Kalang Falls

[Continued from Dione Dell]. The next day dawned fine and clear.

Jo decided the lure of a warm Blackheath coffee shop trumped the 500m climb up Murdering Gully. The rest of us headed down to the lookout at Kanangra Walls, then scrambled down the dicey ledges to the first abseil of Kalang Falls. I was quite thankful that the rock had dried out, as exposed scrambling on wet rock would have been unpleasant at best, and dangerous at worst. Even when dry it requires concentration in places.

The ten abseils all went smoothly. We carried 4 ropes, so were generally able to have a couple of drops rigged at any one time. The abseils in Kalang Falls come thick and fast, and there's not much walking between them. There's over 400m of descent in about 500m of creek.

The highlights of the trip are the wide ledge at the top of the second abseil, with its expansive views of Thurat Spires, and the final four abseils, three of which descend next to the waterfalls. The final abseil ends in a pool - though for the skilled abseiler, it is possible to keep your feet dry. Everyone ended up with dry feet, though someone who shall remain nameless did need to be hauled in on the rope to avoid a waist deep wade.

Unfortunately all good things come to an end, and the downside is the long steep exit. Murdering Gully gets a bad rap, but in fact the gully itself is pleasant scrambling. It's only when the gully gets too steep that you have to scramble out on to the scree slopes, and from there it's a unpleasant slog. Eventually we found ourselves back in the saddle near Dance Floor Cave, and it's an easy stroll from there back to the car park.

All up a chilly but enjoyable weekend of winter canyoning.