After a dismal backcountry season due to circumstance, I needed to get away and recharge the batteries. I'd been contemplating a last minute dash to do some snowkiting but Spring conditions require a certain keenness that I no longer care for.. I'd done a handful of canyons from Claustral back towards Bell, most of them easy and short which suited for the first of the season.
Koombanda canyon is a reasonable half day and relatively straight forward in terms of nav and difficulty. Some interesting canyon sections amongst some scrubby creek walking.
It's always the small things that fascinate me in canyons, and I usually spend quite some time scrambling around on all fours trying to capture the miniature world on camera.
The abseils are a pleasant distraction in between a couple of short and rather cold swims. The 4mm wetsuit is usually unnecessary but standing around in waste deep water with camera in hand can keep things on the cold side and September is fairly early in the season.
The canyon ends with a rather strange concrete bed from the old coal mine. The walk out saw some nice views down into the Grose valley and some fairly substantial road slips may eventually see the exit route become slightly more difficult.
All in all a good easy day out and hopefully I'll manage a few more this season. Get some.
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