BLUE MOUNTAINS – 21 December 2025
It used to be that I wouldn’t get out of bed for a day walk – well gone are those days, I can’t believe I just travelled 3 hours to the upper Blue Mountains to do Grand Canyon, and then travelled another 3 hours back home. And as nice as Grand can be, still cannot believe I did 6 hours travelling for a 1/2 day canyon. WTF is this my life now?(Apologies for my crap photos, didn’t want to risk getting my phone wet!)
David S was leading the trip and Rob C was along for the ride, I sort of couldn’t so no to canyoning with these legends. We started around 10.30am and got back to the cars probably around 4pm. We parked about 1k from the start of the track so that added on a bit of time. The walk down from Neates Glen is pretty easy but a lot of steps going down (and coming back up).
When we got to the large overhang where people used to be able to camp, we found the first of many water dragons that we would see during the day.
If it’s a hot day, this part of the track is welcomed, I was feeling a bit hot, so took the opportunity to wet my head. David & Rob in the photo.
David setting up the pitch (about 4 – 5m down to the overhang and then about 10m to the bottom of the creek. Note his Santa hat over his helmet!
David about to launch himself.
David belaying Rob.
David in the first swim.
Most of the canyon is walking and navigating your way through rocks and boulders, with the odd log jam thrown in.
We stopped for snacks beside this nice flat ledge.
Rob and me posing for David (thanks for this and following 2 photos David).
We were told to look out for a “tourist route” up onto a ledge where the tourists could look at the long pool heading up the canyon. There are steps chiseled into the rock face, and there’s evidence that a metal railing was set up so that the tourists could ascend safely.
I didn’t want to go up to the top so Rob very kindly posed for David, the tourists would have continued on (very dodgy looking) and then had a good view up the canyon.
Grand Canyon Track (and canyon), has a rich history dating back to its construction in 1907. It underwent a full restoration in 2017. The tourist track (the one built in 1907) parallels the canyon that we were going to be visiting. Where the canyon ends (for us) and a tourist walk continues down the creek , there are the remnants of the end of the Pilcher Point Walk. The track and associated lookout was most likely named after Charles Edward Pilcher (1844 – 1916), a Sydney barrister and politician. The original track was built by a skilled Scottish landscape gardener, Murdo McLennan in 1907 (Murdo was an employee of Mark Foy). This track from Medlow Bath to Grand Canyon would have been built by Mark Foy (owner of what was eventually known as the Hydro Majestic Hotel, and opened in 1904) so that his guests had some “sights” to see. I’ve walked the Pilcher Track a few times and every time I do I can imagine the ladies in their fine dresses either being carried from the Hotel in a small buggy and or walking the track. Cannot imagine how they made their way down the very steep slope to the canyon (maybe there was a ladder but no evidence of it now). And then they bravely followed a track to the lookout that you see above.
We finished the canyon and headed back up to Neates Glen. We had a short stop to catch our breath, David said I looked shattered resting on the railing.
The walk up all the steps back to Neates Glen was tedious. Too many steps for me, and too much of an ascent. I was sooooo pleased to get to the top of the steps and then walk the k back to David’s car.
I have to say that my thighs were complaining the next 2 days, very sore.
Big thanks to David and Rob for doing the trip, was a wakeup call to me (get fitter and do bigger trips!).