Claustral is one canyon that I try and do at least once every summer.
Bob was keen to do it as well, so we set of up the Bell Rd for the new Claustral Carpark. This is a bad place – surrounded by piles of rubbish, broken glass and the smell of turds. The sad signs that that seem to be present at every pull off place adjacent to a major road.
We quickly set of down the track to the canyon. And it is not a very long track – it didn’t take us mud time to reach the creek, and then its only a short way down to the water jumps and abseils.
This new way into the canyon is certainly quick. Perhaps too quick? I am always keen to try and get some decent photos of Claustral. It is perhaps the most photogenic canyon. But the canyon has its moods. Sometimes it is dark and gloomy. Other times, on bright sunny days, the camera stays in the pack except for some parts of the canyon that are lit with softer reflected light. At other times, and reasonably quite often, the canyon is amazingly lit – with soft light, with sunbeams streaming down the canyon – ribbons of shimmering light. Magic!
I think the fast new way in takes you through the main part of the canyon – below the Black Hole of Calcutta – to the Thunder junction too early in the day. Before the sun gets high enough to produce a light show. At least that was the way it was for us. We had the canyon to ourselves – so were quick down the abseils. A few weeks realiser, some friends had been stuck on a Saturday behind some very slow parties. One is particular – a large party with only a few sets of abseiling gear between them. For each abseil – they had to pass gear back up the rope. This is not only annoying for the parties behind – but very foolish and dangerous. This was the case in the early eighties when three people died in the canyon during a flash flood. One of those who dies was a good friend of mine. The too had been held up by a large party in front that had to share abseiling gear.
For us – no beams of light or shimmering ribbons, but it was nice. Bob was very patient while I set up camera and tripod and took a few photos.
We found the canyon very clean. For once – no tat in the canyon. It is common to find old bits of rope and tape hanging down drops. None this time. Refreshing!
We had lunch on the way out – high on the side of the Camels Hump. Then back down to the causeway, across it and back to the creek once again. Then it took us half an hour to walk back down to where the new entrance track joins. This is only a few minutes below the short swims – and it is not worth getting into a wetsuit again for these.
More photos are on my website here.