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--- 199009 [2016/06/15 18:15] – [The Chronic Operas Revisited] vievems
+++ 199009 [2016/06/15 18:56] – [Morong Deep] vievems
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 by Bob Duncan (First published February 1981)
-The Morong Deep section of the Kowmung River is always a wonderful summer trip, but as I get, few chances to walk these days, I looked forward to it especially eagerly. I also
+The Morong Deep section of the Kowmung River is always a wonderful summer trip, but as I get few chances to walk these days, I looked forward to it especially eagerly. I also looked at the weather especially anxiously, for the leader was the notoriously fair-weather ski-tourer and walker, David Rostron. Friday dawned cloudy and a little threatening, and so to forestall a last minute cancellation I removed the phone from the hook. However at 7.30 pm, David Rostron and Peter Harris picked up John Redfern and me at John's flat and I felt that the trip was really going.
-looked, at the weather especially anxiously, for the leader was the notoriously fair-weather
-ski-tourer and walker, David Rostron. Friday dawned cloudy and a little threatening, and
+Approaching Wentworth Falls, we entered a little mist and drizzle. Out leader began to mutter, but Peter, anxious to reach Leura and call in on the wife of a climbing friend of his (away in N.Z.), drove on. At Leura Peter rushed into the house and a few minutes later Vanessa (for that was the lady's name) appeared at the door and invited us in for Supper.  After this pleasant break Peter drove on, and we rode, and reached Budthingaroo Clearing at about 11.30 pm. We were the last to arrive, it was drizzling steadily, so we erected our tents and slept.
-SO. to forestall a.last minute cancellation I removed the, phone from the hook. However at
-.30. pm, David Rostron and Peter Harris picked of up John Redfern and 'me at John's flat: and I felt that the, trip was really going... '
+In the morning we met the other members of the trip. In alphabetical order they were:- Diana Bucknell, Don and Jenny Cornell; Bob and Margaret Hodgson, Tony Marshall, Rob Mason, Alan Pike, Fazeley Read and Barry Wallace.  Knowing his usual skill and efficiency, we were shocked to see the state of Barry's tent; poles askew, tent a-sag, all in all a very poor erection.  Barry himself looked bedraggled. The weather was still uncertain. The drizzle had. stopped, but low cloud and mist remained, and in breaks through this we could see high wind-swept cirrus. Most experts thought this a sure sign of impending storm, but as the leader offered:-
-Approaching Wentworth Falls, We entered a-little mist and drizzle. Out leader began
-to mutter, but Peter, anxious to reach Leura and call in on the wife of a climbing friend
+(a) A fast 50 km traverse of the Axe Head Range, or\\ (b) A cold Kalang Falls abseiling trip
-of his (away in W.2.), drove on. At Leura Peter rushed into the. house, and a'few.minutes
-lateryaneSea (fOr.thatwas the lady's name) appeared at the door and invited us in for Supper. After this pleasant break Peter drove' on, and we rode, and reached Budthingaroo Clearing
-at about 11.30 pm. We were the last to arrive, it was drizzling steadily, so we erected
-our tents and slept:
-In the morning we met the other members of the trip. In alphabetical order they were:-
- Diana Bucknell, Don and JennY. Cornell; Bob and Margaret Hodgson, Tony Marshall, Rob Mason, Alan-Pike, Fazeley'Readi and Barry Wallace. Knowing his usual skill and efficiency, we
-were ShoCkedrto seethe state of Barry's tent; poles askew,. tent a-sag, all in all a very
-poor erection. Barry himself looked. bedraggled.- The weather was still uncertain. The
-drizzle had. stopped, but low cloud and mist remained, and in break S through this we could see high wind-swept cirrus. Most experts thought this a sure sign Of impending storm, but 'as the leader offered:-
-(a) A 'fast 50 km traverse of the Axe. Head Range, or
--(b), A told Kalang Falls abseiling trip '
 as alternatives, the party voted solidly for Morong Deep.
-The leader announced a pack limit of 20 lbs, and brought out his spring scales in an attempt to enforce it. Most packs, weighed in the range of 15 to 17 pounds, but John Redfern's weighed only 11 lbs, and Peter Harris, 'because of his insistence on carrying a Lilo, a fresh rockmelon, and a pair of special sidling boots, weighted 30 lbs.
-The weighing done, we re-entered the cars and drove a little further along Kanangra
-Road, and then along the fire trail which leads towards Morong Falls. A little short of
-Morong Creek we disembarked. A leader with only normal route-finding ability would have
-cautiously fdllowed Morong Creek down to the falls, but our leader, without help of compass or visible sun, led us boldly across the featureless plateau in a bee-line which missed
-the cairn on the right shoulder?fMorong Falls by only 4.6 metres. Here we looked down on
-to the Kowmung and Saw its drought-stricken appearance. It contained no white water at all;
-possibly it was not even flowing. We began the steep descent to the river and from a vantage point looked back at Morong Falls; it was completely dry.
