Blue Mountains - Hiking in the Fog

From Sydney we went directly to the much sought-after Blue Mountains. Our first stop was at the Tourist Information in Glenbrook. We had planned to have lunch there, but a large school group on site thwarted our plan. Nevertheless, we received good recommendations for hikes at the tourist information and we drove away hungry. We found salvation in Wentworth Falls, another 30 minutes away (named after the waterfall there). There were great BBQ spots by a beautiful lake where we could finally have lunch. As usual in Australia, the drive took longer than expected. Afterwards, we used the lake to go for a swim because, unlike the previous days, the sun was shining again. However, the refreshment was a bit disappointing due to the muddy ground in the lake.

Now we wanted to see something of the Blue Mountains that everyone raves about. We decided to first visit the nearby Wentworth Falls. When we arrived at the parking lot, we were already greeted with an impressive view at the "Jamison Lookout". A wide plain lay before us, surrounded by steep cliffs, as you only know them from pictures.

We were impressed for the first time. The Blue Mountains could indeed live up to their reputation. We followed a well-marked trail that led to the "Wentworth Falls" via the "Fletchers Lookout". We arrived at the upper end of the waterfall. There was a small 'beach' and some people were swimming in the clear rock water. But the view of the waterfall was somewhat mediocre from above. So we decided to hike along a part of the National Pass to see even more. A great decision! We walked along a notched path right through the steep rock wall, which fascinated us already.

At a certain point, we now had a great view of the waterfall. We saw that even more people were swimming at the foot of the Wentworth Falls - simply fantastic.

We decided to do the National Pass the next day and started our way back as it was getting dark. We walked along the "Under Cliff Walk", which also led along rocks, to the "Princes Rock Lookout" and from there back to the car. Unfortunately, we discovered on a map at the parking lot that the National Pass was closed due to broken rocks on the path, so we couldn't do it again. However, right by the parking lot was a beautiful park where we also had dinner.

As it got darker, we decided to go back to the "Princes Rock Lookout", which was not far away, to see the sunset. It was amazing how the sun colored the rocks in a beautiful orange. We enjoyed the warm evening sun and already found the Blue Mountains great.

Now, when we got back to the car and it was almost completely dark, we were already thinking about where we would sleep. There was a free camp, which we decided to use. If something like that is offered, you don't have to camp in the wild, we thought. So we drove for 30 minutes through the night, half of which led back down into the valley on steep serpentines. It was a bit odd to drive through the small mountain roads so lonely. When we arrived at the camp, we found out that it was full. After a big round, we decided on a tiny spot that was located on a small hill. That gave us an uncomfortable night, as the car was tilted and our bed was aligned in such a way that Krissi kept rolling onto Kenny. Oops. What initially sounds cozy eventually becomes uncomfortable. But at least we found a spot and the drive to the camp was not in vain.

The next morning, we inspected the toilets at the free camp and found out that there was no water. Great. But spontaneously, we used the clear mountain water from the small creek in the camp to wash our hands and faces. We drove up the mountain again to brush our teeth. At the Suttonpark rest area, we were able to brush our teeth and have breakfast 20 minutes later. No problem at all.

Hiking was on the agenda for the day. We started the day at "Evans Lookout", which showed us that the view from the mountain in the other direction is also fantastic.

At the parking lot, we saw beautiful parrots again.

From there, the 'Canyon Walking Track' starts, which goes down many steps into the valley and then back up to the mountain. After the first few meters downhill, Kenny experienced discomfort in his knee, probably caused by the past few days. After a miserable attempt to continue down the steps, we decided to abandon the hike. It's a shame, as the trail is considered the most beautiful hike in the Blue Mountains. We were a little bit disappointed, but we still went to the "Govetts Leap Lookout". Another great view, although the mood was still somewhat clouded.

We then chose an easy hike that might be okay for the knee. The 'Hanging Rock Walk' was exactly that. We walked cautiously and lo and behold: the knee was fine. There were no steps or stairs on the trail, as it is a fire trail kept smooth for emergency vehicles to quickly reach bushfires.

Perfect for the knee, but unfortunately a bit boring. Without viewpoints, the trail, mostly in the sun, ran for 5 km to the destination, the 'Hanging Rock' or the 'Baltzer Lookout'. From there, there was also a great view, probably the best in the Blue Mountains for us (at least for Kenny). However, the steep cliffs this time were without a railing, which even made Kenny a bit uneasy, although he usually has no problem with fear of heights. One more step and you are about 500 m lower. So we moved forward with the necessary caution and ate our brought muffins at a nice and safe spot.

The way back seemed a little longer, but we made it back to the car without knee pain. A small snake on the way and some huge black-and-yellow aras in the trees were the highlights of this hike. Looking back, we probably wouldn't do the hike again, as the other lookouts are similarly beautiful.

The muffins turned out to be not a good lunch, so we went grocery shopping with empty stomachs, where you are known to grab everything. We ended up with a luxury pasta salad, which we prepared at the camp.

We treated ourselves to another camp, as the free camp from the previous night had scared us off, and also because a warm shower after the long hike is not a bad idea. Our electronic devices also urgently needed a charge. So we were happy with Wi-Fi, electricity, showers, and proper toilets.

