2 for 1 in the blue mountains

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It was day three of Amy and John's trip to Australia and we were already a man down, however Amy, Aaron and myself soldiered on! We met in the early morning at the train station to travel up to the blue mountains. The journey took about 2 1/2 hours so we settled in, browsed our maps and discussed where to go for our hike. Aaron and I have enjoyed two previous trips to the blue mountains, once we went  for a long weekend in Blackheath (see Aaron's previous blog Warning: Scenic vistas ahead!) and once for a day trip to Wentworth falls with our friend Linden, who drove there. Another area we debated about visiting was Katoomba, as this is one of the most popular spots to visit. The railway runs right through the blue mountains making many of the trails accessible. Aaron recomended that we go to Blackheath since he and I had thoroughly explored that area, so we knew where the best trails were and how to get to them from the station. He suggested we first hike out to the viewpoint over Kanimbla valley then come back through Blackheath and out the other side to Grose valley. That way we could see two different stunning valleys and build up to the more impressive of the two. Sounds fantastic! Let's do it!


I had forgotten quite how long and steep the path to the Kanimbla Valley view is!





But the view is amazing! (Kanimbla Valley)
Note: Thanks to Amy for some of these fantastic photos!

When the train to the blue mountains had left Sydney it was pretty busy until it stopped at Katoomba, when it almost emptied out. By the time we got to Blackheath, a few stops later, we were almost the only people to get off. I had a feeling we'd made a good choice, as we'd have the trail almost to ourselves, but I also wondered what we were missing. I've since been to Katoomba (blog coming soon) and found it equally good- both have stunning views and if you get out onto the trail you can avoid the crowds. I'd recommend either and whichever you go to you're not missing out.


We saw plenty of these little fellas
After Kanimbla Valley we walked up a very steep road back to Blackheath, almost passing the station again. The day was warming up, we refilled our water bottles and headed out on hike number 2 for the day.

Amy and I with our handy, locally produced walking sticks


Forget the cafes, lunching under a rock is much more fun!



Aaron's leading the way (you know it's going to be a tough hike...or two!)


Unfortunately we encountered some more steep paths, only armed with our trusty sticks
However the hard work paid off and made the view even more unforgettable...

This view of Grose Valley surpassed that of the first hike

We made it! Wahooo!


The white dot is Aaron at the next viewpoint...gives it some scale!


We hiked around the rim to get a good vantage point of the two waterfalls (one in this photo)


By the end even Aaron looked a bit ruffled!


We walked back via a lonnngg road to Blackheath train station.


Even from the road we saw some interesting sights!

We returned to Sydney about 8.30pm, around 12 hours since we had left. We bid good night to Amy, collapsed into our apartment and only hoped that Amy would still return tomorrow!

Comments

M and D said…
The views look stunning.How stiff were you next day? However I don't think that a double hike will be on our list, when we visit Sydney!
17 January 2012 at 02:06
sly said…
Gorgeous views! I love that you include pictures of the wildlife. Aaron, could you start a tour business in Australia? Ironman Tours, Inc.
17 January 2012 at 08:13
M and D said…
If Aaron does start Ironman tours,please count us out!
17 January 2012 at 13:27
Amy said…
Both hikes were well worth the fantastic views. Poor John....20 years from now I *might* stop bringing up how I soldiered on while he lazed away half a day nursing a cold. :) I'm soooo glad you guys convinced me to tough it out for the less touristy trails, especially since I was about to throw in the towel after the first short hike and demand we ride the train back to Katoomba for the big no-effort (but pricey) tourist attractions at that stop. Thank you!!!!!

You guys were fantastic. I saw someone jokingly comment about the two of you starting a tour business, but I think it's a great and even realistic idea! Your own business & doing the traveling you love to do...sounds fantastic to me. Hope to see you guys in Austin sometime soon!!! ~ Amy
29 January 2012 at 07:47
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