-,Reaching the Kowmung, we found our progress seriously impeded by blackberries and
-loganberries. John Redfern feared they were bad for the stomach, and walked around them
-unimpeded; the rest of us stopped and feasted every few metres. The Kowmung was flowing,
-but low; it could be crossed anywhere with ease; what is normally a tricky trip was one of simple boulder-hopping.
-However Morong Deep becomes narrower and wilder as one goes downstream, and soon we came to reaches where the easiest progress was made by bombing into pools and swimming. In time we came to a fall of 3 or 4 metres ehich, because of submerged rocks, looked dangerous
-to bomb. Here, with some difficulty, DAvid Rostron and Bob Hodgson set up a climbing tape.
-Less aquatic members of the party, led by Peter Harris and his Lilo, began a high sidle to avoid the fall. When David reached the pool below he had a bright red tape burn across his
-body, at the sight of which further members took off for the high sidle. I threw David's
-pack down to him in the pool below, only to be abused because he was protective about the fresh eggs it contained.
-Margaret Hodgson, Diana Pkicknell, Rob Mason, Barry Wallace (I hope I haven't forgotten anyone ) and I climbed easily down the tape. Bob Hodgson came last and brought eRe tape with him.
+The leader announced a pack limit of 20 lbs, and brought out his spring scales in an attempt to enforce it. Most packs, weighed in the range of 15 to 17 pounds, but John Redfern's weighed only 11 lbs, and Peter Harris, because of his insistence on carrying a lilo, a fresh rockmelon, and a pair of special sidling boots, weighted 30 lbs.
-All in all the trip down the river was easy and 'pleasant, with boulder-hopping 'interspersed with pool bombing and swimming. At the best bomb, most of the
+The weighing done, we re-entered the cars and drove a little further along Kanangra Road, and then along the fire trail which leads towards Morong Falls. A little short of Morong Creek we disembarked. A leader with only normal route-finding ability would have cautiously followed Morong Creek down to the falls, but our leader, without help of compass or visible sun, led us boldly across the featureless plateau in a bee-line which missed the cairn on the right shoulder of Morong Falls by only 4.6 metres. Here we looked down on to the Kowmung and saw its drought stricken appearance. It contained no white water at all; possibly it was not even flowing. We began the steep descent to the river and from a vantage point looked back at Morong Falls; it was completely dry.
+Reaching the Kowmung, we found our progress seriously impeded by blackberries and loganberries. John Redfern feared they were bad for the stomach, and walked around them unimpeded; the rest of us stopped and feasted every few metres. The Kowmung was flowing, but low; it could be crossed anywhere with ease; what is normally a tricky trip was one of simple boulder-hopping.
+However Morong Deep becomes narrower and wilder as one goes downstream, and soon we came to reaches where the easiest progress was made by bombing into pools and swimming. In time we came to a fall of 3 or 4 metres which, because of submerged rocks, looked dangerous to bomb. Here, with some difficulty, David Rostron and Bob Hodgson set up a climbing tape.  Less aquatic members of the party, led by Peter Harris and his Lilo, began a high sidle to avoid the fall. When David reached the pool below he had a bright red tape burn across his body, at the sight of which further members took off for the high sidle. I threw David's pack down to him in the pool below, only to be abused because he was protective about the fresh eggs it contained.
+Margaret Hodgson, Diana Bicknell, Rob Mason, Barry Wallace (I hope I haven't forgotten anyone ) and I climbed easily down the tape. Bob Hodgson came last and brought the tape with him.  All in all the trip down the river was easy and pleasant, with boulder-hopping interspersed with pool bombing and swimming.  At the best bomb, most of the
 party piked and climbed down a poor old casuarina which had already lost most of its bark from previous piking
-parties. The trip was almost without incident. John
+parties. The trip was almost without incident. John Redfern (I was told) fell into a crevasse but was recovered.  Barry Wallace almost surmounted a smooth granite slab only to go back to the river on hands and knees in a stately long slow slide, leaving four barely, discernable trails of skin and flesh behind him.  By dint of Lilo and high sidling Peter Harris did the whole trip without getting wet above the navel.
