Driving through Katoomba & Blackheath the fog was quite thick but luckily by the time we approached Mt Victoria & the start of today's walk it turned
into a beautiful sunny morning. After a talk from Clive about the dangers facing us on the walk our group of 17 set off from Mt Piddington. First we went on a fairly rough track to Ferris Cave & Boronia Point. Here we had lovely views into the Kanimbla Valley as well as across to Mt Boyce & Mt Blackheath. Then it was on to Horne's Pt with more superb views of the valley for morning tea.
After morning tea we followed the Rock Climbers Escarpment track & after a visit from the witch from Witches Glen on towards our descent into the valley via Reinitz Pass. We made slow progress here but thanks to help from Clive, Claude & John B everyone made it safely into the valley, which looked very pretty in the filtered sunlight. It was then on to the intersection with the Zig Zag track for a rather later than usual lunch break in the shade.
After lunch we started our climb up the Zig Zag track but were rewarded with a stop about half way up to look at the Bushranger's Cave. For those who managed the climb into the cave there are great views into the valley. At the top we took a slight detour to see Pulpit Rock. Then it was an easy walk through some Mt Victoria streets back to the cars, spotting a lone waratah near the edge of the bush on the way.
It was then on to The Hydro Cafe for coffee & some delicious Choc chip muffins before the drive back to Sydney. Thanks to Nick, our tail-end-Charlie all day and to our capable drivers Kurt, John, Don B & Deidre for a getting us safely there & back again.
It was a great day in the Blue Mts with a few challenges along the way but our group enjoyed the day in excellent weather conditions.
The group led by Clive & Celia were Bert, Claude, Margaret P, Wendy, Anne R, Kurt, Deidre, Sue S, Helen A, Nick, John B, Don B, Christine, Pragati & one visitor.
Our route, and importantly we started from Mt Piddington Lookout, not 'YOU ARE HERE': Ferris Cave-Boronia Point-Horne's Point-Witches Glen-Reinit's Pass-Little Zig Zag-Bushrangers' Cave-Pulpit Rock
Walking under the cliff towards Ferris Cave ....
... and everyone has safely arrived
Along the track there were Fuchsia heath, Epacris reclinata, rooted into the rock crevis and pale pink Boronia floribunda
The view from Horne's Point
"After morning tea we followed the Rock Climbers Escarpment track"
Don B strolls along towards Witches Glen
and in the Witches Glen, light playing on tree ferns: Dicksonia antarctica and new life unfurling: Brake Fern
Reinit's Pass was perhaps a little dry, but still a contrast to all the other climates we met on our walk
Leaders Clive and Celia posed for a relaxed snap at lunchtime, but reality and a need to deal with customer enquiries interrupted their repast.
"After lunch ... [we] were rewarded with a stop about half way up [the Zig Zag track] to look at the Bushranger's Cave".
Below Margaret P and Nick climb up to the cave, whilst Wendy thinks about 'dropping in'
The 'front door of the cave, and the view from inside.
Walkers on Pulpit Rock(1)
Walkers on Pulpit rock (2). Nick, who was tail-end-Charlie all day, completes his work, with White Coral Heath Epacris microphylla in the foreground
... and the group photo
Celia and Christine hit a high to wrap up the walk.
Words by Celia. Photos by SueS (1,2,4,5,8-10,15,19),Clive (3,7,11,16,17,20,21), our visitor (6,14,18) and HelenA (12,13).