Canyons Page

For the Blue Mountain Canyoners

Hey get the hell out of the canyon in heavy rain.

The Blue Mountain canyons are incredibly beautiful.  I try to describe them in word pictures but have not yet learnt how.  I have read many excellent descriptions of canyons but none have captured the essence of what I, see, hear, smell, touch or feel or imagine and dream.  Many now find them a spiritual place, I don't.  I am told that in the past, aboriginals regarded them as a place not to go because they are the home of spirit people, I can understand that but I feel welcome, in most.  If you care to stop and listen you may hear the spirit people whispering out loud to you, from here, then there, then there, then over there!

I have seen may fine pictures and photographs that capture a moment of one place, but that place is always changing.   At the same time I have a sense of history, timelessness as these place have been there for millions of years.  How can the one place be timeless and constantly changing?  Who cares, as long as they are there?

Have I seen changes in the canyons due to use over the years?  You bet I have: -  

• moss all gone;
• sand from the access tracks silting up everything;
• safer more reliable belays;
• trees, tree ferns, other plants destroyed and lost;
• yabbies disappearing from some creeks or even sadder now ignoring passers by in others;
• loose rocks, snags and annoying logs removed.

Are the canyons changed by use still beautiful? Yes of course.

My approach to canyoning is to make every visit an exploration, even when I know thousands of others have been through before.

When I go to a canyon for the first time I only read enough so that I can find my own wayin. Of course if I find a track I follow it. For two very good reasons: -
1) I don't want to damage the environment any more by breaking a new track and
2) Bloody hard work pushing through dence scrub.
When I lead a canyon I do it in such a way as everyone is exploring and getting the unique to them experience. I get them to find the way through, locate anchor points, workout where to throw ropes. In that way I am allowing them the wonderful experiences I have but more importantly they are learning the things they will need when they are leading.

I don't give grid references, track notes, or details, because I don't want to take away the pleasure others will have exploring for themselves and finding their own way. Thus they develop the skills required for exploration, discovery and adventure.

How and why canyons flood

Many canyons have extensive areas of sphagnum swamp in there head waters.  These swamps hold vast volumes of water bound within the vegetation and mosses.  Normally these release water slowly.  This is why canyons flow all the time even after extended dry spells.  During heavy rain the swamps hold much of the water that falls on them but water falling on normal ground runs off and funnels into the creek system (some of these creeks run through the swamps as creeks).  This water can quickly fill up the very narrow canyon sections to a height of many 10s of meters.  

As I said above the sphagnum swamps hold vast volumes of water and normally this releases slowly but there is a mechanism that can suddenly release a lot of this stored water unexpectedly.  The exact mechanism is only speculation at this stage but it is thought to be related to a sudden change in ph.  What can cause a ph change in such a large buffered system is hard to imagine.  Whatever the cause be aware of sudden rises in water levels and be prepared to find a high spot in a wide section of canyon.

This page created by Dug Floyd for the Blue Mountain Canyoners.  

Sponsored by CALM Centre - To Reach Your Peaceful Place (Creative Accelerated Learning Method).

I have used techniques similar to the CALM methods of a Peaceful Place for all my life but it is much easier when shown a well researched method that works and is easy to apply.

Everyone responds to "go to your peaceful place" when in a scary situation.

Contact Dug Floyd
Email: dug floyd
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