A blistering hot Sydney day makes it ideal to head to the much cooler depths of a Blue Mountains canyon – or in this case, four non-technical canyons which enable a loop walk starting from the Fire Shed at Mount Wilson. (They are just a few of the Easy Canyons around Sydney which don’t require any abseils). Even better, we only encounter two other people on the entire day’s adventure.
Chinamans Hat Loop
Led by Peter, we ignore the most direct route to Joes Canyon, and head down Du Faur Rocks Road.
From Du Faur Rocks Lookout we can see much of our planned route; to the left (south) is Chinamans Hat and to the north-west is Joes Canyon and Du Faur Creek.
We continue along the top of the cliffs along the Chinamans Hat Track, with more views over the rugged ridges and canyons of the Blue Mountains National Park.
Chinamans Hat – a small rock outcrop with an knobbly ironstone cap – offers more views to the west and back towards Du Faur Rocks Lookout.
Soon after Chinamans Hat the track drops below the cliff-line, and follows the base of the impressively tall cliffs.
We continue all the way under the cliffs until we are below Du Faur Rocks Lookout, before the tracl ascends around Table Top Rock.
The track continues to Pheasants Cave, but we leave it here as we head down an unnamed ridge.
It’s easy walking down the ridge, with the undergrowth fairly light and occasional views over the canyon-ous country we are heading into.
We’re soon perched on a pagoda just above Joes Canyon.
Joes Canyon
One of the lesser-known canyons of the Blue Mountains until quite recently, Joes Canyon has for a long time been used as an exit from Bell Creek Canyon and Du Faur Creek (Clatterteeth) Canyon. It’s become increasingly popular as a “family friendly” canyon that’s easy to reach (we could have followed a signposted walking track down) while offering some narrow and spectacular slots.
It’s noticeably cooler in the creek, as we approach the start of Joes Canyon and pass the sea of ferns which conceal the entrance to Joes Canyon.
Although it’s a very short canyon, almosr the entire length consists of narrow passages, some with shallow pools of water.
Near the end is the narrowest of the passages, where backpacks are removed in order to squeeze through.
We soon exit the canyon, reaching a small pool and sandy beach where Joes Canyon meets Du Faur Creek. (From here you can could return through Joes Canyon and up the entry/exit track which meets the Wollangambe Track.)
Du Faur Creek Canyon
Upstream is Clatterteeth Canyon (or the upper section of Du Faur Creek Canyon, which is also accessed from the Mt Wilson Fire Station via the Bogey Hole Fire Trail and October Creek).
We continue down Du Faur Creek, alternating between very shallow sections of Du Faur Creek and waist-deep sections.
It’s very pleasant and easy walking along Du Faurs Creek, with no obstructions top deal with (yet)!
The first two (of four) swimming sections comes up after a few hundred metres. (Unlike Wollangambe Canyon, the section of Du Faur Creek Canyon which we’re doing only has a few short swims, and a lilo would be more hindrance than help.)
It’s a very picturesque section of Du Faur Creek Canyon, with the narrow sandstone walls towering above the creek.
We emerge from the swim into a cathedral-like setting, where Du Faur Creek has carved ou deep overhangs in the cliffs.
We’re soon back in a deeper section of the creek again, but it’s possible to wade through the chest-high water.
Another couple of hundred metres brings us to the next picturesque section of Du Faur Creek Canyon, where it meets Bell Creek.
Bell Creek Canyon
We are now heading down Bell Creek Canyon, but first we drop our packs and venture a short distance upstream, noting that the temperature of the Bell Creek water is noticeably colder than Du Faur Creek. We’re soon on our way again, wading under the tall cliffs on both sides of Bell Creek.
It’s not long before we reach next the next (short) swim, through a narrow section of Bell Creek Canyon.
At the end is another enormous, natural amphitheatre.
A short wade brings us to the rocky section of Bell Creek Canyon, which is only about 300m from the Bell Creek / Du Faur Creek junction.
Progress slows as we negotiate large and often slippery boulders.
A photogenic, turquoise-coloured pool at the end of the rocky obstacle course is the last (mandatory) swim for the day.
There’s a bit more pleasant creek-walking…
…and a few more wades, followed by some easy scrambling to avoid a few fallen logs, before we reach the end of Bell Creek.
Wollangambe Canyon Exit
Bell Creek flows into the Wollangambe River, just above the Wollangambe 1 section. Although much of the Wollangambe Canyon involves long swims, this very short section of the river is very shallow.
A crayfish watches us pass by (which according to a Google image search could also be a “WitnyStore Tiny 6″ Long Orange Red Gold Lobster Figurine”) just before we reach “The Beach”. Although there is no-one else here, this is one of the busier spots on the Wollangambe, being the entry point for Wollangambe 1 and the exit point for Bell Creek Canyon and Clatterteeth Canyon / Du Faur Creek Canyon (as well as being the exit for technical canyons including Geronimo Canyon and Why Don’t We Do It In The Road? Canyon).
The exit track ascends from opposite The Beach; the start of the trail is not obvious from the river, but it’s a well-defined and well-trodden track.
An informal vantage point offers a lookout over the Wollangambe Canyon.
Despite the day still being hot, it’s a fairly straighforward and not too unpleasant climb out which takes us about 1:45min… there are no really steep sections, just an unrelenting ascent through what Jack and Will aptly describe as the Never Ending Forest.
The last 700m is along a firetrail, which delivers us back to the Mount Wilson Fire Shed at about 4:30pm.
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Getting to Joes Canyon and (Lower) Du Faur Creek Canyon
Both the relatively short “out and back” trip to Joes Canyon and the longer Joes Canyon – Du Faur Creek Canyon – Bell Canyon – Wollangambe Canyon described here start at the Mount Wilson Fire Shed or Fire Station, which is on The Avenue in Mount Wilson. It’s a 7km (10min) drive from the Bells Line of Road and about 60km (an hour) from Richmond.
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