Congratulations to the team who completed the traverse in 19 days recently.
Now, the question of speed..... I will be back about this soon.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
W-Traverse training walk - 3 Peaks
Time for a blog update as September's Traverse approaches. Time to start organising equipment, and do a few lead up walks to toughen the legs back to the required standard.
A few walks since last Decembers post, one in the Colo Wilderness region (May), the other a 3 Peaks walk with friends over June Long weekend.
Picture is the Coorongooba Ck system 9march 2009) from the Army Road at mt Boonbourwa (check real spelling later).
One of the most motivating reasons for the trip is hearing that "it couldnt be done" and that "oh thats been done many times before" and "you wont do it on that schedule"- comments that contradict each other anyway.....
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Trip to Mt Savage, December 2009
Trip to Mt Savage, Pinchgut Creek, Canoe Creek, Colo River, The Claw and Talon Ladder by S.T and the Bear
Day 1: The trip begun with a walk down Canoe Creek from the Grassy Hill Fire trail onto the Colo river. We then found out that climbing up the vertical cliffs that characterise the Colo isn’t something that you attempt, albeit years ago I would of risked it. However as you get older, and I dare say wiser, you learn I believe to fear, or assess danger more appropriately. When I was 25 I would of attempted to climb a risky cliff, not now.
So, Bear and I took shoes off, and trudged downstream to find a bend in the Colo where we hoped enough relief in the contour lines would permit us to climb up Mt Savage. Apparently, according to David Noble (SUBW), the log book on the Summit of Mt Savage (now removed) only recorded approx 33 walkers having reached this peak since the 1960s’, and I now know why as the climb was a horrendous scramble on all fours up a small re-entrant. Bam, we were up on the ridge with 4ks to the peak. Bear and I got the comms we were carrying out and took either side of the ridge as we individually scoured the sides for small caves that we were sure would unveil rare cave art.
Radio chat and banter followed as we searched and both called in coalition air strikes on each other’s position – “fire all available on bears position, over” and “repeat, repeat you are shelling my position, over” we were like kids with new CB radios annoying truckies.Anyway, we found nothing. We then reached the summit and found a featureless camp site in the shrub with no views, by now we were down to 3 litres of water until we got down to a creek tomorrow. Bear then started the first formal lesson, how to make fire with 2 black boy stems, kangaroo poo and a shoe lace. We got smoke going and made the appropriate tools to do so, but no actual fire..... with where is my lighter? being the closing remark. Discussion then turned to stories of bears other life, very interesting stuff.
Day 2:
At 2pm we charged back up Mt Savage to get our equipment, then turned around and headed off North East for the nights RV with a junction on Pinchgut Creek.
Bam, we had water, heaps of food and a better spot to sleep, plus a fire to scare off the mossies. Bear hooked up his hammock in the trees; I curled up on the ground.
Day 3:
Off downstream. Bam, we found some. A grinding pad on the creek very similar to many others I had seen. Locked it in the GPS position and we continued down an amazing creek with rock platforms, caves & dry water falls etc. We then headed up Talons ladder (our name for it) and onto a limb called The Claw (our name for it too). An amazing climb up a direct route to another summit that places you almost directly 350m above the junction of Pinchgut Ck and the Colo. For sure this was the limb we would find the ancient rock art. Again, and you won’t believe this, nothing. After a common moment of dejection and photos high above the Colo we headed down for a swim 2hrs later in the river.
Time for the final climb up a nameless creek to the car. It was 2pm when we started this climb that ended up taking 2.5hrs to cover 3 or 4 ks all up hill. It was now over 35 degrees and we were in some fierce steep country with every sense focussing on the amount of energy spent vs water consumed divided by estimated time to go all raised to the power of 35 degrees. Anyway, someone’s great navigation (and lets forget earlier blunders) got us back precisely to the car to within in 100ms with 250mls of water left – well
Day 1: The trip begun with a walk down Canoe Creek from the Grassy Hill Fire trail onto the Colo river. We then found out that climbing up the vertical cliffs that characterise the Colo isn’t something that you attempt, albeit years ago I would of risked it. However as you get older, and I dare say wiser, you learn I believe to fear, or assess danger more appropriately. When I was 25 I would of attempted to climb a risky cliff, not now.
So, Bear and I took shoes off, and trudged downstream to find a bend in the Colo where we hoped enough relief in the contour lines would permit us to climb up Mt Savage. Apparently, according to David Noble (SUBW), the log book on the Summit of Mt Savage (now removed) only recorded approx 33 walkers having reached this peak since the 1960s’, and I now know why as the climb was a horrendous scramble on all fours up a small re-entrant. Bam, we were up on the ridge with 4ks to the peak. Bear and I got the comms we were carrying out and took either side of the ridge as we individually scoured the sides for small caves that we were sure would unveil rare cave art.
Radio chat and banter followed as we searched and both called in coalition air strikes on each other’s position – “fire all available on bears position, over” and “repeat, repeat you are shelling my position, over” we were like kids with new CB radios annoying truckies.Anyway, we found nothing. We then reached the summit and found a featureless camp site in the shrub with no views, by now we were down to 3 litres of water until we got down to a creek tomorrow. Bear then started the first formal lesson, how to make fire with 2 black boy stems, kangaroo poo and a shoe lace. We got smoke going and made the appropriate tools to do so, but no actual fire..... with where is my lighter? being the closing remark. Discussion then turned to stories of bears other life, very interesting stuff.
