A night in the elements OR a trip that never was

[puredingo]

My original plan was to leave the wattle ridge car park, walk down the Nattia Rd, cross over beloon pass and basically loop around yerranderie to the millnigan access trail, crossing the Wollondilly and end up on the Wombeyan caves rd. But as the weather reports started to arrive with warnings of 40 degree days I decided to shorten the trip to not crossing the wollondilly and instead head up a fire trail under the Wanganderry walls where i would exit through the burnt creek trail up onto high range. As it turns out I neednt of bothered shortening anything as i didn't accomplish either trip and here's why.

Heading off by 6.45 in the comfortable morning cool i made good time down into the Nattai valley, after the first crossing which was easy enough as the river was moving quiet placidly i arrived at the second, confusingly the topo map tells you to cross here and follow a direct route through this flat but on advice from a forum member i knew to stay on the true left of the bank Which I did and before long I was on Vinyard flat and making my way over to the base of beloon pass.

After a rather decent break at the bottom of the pass i decided to head to the top, I'd take my time and have a dry camp which would give me ample time to make it to burnt flat creek by tomorrow arvo..what's that saying about best layed plans?. The sun was well and truely out by now as the clock hit 11.00 at the start of the climb and things were begining to heat up, i was still moving at a feasible rate until (I think) about halfway, where the track siddles the gully, It was about here i really started to knock up and feel the effects so I reasoned a spell was in order. Laying flat out looking skywards a big black cloud drifted over me, nice i thought, a bit of rain to cool things down...It rained for about 5 minutes and although it was a welcome relief to the heat the price i would pay in humidity would severly outweight the offering of momentary precipitation. By this time i had made it to the junction of the creeks where you stick to the left, but i had a decision to make, the air was as thick and sultry as I've ever felt, I had half a liter of water until morning and there was some serious storm matter brewing all around me.
Disappiontingly i headed back down the pass and by the time i hit the bottom i was COOKING! I forged quickly down the fire trail, stripped off and plunged into the relieving yet stinky saviour that is the Nattai river.

After a stint of nakedness that fat canyoner would be proud of i got out and set up camp on vinyard Flat at an already established site. It got hotter. By 5.00pm the heat in the valley was unbelievable and without a breath of wind there was no relief to be had so off to the river again. At 6.30pm i decided i better finally get out before yabbie feeding time and make my way back to camp..accompanied by about 40 billion flies which i assume were as thirsty as me and i looked like a walking icepole. Too hot to lay in the tent (even sans fly) I layed out on the ground and hung my cloths in various trees to dry...Then came the rain. In a instant a deafening clap of thunder echoed through the valley and heavens opened up as a torrent poured down upon me. Now forced into my one man oven of a tent all i could do is listen to the almighty sounds and catch glimps of the the lightening light up kilometers of the valley walls...If only i had a camera! but I guess the fact that it's something i witnessed alone and now it's locked in my memory makes it more personal/spiritual significance.

By morning I was up before the sun (although i hadn't actually slept) and with the merc predicted to head to higher levels i decided to bug out of the valley, back to the wattle ridge. Pulling on my absolutley drenched clothes i was expecting all sorts of blisters, chaffing and rashes...i wasn't let down. it was a slow but steady grind back to the car, my feet were totally shredded, my beanbag resembled something of a compost heap and my pack and all it's contents wet felt a tonne. I passed a mob of walkers heading into starlights as i reached the trail head and gleefully accepted a mouthfull of water of one kind member who informed me of the best news yet...My car was still in the car park!

Anyway, long story for not many klms covered but i thought somebody might find it interesting especially if you were out in that storm too.

Bye,
aaron.

[kanangra]

Aaron,

What an epic! Shame things didn't turn out as planned but it sounds like you made the right decision pulling out. Perhaps some other time we can return and complete your proposed trip? Great report though.

K.

[michael_p]

What a heart breaker! I feel for you puredingo. Nothing worse than having a trip fall apart in front of you. Good decision to pull the pin and turn around.

