A website devoted to the canyons of the Blue Mountains

This web site is maintained by David Noble. It is modified from time to time. It was last revised on 7 June 2005. All information and uncredited photographs are by David Noble, © David Noble 1997-2005

Photo of The Black Hole of Calcutta - Claustral Canyon

This set of web pages include:

 
• A news page with items about Blue Mountains Canyons and Canyoning. (Last update - 10 April  08)
• I am making some new web pages with galleries of classic canyons. So far the list has
  • Claustral Canyon
• Some canyoning photographs.
• Some photos of particular canyons
  • Thunder Canyon
  • The Three Mothers canyon trilogy
  • Canyon exploration near Newnes
  • South Bowens Creek Canyon
  • Also look in my general bushwalking photo gallery
• Canyoning History and Nomenclature
• Canyon Bibliography
• Safety in Canyons
• Canyoning Ethics
• A general Essay on Blue Mountains Sandstone Canyons that covers a definition of a canyon, a short history of canyoning, canyon geomorphology and canyon areas.
• Two web pages of scanned slides from early exploratory canyoning trips in the South Wolgan Area. You can go to
• Part 1 - 1974 - 76
• Part 2 - 1977 - 79
  
• Some photos of canyoning trips
  • 2003
  • 2004
  • 2005
  • 2006
  • 2007
  • 2008
    

Photo - Keith Maxwell abseils into Heart Attack Canyon - South Wolgan Area

Other Canyoning Pages

• David Noble's Canyoning PageAn impressive set of canyoning pages are being set up by the other "Dave Noble" (yes - another Dave Noble who is also a very keen canyoner and active canyon explorer). As well as many first class canyon discoveries, this Dave Noble also discovered the remarkable Wollemi Pine. This seems to be now off-line. You can access the latest version of it here on the web archives.
• Craig and Mandy's Canyon Page is a site that features many attractive photos of Blue Mts sandstone canyons.
• Tom Brennan's Canyoning Near Sydney website along with a useful webliography - a page giving web links to particular canyons.
• Chris Collier has many attractive photos of canyons in his website at Gerkin Press.
• David Stuckey's Canyoning Photographs. David Stuckey is a Sydney based caver and canyoneer. As well as traditional photography he also takes 3D photos of canyons and caves. It includes some interesting stereo photos that can be viewed with red/green glasses.
• SUSS Photo Gallery Page. As well as grovelling in mud the local trog club also maintains a set of canyoning photo pages.
• David Connard's Canyoning Photographs. Yet another "David" that photographs canyons. This one is also a trog.
• David Jones has a canyoning website too
• Wit Ceislik has a canyoning website here
• Bernhard Vock's canyoning Page - another local site.
• The Wolgan Wombats website - a group based in Wagga Wagga
• The ANUMC canyoning site - maintained by Nic Bendeli
  
• Here is a French Canyoning Site
• The American Canyoneering Association is most interesting. Theye have a free booklet that you can download with excellent information on techniques and ethics.
• The USA based site http://canyoneeringusa.com/ maintained by Tom Jones has many useful pages inlcuding -
• an online journal
• a guide to the canyons of Utah
• an excellent section on canyoning ethics and style
• Another USA site on Zion Canyons
• Cerebus is another USA site on the canyons of the Colorado Plateau with interesting technical tips
  
• This site has a world database of canyons

  Additional Links

• This page has useful information on knots
• Prefered knots for canyoning. Discussion can be found here . Other test results for the Euro Death Knot can be found here.
• The page from UNE Mountaineering Club has a good section with animations on knots.
• The NPWS Code of ethics for canyoning in the Blue Mts can be found here.
• A speadsheet page showing the current commercail canyons in Blue Mts national parks can be found here.
• The Petzl website has good technical informaton
• The OzCanyons email list
• The canyoning accidents section of the Accident Register site
• The current weather at Katoomba (maintained by Blue Mts council)
• The Bureau of Meteorolgy Radar page is good to see if it is raining in the mountains.
• The Bureau of Meteorolgy forecast can be found here. Follow the link to District Forecasts - south east
• Information on Newnes - a good base for Blue Mts canyoning
• The Colong Foundation for Wilderness
• In 1963 the Canyon Committee was set up by Rick Higgins to systematically explore for new Blue Mts canyons. Here is a copy of their minutes of the first meeting

Above - Claustral Canyon below the Ranon junction

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