Precipitous Bluff Jan 2013

[GraemeSpedding]

Hi Folks
I am having another crack at PB this summer - successful in 2010, turned back by wx in 2009. Just wondered if anyone had walked it in the last 18 months or so and if there are any new or changed conditions / water supply / PB Low CAmp / we should know about - compared to John C Guide notes which are pretty good.
Any way around the sink holes that avoids that nastiness near the bottom of the hill would be appreciated.

Cheers
Graeme

[chapman]

graeme

The route to PB is fairly easy to follow but mildly scrubby. When I first walked it it was not long after a fire had swept the range and killed all the King Billy and Pencil Pines. As the scrub has grown back it changes over time and a secion that was previously easy is now scrubby while in other sections the scrub height has increased and walkinghas become easier so expect soem small changes regardign scrub desnsity.

for the route down from PB. Its easy to avid the sink holes. Simply put, do NOT be tempted to leave the cliff base early, keep going right along it to where the track turns sharp right and descends a heath covered spur. the heath ends very soon but the place is ovious once ther. the ones who end up in sink holes leave the cliffbase early. Even on the main track, you will pass around the edge of some sink holes and have to descend small sections of slippery limestone but they are short and no problem. At the base of the ridge, scrub has grown and the track position has altered slightly so you can no longer see the cave entrance mentoined in the current edition (the update notes on m website do tell you about this).

Have a great trip, its one of my favourite SW walks as its not overly walked, has some mild scrub and rough campsites (Low Camp has sort of 'improved' but is still pretty rough) and hence has retained some of the flavour of my earlier SW trips.

[GraemeSpedding]

Thanks John. We last exhcnaged emails after your most recent trp to PB when a friend had to be extracted with a broken arm if I remember rightly. Ta for the advice. I will make sure I go along the base a long way - the pink tape seemed to go the way you describe anyway and the sink holes were only minor, i just had not expected any.
Cheers
GS

[GraemeSpedding]

Also wondered:
Is THE track only about 200m after the creek that comes out from PB - where I sat and had lunch 3 years ago. Nice little rocky spot with a small pool and a little waterfall.
we walked not far from here and the tracked was barred by a pink tape barrier - ,making it fairly clear that this was we had to descend. Sound about right?
G

And Yes it a great trip as it is quite hard, remote and rewarding- and yes the Lo camp at PB is a little improved but not much.

[north-north-west]

I was up there earlier this year, and the descent to Cavern Camp was fairly clear. Most of the forest section had been retaped reasonably recently, although there were times had to stop and look around carefully to make sure I wasn't going off in the wrong direction - mainly when encountering newly fallen trees.
My biggest problem was finding the route UP there from PB Low Camp. Somehow I missed the track and ended up following an old pad which led off from a creek bed. Did join on the proper route eventually - about 100m from the start of the stone steps.

[GraemeSpedding]

Ah cheers, ta for that...we got a little bamboozled on the ascent in 2010 but found the track pretty quickly. I shall watch for the tape. Ta Very much

[melinda]

Hi all,
Planning on doing PB in Feb.
Thinking of going in from Cockle Creek and exiting via Lune River.
(Idea is to lose pack weigh on Sth Coast track before heading up on to Southern Ranges.)
What are the pros and cons of doing it the other way around??
Can you actually see the sink holes as you pass near them???
Melinda
PS Thanks NNW for suggesting this trip some time ago!

[ILUVSWTAS]

Hi all,
Planning on doing PB in Feb.
Thinking of going in from Cockle Creek and exiting via Lune River.
(Idea is to lose pack weigh on Sth Coast track before heading up on to Southern Ranges.)
What are the pros and cons of doing it the other way around??
Can you actually see the sink holes as you pass near them???
Melinda
PS Thanks NNW for suggesting this trip some time ago!

SEE them?? Be careful you dont fall in them!! I fell in one, the entrance was hidden by bracken. Fell in to my head and smashed my face open.
A benefit of going the way you propose means you'll be going up hill through there, and unlikely to fall in one. (tho it's unlikely anyway)

[Mark F]

I would suggest doing the Southern Range first. Bad weather is likely and you don't want to be tent bound with only a day or 2 of supplies up there as you will have used up most of your food by that time. Take note of how many parties do not make it to PB along the Southern Range.

[melinda]

Hey ILUVSWTAS,
Wow, interesting photo with offending mountain behind you!
Guess this means, no you can't see the sink holes!
Did you go looking for a sink hole or were you on the 'taped track' when this happened???
(Been told there is a taped track coming down but it is a maze of colours that can lead you in circles!)
How big was the sink hole??? (Any photos???)
Will obviously have to send heaviest party member in front of me.
Hi Mark F,
My initail plan was to do Sth Ranges first and exit via Sth Coast track. Then someone suggested getting pack weight down before heading up on to the ranges. So undecided! Will have to weigh up pros and cons!
That's why I ask questions here. Get lots of good advice!

[ILUVSWTAS]

Hey Melinda. It is tagged, just a few places where trees are down you need to be careful to find the next tag. Mostly easy going though, if not a long climb!!
This happened on the track. Bear in mind it's a taped track, not a foot track... it does lead you through the limestone, some of the holes look quite deep! I dont think I have any pics of them though sorry.

[JamesMc]

Walked up PB last summer. Just followed the track from the lagoon. Don't understand the discussion about falling down sink holes. There are a few spots where you could fall a couple of metres down a hole, but l don't see it as any more likely than falling down a cliff in the Arthurs.

Am l missing something here?

JamesMc

[frenchy_84]

Am l missing something here?

JamesMc

Yeah me to, I remember walking along raised ridges with small drops on one side and a mate rolled his ankle on some karren but i dont remember any areas where there was a likely hood of falling down a sinkhole.
Going up the southern ranges and back the south coast track gets my vote, however after walking the range your gonna wonder why anyone would bother only walking the coast track.

