Trips

Dalpura is a relatively short canyon on the north side of the Grose Valley. It has one short - and optional - abseil, and it is usually easy to avoid swimming. The canyon is pleasant and pretty, though not especially spectacular. Though hordes of Instagrammers in recent years might beg to differ! Unfortunately this means that what was usually a quiet canyon can be very busy.

Access is quite easy making it a short day.

Access

Drive 3.5km past the Mt Wilson turn off on Bells Line of Rd to a wide parking area on the left, just past a sweeping right-hand bend. Park here.

Route

Entry

Walk back along Bells Line of Road for 800m to a fire trail on the south side of the road at GR505863. Walk along the fire trail for about 50m, and look for a well worn track to the left (south east) down the ridge. Follow this down to the creek. Follow the track downstream to the canyon. The canyon starts around GR502856.

Notes

There is a short canyoniferous section, with a deepish pool that can be avoided via ledges high on the left. After a bit of a creek bash, the main canyon starts with a 4m overhung abseil from slings around a rock, or an easy 8m abseil from a tree on the left, into a deep pool. From the left, with care you can end on a thigh deep ledge from where you can sidle the pool. This is the most attractive section of the canyon.

You can also walk around this abseil on ledges on the left for 100m, before a track drops you back down to the creek

Some more canyon sections follow. One of these can occasionally fill with logs, and may require use of the rope, though most of the time it will not even be noticed. The end of the canyon is reached with a waterfall of 16m.

The waterfall can optionally be abseiled, but it is easily bypassed on the right. Head left at the cliff line to ledges with excellent views of the Grose Valley.

Exit

From the top of the final waterfall, the exit track heads up to the right, to the cliff line. Traverse under the cliff line until it ends, and then up on to the ridge. Follow the ridge back to where you can get up through the cliffs. Join up with the old fire trail on Jinki Ridge and back to the car.

Comments

A nice canyon, and an excellent creek, with a fair bit of variety. It only has a couple of dark sections. An easy canyon to do.

You can usually avoid swimming, and there are only one or two wades to chest deep. Most parties should be able to do without wetsuits.

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