By Jackie Franklin
Leader: Keith Maxwell Party: Colin Mathers, Simon Bently, Myself.
I had an afternoon’s abseiling tuition at Wahroonga Rocks a couple of days before I went down Kalang Falls.
When I was first confronted with an abseil of 100′, I thought perhaps I should have stayed back at Wahroonga where the drop was only some 50′.
However, once over the edge I began to enjoy myself. The second abseil, done in two stages ended on a ledge above a deep pool. I successfully managed to get myself onto the ledge, and feeling very pleased let go of my carabiners. Now I know why people don’t like the crossed-crab method. As you can guess my crab fell plonk into the pool. Keith ordered me to dive in and get it (since it was actually his crab). The water was freez-ing – it just didn’t have a layer of ice on top!
I hoped to get it out before the photographer, Colin arrived. However when he saw me beginning to undress he flew down the abseil, and whipped out his camera. I retrieved the crab with my big toe, Colin got his photographs, and we proceeded on our way.
The longest abseil of 240′ was done in two stages, and was by far the most spectacular. They almost lost me however, when I fell into a black-berry bush on the approach to this abseil.
The final drop was short, and brought us out at the junction of Kanangra Ck. and Kalang Ck. Simon lost his glasses on this one, and by a stroke of luck they landed in the only patch of grass on the rocky creek bed.
After lunch it was a climb up Murdering gully. I was almost murdered by a rock and just managed to hold on by the skin of my chin! Our hero, Keith came to the rescue and all was well.
It was really an enjoyable trip, despite my few mishaps- but I’m used to those!