It's amazing how much heavier your gear is when it is wet and it's even worse when the humidity is so high that nothing dries (not to mention the lack of cooling when your sweat wont evaporate away either).

Thanks for the report.

Michael.

[FatCanyoner]

Sometime the trips that go completely awry and the most enjoyable. Easy walking is too similar to everyday life in civilisation. Dealing with the extremes, whether the weather, the terrain or the scrub, always makes things more memorable. That said, I don't envy you this walk! Not even with the skinny dip!!!

[puredingo]

Thanks for the replies fellas. I hope it doesn't come across like I'm whinging about the weather because it did make for some spectacular viewing and as you say FC a very memorable little overnighter. I'm more disappointed I didn't get the walk completed as it takes a bit of planning with 3 kids, work etc...
Yeah, K...I reckon the walk with somebody of your experience will be excellent but please, give me plenty of notice. When it comes to ground covered per day, to keep up with you I'll have to hire a personal trainer, get my hands on 5 pints of cheetahs blood and maybe a swarmi who can teach me to leave my body when I'm in physical dire straights...

And i forgot to mention in my report while i was having my break before heading up beloon pass i seen the BIGGEST lace monitor I've ever seen. And i mean seen on T.V, at the zoo or live. It was massive, like a small Komodo dragon or something. I tailed him around the scrub for a while and agained rued my decion not to carry a camera. Other than him i seen a smaller Goanna (the ones with the bright green bands?), 3 rabbits on the stretch between Vinyard and Colley flat and a black snake...and heaps of rain(but not whinging)...

[jackhinde]

poor bugger. at least you saw some reptiles, i tried to beat the heat by heading up to the 1200 metre mark by camping at coolah tops and all i got were a few frogs.

[WarrenH]

A good effort Mate and a very interesting read. The BOM's prediction is for a sweltering summer, so anything strenuous done outside over this summer, will be good effort.

For chaffing, have you ever used 'butt butter' aka chamois cream. It is a medicated anti friction cream used by cyclists, predominantly. I keep a 35mm film canister full of the stuff, in my medical kit. You'll not suffer again. It is brilliant and gives rapid skin repair relative to the level of chaffing. Even bad chaffing becomes quite tolerable. The moment you start to feel sore rub a bit on or even start the day with it on, if you think that you'll get hot and sweaty.

I like this one ...http://aussiebuttcream.com/


Warren.

[FatCanyoner]

I like this one ...http://aussiebuttcream.com/

My wife already jokingly calls us the gay canyoners... I'm not sure what she'd say if I was packing "Butt Cream" in my first aid kit!!!

[puredingo]

On a side note to this trip...On returning to the car on Saturday I'd noticed I noticed I dropped my GPS somewhere along the Nattai Rd but being 40 in the shade and the condition I was in I wrote it off to a loss and carried on my way home.

Yesterday, being Thursday I was in the area for work so I decided to don a pair of sandles as my feet are still too blistered for shoes and head down the road and see if the GPS had survived being found. And strike me down if I'm lieing there it was, smack bang in the middle of the road, just about where the creek that hugs the trail falls away to your left. STOKED!

That little exercise really rammed home the significance of pack weight. I cruised that walk in a little over 2 hours AFTER a day of work due to the unburdened feeling of only my own body weight to push up the hill. Maybe it's time for me to rethink some the "necessities" I lug on these walks?

[jackhinde]

so the nattai nearly claimed a second gps from you...

[puredingo]

Yep. although this one certainly would of been found and claimed by another human...The first one is probably stuffed deep into a platypus' nest by now and they're using it as big screen.

[jackhinde]

having just seen that you left your knife behind on beloon pass as well, i realise that it was due to your bad influence/presence that my sunglasses are still in the budawangs

[puredingo]

Yeah but don't forget although you sunnies are now condemed to the lost property basket of the budawangs it was also my unlucky influence that found YOUR gps which would be next to those sunnies in that basket....The irony!

Anything planned soon, something after chrissy maybe?