JOURNAL
JOURNAL
WILD BLUE MOUNTAINS
UPPER WOLLANGAMBE 14 May 2023 This was a short-notice club walk on Mother’s Day which promised not to be well-attended. I like this area so I went. The bush is slowly regenerating but has not returned to its fomer glory yet! Submarine Rock was there and did not disappoint! As we made our way towads the Wollangambe River, Lizard Rock took shape! There was a discussion whether this was more Turtle than Lizard! A short steep descent to the Wollangambe […]
HYDRAULICS ASSESSMENT 13 May 2023 We had a few people from the hydraulics course who needed to complete their assessment.One of the participants needed to draft from the Cat 1. We built a makeshift buoy wall using a tarp and ladder. It all worked out fine and the participants passed!
BOWENS CREEK – RED HILL RIDGE 10 May 2023 Red Hill Ridge: Part Deux! The approach this time was from the Bells Line of Road down to Bowens Creek and up a gully. The vegetation was thick but became sparse once we were descending the hill. We were able to see the hills we traversed on Red Hilll Ridge two weeks ago. The map indicated a possible way down to creek. After a cup of tea, we walked down to […]
LAND SEARCH – DAY 02 6 May 2023 Day 02 of the search: we were sent not far away from the area we searched the day before. The pines were younger and the vegetation was thick. We did maintain our line however! Less mushroom in this forest! The second tasking was in regular bush in National Park and it was easier (and more enjoyable) to search! We finished with a short steep hill and back to the staging area where […]
LAND SEARCH – DAY 01 5 May 2023 Emergency volunteer services were called for a three-day search. Our team searched an area of pine forest. The terrain and vegetation were easy and we completed out two taskings. The forest floor was covered with mushrooms. At the end of the day, the Rapid Relief Team had a coffee cart: it was too late for a coffee for me but the hot chocolate was a treat!
BURRAMOKO CANYON 3 May 2023 It was not a dark and stormy night but a very windy day! The side creek we visited on the Crayfish Creek walk was the object of our attention: since it is on Burramoko Ridge near Burramoko Head, it was called Burramoko Canyon! We left the fire trail and soon had our first views of the canyon. Even down the slope the wind was murderous. There were no easy way down to the creek and […]
RED HILL 25 April 2023 Red Hill track is a trail in Mount Wilson that leads to the power lines. The end of the track overlooks the south branch of Bowens Creek. It is always interesting to get a bird’s-eye view of the canyons you have visited! The cliffs at the end of the ridge following Bowens Creek looked interesting! Harold had been on the ridge a few years back but had been stopped by the vegetation. So we decided […]
SHOULD I USE THE DECLINATION ADJUSTMENT ON MY COMPASS? 20 April 2023 High-end compasses have an adjustable declination correction: once set to the local magnetic declination, the compass can be used with a map without having to do the conversion between magnetic and true or grid bearings. Click here if you forgot what Magnetic Declination is! ADJUSTING THE MAGNETIC DECLINATION HOW IS IT DONE? Setting the declination on a compass varies from brand to brand. Usually it requires an adjustment […]
SHARPS PASS TO CANYON COLLIERY TRAIL 18 April 2023 We are back in the Norse Gods playground! The intention was to descend into the Grose Valley via Sharps Pass discovered by a member of the All Nations Bushwalkers Club. From a distance the cliffs in the Blue Mountains look impassable but I am always amazed at the number of passages that can get you through the cliffs. After reaching what I privately call Baldr Head, we headed through the pass. […]
HYDRAULICS PRACTICE 16 April 2023 Bernard had organised a practice session at Lawson RFB as the hydraulics assessment looms large! The weather was cooperating for a change: bright sun and little wind! It also helped that we were in the mid-mountains…. The soon-to-be assessed members practiced closed-relay pumping between two cat 1 trucks. Meanwhile the branch operators had fun doing some hose and branch work.
