Canyoning near Sydney
Disclaimer - Please read!
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 (last updated 07 Apr 2010) most with photos and trip reports
- track notes for many well known canyons.
- a printable guide with all of the track notes on the site (last updated 07 Apr 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 05 October 2006). 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:
- Canyoning descenders
- Belaying - some issues and comments
- Australian map grids - a brief explanation
- Newnes Plateau Fire Trails - how to navigate the maze
- Canyoning/climbing knots - what to use and how to tie
- Publishing track notes - some brief comments
- Rope sport myths that continue to get propagated
- Some tips on rope management
- Rope jams - tricks to avoid them
- Canyoning deaths - in canyons near Sydney UPDATED
- Canyoning photography - a few tips UPDATED
- Canyon fauna - photos
- What knot is this? - and would you abseil off it?
- Keeping warm - drysuit, wetsuit or no suit?!
- Catchment sizes - of canyons near Sydney
- Canyon safety - some pointers for not getting into trouble NEW
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
Tom Brennan : website@ozultimate.com : updated 2010-04-07