WESTERN ARTHURS

[MJD]

Nice photo. Mind you it looks a lot steeper in my picture - clearly it's got easier over the years!

[ILUVSWTAS]

Nice photo. Mind you it looks a lot steeper in my picture - clearly it's got easier over the years!

Lol, erosion perhaps....

[MJD]

Two more action shots from years ago:

[ILUVSWTAS]

Awesome shots Mj!!
Love that first one, you look like your floating midair!!

[stepbystep]

MJD, I went up Procyon from the Orion saddle and this was the most difficult section I encountered in the range, it took me ages to figure it out, but I got there eventually......

[north-north-west]

In 2009 there were no cut steps or anything. Just a deeply eroded mudslide..... Handholds?? Yes, just grass or whatever low scrub you could reach.

Well, if you're as short as me you still need to use the scrub for handholds, but the cut steps do make it a bit easier. It would make an interesting slide, as most of it is vertical, just a few sections where you sidle left or right to the next drop.
It just looks absolutely impossible from the summit - one of those areas where I stopped and looked down and said "you have GOT to be *&%$#! joking!'.

[north-north-west]

Actually, Capricorn did take its toll, although I didn't realise it until afterwards, when I got down to the saddle and saw the nicely constructed stone steps leading up the slope on the other side. The laughter was 3/4s hysteria. And when you look back at the descent from further on, as in MJD's picture, it's hard to believe that there is a route down there that doesn't involve ropes.

[stepbystep]

A video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWUE-ByJTBA
The winter is starting to bite....

[north-north-west]

You're a cruel man, Danny boy.

Also an absolute nutter. I was up on Wedge that Friday, watching the waves of snow (and hail! at Junction Creek!) crossing the SW and was soooo glad not to be out under it:

[ILUVSWTAS]

Thats awesome Dan, just awesome!

Gotta say though, your a VERY naughty boy for crossing Junction creek by yourself when it's flowing like that!! Wowee man.... I wont tell your wife about THAT!

[stepbystep]

You're a cruel man, Danny boy.

Also an absolute nutter. I was up on Wedge that Friday, watching the waves of snow (and hail! at Junction Creek!) crossing the SW and was soooo glad not to be out under it:

HaHa, it was just a bit of hail, better than rain, if the EXIF data from your pic(which is fantastic, and now saved to my PC) I was arriving at Cygnus about then

Thats awesome Dan, just awesome!

Gotta say though, your a VERY naughty boy for crossing Junction creek by yourself when it's flowing like that!! Wowee man.... I wont tell your wife about THAT!

stepbystep Mr H.

PS sorry about the dodgy camerawork, not my forte I'm afraid That was virtually every bit of vision I took for the trip, nothing beyond Haven Lake....

[juju]

A video here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWUE-ByJTBA
The winter is starting to bite....

lovely!takes me there with emotion... and the accompanying song!- credits? Love to read the words...Julie

[Nuts]

There are only so many ways to heap praise on photos and people sharing them (so i usually dont bother). Nice ones though Dan, and your short vids are something different (I like your musical choices).
junction Creek did look like fun? Why nothing past Haven (edit)?

[stepbystep]

Cheers nuts, didn't have the headspace for filming and was frustrated with the camera(gopro) has a nice wide angle on it, but it doesn't have a zoom function or iris control and no view finder, so I got a lot of wonky horizons. Would be cool to strap it on your head and record continuously for the full traverse then speed it up to a track like fangin' hoons....

The videos are a good distraction from my work, making videos

juju, artist is Xavier Rudd, song is 'Breeze' off the Koonyum Sun album - he is a brilliant artist and fantastic live if you get the chance.

'Breeze'

You will breeze in, fresh air that you are,
They will inhale you deep into their lungs.
They will exhale you as far as you may go
and you will touch their souls.

Imagine yourself floating away,
imagine the tiniest little pixie people
rubbing lotion into your face
Imagine your feet had never touched the earth
Imagine you are flying above the whole human race
just gliding above it all.

You will breeze in, fresh air that you are,
They will inhale you deep into their lungs.
They will exhale you as far as you may go
and you will touch their souls.

Imagine you were dreaming in a bed
of fresh green leaves
and you awoke to a shining sun
the good people of the world all free.

You will breeze in, fresh air that you are,
They will inhale you deep into their lungs.
They will exhale you as far as you may go
and you will touch their souls.

Now you're leaving home
ya got ya business to do
hollow as an old log and I'm thinking of you
so many times and years
well they seem so much less
we were truly blessed!

You will breeze in, fresh air that you are,
They will inhale you deep into their lungs.
They will exhale you as far as you may go
and you will touch their souls.

[north-north-west]

Gotta say though, your a VERY naughty boy for crossing Junction creek by yourself when it's flowing like that!! Wowee man.... I wont tell your wife about THAT!

It was much the same when I went through the next day. Except the hail. Definitely no hail. Just a nice blue sky.
And a quoll. Who, for some reason, gave me an absolutely filthy look after he got a whiff of my wet boots and socks and gaiters sitting out to dry.

[juju]

thanks step by step, beautiful words, lovely pics too (your stills) by the way. My hubs getting a gopro, are you happy with it? Julie.

[melinda]

Seems to me that the Western Arthurs is the sort of place that you just can't get out of your system.
My mates are talking about going to NZ next year, and I'm like, 'No, no, lets go back to the Arthurs!'
Every time I see more beautiful photos here, an incredibly strong yearning starts again.
It hurts!

[Nuts]

Would be cool to strap it on your head and record continuously for the full traverse then speed it up to a track like fangin' hoons....

very Cool, yes

[stepbystep]

....My hubs getting a gopro, are you happy with it? Julie.

I just borrowed it from a friend, but have used it a fair bit. It has remarkable picture quality for what it is. They now make a clip on LCD viewfinder which is really handy for getting the horizon straight. My biggest issue is the lack of ability to reframe(zoom in/out). Really good for kayakers/surfers, they make various mounts for these uses etc

Seems to me that the Western Arthurs is the sort of place that you just can't get out of your system.
My mates are talking about going to NZ next year, and I'm like, 'No, no, lets go back to the Arthurs!'
Every time I see more beautiful photos here, an incredibly strong yearning starts again.
It hurts!

I'm hearing you.......

[Son of a Beach]

Seems to me that the Western Arthurs is the sort of place that you just can't get out of your system.
My mates are talking about going to NZ next year, and I'm like, 'No, no, lets go back to the Arthurs!'
Every time I see more beautiful photos here, an incredibly strong yearning starts again.
It hurts!

Sounds like your suffering from Arthuritis!

[melinda]

Yeah Nik,
Bad case of it.
I'm guessing stepbystep may be too!
Melinda