Friday the 13th was a day of exceptionally glorious Blue Mountains autumn weather with the slightest of breeze on Mt Banks. This is especially noteworthy for HVB having experienced wild winds to the point of defeat on previous occasions on this walk. Walk leaders Kurt and Bert led 16 other walkers.over the summit of Mt Banks and beyond.
We started at 10.00 am and reached the summit in 45 minutes for morning tea. The view from the summit is limited due to high trees, but sitting among the ferns and moss covered rocks in filtered sun light was very pleasant. After morning tea we proceeded down the other side of the mountain past the relics of a long ago picnic spot to the main fire trail and out to Banks Wall where we had lunch around 12.15 pm. The Wall itself cannot be seen as we sit directly above it, but it presents one of the most impressive views over the Grose Gorge and Govett Gorge taking in views of Anvil Rock, Perry’s Lookdown, Pulpit Rock, Govett’s Leap, Evans Lookout, Fortress Hill, Lockley Pylon, Du Faur Head and Buttress and in the valley the Blue Gum Forest and Junction Rock known to HVB walkers from the Rodriguez Pass Circuit.
After lunch we left our back packs at Banks Wall in the hope no one would come along and thrown them into Gorge for fun, which did make some of us take our car keys along just in case, and headed past Frank Hurley Head, where the track to the top is now no longer passable due to heavy undergrowth since the last fires, and headed to a second un-named lookout just short of David Crevasse. From here the Walford Wall makes quite an impression and Mt Hay just comes into view.
We returned to Banks Wall where we found out packs undisturbed.
Now, with reluctance for some, and possibly all of us, we began our trek back to the cars along the main fire trail on this glorious day reaching the car park at around 3.00 pm.
We ended the trip at the coffee shop attached to “The Pines Orchard” opposite The Fruit Bowl at Bilpin. This spot turned out to be a very attractive place able to accommodate all of us with quick service, a place we should keep in mind for future walks in the mountains on the Bells Line of Road side.
Below: On the 'ascent' side of Mt Banks - looking, listening, recalling and memorizing.
On the summit of Mt Banks for morning tea, and above the Bank Walls for lunch - paper work, studying the next program and area maps. 
Four members of the Walks Committee were on this walk: Anne R, Bert, Kurt and Jill (pictured).
Past walks from HVB - "Anvil Rock, Perry’s Lookdown, Pulpit Rock, Govett’s Leap, Evans Lookout, Fortress Hill, Lockley Pylon, Du Faur Head and Buttress and in the valley the Blue Gum Forest and Junction Rock known to HVB walkers from the Rodriguez Pass Circuit."
A view from the "un-named lookout [past Frank Hurley Head] just short of David Crevasse". 
A public domain photo, from the air. Better to have been on the ground, with the David Crevasse and the Edgeworth David Head on one's left.
"Now, with reluctance ... we began our trek back to the cars along the main fire trail".
For the record, Kurt and Bert led Kas, Pragati, Sue B, a visitor, Elaine E, Dawn, Helen A, Rhondda, Jill, Anne R, Polly, Barbara, Ros G, Wendy C and 'tail-end Charlie' Don B.
Words by Kurt.
Photos by Anne R(1, 4), Ros G(2, 3, 8) and Wendy C(5, 6, 9).