Karijini National Park – day two

by inka on Mai.12, 2011, under Pilbara Region

Thursday, 12th May 2011

Track number two into Weano Gorge followed the next day and consisted of a little longer part of class 4 walk through Weano gorge that was quite easy and pleasant and again avoided swimming through the water by climbing the rocks.

: Ready to hike!

: Everybody is excited about climbing, we got the right crew here : )

: View of Weano Gorge at the beginning of the walk

: Weano Gorge

: What has happened in this gorge?

: I hope this happened ages ago….

: Amazing how the trees can grow here

: Weano Gorge rock walls

: Bending tree

: Weano Gorge

: That’s our walking trail

: Beautiful scenery at Weano Gorge

: No need to cross this river, we could walk along the side

: Tree at Weano Gorge

: Beautiful creeks through Weano Gorge

: Will it hold? Fortunately, it did!

: Sweetie at Weano Gorge

: Yes, you are supposed to swim through… but not us, no… ; )

: Almost done with the first challenge!

: Climbing is fun… but don’t look down… ; )

: Now we need to climb down…

: A small waterfall at the end of the class 4 part

The class 5 track led through a small and a little slippery gorge sideways down a waterfall (fortunately, somebody had mounted a handrail) down to Handrail Pool where some of us took a bath.

: In order to get to the handrail pool we had to climb down there

: Made it!

: And me too!

: The narrow walk to handrail pool – see the handrail?

: Entrance to handrail pool

: Entrance of handrail pool

: And finally we are there! Or not…?

This was followed by a rather adventurous trip on extremely slippery rocks that were along the rock walls in the water. Some of us had left some clothes at the pool because everybody expected to fall into the water since the track was so difficult but everybody made it back safe, sound and dry (except for the legs).

: No, it goes on! Travis trying to check out the further track…

: Between handrail pool and the end of the track

: Here is climbing still possible

: Frank 2 on the way back from the end of the walk or rather “swim”

: On the way back to handrail pool on a very very narrow “walk”

And back we went from Handrail Pool to the normal track:

: Leaving handrail pool again

: Sweetie leaving handrail pool

: Sebastian at handrail pool

: The amazing way from handrail pool to the normal track (1)

: The amazing way from handrail pool to the normal track (2)

: The amazing way from handrail pool to the normal track (3)

: The amazing walk between handrail pool and normal track (4)

: Waterfall just before handrail pool

: Handrail pool track crew – very cool! : )

: What was first stone or tree?

We needed to cross the water part again when I thought why not take the other way and started climbing along the rock walls on the left followed by Sebastian:

: Looking for a new challenge I am taking the way on the left side back

: Followed by Sebastian – the others took the less challenging way ; )

: The other way was up here

: Doesn’t that look exciting? ; )

: This reminds me of the movie “tiger and dragon”

: Look how close the water is…

: How to get down was the question

: But help was appreciated in the end

After Weano Gorge we stepped onto one of the Lookout platforms and tried to figure out where we had been before:

: Dales Gorge

: View from Junction Pool Lookout

: View from Junction Pool Lookout

: View from Junction Pool Lookout

: View from Junction Pool Lookout

: View from Junction Pool Lookout

: No jumping, no throwing – no fun ; )

A slightly less exercising but quite longer track was done in the afternoon in the Dales Gorge where we went down to the Circular Pool, through the beautiful Dales Gorge to the Fortescue Falls, further on to the Fern Pool and finally along the rim of the gorge back to the car park. What a great adventure and another successful day!