Traversing the Narrow Neck ledges from Redledge to Rock Pile Pass

It’s only been a few weeks since my last visit to Redledge Pass; this time I’ve joined an Upper Blue Mountains Bushwalking Club walk, which will descend to Redledge Pass and then continue along a series of ledges to Rock Pile Pass – two of the 13 Narrow Neck passes. After meeting on Cliff Drive and consolidating cars, ny 9:15am our party of nine, led by Bill and Ruth, is heading down the Narrow Neck Plateau Trail. There are few other walkers around, although the carpark is already full.

We’re only on the firetrail for 1.5km, before taking the unmarked bushwalking trail that heads towards the western cliff-line of Narrow Neck.

Someone spots a native cockroach next to the track. There are 500 species of bush cockroaches in Australia – I don’t like any of them!

The track soon drops into a small gully formed by Corral Creek via a narrow and steep cleft, which has a one small drop.

Most of us make the very short detour to Lizard Leap Falls, a small but picturesque waterfall.

We cross the small gully, picking a route that takes us more or less directly across the creek to the base of the cliffs on the other side.

Redledge Pass

We’re now at the start of Redledge Pass (that’s the official spelling – it’s also called Red Ledge Pass), a historic pass used by miners to access the Megalong Valley in the 1860s, and before that an Aboriginal route from the valley to the top of Narrow Neck. The sheer cliffs stretch to the north to Diamond Head. Ruth confirms what I thought on my last visit; there is no viable route along the cliff-line between Diamond Falls and Redledge Pass.

By comparison, a wide and flat ledge provides easy walking along the cliffs to the south. The red-coloured Mount York Claystone, which gives Redledge Pass its name, is very obvious here.

As we reach the gap that provides a steep passage down to the historic Glen Shale Mine and the Megalong Valley, we take a short break. Multiple waratahs that I photographed on my last visit are still in glorious flower.

We continue along Redledge Pass, along another deeply undercut section of the cliffs.

On the cliff-face are an enormous number of Drosera binata, a species of “sundew”: they get their common name from the wet tentacles of mucous that cling to to the stalks on the plant’s surface. These stalks entrap insects that land on the plant, while the tentacles hold the prey until it’s absorbed by the sundew. It’s one of over 200 species of carnivorous plants in the Blue Mountains National Park, which is said to have the most diverse range in the world.

Our nice ledge abruptly ends, and we push through some light scrub as we continue along the cliff-line.

The next ledge is pretty impressive; the deep overhang frames a nice view to the north of the Narrow Neck cliff-line…

…and an equally nice view over the Megalong Valley to the south.

At the end of this ledge is what I would consider the “sketchiest” section of Redledge Pass; for a few metres the ground is sloping and covered in loose scree, requiring careful foot placement. (A slip would be painful and somewhat inconvenient, rather than fatal.)

Once across this slippery section, the ledge widens again to provide an easy route.

An overgrown gully brings to an end the almost continuous ledges we’ve been enjoying. There is no obvious track, so we push through the undergrowth before reaching the cliff-line again.

As we reach the next series of ledges, you can see the deep overhang in the cliffs on the opposite side of a small gully. Our destination – Rockpile Pass – is just around the next headland.

There’s no track as we traverse this second small gully, pushing through some thick scrub and crossing a small creek before we regain the cliff-line again.

This last section of ledges is pretty impressive, although the ledge we are on ends with a spectacular view – and a steep drop.

We backtrack a little – there is slightly dubious rope in place that you could use to drop down to a lower ledge – but it’s easier to descend via a gently sloping ramp that takes us below the ledge we were just on.

We round the last headland to reach Rock Pile Pass, which is named after a a heap of rocks that assists with the first scramble up (or down).

Before heading up to the top of Narrow Neck, a few of us continue a little further along the base of the cliffs, passing a climbers pass that provides an alternate to Rock Pile Pass. (This more direct route is arguably easier than Rock Pile Pass, and leads to a well-trodden path up to the Narrow Neck Plateau Trail.)

A trail continues along a nice ledge for a couple of hundred metres, before reaching the Farside climbing area, which offers 48 routes up the steep cliff face. We chat to a group of climbers before heading back to Rock Pile Pass. The alternative would be to continue on to Coachwood Pass / Mitchells Creek Pass, which involves a much more challenging traverse of the cliff-line.

Rock Pile Pass

This is one of the the most recently discovered Narrow Neck Passes, having been first documented by Graeme Holbeach and Don Rice from the Sutherland Bushwalking Club in November 1988. The first clamber up is awkward rather than difficult, and while some tape (or rope) makes it a bit easier, it’s not essential.

Once above the first scramble, the route continues along a very low ledge – which is again a little awkward, but not difficult to negotiate.

Surprisingly, there’s no real sign of a track, as we continue up the scrubby gully above the pass.

Despite being below Corral Swamp, the scrub is not too thick and the ground very dry (not a leech in sight!) as we head south across the Narrow Neck headland. We soon pick up the Climbers Track (which goes to the pass with fixed ropes), and find a rock outcrop to stop for lunch.

A rock platform at the edge of the cliffs offers a panoramic view over the Narrow Neck cliffs to the south, and over the Megalong Valley.

Almost directly below you can see the end of Redledge Pass under the cliffs, and out to the west is the Megalong Valley

After our lunch break, we follow the Climbers Track back up to the Narrow Neck Plateau Trail. The bushwalking track skirts around the edge of Corral Swamp through tall grass, before the flora gets a bit more scrubby as it nears the top of Narrow Neck.

The last few hundred metres of the trail passes a beautiful eucalypt forest which has a carpet of wildflowers; it reminds me of how the Blue Gum Forest used to be, before fires and floods changed it significantly.

We’re back on the Narrow Neck Plateau Trail by 1:45pm, for the easy walk back to our cars.

A very pleasant bushwalk with some great views, despite it being an overcast day. While these two passes are not the most difficult or challenging of the Narrow Neck passes, Rock Pile Pass is definitely one that is best tackled with someone that’s done it before!

Getting to Redledge Pass and Rock Pile Pass

Both Redledge Pass and Rock Pile Pass are reached via informal bushwalking tracks off the main Narrow Neck Plateau Trail – but the track to Rock Pile Pass (which is mainly used by rock climbers) goes to an alternate “pass” about 100m south of Rock Pile Pass. It’s definitely easier to do the loop in an anti-clockwise direction, descending Redledge Pass and ascending Rock Pile Pass. The Narrow Neck Plateau Trail starts at the locked gate along Narrow Neck, accessed from Cliff Drive via Glenraphael Drive. From Katoomba Station it’s a 4.8km (one hour) walk, or a short taxi trip.