BELL, BLUE MOUNTAINS NP – 12 November 2023
I wouldn’t have even know about this walk if I hadn’t seen an email from someone else saying they were going there, so it was in the back of my mind. And when, after the MSS AGM, we decided that a small Sunday walk would be nice, I put the walk forward. John G and Onni had done it before, so I wouldn’t even have to figure out where to go – bonus!
We set off around 9.30am, and made our way over to Bell. We were on a dirt road, one that I’d used many times to access various parts of the Wollangambe River, but I didn’t think I’d driven down this far before. On checking my map, I’d actually driven to within 400m of the Dargans Arch track, and walked from there over to Gooches Crater (and back). Must have been a long time ago!
The walk in was really easy, nice track, all downhill.
The last part of the track to the arch, was a little exposed, but if you were careful you’d be fine.
The guys on the arch, Jim C, Alan C, Owen J, Onni E & Bob H – Chris and I were taking photos. The arch is very impressive.
An image showing how wide the arch is. Apparently, rock climbers had bolted everything here and used to do a lot of climbing, but the rock isn’t that solid for bolting so all the bolts were removed.
Onni & Jim, looking up through where the roof of the cave had fallen many years ago, forming the arch.
We decided to descend into the small canyon (side creek), to see what was further on. We turned around when we got to the major side creek, a side creek of Wollangambe River which was about 1.5k downstream.
Petered out into nothing, but a good side trip nevertheless.
You can’t see him but Owen is up above us at the base of the cliff.
We did a bit of a circuit, and climbed this small drop (there’s a log there that you can’t see, it’s about a 1 – 1.5m drop).
Walking around the cliff base (where Owen had been standing for that other image, big drop off the edge).
Negotiating our way around a big drop (probably 10m but would hurt if you fell).
Further around, and you can see where the roof of this amphitheater had eroded away.
Then we were back at the arch and the tedious walk up the hill that we’d walked down. All up a 1.5 hour trip, and definitely worth the (minimal) effort, and blog-worthy. By 11.30am we were heading off to Pie in the Sky for lunch!
Thanks everyone for doing this minor walk with me. It hadn’t rated a spot on my wish list, but it was sitting in the back of my mind, waiting to be done (LOL).