FreezeFest – Sil’s introduction to canyoning

Posted on June 23, 2019 by marilyn

NEWNES PLATEAU 22 – 23 June 2019
Yes, I know, it’s the Winter Solstice, what was I thinking going canyoning? The idea for the trip was circulated three weeks ago, when the weather was amazingly mild, but then, a week out Marcia said it could snow and I started to get cold feet (literally and figuratively).  I wasn’t going to go ahead with snow forecast (I had a reason for that), then the threat of snow went (whew!) but the forecast low temperatures didn’t improve.  What to do? Continue reading →

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Colo Madness – another IYDM trip.

Posted on June 16, 2019 by marilyn

COLO WILDERNESS – 15 & 16 June 2019
We had heard about an unpublished abseil trip which ended at the Colo River.  Not many people had done it before, probably because it was a full day just to get to the start, you’d have to carry all your abseil gear, plus ropes, plus overnight stuff, and there wouldn’t be any water from the time we left the Colo until we reached it again 24 hours later. Sounded like a trip for the A-Team! Continue reading →

Posted in Abseiling, Bushwalking, MSS | 8 Comments

Return to Sugee Bag Creek #2 – more unfinished business?

Posted on June 10, 2019 by marilyn

DHARUG NATIONAL PARK – 8 – 10 June 2019
I first started exploring this area in 2015, looking for a “grassy meadow” campsite in the headwaters of Sugee Bag Creek.  Didn’t find one on that occasion, nor on the 3 or 4 times that I returned.   But something kept drawing me back to the area, particularly 500m of “gorge-like” creek that had “canyon” written all over it.  So, Heather (who’ll go anywhere with me) and Stalwart Steve agreed to go with me on what I initially thought might be an “epic” trip. Continue reading →

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How many ways can I stuff up SRT?

Posted on May 26, 2019 by marilyn

LANE COVE NATIONAL PARK – 26 May 2019
The continuing story of me trying to become proficient with SRT (Single Rope Technique – used in caving).  If I just have to abseil down a rope, or prussik up the rope, I’m fine, but add anything slightly technical in SRT and I’m crap! I’d like to blame the equipment, but I’m afraid the problem is the user.  Continue reading →

Posted in Caving, MSS | 4 Comments

I’m sure I said no more “Traverses of Death”

Posted on May 19, 2019 by marilyn

WOLLEMI NATIONAL PARK – Part 2 – 19 May 2019
After our epic trip on Saturday, the Legendary Louise, Cool Tim and I all agreed that we wouldn’t risk another epic trip on Sunday.  So, I offered to take them to a special place that I’d been shown about a year ago.  Louise navigated us to the area, trying to avoid precipitous cliff-lines.  When we arrived, they certainly weren’t expecting the mini-adventure that we had. Continue reading →

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