Wattle Ridge, Slot Way, Nattai River & Troy's Creek July 2019

From Wattle Ridge I took the Slot Way track to access the Nattai River. Needle Lookout is along this track, as the lookout's name suggests it provides a great view of Russell's Needle as well as a good look at this section of the Nattai River Gorge. Russell's Needle is upstream from where the Slot Way meets the river, I wanted to go the opposite way. So down stream I went, the track is virtually non existent along the river.   Progress was a mostly a matter of negotiating a water worn bed of rocks about the size of footballs.   
My route out was via Troy's Creek track and then onto the old Nattai road. Troys Creek track was once an access track to the farm house that was at Emmetts Flat on the river. There is some relics from this farm at the Flat, a rusty old stove and a rusty bed frame.  Troys track at the river is a little hard to find and the track itself is very overgrown, long trousers are recommended. I encountered a few Lyre birds on the way out.

Looking North along the Nattai River Gorge from Needle Lookout

Mt Jellore, with Russell's Needle directly below Mt Jellore, also from Needle Lookout

A better view of Russell's Needle from near the Nattai River

Ruins at Emmett's Flat

Stats,
distance: 20.8 Km
moving time: 3hr, 30mins
Elevation: 694 metres
Calories:1901

Overnight on Mount Cloudmaker June 2019

This is my second attempt at this route, my last attempt in November 2018 I turned back around midday due to storms brewing. Then I figured I would not reach a suitable campsite before the storms hit. This time the weather was quite different with sunny days and cold nights.  The temperature was predicted to drop to -5 overnight in the region. This was the the shortest day of the year, to enable maximum walking time I slept in the back of the ute the night before. I don't know what the temperature did drop to, but I woke to find my water bottle had ice in it. The rest of the day turned out to be perfect for hiking. After an uneventful day of walking I arriving at Mt Cloudmaker just before nightfall. After entering my intentions in the log book,  I doubled back 100 metres or so, to a sheltered saddle, where I set up camp. After a feed I was tucked in my sleeping bag by 6pm, it was just too cold. The next morning, after a good and long nights sleep my water bottle had ice in it again. It was a bit chilly getting breakfast, as soon as I got hiking I warmed up. The weather remained perfect for the rest of this day also.

 Mt Cloudmaker is the highest peak, the route I took follows the ridges. I could just see Sydney CBD from where I took this.

Looking up Gordon Smiths Pass

Looking West to Back to Kanangra Walls

My camp, near the of summit of Mt Cloudmaker

Mt Cloudmaker summit

Cave at the base of Crafts Wall

Looking  South from the Kanangra-Boyd Plateau, Mt Colong on the horizon

Ice on the puddles at 4pm

Stats,
Kanangra Walls to Mt Cloudmaker
distance: 11.6 Km
moving time: 4hr, 17mins
total time: 6hr, 50mins
Elevation: 704 metres


The return walk
distance: 12 Km
moving time: 4hr, 27mins
total time: 8hr, 21mins
Elevation: 663 metres

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