Krissi took advantage of the good situation the next morning to Skype with her friends Sophie and Kathi in Germany. They talked for a whole two hours while Kenny slept in. The weather was foggy again, so Krissi snuggled back into bed afterwards. At 1 pm, we decided to leave our camp and continue exploring the mountains. With moderate success. At the first two lookouts, we didn't even get out of the car because the fog clearly said: 'There is nothing to see here'. We then went to the "Scenic World" from where several cable cars start, which normally offer a great view of the valley. Despite the fog, there were still masses of tourists at the station, who were either blind or - we hope - had already booked their trip beforehand. In any case, they didn't seem to mind hanging in a gondola in the thick fog. We decided against it.

Our car had already started squeaking when we started in the camp and it didn't stop. So we decided to drive to a workshop that could help us with some oil for the roller on the fan belt. After a 10-minute drive, we arrived there. And as always - the squeaking was gone. It was probably just some moisture that disappeared again due to the engine heat. We parked near the workshop, Kenny got out, hood open, squeaking gone, hood closed, he got in and we drove away. The mechanics, who apparently had nothing to do, watched with question marks in their eyes. There was a short goodbye greeting and off we went. Probably a funny scene for the mechanics. Anyway, the car still drives without squeaking.

The next stop was at Echo Point, where you can normally see the famous 'Three Sisters' - three rocks. The fog was still there. Well. We still walked there and again found many tourists curiously looking into the dense fog. So we looked too, but all we could see was fog. Curious, but since we were already there, why not take a look...

We then hiked along a pretty, but wet path to the "Katoomba Cascades". Along the way, there were many lookouts, which unfortunately didn't bring us much on this day. Nevertheless, we had fun and admired the rocky walls, paths, and stairs, which were much better than the lame path along the fire trail the day before.

The waterfall wasn't particularly big, but still pretty. Many cockatoos gathered nearby, which were curiously observed by the tourists, including us. :)

When we got back to the car, we looked for a covered BBQ area to eat something because it started raining. Unfortunately, we didn't find one and just ate in the car. When we realized that there wasn't much else we could do, we decided to spend another night at the camp. We could just relax in bed and wait for the rain to stop. That was a good decision, because shortly afterwards heavy rain, hail, and thunder started. A creepy feeling to be on a mountain, but with the bed in a Faraday cage, nothing can happen.

Thursday morning showed clear skies and a blue sky again. We had to take advantage of that after our foggy day yesterday. So we went back to Echo Point and the 'Three Sisters' from the day before. And there they were actually. Three majestic rocks in a line. Very beautiful and this time admired by even more tourists. The "Eagle Hawk Lookout", which we skipped yesterday, also provided a good view, but from a little further away.

Our plan was then to use the good weather for hiking. Even Kenny, who is not particularly fond of hiking, was enthralled by the Blue Mountains. After the quiet day yesterday, our knees felt better again and we were determined to tackle the 'Canyon Walking Track' again. This time it worked. Krissi took the backpack instead of Kenny and we hiked along this beautiful trail. It went down many steps into an approximately 300m deep gorge, where a small creek flowed along. There were hundreds of caves and rock ledges, all beautifully patterned and shaped in their own way.

Several times, we crossed the creek by hopping from stone to stone.

The accumulated rain from the previous day dripped down from the rocks in many places, creating beautiful waterfalls and unplanned showers on the way. On a sunny day, you are rather grateful for that, as we were too. In the creek, there were some fish and even lobsters crawling around in it.

Many iguanas sat next to the trails and blended in with the green fauna of the valley. We also went through a cave and walked along a waterfall. It was wonderful. Shortly before the ascent, we fortified ourselves with our brought sandwiches (we had learned that muffins are not enough) in a small cave by the creek. Then we went back up the many steps, which made us sweat a lot. Nevertheless, we happily reached the car.

Longing for a refreshment, we misused our next destination, the 'Upper Leura Cascades', for swimming. It wasn't very deep and at first, we only wanted to put our feet in, but we gradually undressed until we were in the cold mountain stream in our underwear. An excellent refreshment.

[Due to youth protection regulations, no images can be uploaded :P]

Afterwards, Kenny opened the rest of his Stollen and was about to start eating when Krissi suggested doing it at the 'Leura Cascades' just around the corner, which were the actual attraction at this location. And so we walked with our Stollen for almost a kilometer to the 'Leura Cascades'. It wasn't exactly around the corner, but it was worth it. :) The waterfalls wind their way down the valley in many steps, which turned out to be a special sight again. Australia always surprises anew.

The last stop was the 'Sublime Point Lookout'. Our view fell on the beautiful valley from the first day, but now with some clouds in the sky. From the mountain, a black front of clouds was approaching us, which prompted us to quickly walk back to the car.

The rain started and we decided to find a restaurant where we could spend the evening in dryness. While looking for a restaurant, a very heavy rain with hail and thunder started. Our umbrella was also useless because of the strong wind. We were blown into an Italian restaurant, 'Rene's Pizza', where it wasn't cheap, but at least it was dry. The pizza was super delicious. The service only looked over when we attracted attention, but we didn't mind since we wanted to spend time in dryness anyway.

As it got dark, we found a nice place to go wild camping. We spent a very pleasant and quiet night without further rain.

The next morning, we went to the 'Wentworth Falls Lake' for breakfast. Then we left the Blue Mountains. Overall, it was a truly great national park that lived up to its good reputation. But you have to be lucky with the weather. ;)