KATOOMBA FALLS – TO THE BOTTOM
OF THE UPPER FALL
The Katoomba
Falls area has always been popular with walkers and I guess it always will
be. I’ve met many other walkers along the tracks and it’s great to see them
enjoying the beauties of the place. Its proximity to the rides at Scenic World is partly the reason, of
course, which provides opportunities for a number of round trips.
The track down to the Federal Pass level (where the Scenic
Railway terminates) goes through two stages, coinciding with the descent
through the two cliff-forming sandstone layers. Between the two is a prominent
claystone bed which nearly always causes the top cliff line to be set back a
little from the lower. This means that all the waterfalls from Katoomba to
King’s Tableland at Wentworth Falls are split into upper and lower sections. This
division is very obvious at Katoomba Falls.
The track into the valley descends on the right
shortly after you leave Cliff Drive at the old Katoomba Falls Kiosk. It goes down into a rain forest world through
a gap in the cliffs which may have once been the course of Kedumba Creek. A minor waterfall (also in two stages) called Witch’s (or Witches) Leap is soon seen
on the right. The main Katoomba Falls may be seen from Rainforest Lookout soon after; just below this is the turnoff to “Under the Falls”, as it has often been
called. It isn’t really under the falls, rather the spot is between the upper
and lower falls.
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| The brink of the lower Witch's Leap fall |
Along this track you will cross the Witch’s Leap
stream again, right at the brink of its second drop. Shortly after, you will
arrive at the cascades between the two Katoomba Falls. You get an altogether
different view of the falls here. Unfortunately its has proven to be a
dangerous place for those who want to look at the bottom fall, which is why
there is a solid safety rail well back from the edge. Not everyone takes notice
of that, of course, and in summer people like to paddle around and take a
shower. They are no doubt unaware of some of the grim events that happened
here.
In July 1907 there was a cold snap which caused
much of the waterfall to freeze over. This has happened a number of times, but
on this occasion
 |
| SMH July 9, 1907 |
the attraction of the frozen fall was too much for some
visitors and two people died as a result of the slippery conditions. You may
read about the tragedy in many newspapers of the day, but the Sydney Morning Herald of Tuesday 9 July
1907, page 7, is as good as any (See Trove).
A similar freeze occurred in July 1922. A few years ago we encountered a
sizable icicle near Wollumai Lookout, between Katoomba Falls and Echo Point, so
I guess this is a phenomenon that can still happen, even if it rarely does!
The 1907 event attracted a photographer who took
pictures for and of tourists amongst the ice. A few of these survive and may be
seen at the Blue Mountains Local Studies
site here
.
Several Wild
Walks files are relevant to this walk. Katoomba Cascades here and Katoomba Falls Circuit here .
Finally, my video of the walk to “Under the Falls”
may be seen here . My Blue Mountains You Tube playlist may be found here. You will find videos of the Round Walk, Katoomba Cascades etc in the Blue Mountains playlist. In other playlists - on gem hunting/mining, Glen Innes and New Zealand. Please comment and subscribe.
https://johnsbluemountainsblog.blogspot.com/2013/12/links-to-all-blog-entries-and-relevant.html All Blue Mountains blogs and videos
All New England and other Geology blogs and videos
Limestone Caves of NSW
Song Studies. Bible studies based on hymns and songs
Shoalhaven District Geology
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| Icicle near Wollumai Lookout 2007 |
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