Koombanda Canyon
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| | Difficulty:3B (v2a2 II) Raps:3-4, max ↨59ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:Optional 15min Vehicle:Passenger Rock type:Sandstone | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 8 Mar 2025
"The tree on the first anchor was coming lose of the earth around it (earth around roots was flexing away) when loaded and looked very likely to fail, |
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| Best season: | Oct-Apr (avg for this region)
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-33.5261, 150.2791
-33.5314, 150.2619
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Introduction
Koombanda Canyon is a fun, but a fairly short canyon located near Sleeper Canyon and is accessed off the Darling Causeway.
Quality
- The canyon is rated 4 out of 10 on the Brennan Quality Scale.
- David Noble rates the canyon 3 out of 5 for quality and Easy-Medium for difficulty.
Approach
You can park a car at Bell and walk back or at the old bridge that lead to Canyon Colliery, then walk back towards Bell for a while, this is possibly the best place to park as you would traditionally exit out here. Walk along the side track on the right of the railway line til you reach a clearing at the base of a low hill. (Approx 1.65kms from bridge) Then, head around the right of the hill or over the top and down the other side, aiming for the obvious feeder creek.
The walk from the bridge to the start point is also accessible by AWD from the bridge, or 4WD from Bells Line. This can be done as an optional car shuffle (what is shown in the map).
Descent
After the entry abseil, there are 2 more abseils in the main canyon, including a fun one down a slot in the creek bed into a dark chamber with an amazing view downstream. Not long after this abseil, you turn a corner, and you have an opportunity to do a fun 3mtr jump, or, a slippery hand-over hand into a deep, cold pool.
There are 2 cold swims, one after the 2nd abseil and the final jump pool, both are very deep, dark and cold.
Sadly, the canyon is over all too quickly.
Problems
| Problem Number | Drop Length | Anchor/Notes |
|---|---|---|
| P1 | 18m | Now off a log across the canyon, original tree is about to fail. Actual abseil is about 13m but 18m rope length from anchor. Apparently bypasable if you climb out of the creek on RL and follow a foot pad to the canyon floor |
| P2 | ~10m (from anchor) | Rope off trees TL. Probably only 5m of actual drop but the anchor is far back. Into a deep but small pool, hard to climb out of. |
| P3 | ~10m | Hanging rope from above the canyon into a slot TR. (alternative anchor further down on TL looks dodgy). Into a shallow pool. |
| P4 | ~3m Jump/DC | Somewhat difficult downclimb with handlines or jump, need to clear a ledge. |
Exit
Follow the creek downstream past the junction with the Grose River to the old Colliery, then follow the old road (What's left of it) back to your car. You will learn to love the uphill trudge that this exit gives you, there are not many places on this exit that are flat.
The exit firetrail has subsided in several places with one subsidence requiring the use of handlines to navigate around.
You can also exit up Kamarah Gully that comes in on your left as you head towards the old Colliery, but, you better have a vehicle waiting for you there, or a very long walk will be required.
Red tape
Beta sites
Trip reports and media
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YouTube.com : Richard Pattison, Koombanda Canyon movie
