2023-06L Felicitous Gorge and Canyon of Defiance (Chewings Range)

A grand tour of the various parts of Canyon of Defiance. This time we ascended via Felicitous Gorge, the creek to the east of Defiance Creek. There is a large rock pyramid near the top; pass to the left of it. We didn't visit the Lookdown, where there is a tremendous view into the Chasm, but I have marked it with a waypoint.

We descended Ribuck Ramp into the upper part of the canyon (Alexa's Reach) and admired the view down the Abyss. Turning upstream, we walked through the Chasm and explored the rock flake and ramp on its west side (Roger's Dodge). As is sometimes the case, there was a small pool of water in the Chasm.

Just upstream from the Chasm is the Macrozamia Blockup, one of two obstacles that must be climbed. There is currently a "tunnel", a gap between the boulders which is straightforward to climb. However, the summer floods can realign things by shifting the boulders around.

The next obstacle I call the Turnaround Blockup, so named because in my early exploration of the canyon I could not get past it. It is best climbed on its east side (on the left facing upstream) by a combination of chimneying and the judicious use of an undercling fingerhold. Thanks to Tom Brennan for showing me how to accomplish this. Tom has also climbed the Turnaround Blockup on its west side, but that's definitely harder.

The canyon continues, with a few light scrambles, until the bottom of the Balcony Waterfall. There is sometimes water at the bottom of the fall. To get to the top it is necessary to continue for another twenty or so metres before scrambling up a loose ramp and re-entering the creek. There is a pit at the top of Balcony Waterfall (currently full of pebbles, which diminishes the balcony effect). Peering over the edge, one can see the Hanging Bath, a protruding pool half-way down.

A scramble up the north bank leads to a high knife-edge which affords a dramatic view into the rugged Defiance Amphitheatre.

We then made our way back down through the canyon and ascended Ribuck Ramp.

Further down the ridge we descended into the lower reach (Meg's Reach, after Meg McKone who was the first bushwalker to find a way into it). We went upstream, to the Bridging Pool (I fell in) and to the Pebble Bowl (which, unusually, had water in it).

Then we headed downstream. In 2021, floods had cleared out a route between two boulders which enabled a direct exit to the lower canyon and to camp, but by 2022 this had been filled with tonnes of rock again, so to exit we had to climb up to the ridge again and make our way down a diagonal ramp. Fortunately, this was in better condition than in previous years. This area, with all its loose rock, really is dynamic and ever-changing.

Finally, we had a look into the lower reach before returning downstream to camp.