Wentworth Falls - accidental experienced walker

[losfp]

Well, we finally got off our butts and went for a bit of an adventure this weekend. Not content with simply pottering about the house and taking photos of the contents therein (the bunny was getting a bit sick of me), we decided to go out to the blue mountains for a bit of a wander. Now, the original plan at Wentworth Falls was to go out to the Princes Rock lookout and take some pics there (perhaps about 30 minutes round-trip), then go to Katoomba, and maybe Jenolan caves if there was time.

Well, time there wasn't. When we got to Wentworth Falls, the signage told us that the track to Princes Rock was closed for maintenance, but there were alternative routes. So we went. At some point, we got to an intersection that had "for experienced walkers only" on one side. Oh, said I. I think I know this one, you can get to a turn-off that leads back up to that lookout. Are you sure, said she, for I don't think she trusted me completely.. with good reason, as it turned out.

At some point, we found ourselves inadvertantly following the Wentworth Pass, marked on the map as "5 Hours, 6km, Hard Grade". Basically takes you all the way down to the bottom of the valley, then up again. Goodbye nice safe maintained tracks, hello crawling around and over rocks, creeks and spending half our time going "where the @)#$ is the bloody track?". We managed it in about 6.5 hours, which is not bad considering the constant stops for photos and for dying of chronic lack of fitness.

In the end, it was tough and tiring, though strangely rewarding and fulfilling. My calves are screaming bloody murder - every step down means a step you have to climb on the way up. I think it was definitely a worthwhile experience, and something that we'd like to do a bit more of in the future...

Some pics that made it worthwhile traipsing about a wet, overgrown track with 7kg of photography gear and a tripod strapped to my back.... I didn't do a lot of PP to these, just levels/curves/WB/sharpening in Adobe Camera Raw.

#1: Weeping Rock
#2: Queens Cascades (I think?) - This one is my favourite
#3: Lower Wentworth Falls - Gorgeous spot
#4: Not sure which waterfall this one is

<a href="http://thesystemisdown.com/gallery/albums/userpics/wwf/WWF0306_02.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://thesystemisdown.com/gallery/albums/userpics/wwf/thumb_WWF0306_02.jpg" border="0"></a> <a href="http://thesystemisdown.com/gallery/albums/userpics/wwf/WWF0306_04.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://thesystemisdown.com/gallery/albums/userpics/wwf/thumb_WWF0306_04.jpg" border="0"></a> <a href="http://thesystemisdown.com/gallery/albums/userpics/wwf/WWF0306_14.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://thesystemisdown.com/gallery/albums/userpics/wwf/thumb_WWF0306_14.jpg" border="0"></a> <a href="http://thesystemisdown.com/gallery/albums/userpics/wwf/WWF0306_17.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://thesystemisdown.com/gallery/albums/userpics/wwf/thumb_WWF0306_17.jpg" border="0"></a>

All criticism, suggestions are welcome. I would have loved to have taken some nice general scenery shots too, but it was misty and cloudy all day.. so not terribly exciting. ( http://thesystemisdown.com/gallery/thum ... p?album=23 for the day's full album )


Of some interest to the photographer is this shot.... Not for the waterfall (which is quite nice also), but for the model's performance. Stock-still for a 4s exposure.. Pretty damn good!

<a href="http://thesystemisdown.com/gallery/albums/userpics/wwf/WWF0306_03.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://thesystemisdown.com/gallery/albums/userpics/wwf/thumb_WWF0306_03.jpg" border="0"></a>


Of course, the best value of the exercise came at the end when we were reviewing our pics - "yeah", she said, "we definitely need to get a wider angle lens".....

ch-ching!!!!

[losfp]

Of some interest to the photographer is this shot.... Not for the waterfall (which is quite nice also), but for the model's performance. Stock-still for a 4s exposure.. Pretty damn good!

Oops, this was actually with a shutter speed of 1/1.5 - My apologies.. I was trying to make this more impressive than it really was!!!

[owen]

I like the third one the best, it just looks right to me.

Sounds like you had a nice walk... when I went down in the valley, I came up about 2km's away from where I parked the car!

[losfp]

Cheers Owen! Yeah, we did that too. Started off at the Wentworth Falls picnic area, and FINALLY emerged near the Conservation Hut. Elation soon turned to despair when we saw the sign that said "WWF picnic area and car park this way, 20 minutes, 1km - easy grade".

d'oh!

Was a tricky little walk too. The abbridged version:

"No honey, honest, I think this is definitely the way back to the top of the cliff. I don't have a map or anything, but I'm sure we have to turn left here".

2 hours later

Me: "Wow, look how far we've climbed down - isn't it great?!"
Her: "Do you realise we have to climb back up there too?"
Me: "D'oh!"

an hour later

Her: "Where the hell is the bloody track? No one ever comes here so there's bloody shrubs and ferms and rocks all over the place. Is that why you always make me walk in front? So I can find the freakin' non-obvious bloody track for you?"
Me: "Yeah, and also so that if we come across any tigers, you can get eaten first"
Her: "What was that?!?!"
Me: "Nothing. Just keep walking"

Another hour later:

Her: "We've come this way already. I told you we followed a track that wasn't the track back there"
Me: "Great. We didn't bring any food because we didn't expect to be walking so long. But that doesn't matter, because we'll be eaten by the Blair Witch anyway."
Her: "What was that?!?!"
Me: "Nothing. Just keep walking"

[Alpha_7]

Love the story, entertainment +

Me: "Nothing. Just keep walking"

[CraigVTR]

Great pics, great story, every married mans been there.

Craig

[bago100]

Great story Owen
Loved the gallery as well
At least you now know you can conquer a 'hard' graded walk
Muscles aching at your age. I don't believe it!
Cheers
Graham

[losfp]

cheers guys

In the end, the walk WAS worth it.. Even if I didn't start the day intending to do it!

Now to make sure we do something like that more often.....

[mudder]

Ha, loved the narrative, felt as though I've been there, not necessarily at Katoomba, but I think we've all been there before LOL... Love the Ch-ching after setting up the scene to get it too... I'm smiling, thanks...

It's afterwards though when you look back and laugh and think "that was a fun day", it's great to "get out there among it"...

The walk was worth it though, looks like you found some magic spots... I don't know the location so thanks for showing it...

Weeping Rock is shown from an interesting angle and perspective, watch out for branches and stuff protruding into your frame at awkward spots when framing...

Queens Cascades is nice, that does look like a nice spot, not sure about what's around you when taking your shot, did you have any room to the right when framing?

Lower Wentworth Falls looks like a little oasis, hmmm wonder about a portrait crop for this one, *just* including the rocks on the left but *just* excluding the ones in the foreground on the right maybe? Just seems to suit a portrait to me...

"The unknown waterfall" tempted to crop portrait again and lose some of the dark left greenery in shadow...

There's just "something" about shots of waterfalls, or water scenes that I find so relaxing... And your partner in crime has done well, I certainly couldn't do that, I'd either fall over or forget to breathe

[Slider]

Great photos. Great story. Well done

[losfp]

Lower Wentworth Falls looks like a little oasis, hmmm wonder about a portrait crop for this one, *just* including the rocks on the left but *just* excluding the ones in the foreground on the right maybe? Just seems to suit a portrait to me...

Yeah, that was the best spot on the walk. The problem is I keep thinking "hmmm.. it doesn't do the actual place justice". Looks like I'll have to just keep going back and trying again

I did a portrait version of that - try http://thesystemisdown.com/gallery/albu ... 306_15.jpg to check it out