Cox's Cave 20-06-2021
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Route: Cox's Cave Circuit, Fairy Bower, Cox's Cave, Dunns Leap Track, Hourn Point, Rienits Pass, Little Zig Zag, Bushrangers Cave, Kanimbla Valley Road, Pulpit Rock, Innes Road, Victoria Street, Mount Piddington
Date: 20/06/2021
From: Mount Piddington
Parking: Mount Piddington
Start Point: Cox's Cave Circuit Trailhead
Finish Point: Mount Piddington
Region: Mount Piddington Reserve
Route length: 9.8km
Time taken: 03:40
Average speed: 2.66km/h
Ascent: 503m
Descent: 489m
Points of Interest: Fairy Bower, Cox's Cave, Hourn Point, Rieinits Pass, Bushrangers Cave, Pulpit Rock
This is one of the lesser-known hikes in the main Blue Mountains area, located close to Mount Victoria, the final town along the Great Western Highway before it plunges down Mitchell Ridge towards Lithgow. The hike is centred around Mount Piddington, a modest summit that has a car park located on the top. It is not part of the Blue Mountains National Park, having been bequeathed to the public and named Mount Piddington Reserve.
The car park provides access to a few interesting bushwalks in the area, none of which attract hordes of tourists but all of which retain much of the Blue Mountains amazing character. Parts of this hike are described in 'Great Walks at Mt Victoria' by Kieth Paiter. A route I had in mind linked up several short, interesting hikes to create a day-long outing.
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| The beginning of the Cox's Cave Circuit |
The first port of call was part of the Cox's Cave circuit, which leads steeply down to Cox's Cave - a little more on that later. The track descends through some open bush before entering a beautiful rainforest gully at Fairy Bower where there is a small, pretty waterfall amidst a rock amphitheatre. Not much water flows over the waterfall and perhaps the most interesting feature of the place is the overhanging rock shelter, one of many in the area.
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| Descending into the rainforest |
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| The rainforest becomes denser and darker |
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| On the Cox's Cave Track |
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| Approaching Fairy Bower |
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| Fairy Bower |
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| The small waterfall at Fairy Bower |
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| Fairy Bower |
From the waterfall, the path descends further still, eventually passing along a sandstone shelf below the cliffs, with the view opening up to the nearby cliffs. The walking tracks on the western side of Mt Victoria were mainly constructed in the nineteenth century and retain lots of their original construction features. The path continues to Cox's Cave (having passed the Dunns Leap track junction). Cox's Cave is particularly interesting, primarily because you can only access it via a tall, fixed ladder. The cave isn't visible until you squeeze beneath a low overhang having climbed the ladder.
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| The track follows Fairy Bower Creek |
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| Cox's Cave Track descends through an impressive canyon, carved by Fairy Bower Creek |
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| Continuing down the Cox's Cave Track |
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| An opening in the trees has a great view of the Mount Boyce cliffs |
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| The track skirts long a shelf under the cliffs |
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| The ladder that gains access to Cox's Cave |
Climbing into the cave is pretty loose but worth the effort, especially once you reach the ledge high up in the wall of the cave - it's a beautiful little spot that I had all to myself.
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| Cox's Cave |
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| Cox's Cave |
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| Cox's Cave |
After exiting the cave and returning down the ladder, I retraced my steps along the path towards Fairy Bower but diverted onto the Dunns Leap Track (I think this is also known as Jack Austen Pass). Unlike other leaps in the area, Dunns Leap refers to an actual 'leap' by a person or, more specifically, a boy, rather than a waterfall. Charles Dunn was 14 when he fell from the cliffs and landed, unharmed, some 60m below. Oddly, his trajectory is 'commemorated' by a metal wire attached to a wooden sign (which I missed).
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| The top of the Cox's Cave ladder |
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| The initial section of the Dunns Leap Track |
The Dunns Leap Track / Jack Austen Pass makes its way through the bush below the base of the cliffs and is very rough. Keep an eye out for pink tape wrapped around branches that mark the route. I ended up in a couple of very overgrown places having strayed off the path, having to bash through the ferns to find something resembling the route. I had to pause and backtrack a few times when things looked a little too wild but eventually found my way to Hourn Point where things become more civilised.
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| On the Dunns Leap Track, perhaps |
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| Dunns Leap Track |
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| Looking out over the Kanimbla Valley |
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| Ribbons mark the Dunns Leap Track route - keep an eye out for them |
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| The cliffs below Hourn Point |
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| Following the Dunns Leap Track |
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| Dunns Leap Track |
Hourn Point is a popular climbing area. As such, well-attended tracks provide a means to weave your way up the cliff face, emerging at Hourn Point and its spectacular view of the Megalong Valley.
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| Steps below Hourn Point |
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| Steps climb to Hourn Point |
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| Hourn Point |
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| There's an interesting little section at the top of the steps |
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| Hourn Point has an expansive view over the Kanimbla Valley |
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| Shipley Valley and Mount Victoria |
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| The Kanimbla Valley |
From Hourn Point, the glaringly obvious route is along the fire trail, however, this heads back to Mount Piddington and that wasn't my plan. Instead, after a little searching, the continuation of this route can be found by descending the cliffs from Hourn Point to the first open area and then following the track northwards from here.
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| The continuation of the track from just below Hourn Point |
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| A lone tree along the cliff edge |
The section of track between Hourn Point and Rienits Pass is sensational, perched on the clifftop with none of the fences or protection you would find on the more tourist-orientated tracks around Katoomba.
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| The tall cliffs of Hourn Point |
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| Kanimbla Valley and Mount Blackheath |
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| The Shipley Valley and Mount Victoria |
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| Kanimbla Valley |
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| Hourn Point |
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| The track towards Rienits Pass |
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| Looking down at Rienits Pass |
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| This short section of the track is a little exposed |
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| Shipley Valley |
After a number of kilometres along the clifftop, the track drops down through a gap in the cliffs, making its way towards Rienitss Pass. Before joining the pass, however, there is the opportunity to take a short detour to see a secluded waterfall within an impressive setting (though not much water was flowing today).
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| Descending to Rienits Pass |
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| A short detour leads to a waterfall |
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| The route to the waterfall was obviously created long ago |
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| The waterfall - I'm not sure of its name (or if it has one) |
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| The cliffs below Hourn Point |
Rienits Pass first appears in a 1919 tourist map of Mount Victoria and connects Pulpit rock with Ross Cave via the top of the Mount Victoria escarpment. It is named after Henry Rienits, a local schoolmaster and trustee of the reserve during the 1880s. Rienits was very active in community affairs and featured on various trusts and associations.
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| Rienits Pass |
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| Views from Rienits Pass |
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| Deep in the rainforest on Rienits Pass |
Once below the cliffs, the pass is very pleasant and easy to follow, unlike the Dunns Leap Track and, before long, it begins climbing again. Before long, Rienits Pass reaches the Little Zig Zag Track. The track is a historic bridleway that zigzags into the valley along 17 stone terraces and, despite the switchbacks, it's arduously steep.
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| Signs guide you to the Little Zig Zag Track |
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| Litte Zig Zag |
After five switchbacks is an information sign and a rough path that leads off into the bush. The path leads to a tall gap in the cliffs - Bushrangers Cave. Bushrangers were escaped convicts who used the bush as a refuge to hide from the authorities.
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