[SUBW-A] Trip Report, Axeheads, 20-22 Aug 2004

[Ashley Burke]

Trip: Axehead Range from Kanangra Walls, 20-22 Aug 2004
Party: Kevin Arnold, James Bevan, Jo Boyd, Tom Gleeson, Christian Peckham,
Greg Salway, Kendy Burke, Ashley Burke

With its warm hearth and dark ale the Hampton halfway house was the
appropriate point of rendezvous for the two carloads of bushwalkers on
Friday evening. After meeting there and looking over maps (and schooner
glasses) we drove on to Kanangra Walls  where the relative blackness of
night and a brisk cold wind set the scene for the hour ahead. We donned head
torches for the walk across Kanangra tops to the coal seam cave. The stars
were out in full and there were city lights far to the East, but our
immediate surrounds were the tightly packed mounds of scrub twitching
tersely in the wind and the track ahead threading its way through. We
reached the coal seam cave, lay down our sleeping bags and waited for first
light.

Being a sunless and dusty place, we left the coal seam cave at first light
and walked briskly along the Bullhead range to Cambage Spire for breakfast
at about 8am. There the sun was shining and there were views of gorges all
around, so photos were taken and a cheerful breakfast could be had. Then
came the steep descent of Cambage Spires and our arrival at the Kowmung at
around 9:30am.

So we were going well for time and were looking forward to getting up high
on the Axehead Range by the afternoon. We set off up a nearby ridge which
lead us towards Byrnes Gap. This was great country for getting out and
stretching ones legs with its long open ridges climbing out of the Kowmung
gorge. By the time we reached the Scotts Main range it was much warmer and
another hour of walking took as to Byrnes Gap in time for lunch. We
replenished our water supplies courtesy of the Byrnes Gap hut and enjoyed a
pleasant lunchtime break at the base of the Axehead range.

Then we climbed steeply up onto the range itself for the first of many
spectacular views into the Blue Breaks. The rocky spine of the Axeheads
provided excellent walking for the remainder of the afternoon, and we
reached our camp site on Axehead mountain by about 4pm. This allowed plenty
of time to relax, enjoy the views, watch the sunset and just savour being
out here. A pair of wedgetail eagles rode the wind effortlessly above our
heads. The late afternoon became evening, corks were coaxed from the necks
of bottles and we had very lively dinner time conversation before retiring
to our sleeping bags once more.

Sunrise is a great time to be around on Axehead mountain. The morning light
revealed a vista of sweeping valleys and escarpments, a symphony of greens
and browns, the endless expanse of eucalypt forest, and the fact that we had
a long way yet to walk. So we were off quite early again, crossing Butchers
Creek and following the lie of the land before descending a long open ridge
back down to the Kowmung. Greg indulged in a bracing swim in the cold water
before we tackled the long climb back to the walls. A nice long lunch was
had on the Gingra Range before completing our loop and passing by the coal
seam cave again. There Tom wondered what it would be like to send a
Christmas card to every tree in the entire expanse of the southern Blue
Mountains - a daunting task indeed.

We traversed back across Kanangra tops, in the daylight this time, and
enjoyed one last view into the depths of Kanangra gorge from the wallacle
lookout before returning to the cars at the walls.

A great walk. James has published his photos of the trip at
http://community.webshots.com/album/178054024aLoLdh

Ashley Burke
Phone: +61 2 9476 3531
Mobile : 0414 633 315
E-Mail: aburke at ozemail.com.au