Pipeline
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| | Difficulty:3B III (v3a2 III) Raps:6-10, max ↨89ft
Red Tape: Shuttle: Rock type:Sandstone | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 15 Feb 2026
"I know some people rate this highly for quality but I really think this depends on your canyoning background and preferences. As an aquatic canyoner I |
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| Best season: | Oct-Apr (avg for this region)
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-33.1653, 150.2633
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Waterflow
Introduction
Pipeline is a canyon located in the Wolgan valley. It is a popular canyoners who prefer low flow or dry canyons. Its flow typically sits between an A1 and A2 i.e. a small trickle of water.
With careful bridging and traversing, you can probably get away with wading just over waist-deep. Rain can turn silted-up sections into deepish swims. Experienced parties often don’t need wetsuits.
Quality
- 1 stars (locally significant) in the French Federation of Mountain Climbing (FFME) grading system
- The canyon is rated 8 out of 10 on the Brennan Quality Scale.
- David Noble, author of Canyosn Near Sydney, rates the canyon 4 out of 5 for quality and Medium-Hard for difficulty.
- From an international grading perspective it is technically easy
Approach
- Download the GPX or work out your own route
- Follow the red GPX route for the lower section (more popular)
- Follow the yellow GPX route for the upper section combined with lower section
- If only completing the lower section (more popular route) there are 3 or 4 abseils before you reach the main creek
- The second drop is 27m but could be split into two
Descent
Upper Section (a.k.a. Drainpipe Canyon)
The upper section of
| Problem number | Type | Metres | Location | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abseil | 25m | RR | Sling on tree. Optional. A steep gully exists to the true left of the abseil which may be descended by more experienced parties. |
| 600m to 700m of creek and bush bashing | ||||
| 2 | Abseil | 6m | RR | Sling on very narrow tree. |
| The lower entry join the creek on river right. Refer to Lower section details to continue. |
Lower section
| Problem number | Type | Metres | Location | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abseil | 1m | RL | Bolts. Down to deep pool. Small ledge at bottom to disconnect from rope. |
| 2 | Abseil | 6m | RC | Sling on log. Log is very slippery. Abseil beside it. Difficult sit and swing start. |
| Long section of flat canyon with the occasional wade. | ||||
| 3 | Abseil | 15m | RL | Sling off tree, redirected off another old dead tree. |
| 4 | Abseil | 4m | RR | Bolts. |
| 5 | Abseil | 5m | RL | Bolts. |
| 6 | Abseil | 12m | RR | Bolts. |
Exit
After the last drop, head river right along the cliff line. Stay close to the cliff face to avoid some narrow and exposed sections lower down.
Continue along the clifflike until you intersect with the same Pipeline walking track that you walked in on. From here head downhill back to your car/camp.
Red tape
Beta sites
The below track notes are an excerpt from Canyons Near Sydney 5th edition guidebook by Rick Jamieson which is no longer in print.
Please note that these notes are now out of date due to the fact some of the abseils are now bolted.
Grade: 4 (moderate to difficult). Time: 1 day. 7 abseils, some a bit tricky due to slippery overhangs at the top. One 50 m rope (or two 30 m ropes) needed. Some deep wades (one quite deep). A great canyon, fairly easy to get into and out of. Take some slings for anchors. The canyon is notable for its profusion of Rock Orchids (Liparis re-flexa).
From the campsite at the end of the road (Little Capertee Creek) walk 1.5 km downstream on the left bank. Turn left up the Glen Davis pipeline track. Walk up the hill to a lookout. Now continue along the track towards the watershed until you can walk down to the right into the gully (the gully that runs parallel to the track), at about GR 448270 (Mt. Morgan map).
Walk around the first drop (or abseil), then abseil the next in two sections, from a tree.
Then there is another short abseil just before a creek junction. Next is a 10 m abseil from logs jammed across the canyon, then a 6 m abseil from a sling tied around the top of a sloping log - you can slide down the log with your feet around it.
After a magnificent flat section of canyon there is a 20 m abseil in two sections - use a sling around a big tree for an anchor, with a stick to keep the sling about 1 m above the ground. Now there is a little abseil from a sling around a chockstone, and finally a 15 m abseil down a waterfall from a small tree (difficult start), walk right (west) under the cliff for 20 minutes (good views), to the bottom of the gully on the pipeline track.
Another good way into this canyon is via the gully to the north, at GR 450275 (Drainpipe Canyon).
Trip reports and media
- Sleep When We are Dead, Pipeline canyon Jan 2016 (Note I always knew PipeLine as the full canyon from the upper section and the side canyon in the short cut entry as Drain Pipe)
- Sleep When we are dead Pipeline canyon Oct 2017