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
- Photos and trip reports - for canyons I have visited. Updated regularly over summer.
- Maps - printable topographic maps for canyons near Sydney.
- Track notes - for many well known canyons - now also in searchable/sortable format.
- Latest conditions - view the latest or submit your own updates.
- Canyon guide - a printable guide with all of the track notes on the site (last edition Oct 2023)
- Abseiling track notes/trip reports - photos, trip reports and track notes for multi-pitch abseiling trips
- "Webliography" of canyon reports - links to 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 reports! (last updated Mar 2019)
- Gallery - a showcase of photos of specific canyons
Canyoning in the Blue Mountains
- Canyoning areas
- Nearby towns
- Overseas visitors - useful information
- Australian map grids - a brief explanation
- Newnes Plateau and South Wolgan Fire Trails - how to navigate the maze
- Publishing track notes - some brief comments
- Canyoning deaths - in canyons near Sydney
- Canyon fauna - photos
- Catchment sizes - of canyons near Sydney
- Wet weather - canyoning in or after rain
- History of bolts in northern Blue Mountains canyons
- Links to other beta sites for NSW canyons
Tech advice
- Canyon safety - some pointers for not getting into trouble
- ACA videos - lots of useful tech tips from the Aust Canyoning Association
- 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
- Cutting and sealing nylon ropes - a short how-to video
- Canyoning photography - a few tips
- What knot is this? - and would you abseil off it?
- Keeping warm - drysuit, wetsuit or no suit?!
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