Carlon Head
Carlon Head is the impressive point on the west side of Narrow Neck overlooking Carlons Farm. It was originally known as Little Clear Hill, but renamed Carlon Head after the Carlon family by Myles Dunphy in 1930.1)
The top of Carlon Head is separated from the scree slopes below by three main clifflines. The bottom cliffline is around 8m high; the imposing middle cliffline is around 15m, including a vertical wall of about 7m, with steep dropoffs on either side; the top cliffline is about 20m high, in a series of three or four “steps”. All of the clifflines involve some scrambling or rockclimbing to negotiate in the vicinity of the point.
It was first descended in 1932 by Harry Whaite and members of the Warrigal Club. They were planning to descend Clear Hill but a navigational error meant they ended up at Carlon Head instead.2)3)4)
It was subsequently descended by Charles Culberg and Ron Compagnoni, though despite the author's belief, this was not the first descent. This was probably during the winter of 1936. Some footholds had already been enhanced by this point.5) Culberg and Compagnoni, along with Stephen McCullogh, returned in October 1936, and Compagnoni made the first ascent of the difficult middle pitch.6)7)
The climb was repeated by the Tigers of the Sydney Bush Walkers at the end of an epic Gangerang trip on the Anzac Day Weekend in 1937. Jack Debert and Gordon Smith formed a base, Alex Colley stood on top of them, and then Bill McCosker and Dot English (later Butler) were able climb to the top of the middle pitch and let down a rope for the rest.8)
It is fitted with spikes and chains known as Mansons Ladders, first installed in 1941.9)