Blue Mountains – Blackheath and Grand Canyon

October 26, 2014

Blue Mountains – Blackheath and Grand Canyon

Very early (7am) on a foggy Saturday morning we caught the train from Central Station to Blackheath in the heart of the Blue Mountains. We were planning to do a mega-hike which included the Grand Canyon, Cliff Top and Pope’s Glen Tracks all in a 16km loop. It was meant to be a great way to see all the highlights of this part of the Blue Mountains National Park. The track descends into the Canyon and then continues along the cliff tops with incredible views over the Grose Valley and surrounding cliffs.

By the time we got to Blackheath the fog had burned off and it was 29 degrees, sunny and very humid. We headed out of the station and along a small road of beautiful country houses before arriving at a management track. We passed a small waterfall which brought some relief from the heat before heading another kilometre down the dirt track to Neates Glen. From here we headed down into the canyon zigzagging into the rainforest and the Grand Canyon. When people think of the Grand Canyon it usually evokes images of the massive open coloured rock gorge in the USA but the canyons in the Blue Mountains are very different. They are narrow slot canyons which are deep, dark and twisting, several kilometres long. The Grand Canyon track follows an impressive halfway ledge above much of the canyon before descending to the canyon floor below. We followed the track past mossy overhangs of rock and a densely vegetated area winding around the side of the canyon. After several switchbacks the track descends very steeply into the top of the beautiful rainforest gully. The track then passed through a small rockfall tunnel which was a bit of a squeeze with the backpacks before emerging out onto this beautiful waterfall. The track then follows round the canyon walls and underneath the waterfall and continues winding deeper into the canyon. After a kilometer or so we reached a fence with the sign “abseilers only beyond this point”. This is where you can drop right down into the bottom of the canyon itself. Grand Canyon is a good beginners canyon as it only has a few small 12m drops into water and then a 30m swim out of the canyon.

On the management track near Blackheath

Cooling off in the small waterfall

Heading down into the canyon

Halfway down the Grand Canyon

Heading through the rockfall tunnel

Beautiful waterfall

Passing under the waterfall (and having a quick wash!)

Nearing the bottom of the Canyon creek

Crossing the creek at the bottom of Grand Canyon

Looking back up at to where we came from

Beautiful rainforest gully

Abseilers only beyond this point!

Right at the bottom of the canyon the creek winds through and past a pool where it’s possible to cross and climb up the other side. It’s quite a steep climb up through the gap in the cliff to reach Evan’s Lookout but the view is so worth it; you can see right down into the Grose Valley with its deep gorges, green forest and prominent cliff lines. From the lookout we headed up the hill towards a stone shelter where we stopped for lunch. Luckily there was a shelter there because suddenly the skies turned black and it absolutely starts to pour it down. The weather had been very humid all day and we could hear the thunderstorms following us the whole walk. Once the rain had cleared we headed to Haywards Gully where the track undulates around the hillside and then drops into a gully and climbs back out again with beautiful views down into the Grose Valley. From here it was back down the next valley to Barrow Lookout where we looked right over Govetts Leap falls (also known as Bridal Veil falls). Passing over a creek we headed back up the valley (our legs were truly dying by this point) where the track winds around the cliff top over another waterfall known as Horseshoe Falls. The falls are sourced by Popes Glen Creek and are named after the shape of the valley in which they drop. From here it was a final 2km uphill climb through dense ferns and prominent rock features back to Blackheath station and a sleepy 2 hour train ride back into central Sydney.