Holbeachs Descent By Michael Keats Walkers: Michael Keats, Graeme Holbeach, Brian Fox, Steve Deards, Col White, John Fox, Marion Davies, Judith Kowalski, Emanuel Comonos, Yuri Bolotin, Bob Seibright, Roger Clarke, Geoff Fox, Summer 2012 Keith Maxwell and Rose Maxwell. www.bushclub.org.au Holbeachs Descent is a parallel Walks Program Summer 2012 p. 13 sided slot pass through the Kedumba Walks Reports Spring 2012 p. 21 Walls cliff line. It was discovered in 1992 by Graeme Holbeach then a member of the Sutherland Bushwalking Club. Graeme joined The Bush Club in 2012. In 1992 he wrote: Email ‘This was…an exploratory walk. Walk submissions for the newsletter The intent was to drop into [email protected] Spring Creek from the east from Short notice walks Kings Tableland Road and follow [email protected] it down as far as we could without rope. I noted ‘approx GR Postal address 584 556 start of canyon’. From Walks Secretary there, it was up to the ‘false’ Lions Head (wrong placement on PO Box 95, Pymble Business Centre, 1st and 2nd editions of map). We NSW 2073 agreed to drop into and follow the creek between the false and real Lions Heads. Still only 11:40am, and scratching for things to fill in the rest of the day, I perused the map (or ‘comic’ as Web Information and the late Wilf Hilder repeatedly Notice Board called it) and decided to see www.bushclub.org.au what the slight cliff line anomaly shown on the map, 150m to the west and 70m higher, represented. We descended the gully encountered there to the base of the cliffs, then came back up. From this point, we headed north to intersect the cliff Please send anything you think will edge ridge.’ interest our members to When Graeme joined the club, he Judy O’Connor brought with him a body of knowledge [email protected] and experience about this area that had received little attention. The walks in the Jamison–Kedumba Valley tended to focus on Mount Solitary and the various Summer 2012 passes closer to the northern rim. There present walk, Holbeachs Descent, a had also been minor exploration of the total of six. valley floor. Mount Colong dominated the southern o when John Cooper, walks horizon, in the south west, Cloudmaker, secretary, persuaded Graeme to Rip, Rack, Roar, and Rumble were easy Sshare his knowledge and put the to see. Swinging more to the west the walk on the program, I immediately put sequence of Little Dingo Hill, Splendour my hand up. The prospect of missing Rock, Mount Dingo, Dingo Gap, Mount out was not to be entertained. John was Merrimerrigal, Warrigal Gap, Mount laid low by an injury and unable to lead, Warrigal and Mount Mouin appeared as but the walk went ahead on the basis an extension of Narrow Neck. It was that Graeme would to all intents and breathtakingly beautiful. purposes lead the walk. The writer looked after the paperwork and protocols for fifteen very happy Terrifying drop members. We came to a cairn marking the top of Lions Head Pass where there is a logbook, presumably completed by walkers up or down Lions Head Pass, as there is also a logbook on top of Lions Head. Lions Head is a small platform with a stunning view and was a perfect spot for morning tea. As we had made such good time we had a 15 minute indulgence before retracing about 30m and then heading due east into wild steeply sloping terrain. It was now Graeme’s role to pilot us down the slope, across a small gully, over a ridge and into that rather terrifying steep verticality that is Holbeachs Descent. he next 55 minutes were full on for concentration, use of ropes and T controlled sliding, or to quote Frank Benedeich’s colourful term, slithering. ________________________________ What’s that? …controlled slithering the best option The cliff line of Kedumba Walls, ________________________________ otherwise known as the western escarpment of Kings Tableland, over its 30km+ length from Wentworth Falls to There are sections where it is near McMahons Lookout, is punctuated by vertical, and plenty of other sections few passes into the Kedumba Valley. where controlled slithering is by far the Apart from the steep, and tortuous best option. Maintaining the lowest locked Kedumba Valley Road, there are possible centre of gravity was very reportedly twelve other negotiable desirable. When there was time to look, routes or passes. The ones familiar to Holbeachs Descent could be seen as a the writer are The Goat Track, Spring stunning, broad, parallel-sided slot, full Creek, Lions Head Pass, Kills Head of