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+===== Descent of Hay Creek Canyon =====
+By Dot Butler
+How many people, spending a lazy weekend at Bluegum Forest, realise what a terrific opportunity for excitement and adventure lies waiting for them just around the corner, so to speak. All these
+years of Bushwalking and the Club is only just becoming aware of Hay Creek Canyon!
+It was Evelyn's official walk, but as Mick was the only one who had been there before, he took over the responsibility in the Canyon - an excellent arrangement.
+Evelyn ushered twelve of her starters down from Perry's in the dark hours of Friday night. Helen, the lucky- thirteenth, was at a party and was going to come up on the paper train and meet us early next morning at the Pinnacles, on the way to Hay Creek.
+We camped about midnight in the Forest, filled with the good intention of rising early, but you know how good resolutions have a way of evaporating overnight. During breakfast preparations there were a few pangs of conscience as one or another thought of Helen waiting up top for her party, but even that didn't seem to increase the speed of their champing jaws. However, some time after 8 am we were on our way, carrying only ropes and a jumper and a packet of lunch each. We followed the track up and over Lockley's Pylon, and then headed off through the scrub towards a convenient entry to the Canyon. Helen was duly collected coming down the ridge to meet us. She had been waiting some hours and was wondering what had become of us. She informed us blithely that she had no lunch - a crow had got off with it, paper bag and all. She saw the thief shake off the paper bag in mid-flight, but her luncheon roll she never saw again. We tested her reflexes to see if she was in a fit state to do the trip, and in spite of some misgivings decided we'd chance it and take her with us.
+At last we came to a shallow gully which was the place to enter the Canyon. It was quite easy going along its bed, and we found ourselves wondering when we were going to come to the really hairy places hinted at by Mick. About lunch time we encountered the first obstacle - a deep pool enclosed by walls of black rock - the obvious place to stop and eat if you planned to have your sandwiches dry, because a swim seemed inevitable. However Dot pioneered a way round the rock wall on the left hand side, and was followed by Wendy and Snow and George, and later by Rona and Robert the Duncan. This dividing of the party also meant people were separated from their lunches, but with true community spirit each ate some lunch, either his own or someone else's, and even no-lunch-Helen was catered for. Lunch finished, the advance party sat on rocks of a tributary watercourse and watched the rearguard making a tough descent from their first pool by abseiling down a 15 ft rock wall. Nick and Ben were organising the show, and it looked as though Lyndsey and Helen weren't finding it too easy. However at last they were down and the party was all together again.
+The water in the canyon had now gathered speed and urgency. The full volume was roaring into a deep black chasm
+blocked by a bulky chock stone the size of a large tombstone, and it was on this precarious perch, vibrating ominously under the impact of the water's blows, that the whole party had to assemble in order to negotiate the next hazard. Dot climbed down to have a preview, and the full horror of the situation burstupon her: a great dark twisted chasm, the bottom of which could not be sighted, its walls black and slimy and utterly devoid of toe holds, made even more hazardous by the water pouring down it and leaping out as a waterfall which disappeared in a white flurry into the cryptic depths. Are we really going to inveigle inexperienced abseilers into that! Putt's 250 ft nylon rope doubled for abseiling will just get a person down to yon small ledge under the waterfall, but what hidden problems lie beyond? Still, Mick was confident the party could do it, and his optimism won the day. Some previous climbers had left a great thick hawser tied to the chockstone. It had been lying in the water for who knows how long and it was frayed in places, but we decided to use it as a safety rope for what it was worth, to give the illusion of security to our beginners as we directed them over the undercut rim of the chasm. Snow was asked to go down first and wait on the ledge some 100 ft below to catch the beginners as they came down - or merely to give them courage by his presence. (We didn't notice whether he had his rum bottle in his parka pocket, but we hoped so as the first hour slipped by and bodies were still descending.) We sent the girls down first, and the courage and trust of these young untried lasses was really touching. "Go on, over you go Foxa. I've got hold of the safety rope". "Get started Rona; it's just cat's smeat". "Down you go Lyndsey; Snow's waiting down there to receive you when you reach the ledge." One at a time Mick organised them down as on a conveyor belt to the jumping off place. Dot tied the safety rope round their waist, and with words of encouragement each was duly despatched.
