I was heading up the mountains with Bob for canyon. I had suggested visiting Claustral Canyon as I had not been down it this canyon season. Bob was happy to visit it too, but we had a forecast for afternoon thunderstorms, so I would not have too much time for photography.
Bob parked on the Bell Road and we followed the track to the canyon. An hour later we were at the first abseil, and not long later at the bottom of the abseils and in the Black Hole of Calcutta. Now it was time to unpack my camera from the dry bag and get my camera out.
Black Hole of Calcutta
Bob continued on to the Thunder Canyon junction while I photographed. The lighting was not ideal, but it was also not too bad. Fairly soft and there was a misty presence in the canyon that gave added depth. No sunbeams this trip.
I never tire of visiting this incredibly beautiful section of canyon – from the Black Hole to the Thunder Junction. It is a truly special place. But it is also a place that can quickly change in the event of a thunderstorm – so I didn’t take too long.
Bob was waiting patiently at the Thunder Junction, and we then continued on through this section of Thunder Gorge to the Tunnel Swim and beyond to the exit up Rainbow Ravine.
We climbed out and had lunch on he side of the Camels Hump, and then crossed the causeway and descended back down to the creek. Another 30 minutes took us back to the exit gully, and then a climb up that and around the spur back to the car. Arriving there about 3 pm.
On the last bit of the walk out we could hear thunder. But it was quite distant. The radar later indicated that storms hit the area around 5 pm.
More photographs of the canyon are online on my website here.
