Pdf Mount Banks and Banks Wall August 2020

Mt Wilson Mt Irvine Bushwalking Group Volume 30 Issue 9 September 2020 MOUNT BANKS AND BANKS WALL TOPIC named Mount Banks after his OUR AUGUST patron and benefactor Sir Joseph Banks. WALK The following day, with MOUNT BANKS SUMMIT, provisions running low, the BANKS WALL and RETURN party headed for home. Caley via FIRETRAIL pleased that he had reached Friday 21st August 2020 Saddle Hill (Mt Banks) and that he had been able to collect Thunderstorms and heavy rain thirty new botanical specimens lashed the northern face of the to be sent to Sir Joseph Banks; mountain as four walkers sought the three ticket-of-leave men shelter in a cave at the base of the simply pleased to be heading prominence. These four walkers home. were not part of our group but were an exploratory group who Spring in the Bush Leap forward two hundred and set out two hundred and sixteen sixteen years and fourteen years ago to venture further into walkers gathered not far from these parts of the mountains than any other that cave used by Caley’s party. We were Europeans. spared the thunderstorms and heavy rain but very strong winds were blowing; showers George Caley, a self-taught botanist, and three looked imminent. We welcomed Corina ticket-of-leave convicts, ‘three of the strongest Douglass, a friend of Merren Dargan, who was men in the colony, accustomed to live in the joining us for the first time and headed off on woods’ had spent twelve days battling their the Mt Banks Summit Track. We passed the way from North Richmond. On the second day Caley memorial stone which once held a of the expedition Caley set a compass line on bronze plaque detailing his journey but of Tree Fern Hill (Mt Tomah) which he was course that was stolen by some low life many determined to follow. Unfortunately this years ago. meant the party had to descend into and climb out of many deep valleys and ravines making The track initially climbs through what used to it a very tough journey. That is reflected in be a corridor of Banksia, Tea-tree, place names he ascribed: Dark Valley, Devils Drumsticks, Conesticks, Mountain Devil and Wilderness, Skeleton Rocks, Gaping Gill, other vegetation but the fire of last summer Dismal Dingle. put paid to that, we now walked past the burnt remnants of heath. Yet, as is the nature of the So, on Thursday 15th November 1804, Caley mountain flora, vibrant coloured new growth left his three now rather disgruntled sprouts from charred stumps and lignotubers; companions sheltering from the elements, and red, green, crimson, pink and gold emblems of climbed to the summit of the mount, which he renewed life. 2 Mt Wilson Mt Irvine Bushwalking Group Initially we were protected to some extent My decision to wait here was the result of a from the wind but as we climbed onto the brain explosion on my part. I have been to the lower flanks of the mountain we were buffeted summit many times and the views have been by strong gusts. From this area we could look very limited because of the regrowth since the down onto the fire trail we would use on our line of sight trig station has become redundant. return journey and across to Mounts Charles, Of course I didn’t take into consideration the Bell and Tomah. Hidden among the ridges in recent fires did I; they have opened up the the foreground are the deep ravines and vistas from the summit as evidenced by a canyons which proved to be impassible photo Simon sent to me which he took from obstacles for Caley. The profile of Mount the vicinity of the cairn. Wilson sat on the skyline in the distance. The photo shows a clear vista of Blackheath Soon we arrived at a point where the track Walls stretching to Perrys Lookdown, then skirted around the eastern side of a rocky across Govett Gorge to the cliff lines outcrop; a perfect place to pause for morning stretching from Du Faur Head past Lockley tea protected from the wind. A beautiful Pylon and Fortress Hill to Carne Wall and rainbow framed the view toward the Upper Griffith Taylor Wall at the head of Govett Grose Gorge from just above this outcrop. Gorge, with the wooded talus slopes leading down to the line of Govetts Creek. A Micheal Ihm distributed slices of his wife magnificent view indeed; sorry I missed it. Beth’s version of Libby’s Bushwalker Cake; moist and delicious, many thanks Beth. The trig point is known as King George, one thousand and sixty two metres above sea level. Allan and Jeanie, who had only intended This is in deference to the identity crisis accompanying us for a