-Redfern (I was told) fell into a crevasse but was
-recovered. Barry Wallace almost surmounted a smooth
+It was still afternoon when we began leaving the narrowest part of Morong Deep; here we made camp on a small forested ledge. We were amazed to see John Redfern unpack not only food and sleeping bag, but a tent fly; that his pack should weigh only 11 pounds defied all laws of physics. It being so early, four of us walked back to the last big pool for another swim, and here David and Barry gave Fazeley lessons in bombing. A cunningly graded series of educational techniques was used - explanation, reassurance, praise, persuasion, ridicule and hesitation, shame at failure, verbal threats, encirclement and physical threats, - and after a little time their efforts were rewarded; Fazeley jumped three times from a height of about 2.5 metres without being pushed or thrown.
-granite slab only to go back to the river on hands and knees in a stately long slow slide, leaving four barely, discernable trails of skin and flesh behind him By dint of Lilo and high sidling Peter Harris did the whole trip without getting wet above the navel.
-It was still afternoon when we began leaving the
+We returned to the campsite and prepared our evening meals. Mine was tuna, deb, and surprise peas, but, others ate more luxuriously. Various varieties of tea were brewed and compared. Peter Harris's reputation, which had sunk because of his use of a Lilo to cross pools, rose markedly when he brought out his fresh rockmelon and shared it around. After tea our leader, David Rostron, told us something of his enviable experiences during a recent phase of his employment which involved testing water beds.
-narrowest part of Morong Deep; here we made camp on a
-'small forested ledge. We were amazed to see John Redfern
+Then we retired to our summer sleeping bags. It was a balmy night, an idyllic campsite, and after a day's pleasant exercise all slept soundly. All, that is, except John Redfern, Peter Harris, and Fazeley Read. In the morning these three complained of a sleepless night.  John complained that he had been constantly attacked by possums. Peter complained that he had been kept awake worrying about a joke which our leader had told him before bedtime. Fazeley complained that she had been kept awake by my shouting blasphemies in my sleep.
-unpack not only food and sleeping bag, but a tent fly; that his pack should weigh only 11 pounds defied all.laws of physics. It being so early,
-four of us walked back to the last big pool for another swim, and here David and Barry gave
+After breakfast we set off down the river and after about only five minutes came to the last good swimming hole. We spent an hour or so here and then set off again. The Kowmung now widened considerably and we were once more in blackberry eating country. At the foot of the Megalith Ridge we stopped for morning tea.  A steep climb up the ridge took us to that remarkable place where Hanrahan's Creek comes to the edge of the escarpment and within an ace of dropping into the Kowmung, only to turn away again. The Kowmung is perhaps 300 metres down on one side of the ridge and Hanrahan's Creek 2 or 3 metres down on the other side.  Here we dropped into the creek and began to follow it up.  Despite the drought, Hanrahan's contained many pools, not big enough to swim in, but big enough to dip in and cool off. Over all, our leader had arranged fair, but not perfect weather. Yesterday, while we were swimming the Kowmung, it was overcast.  Today, while we were climbing, it was hot and sunny. Still, the pools made things very tolerable.
-FazeleyV lessons in bombing. A cunangly graded series of educational techniques was used -
-explanation, reassurance, praise, parsuasion,ridicule and hesitation, 'shame at failure, verbal threats, encirclement and physical threats,- and after a little time their efforts were rewarded; Fazeley jumped three times from a height of about 21 metres without being pushed or thrown.
+We stopped for lunch and then set off up the creek again. It was now that Peter Harris's reputation as an expert on Amphibia suffered a blow from which it may never recover. On being shown a specimen of frog excreta by Rob, he proclaimed with a great show of confidence that it was that of a green tree frog (Hyla macrocopra). However, unknown to him, it had been seen by Rob and several other members of the party to have been produced by a lesser spotted river frog (Bachytra rivula) which had jumped out of a pool as a red-bellied black snake slid in.  The snake could still be seen in the pool.  When confronted with these facts Peter tried to cover himself by muttering something about the difference in feeding conditions between the Kowmung and the Ettrema.
- We returnui to, the campsite and prepared our evening meals. Mine was tuna, deb, and
-surprise peas, but, others ate more luxuriously. Various varieties of tea were brewed and
+Hanrahan's Creek is beautiful and becomes steeper and steeper as one goes upstream.  We hurried past one section where the cliffs above looked very unstable, and where the creek bed was strewn with recently fallen jagged rocks. Soon after we had taken the apparent left branch at a sharp V-fork, the creek had become almost as steep as the containing walls. Here, while our leader and Bob Hodgson debated about the exact position at which they had left the creek last time, we left the creek and climbed up the side. We had followed the creek up so far that this climb of only about 300 metres took us onto the tops.  Soon after that we were on the fire trail which led to the completely dry Morong Creek, and then our cars.
