[SUBW-A] Trip Report - Festival of Canyons 22 - 23 November 2008

[David Noble]

Trip Report - Festival of Canyons 22 - 23 November 2008

This weekend is organised by UTS Outdoor Adventure Club each year.  
This year it was held at Newnes in the Wolgan Valley on the western  
side of Wollemi National Park.

Bad weather was forecast (including snow and sleet) - so total  
numbers where down a bit. However more than 30 turned up from clubs  
at UTS, ANU, UNSW and SUBW.

Photos for the trips I was on are at -

http://www.david-noble.net/canyoning/2008/FOC/FoC08.html

and

http://www.david-noble.net/canyoning/2008/FOC/FoCDay2.html

Saturday

Party - Albert, Kim, Martin, Steffy, Rosa, Helen, Duncan, Rob, Magda,  
Alejandro, Rik, Mark, Dave, Sharon and 3 others from UTSOAC

We climbed up the Pipeline Track and visited Newnes Canyon. This  
involved one abseil to get into the creek valley and then one abseil  
into the canyon. To facilitate this we set up two ropes and had  
concurrent abseiling. Then followed a walk through the Amazing  
Wallaby Tunnel. Lots of glow worms were observed and Albert was  
rained on by a "golden shower" (see photos). After the tunnel - the  
creek was more of a conventional canyon until it opened up at a nice  
cave -a good place for lunch (jaffles)

After lunch we continued down the creek and entered the Wolgan  
Valley. We descended to the river and then walked back to Newnes.

There we enjoyed a great dinner, washed down by suitable (and more  
then ample....) refreshments.

Sunday - we woke up to a very cold morning with light rain. So our  
group decided to visit a dry canyon. Many of the other parties asked  
if they could join us - so we ended up with a very big party. But the  
canyon was very easy. A short walk up the hill, then along a dry  
creek bed - and then into the slot of the canyon. Then back down it -  
till we found a nice dry cave for lunch (more jaffles)

It was a cold weekend for canyoning - but a very enjoyable one.

Dave Noble

________________________________

David Noble
dnoble at ozemail.com.au
http://members.ozemail.com.au/~dnoble
http://www.david-noble.net