short distance, decided suffered by Mount Banks since European this would be a good point to depart as the settlement. It was initially known as Saddle weather began to close in, they set off back Hill when viewed from high points on the down the slope to return to their car. western fringe of the colony; Caley of course The timber steps along this track must have named it Mount Banks in 1804. Hamilton also been burnt in the fire for they have been Hume, when he discovered the route across beautifully refurbished. what is now known as The Causeway in 1827, As we climbed higher on the mountain flank named it Mount King George. Submissions we were exposed to stronger wind, forceful were made in the early 1900s to have the name enough to blow the proverbial dog off its changed back to Caley’s original but it was chain, and intermittent squally showers swept not until 1966 that it was officially reinstated. across the landscape. Soon there was a With the rest of the group back from the dramatic change to the vegetation as we summit we followed the footpad through lush moved from sandstone country to the richer ground ferns, recovered from the fire, around soils of the basalt cap. We moved out of to the eastern side of the mount where we heath-land into open woodland where the were protected from the winds; the skies by charred tree trunks were sprouting epicormic now were beginning to clear. Soon we were at shoots; the glossy new leaves a kaleidoscope the old picnic area site where there used to be of colour. remnants of a couple of wooden tables; all that We reached the point where there is a track remains now are charred stumps of their legs. junction; straight ahead leads a short distance The track then emerged onto a formed fire to the summit, to the left leads down to the fire trail, initially somewhat overgrown, which led trail to Banks Wall. I decided with two others us down to the fire trail that leads around to to wait here while the rest of the group carried Banks Wall. From here there are views across on to the large basalt cairn on the summit. to Mount Hay and the Butterbox. This track meanders through exposed open country yet 3 Mt Wilson Mt Irvine Bushwalking Group dips down a few times into moist little gullies, Thor Head. On the near side of the gorge the passes a large termite mound and, unlike me, visible cliff line stretches past Walls Lookout, suddenly arrives at the cliff edge which is Rigby Hill and Liversidge Hill. Banks Wall. There are so many venues we have visited on Shortly after passing the termite mound my walks over the years in evidence from this knee felt like it had been white-anted so I cliff edge vantage point. decided to pause, have lunch and await the Banks Wall; the cliff directly below the group’s return. Simon, despite my group’s lunch spot, is the highest in the protestations that he should continue, kindly mountains. Four members of Sydney waited with me. Rockclimbers, Owen Llewellan, David Roots, I was pleased to see that the cloud cover had Russ Kippax and Enn Truupold were the first lifted and the mist had risen from the valley to to make a successful assault on the cliff face in give the group a clear view of what must be 1952. There is a photo, in Andy Macqueen’s one of the most magnificent panoramas in fabulous book Back from the Brink Blue Gum these mountains. I shall draw on my memory Forest and the Grose Wilderness (a must read and photographic records of previous visits to for anyone interested in bushwalking in, or the describe the commanding vista. history of, these mountains), of these four taken after their climb, sitting on the basalt Arriving at the cliff edge at Banks Wall sets rock cairn on the summit of Mount Banks. off an explosion of the senses; the grandeur of (Coincidentally, I briefly crossed paths with the scene before you is overwhelming. Enn Truupold when we both worked at The Straight ahead is the view up Govett Gorge Electricity Commission of NSW; had no idea bounded by glorious sandstone cliffs sitting then of his rockclimbing prowess.) atop the talus slopes. Govetts Leap Brook and Erosion and vegetation destruction caused by Govetts Creek converge at Junction Rock abseiling and climbing since that first climb forming a shallow vee in the wooded talus in has resulted in the National Parks and Wildlife front of Carne and Griffith Taylor Walls. Service removing all anchorages and the area Govetts Creek then meanders down the base has been closed to climbers since 1996.

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