Mt Hay Canyon - track notes

Mt Hay Canyon, often known as Butterbox Canyon, is a short but spectacular canyon on the southern edge of the Grose Valley. The main drop is quite awesome, and can be difficult and dangerous in high water, but the main constriction ends soon afterwards. Most parties exit via a short but exposed rock climbing pass that was popularised (and possibly discovered), by Tom Williams in 1977.

The canyon was probably first descended by a XXXX

Entry

Drive to the end of the Mt Hay Rd at AMG589756. Drop W into the small creek and follow it down. The first cliffline can be avoided on the right with an easy climb down. There are 4 short drops up to 15m in the creek itself, but the second and fourth can be scrambled around to the right.

Once in the main creek (Rocky Points Creek), there is a bit of scrambling, one place where a rope can be used to hand over hand or abseil, and a 20m swim before the canyon proper starts.

Notes

The first drop is about 9m from a tree on the right, or jump into the pool (check depth). Scramble down to the main drop. The main drop can be done in two stages - the first about 20m from ring bolts to a large chockstone, and then another 20m from bolts above the chockstone to the bottom. The first person down should be a good abseiler, as getting on to the chockstone can be difficult. It is useful to have two ropes so that not everyone needs to crowd onto the chockstone. You should clip on while you are on the chockstone. The pulldown is easier if you abseil the second pitch behind the chockstone, although this may be tricky in high water. In fact, this whole section can be tricky in high water.

Then there is an abseil/downclimb of about 4m, followed by a 2m jump, and then the canyon opens out. The next drop looks high, but can be scrambled on the left via a series of ledges. There are also slings on the right. A few hundred metres further downstream there is a final 12m abseil from a tree on the right.

Exit

There are several options for exiting.

The non-climbing exit involves following the creek down to the Grose River, walking upstream on the Grose to the Blue Gum Forest, and then up the Lockley Pylon Track back to the Pinnacles. Then there is a road walk back to the car.

Alternatively, there are a number of climbing exits. The most commonly used one is as follows.

Follow the cliff line around to the right for several hundred metres until you can get up to a wide ledge. Follow the ledge back to the right (exposed), through a cave, to the start of the climb. The climb has 5 fixed hangers and a ring bolt, and while not too hard, the holds are dusty and climbing without proper shoes is tricky. It is also quite exposed.

At the top, head around to the right to a steep gully that leads to the top of the cliffs. Head up to the left from there until you can find your way back to the car.

Comments

Mt Hay is certainly one of the classic canyons, although it is a little short to be one of the best. The main constriction is less than 100m long.

Rating: 3/5

Time

One medium day

Tom Brennan : website@ozultimate.com: updated 2007-12-27