This is my second time exploring the Asgard Plateau; my first Asgard Head to Ikara Head bushwalk visited all the heads (Asgard Head, Thor Head, Valhalla Head and Ikara Head) – but missed some of the most spectacular viewpoints. This version of the Asgard Head loop is done at a much more relaxed pace, and spends more time exploring the pagodas and magnificent Blue Mountains views. Led by Bob, our small group sets off from the carpark on Victoria Falls Road down the Asgard Swamp Track. Most of our walk today will be off-track, but it’s hard to completely avoid this firetrail, which is the main route to Asgard Head.
After about 1.4km, we veer off the firetrail onto a faint pad, which heads through the tall grass directly towards Asgard Head.
It’s easy walking and much nicer than the firetrail, with just one easy scramble as the footpad crosses a tributary of Asgard Brook.
Once we cross the creek, the trail more or less disappears, as we continue heading south-east towards Asgard Head. A small detour takes us onto the top of a small series of pagodas that form the beginning of the Asgard Head cliff-line.
From the top of this pagoda are the first of many views we’ll enjoy today, looking south towards Burra Korain Head.
As we continue ascending towards the top of Asgard Head, a second pagoda offers more great views towards the Grose Valley.
We’re soon near the southern end of Asgard Head, where there is a spectacular outlook over the Grose Valley. It’s one of the most breathtaking Blue Mountains lookouts I’ve visited, with sweeping views of some of the most dramatic cliff-lines of the Grose Valley. (Asgard Head was named by Myles Dunphy after the the dwelling place of the gods in Norse mythology, and comparable Mount Olympus in Greece.)
To the south-east you can see down almost the full length of the Grose Valley, with its many prominent landmarks including Mount Banks, Mount Hay Butterbox Point and Burra Korain Head.
Adding to the panoramic vista are the sheer, vertical cliffs that jut our perpendicularly from Asgard Head. Similar to the Instagram-famous Hanging Rock lookout the angular cliffs here are almost as impressive, and don’t involve a long and tedious “firetrail bash” to get there!
We slowly drag ourselves away from the views, and continue along the top of the cliffs towards the northern end of Asgard Head.
Despite the scrub that extends to the edge of the cliffs, there are a few more vantage points over the Grose Valley as we gradually descend.
A small rock cairn makes the short and steep descent to the Asgard Head walking track, which follows the base of the upper cliff-line.
Once on the Asgard Head track it’s only a few minutes to the more popular Asgard Head, which provides more views down the Grose Valley.
It’s not quite as spectacular as the views from the top of Asgard Head, but offers a similar perspective, including a birds-eye view of Victoria Falls.
After an early lunch, we return the Asgard Swamp Track which follows the base of the uppermost cliffs of Asgard Head. It passes the junction with a short but steep track down to the historic Asgard Mine, and then traverses the edge of Asgard Swamp.
Just after passing Asgard Swamp, we leave the track and start ascending towards an unnamed ridge via a series of pagodas.
From the tops of this series of pagados are more expansive views towards Burra Korain and the cliffs of the Grose Valley. It’s very enjoyable and easy walking, despite being off-track.
We soon emerge onto the Ikara Head Trail, which follows a long ridge between Valhalla Head and Ikara Head. (The name is a bit confusing as the ridge we are on has no name, but the Ikara Head Trail does provide access to Ikara Head via at least two routes).
Towards the end of the ridge, the trail descends via series of broad rock platforms to a broad headland that adjoins Valhalla Head. Or maybe it’s part of Valhalla Head? I’m not sure, but there is a small gully between this headland and Valhalla Head.
From the edge of the cliffs there’s a good view of Ikara Head on the opposite side of the deep valley, which Myles Dunphy called Broken Neck Gully (today it has no official name). Almost directly opposite is a slot in the sheer cliffs that provide one of the routes up to Ikara Head.
We leave the track again as we make our way to Valhalla Head to the east; of the five headlands named by Dunphy after Norse mythology (Asgard Head, Thor Head, Ikara Head, Valhalla Head and Odin Head), only Valhalla Head has no walking track. We bear towards a giant pagoda, as we cross the small gully that separates the headland we’re on with Valhalla Head.
It’s hard to resist scrambling up the northern side of the Giant Pagoda, which provides another great vantage point over Valhalla Head, looking towards the Grose Valley.
From the pagoda it’s fairly level and easy walking through low scrub and grassland as we follow a contour towards the southern end of Valhalla Head.
The outlook from Valhalla Head is not as spectacular as Asgard Head – but the views are complemented by contorted pagodas and rock formations that have been eroded by the wind. In Norse mythology, Valhalla is the place where slain Viking warriors were taken in the afterlife: “a banquet hall located in a palace in Asgard, the realm of the gods”.
From Asgard Head you can see all the way to the southern end of the Grose Valley, while Valhalla Head gives you a view of the northern end of the Grose Valley. Kamarah Ridge (or Kamarah Bluffs) and Koombanda Ridge is one side of the Grose River, and an unnamed headland on which the old Canyon Colliery is located on the other. So between Asgard Head and Valhalla Head, you can see the entire 20km length of the Grose Valley.
On the opposite side of the Grose Valley is Wilkinson Hill and the “Lunchtime Pagoda”, which stands out above the grassy terrain; the The Lookouts and Ledges of Wilkinson Hill bushwalk follows the top of this cliff-line.
An extract from Myles Dunphy’s Central Blue Mountains map shows how the three heads of the Asgard Plateau provide views along both directions of the Grose Valley, and into the “Grose Hook” directly below. (What is now named Ikara Head was originally called Bumba Yarka Head.)
We eventually re-trace our steps, re-crossing the small gully as we climb up to the Ikara Head Trail.
The rest of the walk is an easy stroll back along the Ikara Head Trail, which reaches Victoria Falls Road a few hundred metres north of our starting point.
It’s been a most enjoyable walk with some of the best views of the Upper Blue Mountains, although it wasn’t the bushwalk we originally intended to do. The plan was to head out to Venus Tor, but the gate along Mount Hay Road was locked – which NPWS hadn’t bothered to put on their Alerts page 🙁
Getting to Asgard Head and Valhalla Head
Both main trails which provides access to Asgard Head (and Valhalla Head) start from Victoria Falls Road, about 4km from the Great Western Highway at Mount Victoria. Victoria Falls Road is unsealed, but suitable for all cars. The trailhead is about 120km (1:45min drive) from Sydney and 20km (25min) from Katoomba.
More information
- Myles Dunphy – Map of Grose section of Central Blue Mountains [JPG]
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