+Then it came to the boys turn. Snow, still crouching on his ledge with the waterfall pouring on to his parka-hooded head, was amazed to find the water suddenly changed course and instead of pouring down on his head it now came down in two parallel chutes on either side of him. An astounded glance upward revealed the reason - the Dalai was coming down horizontally instead of vertically. The waterfall hit him in the middle of the back and was deflected off his body via the head and feet. Wonderful ! Only the Dalai could think up that variation.
+Carl, complaining that everyone should know he was not a climber, went down without a hitch. When George and Ben reached the ledge they saw the rest of the party swimming through the water of the deep narrow gorge. Surely it should be possible to avoid an icy bath by progressing along above the water with feet on one wall and hands on the opposite -wall. It was worth a try anyhow, but as the walls got wider apart they finished up swimming like the rest. Finally Dot and Mick came down and the abseil rope was pulled down. Poor Snow, almost congealed into an icy mass, vacated his post under the waterfall after nearly two hours, and swam stiffly to the  opposite end of the pool. Someone who showed a tendency to sink was saying it was all Helen's fault; she drank so much liquor at the party that alcohol was seeping out of all her pores, thereby lessening the surface tension of the water and making floating more difficult. Helen, who was doing a bit of sinking herself, hotly denied this. She had purposely drunk nothing but orange juice.
+A bit more rock clambering, rope work and swimming and then we were out in a wider section of the gorge. Quickly the boys lit two fires and we all stood around thawing out and drying our clothes. Rona's waterlogged jumper, however, remained stretched below her knees like a fashionable sack-suit.
+The rest of the gorge was just a walk out now, and we all scooted back to Bluegum Forest by dark and told Heather the highlights of the trip.
+The Outward Bound instructors are keen to co-operate with Rock Climbing Clubs in classifying all the climbs we do. Let it be put on record that Hay Creek Canyon is in the super severe class, XXX and three stars and see that you're insured.
-DESCENT OF HAY CREEK CANYON.
-- Dot Butler.
-How many people, spending a laq7 weekend at Bluegum Forest, realise What a terrific opportunity for excitement and adventure lies waiting for them just around the corner, so to speak. All these
-years of Bushwalking and the Club is only just becom-
-ing aware of Hay Creek
-Canyon!
-It was EIelyn's official walk, but as Mick was the only one Who had been there before, he took over the responsibility in the Canyon - an excellent arrangement.'
-r,
-k't
-Jjj
-Evelyn ushered twelve of her starters down from Perry's in the dark hours of Friday night. Helen, the lucky- thirteenth, was at a -party and was going to come up on the paper train and meet us early next morning at the Pinnacles, on the way to Hay Creek.
-We camped about midnight in the Forest, filled with the good intc,ntion of rising early, but you know how good resolutions have a way of evaporating overnight. During breakfast preparations there were a few pangs of conscience as one or another thought of Helen waiting up top for her party, but even that didn't seem to increase the speed of their champing jaws. However, some time after 8 a m. we were on our way, carrying only ropes and a jumper and a packet of lunch each. We followed the track up and over Iockley's Pylon, and then headed off through the scrub towards a convenient
-entry to the Canyon. Helen was duly collected coming down the ridge to meet us, She had been waiting some hours and was wondering -what had become of us. She informed us blithely that she had no lunch - a crow had got off with it, paper bag and all, She saw the thief Shake off the paper bag in mid-flight, but her lurrheon roll she never Saw again. We tested her reflexes to see if the was in a fit state to do the trip, and in spite of some misgivings decided we'd chance it and take her with us,
-last we came to a shallow gully which was the place to enter the Canyon, It was quite easy going along its bed, and we found oIrselves wondering When we were going to COMB to the really hairy places hinted at by Mick. Lbout lunch time we encountered the first obstacle - a deep pool enclosed by walls of black rock - the obvious place to stop and eat if you planned to have your sandwiches dry, because a swim seed inevitable. However Dot pioneered a way round the rock:wail on the left hand side, and was followed by Wendy and Shaw and George, and later by Rona and Robert the Duncan. 'This dividing of the party also meant; people were separated from their lunches, but with true community spirit each ate wme lunch, either his own or someone else's, and even no-lunch-Helen was catered for. Lunch finished, the advance par-by sat on rocks of a tributary watercourse and watched the rearguard making a tcugh descent from their first pool by abseiling down a 15 ft. rock wall. Nick and Ben were organising the thaw, and it looked as though Lyndsey and Helen weren't finding it too easy. However at last they were dawn and the party was all together
-again.
