioned in Pigeon House and beyond I believe).

Clarence

[yogibarnes]

Clarence
I'm glad to hear someone else has been in the lower Ravine. I'm interested in the exit of Camping Rock Creek through the cliffline. From the description of your route you appear to have travelled through it, even at what I am guessing was high water flow. Was the pass easy? Worth a visit?
You seem to have covered a fair bit of scrubby country in that three days. Well done.

[clarence]

yogibarnes
We didn't exit through a cliffline, but skirted underneath it on the southern side of Island Mountain, descending back to Kilpatrick Creek reaching Sluice Box Falls on the second night to the best of my memory. We walked up Kilpatrick Creek to the old clearing at the Vines on the third day and it wasn't too bad going.

On the second day (the day we walked through the lower ravine) the water level appeared to be "normal". It had been a flash-flood of sorts the day before.

I still think the canyon between Strang Creek and where we re-entered (GR 484987 2nd edition) is worth another exploration, as we probably only saw 1/4 of the ravine in total. Let me know if you get back there anytime soon.

Clarence

[RoyG2515]

Just read your 2012 trip report on the BBBW site.
Quote
"Directly across from us was an impressive massive rock fall from the main cliff line. It contained house sized cubic blocks spewing down the talus to the creek. Judging the regrowth around it, we guessed the fall to have occurred within the last 10 years, perhaps less."
End quote
I saw this rock fall as you described it back in 1999 from the eastern edge of Mt Elliott. So, it occurred maybe that year or 1998. Through binoculars it looked very raw. Excuse the photo of a photo. Couldn't find my negs. Cheers, Michael