The Colosseum Track & Glen Rosa - Blue Mountains National Park

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Route: Hydro Majestic Hotel, Great Western Highway, Station Street, Wonderland Track, Marks Tomb, Tuckers Lookout, Sentinel pass, Colosseum Track, Sentinel Pass, Sunbath, Glen Rosa Track, Three Brothers Track, Foy Avenue, Great Western Highway

Date: 20/08/2022
From: Medlow Bath

Parking: N/A
Start Point: Hydro Majestic Hotel
Finish Point: Hydro Majestic Hotel
Region: Blue Mountains National Park

Route length: 11.1km
Time taken: 03:07
Average speed: 4.7km/h
Ascent: 357m
Descent: 353m

Points of Interest: Marks Tomb, Tuckers Lookout, Sentinel Pass, Sunbath, Glen Rosa

The small town of Medlow Bath would have been largely unremarkable were it not for a man named Mark Foy who, in 1902, was responsible for the development of the Hydro Majestic Hotel, with no expense spared. At this point in time, the town was simply called Medlow but Foy successfully petitioned to have the name changed to Medlow Bath to make it sound more prestigious.

The grand hotel was advertised as a luxury retreat and despite being severely damaged by successive bushfires, remains a popular destination today, one that includes an exclusive restaurant and a spa complex.

The Hydro Majestic Hotel in Medlow Bath

As a result of the hotel, there is an elaborate network of walking tracks, which were developed in the bushland between the hotel and the escarpment of the Megalong Valley. The tracks allow some interesting bushwalks and views of the Megalong Valley, but in more recent years have deteriorated due to lack of maintenance, including the one I was having a look at today - the Colosseum.

It was surprisingly cold when I hopped off the train at Medlow Bath station - the result of a cool breeze blowing across the mountains. After reaching for a jacket (being glad I actually brought one along) I headed north along Station Street, parallel to the Great Western Highway, aiming for the Wonderland Track.

Entering the Wonderland Track

The Wonderland Track (which I think is named after the Wonderland Park guesthouse that became part of the Hydro Majestic) follows a course through the bush with the occasional side branches that take you to the cliff edge. The views you will see encompass the Megalong Valley and Coxs River.

View from the Wonderland Track

Megalong Valley

The Wonderland Track

Partway along the Wonderland Track is another path, heading downhill into the bush. This leads to Marks Tomb, a strange arched-cave-type feature that, despite appearances, is entirely natural. Mark Foy, the developer of the Hydro Majestic, is reported to want to have been buried here - hence the name. 

Marks Tomb

Inside Marks Tomb

The skylight

The Wonderland Track continues until it reaches a profusion of tracks below Medlow Bath. There is little in the way of signage so a good map or GPS would be recommended around here Unless you're happy simply wondering the tracks). I ventured over to Tuckers Lookout which has a stellar view over the Megalong Valley.

Megalong Valley and Mount Elphinstone

Back Creek waterfall

Looking south

Tuckers Lookout

As the title of this post suggests, I was keen to check out the Colosseum Track, a route that descends the cliffs to a wide shelf part way down before venturing along the base of the upper cliff to the Colosseum.

Edging out towards Sentinel Pass

From Tuckers lookout, a side track winds downhill as it approaches the edge of the cliffs, however, there appears to be no way down until you reach a short jutting rock shelf. The track descends steeply from here via some crumbling steps, a few tunnels between giant rock slabs and make use of a steel ladder to bridge a short cliff face. It's a beautiful route which I believe is called Sentinel Pass. At the bottom of the pass is an obvious path that makes its way along the base of the cliffs.

Sentinel Pass

Sentinel Pass

Heading down through a gap in the rocks

The old wooden steps on Sentinel Pas

Sentinel Pass

The last steep section of Sentinel Pass

On the Colosseum Track

I had come prepared so knew what to expect as I approached the Colosseum - an enormous landslide. The slide occurred in 2016 and obliterated the Colosseum Track and the Valley Farm Track below (though no damage was reported to the Colosseum itself). I had fully expected the landslide and some marked routes across it, however, it appears there have been further slips during the intense rain that NSW has experienced recently. 

The cliffs below Tuckers Lookout

The Colosseum Track

Approaching the landslide

The first section of the slide appears passable (this is as far as I managed to get) before it becomes too steep to safely cross. I have read that there are means to traverse the bottom of the slide but, with damp, slippery soil underfoot and being on my own I decided against searching it out. The Colosseum would have to wait for another time.

Attempting to cross the landslide

The view from the landslide

This is as far as I ventured across the landslide - no way through

I retraced my steps back along the cliffs and climbed Sentinel Pass, emerging close to Tuckers Lookout to continue my hike. The next stop is Sunbath, a concrete ring that was once home to a bathing pool where there is another lookout over the Megalong Valley.

Backtracking along The Colosseum Track

Looking down Sentinel Pass

Sentinel Pass

The Megalong Valley

Sunbath

Leaving Sunbath behind, the clifftop path leads southeast into the bush towards Glen Rosa. An open section of the path has a good view of the Hydro Majestic Hotel. Glen Rosa is a deep cleft in the cliffs - the path actually makes its way along the western edge before finding a route into the glen itself. The path was non-existent in a few places thanks to the recent storms requiring some navigation by GPS. 

The lookout at Sunbath overlooks Tuckers Lookout

Megalong Valley

The cliffs around Glen Rosa

The Hydro Majestic Hotel above the cliffs

A small, unnamed waterfalls tumbles down the cliffs

The Glen Rosa Track

Above The Colosseum on the Glen Rosa Track

Glen Rosa

Crossing the creek, the path becomes more noticeable. In fact, the section getting into Glen Rosa was the only part of this route where the trail wasn't very obvious. The Glen Rosa Track makes its way to an unnamed lookout above The Colosseum. While The Colosseum is somewhat hidden, the view of the cliffs is sensational, particularly the great crack in the wall where Glen Rosa Creek flows through the cliffs.

The cliffs of Glen Rosa

The Colosseum

The unnamed creek carves a round through the cliffs above The Colosseum

Glen Rosa

After the incredible lookout, my hike sort of fell apart as I tried to increase its length. If I had consulted the map a little more closely I would have seen features such as the Three Brothers (the smaller version of the Three Sisters) and the old flying fox that used to serve the valley below the hotel. I had my heart set on Mount Mark, some kilometres distant and missed these completely.

Glen Rosa

On the fire trails below Medlow Bath

Blackheath Glen

The closed gate near Mount Mark

The Boiler House at the Hydro Majestic

Upon reaching the access to Mount Mark (after unsuccessfully following some value paths in the area), the entrance track was gated closed in a 'no entry' kind of way so, after some deliberation, I decided to call it a day traced a route back along Foy Avenue and the Great Western Highway to the Hydro Majestic. I'd like to give The Colosseum another go on a drier day and search out a way around the landslide.