-The water
-in the canyon
-had now gathered
-speed and
-urgency, The
-full volume was
-roaring into a
-deep black chasm
-blocked by a
-bulky chock
-stone the size
-of a large tondo-
-.
-stone, and it was on this precarious perch,
-vibrating ominous-
-ly under the impact of the water's blows, that the whole party had to assemble in order to negotiate the next
-hazard. Dot
-climbed dawn to
-have a preview,
-and the full
-horror of the
-situation burst
-S.
-upon her: a great dark twisted chasm, the bottom of which could not be sighted, its walls black and sliqy and utterly devoid of toe holds, made even more hazardous by the water pouring down it and leaping out as a waterfall which disappeared in a white flurry into the cryptic depths. Are we really going to inveigle inexperienced abseilers into that! Putt's 250 ft. pylon rope doubled for abseiling will just get a person down to yon small ledge under the waterfall, but what hidden problems lie beyond? Still,. Mick: was confident the party could do it, and his optimism won the day. Some previous climbers had left a great thick: hawser tied to the chockstone. It had been lying in the mater for who knows how long and it waS frayed in places,
-but we decided to use it as a safety rope for what it was worth, to give the illusion, of security to our beginners as we directed them over the umderaut rim of the chasm. Snow was asked to go down first and wait on the ledge some 100 ft. below to catch the beginners as they came down - or merely to give them courage by his presence. (ffe didn't notice whether he had his rum bottle in his parka pocket, but we hoped so as the first hour slipped by and bodies were still descending.) We sent the girls down first, and the courage and trust of these your untried lasses was really touching. "Go on, over you go Foxa. I've got hold of the safety rope". "Get started Rona; it's just cat'smeat". "Down you go Lyndsey; Snow's waiting down there to receive you when you reach the ledge." One at a time hick organised them down as on a conveyor belt to the jumping off place. Dot tied the safety rope round their waist, and with words of encouragement each was duly despatched.
-Then it came to the boys' turn. Snow, still crouching on his ledge with the waterfall pouring on to his parka-hooded head, was amazed to find the water suddenly changed course and instead of pouring down on his head it now came down in two parallel chutes on either side of him. An astounded glance upward revealed the reason - the Dalai was coming down horizontally instead of vertically. The waterfall hit him in the middle of the back and was deflected off his body via the head and feet. Wonderful: Only the Dalai could think up that variation.
-Carl, complaining that everyone Should know he was not a climber, went down without a hitch. When George and Ben reached the ledge they saw the rest of the
-party swimming through the water of the deep narrow gorge. Surely it should be
-possible to avoid an icy bath by progressing along above the water with feet on one wall and hands on the opposite -wall. It was worth a try anyhow, but as the walls got
-wider apart they finished up swimming like the rest. Finally Dot and Mick came down
-and the abseil rope was pulled down. Poor Snow, almost congealed into an icy mass, vacated his post under the waterfall after nearly two hours, and swam stiffly to the  opposite end of the pool. Someone who Showed a tendency to sink was saying it was all Helen's fault; she drank so much liquor at the party that alcohol was seeping
-out of all her pores, thereby lessening the surface tension of the water and making -
-floating more difficult. Helen, who was doing a bit of sinking harself, hotly denied this. She had purposely drunk nothing but orange juice.
-A bit mbre rock clambering, rope work and swimming and then we were out in a wider section of the gorge. Quickly the boys lit two fires and we all stood around
-thawing out and drying our clothes. Rona 'a waterlogged jumper, however, remained
-stretched below her knees like a fashionable sack-suit.
-The rest of the gorge was just a walk out now, and we all scooted back:to Blue- gum Forest by dark and told Heather the highlights of the trip.
-The Outward Bound instructors are keen to co-operate with Rock Climbing Clubs in classifying all the climbs we do. Let it be put on record that Hay CreekCazron is in the super severe class, M and three stars and see that you're insured.
 -
 iLLAWONG SKI LODGE.