David Noble (SUBW). ©
David
Noble
This article was originally
published in the Bushwalker
Mt Paralyser is one of the major peaks of the Southern Blue Mountains. The analysis presented here is from a logbook that spanned a period of nearly 12 years from 1980 to 1991. An earlier logbook on the peak was analysed in an earlier edition of this newsletter (Newsletter of the Bushwalkers of NSW, Vol 6 No 1 (Aug 80)) This present book shows that on average, about 70 bushwalkers (or about 19 parties) visit the peak in a year. Combining figures with the earlier book shows that this number has been fairly constant since at least 1975.
From the present book, about 65% of the walkers who visited the peak identified themselves as belonging to a bushwalking club. This figure seems to be remaining fairly static over the period (except for a sharp decline in 1985). Visitation is all year round with noticeable declines in the hottest months (very few visitors in February) and a smaller decline in the middle of winter. Mt Paralyser seems to be favoured by smaller parties. Nearly a quarter (24%) of the parties that visited the peak consisted of solo walkers. Another 24% of the parties only had only two members.
When looking at the tables, you
need to
realise that the data for 1980 and 1991 is for incomplete years. As
well during
one year in the late 1980’s, the Guouogang and Paralyser logbooks were
swapped
by Dr Tony A. Norman Jr of SUBW as
a joke. A later SUBW party restored the logbooks on a trip that
involved two crossings
of the Whalania Gorge.
