Hello friends and followers!
This blog post is about my recent trip out to a seemingly less known about location called Hanging Rock.
On the map, Hanging Rock is situated in the mountain range between Blackheath and Mount Wilson in the Blue Mountains. We all know the Blue Mountains is famous for it's amazing scenery, steep cliffs, eucalyptus forests, waterfalls and many many walking tracks. Well Hanging Rock combines a number of these features and it's definately one to put on your adventure bucket list.
GETTING THERE
Hanging Rock is located approximately 7 kilometres from the town of Blackheath. Thats 3.5km of driving and 3.5km of walking!! Just west of Blackheath, turn right onto Ridgewell Road. Follow this road until you reach a gate. Park the car here as this gate is the start of the Burramoko fire trail. see below.
Follow this fire trail all the way. There are several other trails which branch off, however the main trail is pretty obvious so you can't get lost. Approximately 1.6km in you will reach a Blue Mountains National Park sign. This is about half way.
The rest of the walk contains a few hills, but compared to most hikes in the mountains this one is a piece of cake. Once you reach the end there is a small fence. This is the entrance to the Baltzer Lookout.
The Baltzer Lookout boasts amazing views of the Grose Valley, which is at the heart of the Blue Mountains National Park. Follow the lookout track down the hill until you reach the peak. If you look to your left you can see Hanging Rock.
The next part involves a light to medium level of hiking skill. (I have no hiking experience, only what I have picked up on my many adventures). However, this would probably not be suitable for those less mobile people. Follow the steep track down keeping a safe distance from the edge. For those more daring people you can check out the steep cliff edges on the way down. This is where you will get the best views of Hanging Rock and also is the best angle to photograph the amazing peak, as seen in many photos of the famous location.
For those thrill seekers you can access the tip of the peak by jumping across a small gap between the two rocks. The gap is almost 1 metre across, which doesnt seem like much but would lead to absolute certain death if you were to misjudge and fall down between the two rock masses. PLEASE TAKE EXTREME CAUTION IF DOING THIS. see below.
However, don't let this deter you just be careful and only do it if you are confident. I managed to conquer my fear of heights and jump across many times, but my friend wasn't as game so he missed out on getting his token picture on the peak.
For the time-rich photography enthusiast, this location would be best at sunrise or sunset, but is still amazing during the day. I was happy with the photos I took on the day and will be adding it to my list of things to do for sunrise. Considering the minimal effort it takes to get there, it's definatley worth checking it out one day. I hope the pictures speak for themselves. Enjoy!