unstable rocks, great ferns and a truly Pass, Blue Drum Pass, and adding the amazing route through the Kedumba Summer 2012 Walls. We did not follow the descent all Knowing how steep Holbeachs Descent the way to the valley floor. However, as was to come down, it was decided to it breaches the cliffs, there is no reason attempt the unknown and sidle under to suspect it would not go all the way. the cliffs and Lions Head, ascending via the Lions Head Pass. This proved to be a challenging decision, with numerous The group assembled at the base for a ups and downs, and lots of ‘do it small side trip to Spring Creek Falls yourself’ body hauling over a variety of which are not shown on any map and obstacles. We stopped briefly on the may not be the only falls on Spring eastern side of the southwest spur Creek. Emerging from the confines of extension below Lions Head, while Brian Holbeachs Descent, we contoured east and Bob had a go at checking a vertical around the base of the cliffs. climb to the top of Lions Head. The feedback was they could possibly do it, s we rounded the first bluff, we however the rest of us may have some could hear falling water and see difficulties. A into a vast amphitheatre. The semi-circular arc of sandstone cliff was stunning, being at least 200m high and stretching for some 500m of curvature. The waterfall, from our vantage point, was more or less centrally disposed. It is an overwhelming site and a difficult one to photograph with a point-and-shoot camera. Our proximity also made it difficult to capture the full height and width of the vision. It was no easy walk to the falls, even hugging the base of the cliffs. The resilient plant species that had established itself was not going to yield to a few itinerant bushwalkers; it was a fight all the way to the base, and all the way back to Holbeachs Descent. Close With this option ruled out, we continued up, the falls are not so spectacular. They around the spur, only to find we were comprise a number of small falls, too high to continue. After a bit of back dropping short distances and separated tracking and dropping about 30m we by areas of rock. ended up on a fine dry rock outcrop with _______________________________ good valley views and an excellent sunny spot for lunch. It was also positioned above a short slot descent …it was decided to attempt the that would enable us to continue sidling unknown all the way, to where we would intersect with Lions Head Pass. ________________________________ unch was pleasant and there were a few protests when it came time At 11.35am, we were back at Holbeachs L to move. I must confess to being Descent where we had a brief tempted to stay longer. However, the discussion: should we go back up reality is that once the sun starts to sink, Holbeachs Descent and go exploring the the temperature can drop like a stone. ridge and some of the upper reaches of So just after 1pm we were back walking. Spring Creek? Or sidle around the base Movement on the western dry side was of Lions Head and climb the Lions Head easy in comparison to the sheltered, wet Pass? Summer 2012 forest of the eastern and southern sides. Bushfire… walker’s nightmare We almost raced along. especially if you’re only a promising gully was explored teenager which proved incorrect so the A journey north resumed for another 60m or so when the Lions Head Pass Next time you’re on Perry’s was found. It is so obvious and must Lookdown, pause a moment at the have a lot of traffic. About 40m from the plaque at the lower lookout point of intersection, there is a very large commemorating the loss of four rock, called the Orchid Battlement Rock, which can be climbed, and indeed young lives: climbed through.The name derives from two facts. One it is encrusted with Robert McIver 14 years orchids, and two, when you have Kevin Phillips 13 years crawled through a choke within the rock, you emerge onto a platform with side Richard Stephens 16 years pillars, or battlements. Peter Tonks 18 years Members of the Church of England Boys The top of the pass was reached at Society, Belmore 2pm. Roger, who was first to arrive, Who lost their lives in this vicinity in a filled out the logbook and included the bushfire on 30th November 1957 fact that the group had been down Holbeachs Descent, circled under Lions ver 50 years ago, on a Head before making its way up to the November day in 1957, a party top of the pass. We emerged onto the of nine cheery youths set out Kings Tableland Road just after 3pm.