[norts]

I have only done it in one direction, Southern Ranges first. I would not like to walk up from the Lagoon to PB. First day to Moonlight is only a gain of about 700m where as Lagoon to PB is a gain of over a 1000m( probably in wet boots)

Also you might want to consider the 7 day weather forecast before you go, good weather - go high first.

Roger

[ILUVSWTAS]

Well I guess you didnt notice the holes because you didnt fall in any... Like mentioned, you cant see them until your in them.

[north-north-west]

Falling would be easy, falling into a hole would be harder, but I can think of at least one spot where it would be possible.

[Azza]

Done the Southern Ranges twice - both starting at Lune River.
I wouldn't go the other way. I think the South Coast Range would be rather annoying with a heavy pack, followed by wading the lagoon, then a 1200m climb.
Back when I first did it around 2005 the scrub was a lot thicker and the route wasn't as obvious as it is now.
I came out covered in scratches from head to toe and shorts torn to pieces.
In comparison doing it the other year its has turned into a bit of a highway now, barely got a scratch on me second time around..

Re- the sink holes last time I was there I managed to slip into a limestone crack off the side of the track.
The hole was obvious, what was not so obvious was the unstable bit of ground next to the hole which gave way and I slipped into the hole.
It hurt, managed to catch myself with my elbows which left my feet swinging in the air...

So it can happen... and I'm generally not one to misplace a foot. Certainly gave me a surprise.

[ILUVSWTAS]

So it can happen... and I'm generally not one to misplace a foot. Certainly gave me a surprise.

Thank god for that. Even I was starting to think i'd fabricated the whole tale.....

[GraemeSpedding]

[quote="melinda"]Hi all,
Planning on doing PB in Feb.
Hi Melinda
Just back from PB. I would walk it from LUNE river ( having now done it twice) as it gives you some time in case you get stuck. We camped: Pig Sty, Ooze( rest day), Wiley ( good campsite before plateau but NO water), HI Camp ( in gales!!!) then Cavern, Prion, Granite, SCR and OUT. The route is fairly easy to follow and well cairned but some care is needed in cloud/ no viz. Follow the taped track down from the top of the descent and take care to follow it carefully and you will avoid the worst of the sink holes. The inlet at NEW river was hi this year and we took 4 hours to wade it ( 2.5 in 2010).

Good luck if you are still going.

[melinda]

Cheers for your update Graeme,
Flying down there next Sunday and straight out to Lune River.
Southern Ranges first then, down on to Sth Coast track.
Packing, packing, packing, ..... no, that's got to go......; but all of the chocolate has to stay!!!!

[wander]

Packing today for a wander along the SR. Last wander along this way was in 1999 with New Years on PB. Mostly mist, cloud and drizzle if memory serves me well.

Any update on water at Wylly Camp and Low Camp would be appreciated.

[GraemeSpedding]

Hi There, I couldnt find water a WP this trip - but had carried enough from LTTS. Low camp may be ok depending upon rainfall, else it is a hike to the water fall. Didnt stop at low camp 2 weeks ago but did camp at WP.
Good luck and have a good trip.

[melinda]

Back from PB.
Awesome weather.
Wonderful trip!

Majestic PB

[GraemeSpedding]

Well done, glad to hear that you lucked it out with the Wx. How was the lagoon? And the Scoparia? GRIN

[melinda]

Hi Graeme,
The lagoon was easy. (I'm guessing the water level may have been low????)
Around my knees. Nice and warm!
The scoparia....
I wore a thermal top and long johns with shorts. And fingerless gloves. So most of my body was covered.
Ended up taping my wrists with some strapping tape because they were getting torn to shreds!!!
But hey, it was fun!
In fact I loved it! So much variety of scenery!
I'm sure all that mud that I waded thru on the way out via the Sth Coast track was ever so good for my skin!
Melinda

[wander]

Just back from 11 day Southern Range wander. No problemo with water anywhere. The only place we did not go was Low Camp, so I do not know what is gong on there.

The Frog Pond at Wylly P camp had water, and the pools between Wylly and Victoria Cross had water, the stream on the East face of Wylly was running very well straight down the approach track. So no water issue there despite a warning a couple of weeks back there was no water.

Does anyone have a decent GPS location of the waterfall Chapman mentions at Wylly P camp? We looked a tiny bit for it and did a lot of listening for it (my usual method for finding waterfalls) to no avail, and suspecting is was a scoparia bash declined to conduct a square search for information sake.

[GraemeSpedding]

Hi Graeme,
The lagoon was easy. (I'm guessing the water level may have been low????)
Around my knees. Nice and warm!
The scoparia....
I wore a thermal top and long johns with shorts. And fingerless gloves. So most of my body was covered.
Ended up taping my wrists with some strapping tape because they were getting torn to shreds!!!
But hey, it was fun!
In fact I loved it! So much variety of scenery!
I'm sure all that mud that I waded thru on the way out via the Sth Coast track was ever so good for my skin!
Melinda

We had knee to thigh deep but for some reason took 4 hrs instead of 2.5 in 2010. Have always taken riggers/leather gloves and they cover the wrists. It is a speccy walk and well worth the hard work. And The Sth Cape Range gets worse and worse...PWS say have just done a survey of the SCT and plan to fix some things. They have a lot to do.
Take it easy
Graeme

[dplanet]

It is a speccy walk and well worth the hard work. And The Sth Cape Range gets worse and worse...PWS say have just done a survey of the SCT and plan to fix some things.
Graeme

….of interest in the two boat crossings. Crossed one and was up PB on a club trip over a decade ago. Have thought of a trip back there with friend/s. Also don't mind going solo.