A return visit to Hat Hill Canyon. It was supposed to be a trip down Claustral Canyon but recent rain made this unwise. None of the others had been down Hat Hill Canyon so this made it a good alternative.
Well! We found the creek quite high. The start of the first constriction was a churning sea of foam. It didn’t look to good to go down and perhaps with a big jump you could jump out past the white water – but it looked dangerous and the depth would be unknown.
We pfaffed around a bit, and eventually found a bypass route on a ledge on the true right. This took us right through the short first constriction – nice! But it was a little tricky in places, especially when the rock was wet and greasy after all the rain.
A similar thing happened at the start of the second constriction. Again no one in the party was keen to try getting down the first rapid. And again a bypass route was sought and found. This time a ledge on the left could be used to get to a pothole in the canyon wall. A tricky move, and you could climb down it and then jump the last metre or so into chest deep water.
Further downstream there was one more tricky section that could be climbed down by some deft bridging.
The creek between the second and third constrictions was as nice as I remembered. Easy walking down a nice open rainforest gully. The third constriction is the longest and best one. But it is also the easiest. No problem in high water. Nice.
We went down and back through the third constriction, then back a little further upstream to climb out. A cave near the exit route provided a great shelter from the rain for lunch.
Then back along the nice ridge back to Hat Hill Rd. Plenty of wildflowers made up for the lack of views – restricted by the mist.
More photos on my main website here.
Hi David. I have just looked at your photos and report for Hat Hill Canyon in January this year. It looks amazing! They are great photos. I had no idea it was so beautiful. You mentioned walking back up the third section to a cave and an exit route from there. Can you elaborate on that? Is it a common exit? I like the idea of going back through this section.
Mick O’Neill
Mick – its an easy exit, you really follow your nose. Not too long before the final constriction – you will notice a small creek coming in on your right. The exit goes that way. Just past it the creek starts getting steep – with a few things you climb around and then down – lots of boulders etc. The exit is at a flat section, and up a gradual slope – up a small gully, till you get to a cliffline. The cave is on your right, then exit path continues up your left as you face the cliff – all easy, only basic route finding to get on a bit of a spur (a little scrubby) – but not far to the track on the top of the ridge which goes back to Hat Hill and the road. See my earlier blog article about the canyon too.
Dave
Hi David, Me and my 16 yr old daughter have completed 2 beginners canyons (Wallangambe 1 & Grand canyon from the bottom up and back ie no abseiling). Would you consider this canyon at the same level as these in low water? Thinking of taking my 14 yr old son as well, it would be his first canyon.
Mark Sheppeard
As canyons go Hat Hill is quite easy and relatively strait-forward. But there is no track to follow on the way in and for the first part of the walk out. The first two constrictions have tricky starts – you have to climb down a waterfall – this is not too hard in low water but hard in high water. Between the canyon section – it can be a bit bouldery – you need to find your own way. Perhaps no harder than the boulder section in Wollangambe? Other easy canyons are – The Dry Canyon (aka Wolgan View) – very easy. The River Caves – very easy, Clatterteeth (Du Faurs Creek) – like Wollangambe, but perhaps easier?, other sections of Wollangambe, Rocky Creek is very spectacular and well worth visiting. I have seen parties with young children there – but it can be cold and there are a few places in the canyon, near the start, that you have to scramble. You may want to take a handline.
Dave
Thanks for the advice Dave. I still get worried about doing new trips into canyons. It’s the unkown I guess, so I try to research as much as possible before I go. I have track notes and a contour map so navigating should be ok. I will take a handling and borrow an EPIRB for extra safety. Your website and notes etc have been a great help. Me and my daughter get a great sense of achievment and satisfaction after doing a canyon. Hope to inspire my son as well. I aim to do the dry canyon with my family sometime in winter. Thanks again Mark.
Hey Dave, I will be doing this canyon Saturday (11/1/14). Thanks for the beta.