Carry on up the Colo #2

Colo River excursions are almost always big and unpredictable events. Over the years my bushwalking companions and I have been exploring some of the multitude of ways down to it and up again. Sometimes none of us have done the particular route before, and we tend to come across unexpected obstacles, like hard-to-negotiate cliffs, very thick scrub, or running out of daylight. Here's the link to a previous such adventure: http://www.sydneysapiential.blogspot.com.au/2014/11/carry-on-up-colo.html 

Last Sunday's trip was an excellent example of the genre. We  took the Grassy Hill Trail to Canoe Creek and hit the Colo River at a sharp and scenic bend.  Then it was about two kilometres down the river, to an escape route known as Pass 18, followed by a somewhat complex ridge-top return to the cars.

There hasn't been much rainfall of late, so progression down the river works best if you just wade down it. Mostly the sand is firm and makes for easy walking.

But what's this? Quicksand!

Suddenly progress wasn't so easy at all. Fortunately we've all watched 'Mythbusters', so we know we probably won't die. You avoid panicking, and to extract yourself you go onto all fours, and maybe crawl or slither out.

This lady lost her shoe. It stubbornly refused to get found again, and has been retained by the river as a memento of our visit.

This chap went in almost to his waist. He'd foolishly had his pockets full of things that didn't take kindly to getting wet - like his mobile phone.





                         (Photo credit: J Joseph)








By the time we'd climbed out the shadows were lengthening, and we still had many kilometres of unknown ridge-top bushbashing.

Somehow we didn't take too many false leads, and fortunately the maybe-there fire trail was in fact there. It was on an old map but not the new one. So we were able to complete the walk in the darkness.