-compared. Peter Harris's reputation, which had sunk because of his use of a Lilo to cross
-pools, rose markedly when he brought out his fresh rockmelon and shared it around. After
+From start to finish of the trip some members walked so competently, and caused so little nuisance, that they have scarcely caused mention in this report. Yet these members were the mainstay of the party. It should be said therefore, that Alan Pike could certainly hike, that Tony Marshall to the rough going was partial, that blondie Diana climbed like a goanna, that her friend Rob outdistanced the mob, and that Don and Jenny were as adroit as any.
-tea our leader, David Rostron, told us something of his enviable experiences during a recent phase of his'employment which involved testing water beds.
-Then.we retired to our summer sleeping bags. It was a balmy night, an idyllic campsite,
+Back in the car, David Rostron, John Redfern and I were so grateful to have Peter Harris chauffeuring us again that we completely forgot his lilo, his naive response to jokes, and the gaps in his knowledge of Amphibia. We sat back and relaxed (except Don and Jenny) for a magnificent meal at Young's Chinese cafe in Katoomba, Peter called in to say goodbye to Vanessa, and then we were home.  David-Rostron had done a magnificent job arranging and leading the trip, and a very fair job arranging the weather.
-and after a day's pleasant exercise all slept soundly. All, that is, except John Redfern,
-Peter Harris, and Fazeley Read. In the morning these three complained of a sleepless night.
-John complained that he had been constantly attacked by possums. Peter complained that he had been kept awake worrying about a joke which our leader had told him before bedtime. Fazely complained that she had been kept awake by my shouting blasphemies in my sleep.
-After breakfast we set off down the river and after about only five minutes came to the last good swimming hole. We spent an hour or so here and then set off again. The Kowmung
-now widened considerably and we were once more in blackberry eating country. At the foot of thegalith Ridge we stopped for morning tea.
-A steep climb up the ridge took us to that remarkable place where Hanrahan's Creek comes to the edge ofthe escarpment and within an ace of dropping into the Kowmung, only to turn away again. The KowMung is perhaps 300 metres down on one side' of the ridge and
-Hanrahan's Creek 2 or 3 metres dawn.on the other side. Here we dropped into the creek and
-began to follow it up. Despite the drought, Hanrahan's contained many pools, not big enough
-to swim in, but big enough to dip in and cool off. Over all, our leader had arranged fair,
-but not perfect weather. Yesterday, while we were swimming the Kowmung, it was overcast.
-Today, while we were climbing, it was hot and sunny. Still, the pools made things very tolerable.
-We stopped for lunch and then set off up the creek again. It was now that Peter Harris's
-reputation as an expert on Amphibia suffered a blow from which it may never recover. On being
-shown a specimen of frog excreta by Rob, he proclaimed with a great show of confidence that it was that of a green tree frog (Hyla macrocopra). However, unknown to him, it had been
-seen by Rob and several other members of the party to have been produced by a lesser spotted river frog (Bachytra rivula) which had jumped out of a pool as a red-bellied black snake slid
-in. The snake could still be seen in the pool. When confronted with these facts Peter
-tried to cOver himself by muttering something about the difference in feeding conditions between the Kowmung and the Ettrema.
-Hanrahan's Creek is beautiful and becomes steeper and steeper as one goes upstream.
-We hurried past one section where the cliffs above looked very unstable, and where the creek bed was strewn with recently fallen jagged rocks. Soon after we had taken the apparent left branch at a sharp V-fork, the creek had become almost as steep as the containing walls.. Here, while our leader and Bob HOdgson debated about the exact position at which they had ,left the creek last time, we left thecreek and climbed up the side. We had followed the creek up so far that this climb of only about 300 metres took us onto the tops. Soon after :.that,. we were on the fire trail which led to the completely dry Morong Creek, and then our' cars.
-From start to finish of the trip some members walked so competently, and caused so little nuisance, that they have scarcely caused mention in this report. Yet these members  were the mainstay of the party., It should be said therefore, that Alan Pike could certainly hike, that Tony Marshall to the rough going was partial, that blondie Diana climbed like a goanna, that her friend Rob Outdistanced the mob, and that Don and Jenny were as adroit as any.
-Back in the car, David Rostron, John Redfern and ',were so grateful to have Peter Harris chauffeuring us again that we completely forgot his Lilo, his naive response to jokes, and the gaps in his knowledge of Amphibia. We sat back and relaxed (except Don and Jenny) for
-a magnificent meal at Young's Chinese cafe in Katoomba, Peter called in to say goodbye to
-Vanessa, and then we were home. David-Rostron had done a magnificent job arranging and leading the trip, and a very fair job arranging the weather.
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