Party: Jennifer Burnett, Kris Plain, Kerry Taylor, KimVi Le, Rosi Aryal, Chris Kane, Brydan Lenne, Mitchell Isaacs, Daniel Ryan, Kim Corrans, Rita, Dave, and myself.
It was a cold and overcast morning in Sydney and therefore even colder up in Wentworth falls where we alighted from the train.
We set off walking shortly after 9.30am keen to get moving and warm up.
From the conservation hut we descended down past empress falls and onto the Vera falls track (no longer officially maintained, and therefore declared closed) until we reached the turnoff to Roberts pass. The track led us through areas of moist undergrowth and occasional unavoidable pools of mud. As one may suspect in these conditions, our group soon came under the attack of blood hungry leeches.
After about two hours we reached the start of Lindermans pass. The section of track on the east side of Sublime point proved to be particularly rough, overgrown, and indistinct in sections. Backtracking was necessary in a couple of places where we accidently diverted from the main path.
After a late lunch our group followed the track around to the western side of sublime point where dryer conditions meant that the track improved significantly. Good views of the jamison velley and three sisters are seen along this section. At Leura falls the track again became indistinct and we experienced some confusion before finding that the track crosses the creek just below the base of the falls. There is an old sewerage pipleline here and the ground is littered with rusting peices of metal and other industrial rubbish.
A short while later it was with some relief that the path joined onto the well maintained federal pass track which acsends up through Fern bower and onto cliff drive. It was raining solidly by the time we reached Katoomba at 5.30pm; the promise of food and warmth beckoned.
At the Gearins hotel we ordered food and sat down – only moments before a swinging band erupted at full volume on the stage. This was quite a spectacle. Dozens of couples, needing no encouragement, suddenly took to the dance floor. Most of them wearing matching dance shoes! – these people obviously weren’t messing around, they meant business.
Also at the Gearins, we met a very fatigued honoroble SUBW treasurer Tom Murtagh and fellow walker Jiri Svec who had just returned after a weekend Katoomba to Kanangra to Katoomba attempt.
Thanks everyone for coming on what was a solid days walk,
Pete
(there are also some photos taken by Rita)