bushwalking

Three Peaks reconnaissance

Posted onAuthorBjorn

Party: Jeremy Platt, Tom Morris and Bjorn Sturmberg

A little while ago Tom and Jeremy got together and decided to go on an epic. They each have a tried and tested ability for turning trips into epics, so thought they should combine these skills for one almighty trip before Tom buggers off to Franceland.

The chosen mission for the epic, no other than the Three Peaks: climbing three of the highest peaks in the Blue Mountains within 48 hours, starting and finishing in Katoomba. (For more dets see Ashley’s dedicated page).

Having never been on top of Mt Guouogang (the tallest of the 3 peaks), and having previously become geographically embarrassed in this area, I suggested a practice walk to get the route dialed before the big day (when it will all be walked at night). To save our soles we cut out the Narrowneck road-bash in favour of walking in from Carlons Farm, which was so much less arduous…

After an epic day climbing at Ikara on Saturday (topping out on Telstar in the dark and spending a few hours finding the way back to the packs) I was ready and rested. Meeting the boys in Katoomba got us off to a foreboding start, confusing ourselves between the Woolies and the Coles… but eventually we met up. I downed two cheese and bacon rolls for dinner (as the boys had kindly smashed all of their gourmet pizzas on the drive up) and we drove into the Megalong.

Sunday is a foggy haze of “type II” fun, but with the Three Peaks in mind I noted some times and events:

4:50 – After rainy night awake to stary sky.
5:20 – Leave car in cold darkness.
6:50 – Reach Medlow gap.
7:30 – Watched Tom and Jeremy bliss out putting paw paw cream on their gonads.
8:40 – Summit of Yellow dog.
9:00 – Endure listening to Jeremy tell us about the inner workings of the inner ear for the third time.
9:30 – Reach the Coxs River and drink from Kanangra Creek.
10:30 – Looking at Mt Paralyser on the climb to Bullagowar, enthusiasm for 3 Peaks evaporates from Tom and Jezza (who have not laid eyes on that beastie before).
12:10 – Enjoy lunch just before Bullagowar, discuss our ‘recreational eating’ of gourmet wraps including toppings of basil as opposed to the efficient consumption of soylent.
12:30 – Bjorn mutters something about kicking on; Tom moves Bjorn down a few rungs in the friendship scales, Jeremy’s eyes kick Bjorn in the face.
12:40 – We kick on.
14:30 – Back down at the Coxs after riveting hypothetical scenarios escaping murder charges.
18:10 – Medlow gap, Bjorn cracks out Tim Tams, reclaims some friendship points.
19:50 – Reach the car after circa 50 kms of horizontal walking and circa 1800 m of vertical walking.

All in all a top day out and a good stretch of the legs before the real deal.

We now know exactly how epic an epic we’re in for!

2 Replies to “Three Peaks reconnaissance”

  1. Thank you for sharing
    from Ashle website there is significant overgrown since 2020 and it seems the tracks are really challenging now
    do you know someone who attempted the 3 peaks after 2020 ?

    We would like to go in September

    Reply

    1. It may be worth posting on Bushwalk Australia. All the walking in the southern Blue Mountains is much harder these days after bushfires and wet years. Even the K2K has been causing plenty of issues. I’d suggest maybe look to do some of the sections, rather than the whole 3 Peaks. That way you know what a good chunk of it is like before trying the full trip. The challenge of thick scrub on long steep slopes can’t be underestimated. It’ll also make navigation and route-finding much harder.

      Reply

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