If you are not interested in canyoning around Sydney, you can still visit the canyoning techniques section of this site.
For most people the word "canyon" evokes images of the Grand Canyon in the USA, a massive open gorge many kilometres wide and hundreds of kilometres long. The slot canyons of the Blue Mountains are quite different. Deep, dark, narrow and twisting, they are places forgotten by time, forsaken by light. Carved by water over many thousands of years, their sandstone walls and waterfalls make them a challenge to visit.
You can check out
- the canyons I have visited most with photos and trip reports. Updated most weeks during summer.
- track notes for many well known canyons.
- a printable guide with all of the track notes on the site (last updated 30 Sep 2010)
- photos, trip reports and track notes for multi-pitch abseiling trips
You can also look at a webliography of canyon reports that I have compiled (last updated 03 October 2010). This is an extensive collection of trip reports by other people, grouped by region and canyon. The quality varies enormously, but there are some interesting lessons to be learned (amongst the piles of very average ones!).
Selected canyon images can be found in the following photo galleries:
Many of these images can be found in the corresponding canyon screen saver:
Also, some of my own writings:
Tech advice
- Canyoning descenders
- Belaying - some issues and comments
- Canyoning/climbing knots - what to use and how to tie
- Rope sport myths that continue to get propagated
- Some tips on rope management
- Rope jams - tricks to avoid them
- Canyoning photography - a few tips UPDATED
- What knot is this? - and would you abseil off it?
- Keeping warm - drysuit, wetsuit or no suit?!
- Canyon safety - some pointers for not getting into trouble
Canyoning in the Blue Mountains
- Canyoning areas NEW
- Australian map grids - a brief explanation
- Newnes Plateau Fire Trails - how to navigate the maze
- Publishing track notes - some brief comments
- Canyoning deaths - in canyons near Sydney UPDATED
- Canyon fauna - photos
- Catchment sizes - of canyons near Sydney
Please read the disclaimer
I have also posted a copy of the article from the Good Weekend magazine on the NUMC deaths in Carra Beanga Canyon in June 2000