Day 2:
At 2pm we charged back up Mt Savage to get our equipment, then turned around and headed off North East for the nights RV with a junction on Pinchgut Creek.
Bam, we had water, heaps of food and a better spot to sleep, plus a fire to scare off the mossies. Bear hooked up his hammock in the trees; I curled up on the ground.
Day 3:
Off downstream. Bam, we found some. A grinding pad on the creek very similar to many others I had seen. Locked it in the GPS position and we continued down an amazing creek with rock platforms, caves & dry water falls etc. We then headed up Talons ladder (our name for it) and onto a limb called The Claw (our name for it too). An amazing climb up a direct route to another summit that places you almost directly 350m above the junction of Pinchgut Ck and the Colo. For sure this was the limb we would find the ancient rock art. Again, and you won’t believe this, nothing. After a common moment of dejection and photos high above the Colo we headed down for a swim 2hrs later in the river.
Time for the final climb up a nameless creek to the car. It was 2pm when we started this climb that ended up taking 2.5hrs to cover 3 or 4 ks all up hill. It was now over 35 degrees and we were in some fierce steep country with every sense focussing on the amount of energy spent vs water consumed divided by estimated time to go all raised to the power of 35 degrees. Anyway, someone’s great navigation (and lets forget earlier blunders) got us back precisely to the car to within in 100ms with 250mls of water left – well
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Mapping for Blog Completed
See interactive course map at right, or go to bottom to see full map.
The route follows all the correct ridges, junctions, trails and creeks that my more detailed topo-map plan has, this blog version is roughly drawn with Map My Run.
However, you should be able to understand the general route. The detailed route plan on my Memeory Map software measures the trip as 160ks, however this is only horizontal distance.
The Traverse is 160 southerly Grid squares from start to finish (not including east- west movement), and covers 13 Topo maps.
The only trail walking is approx 10ks of Westerly trail walking along the Hunter Main Trail, and 5-6ks of Easterly trail walking along the Army Rd/ Wirraba FT. This is to get in position to hit the best South running ridge tops in the Park.
Go South Young Man, South!
The route follows all the correct ridges, junctions, trails and creeks that my more detailed topo-map plan has, this blog version is roughly drawn with Map My Run.
However, you should be able to understand the general route. The detailed route plan on my Memeory Map software measures the trip as 160ks, however this is only horizontal distance.
The Traverse is 160 southerly Grid squares from start to finish (not including east- west movement), and covers 13 Topo maps.
The only trail walking is approx 10ks of Westerly trail walking along the Hunter Main Trail, and 5-6ks of Easterly trail walking along the Army Rd/ Wirraba FT. This is to get in position to hit the best South running ridge tops in the Park.
Go South Young Man, South!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
The 2008 Trips Food drop - missing Beijing Olympic opening ceremony
The trip, now to be referred to as The Travese, was initially attempted in September 2008. Numerous hours were spent planning, getting equipment, and one full weekend getting to and burying a food drop on the Wirriba Ridge Fire Trail somehwere between Brick Hill and Mt Wirraba.
The food drop in prepration for the 2008 Traverse was conducted on the weekend of the 08/08/08 and involved parking near Mellong Creek on Putty Rd, walking West around Long Wheeny Farm via the L.W Creek, then along Putty Creek to where it meets Wollemi Creek, then up the old 1960s Fire Trail (keeping Dumball Creek on your left). Trick for young players: this track isn't on your new photographic topos. I found it by Google Earth and old topos.
Following research, I also found out that the Wirriba FT was built by an Army Engineering unit from 1RAR before it left for Vietnam in the early 1960's. I found unit engravings of "15PL, C Coy 1RAR" on a major rock cutting they did in building the Trail.
The food drop included 4 days food with the plan being to reach this point in 4 or 5 days from Baerami - it took 7 days! and it was only half way.
The food drop in prepration for the 2008 Traverse was conducted on the weekend of the 08/08/08 and involved parking near Mellong Creek on Putty Rd, walking West around Long Wheeny Farm via the L.W Creek, then along Putty Creek to where it meets Wollemi Creek, then up the old 1960s Fire Trail (keeping Dumball Creek on your left). Trick for young players: this track isn't on your new photographic topos. I found it by Google Earth and old topos.
Following research, I also found out that the Wirriba FT was built by an Army Engineering unit from 1RAR before it left for Vietnam in the early 1960's. I found unit engravings of "15PL, C Coy 1RAR" on a major rock cutting they did in building the Trail.
The food drop included 4 days food with the plan being to reach this point in 4 or 5 days from Baerami - it took 7 days! and it was only half way.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Route being finalised for release
While the first half of the trip was completed in September 2008, final changes to the route have been made recently, including a more direct route onto the Wirraba Ridge FT near Gospers mtn.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Introduction to the Story
The Wollemi National park is one of the last great true Wildernesses left in Asutralia, located remarkably close to Australia's largest City - Sydney.
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