Drinking water in the Budawangs (Wog Wog to the Castle)

[patrickv]

Hi folks,

I am planning a three day bushwalk in the Budawangs this weekend - from Wog Wog to the Castle and back - and am wondering if people knows whether there is fresh water available on that track.

There was some nice rain (45mm) a fortnight ago - http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/dwo/IDCJD ... test.shtml. I'm wondering if that will be enough, as it's been an incredibly dry period in that region of NSW.

Have people hiked around that area recently? And can anyone recommend good spots to fill up. I know a previous post has mentioned there was "water at Wog Wog Creek, Canowie Brook, Burrumbeet Brook, Bibbenluke Camp, Monalith Valley, and the cliffs under Mt Nibelung." (viewtopic.php?f=47&t=19154)

I'm wondering how much water we should be carrying in just to be safe.

Thanks in advance - I'm keen for it!

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

All of the places you mention except maybe burumbeet will definitely have water (burumbeet probably will too but can be sketchy - others are pretty much guaranteed). The water at bibbenluke camp is actually the headwaters of the corang river. The cliffs on the back of nibelung (little cave at the bottom of the pass) is the headwaters of cooyoyo Creek. After the rain cooyoyo will be flowing downstream at the campsite as well. Since you're doing an out-and-back walk you can go via the rock ribs/waterfalls on corang River on the way back... Stating the obvious but loads of water down that way too (in the corang itself, along canowie down to the junction with the corang and at broula brook and goodsell Ck crossings).

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[Huntsman247]

As stated there is plenty of water on that track. I wouldn't bring more than 2L. We had solid rain recently and I believe that good parts of the Budawangs got a couple inches of snow 2 weeks ago so water shouldn't be a problem.

[patrickv]

Thanks for your help!

One more quick question around the best place to camp.

We are going to stay at Bibbenluke Camp on the first night, and then planning to explore around Monolith Valley and hopefully climb the Castle on the second day.

Is it worth leaving our tents and sleeping gear at Bibbenluke and returning back there to stay on the second night?

Or would folks recommend a different place to camp on the second night with fresh drinking water, keeping in mind we have to get back to Wog Wog by 3-4pm on the third day.

[ribuck]

Is it worth leaving our tents and sleeping gear at Bibbenluke and returning back there to stay on the second night?

Or would folks recommend a different place to camp on the second night with fresh drinking water, keeping in mind we have to get back to Wog Wog by 3-4pm on the third day.

I've done both in the past 18 months. You can camp in the caves on the west side of Mt Cole, leave at 8am and be back at Wog Wog by 3pm, provided you move reasonably briskly. In wet weather some of the Mt Cole caves have nearby drips, but otherwise you can collect water while exploring Monolith Valley.

Alternatively, camp both nights at Bibbenluke and do a day trip to Monolith Valley. It's great to do this without a heavy pack. If you want to go beyond Monolith Valley and climb the castle too, it's going to be a long day.

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

Yeh if you want to do the castle on day 2 I'd camp at the mt Cole caves on both nights. As said above wog wog to Mt Cole in a day is fine. Recommended making day 2 a loop taking in m and Owen as well.

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[Kletterer]

Burrumbeet Brook is down to a trickle this weekend. Canowie running well.