The Colossal Claustral Canyoning Event Event Cache
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The Colossal Claustral Canyoning Event
Hidden
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Saturday, January 17, 2004
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A cache event like no other!
Date: Sat January 17th 2004
Time: 7:30am
Location: Claustral Carpark
This is an event and social get together for the many geocachers who are into adventure sports like abseiling, climbing, caving and canyoning. At least half a dozen NSW cachers are active canyoners!
As such, this cache event is only suitable for those with the appropriate skills and equipment.
What is involved?
The plan is to do a canyoning trip through Claustral Canyon, one of the most unique and spectacular slot canyons in the world!
A secondary objective will be to do the Claustrophobia cache which is half way through the canyon itself. Due to the remoteness of the event, there are no planned activities (at this stage) that are part of your typical cache event. However, your regular cache event does not include jumping into crystal clear pools, sliding down water chutes, abseiling waterfalls into the dark unknown, swimming through dark tunnels, and walking through ancient canyons with moss and fern lined walls hundreds of feet high!
Meeting location is the microwave tower close to the supplied approximate coordinates, a short drive south of the Bells Line of Road. Start time will be tentatively set at 7:30am. An early start is essential for Claustral.
There will almost certainly be other canyoning groups there, and there can be delays at the abseils. So there may well be the need to do some stealth caching to avoid the muggles! It is most likely that only one person will be able to retrieve the cache for the group.
What you need:
- A wetsuit, preferably full length, as we are in the water a long time.
- Thermals if you really feel the cold.
- An abseiling harness, suitable descender and gloves.
- A dry bag to everything dry in your pack.
- Helmets are highly recommended. Bike helmets or hardhats are adequate
- Dunlop Volleys or other shoes that grip on wet rock. Sneakers and hiking boots are not suitable for canyoning.
- Plenty of food and water for a 10 hour trip
- An extra set of dry clothes and towel. A spare pair of dry socks makes the walk out bareable.
- Hat and sunscreen.
- A waterproof torch or headlamp just in case
- Your own ropes and other gear if you prefer. A few spare 30m ropes would be handy to get us down the abseils faster.
Strickly speaking you don't need any canyoning experience, but you must have previous abseiling experience.
Claustral Canyon is rated as a moderate to hard canyon, but is suitable for adventurous beginners. Technically it's not all that difficult as far as canyons go (if there has been no recent rain), and the abseils (15m max) are very easy. But the walk out is long and hard (500m ascent), and some climb ups and climb downs over large rocks and waterfalls can be tricky. The water will be able 12degC or less.
You will need to be able to handle a 10+ hour hike, lots of swimming, wading and walking in cold water, scrambling over rocks and down waterfalls on fixed ropes, and jumps of several meters into pools.
Still interested?
Youd better get in quick as spaces may be limited. 10 people in Claustral is generally considered a fairly large group, so any more than miss and we may have to ration places. It may come down to first in first served.
Claustral canyon can get very difficult and dangerous after or during rain, so we will make a call on the day as what to do. We may have a simpler backup canyon option.
If you need to hire wetsuits and canyoning gear, you can do so at www.gowildglenbrook.com.au who are located at Glenbrook at the base of the mountains.
Please log here if you are interested, how many people will be coming, and your canyoning experience.
DISCLAIMER:
Canyoning is inherently dangerous, and as such you agree to come along at your own risk. No one will be "leading" or "guiding" this trip, you must be entirely self sufficient, and proficient at canyoning.
Additional Hints
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