ADVENTURES AROUND THE WORLD

© Christopher Earls Brennen

Hike I3. Weano and Hancock Gorges, Karijini National Park

Characteristics

Karijini National Park, at 6274 square kilometers the second largest Park in Western Australia, is a jewel hidden away in the outback of northwest Australia, in a region known as the Pilbara. This desert landscape is covered with grass called spinifex and scattered with a variety of trees. Huge termite mounds are a feature of the landscape that is almost devoid of people. In the cooler months the land is covered with yellow-flowering cassias and wattles, northern bluebells and purple mulla-mullas. After rain many plants bloom profusely. The wildlife includes Red kangaroos, euros, wallaroos, echidnas, geckos, goannas as well as a large variety of birds and snakes including pythons.

Today the Pilbara is home to a few remnants of the original Aboriginal inhabitants and to some scattered mining operations that, nevertheless, exercise considerable influence over most of the affairs of the region. Karijini National Park (that used to be called the Hamersley Range National Park) is the traditional home of the Banyjima, Kurrama and Innawonga Aboriginal people, the new name Karijini meaning "hilly place" in the Banyjima tongue. Evidence of their occupation dates back more than 20,000 years.

Karijini is special because here the Joffre River and its tributaries have cut deep, vertical gorges into what is otherwise a flat and quite featureless desert landscape. During the summer, rains fill the aquifers in the ancient rock of this land and the resulting springs cause water to flow in the gorges for most of the year. This water has cut narrow and crennelated canyons that provide a number of spectacular canyoneering adventures. About a mile-long stretch of the main canyon is known as the Red Gorge though the watercourse further downstream is known as the Wittenoom Gorge. The Red Gorge lies at the heart of these adventures and, like its major tributary Joffre Gorge, it contains long cold pools bounded by vertical red walls. The principal tributary gorges that feed into the Red Gorge are Joffre, Hancock, Weano and Knox Gorges. Only Joffre and Hancock can be ascended (though, in the case of Hancock, this requires some technical equipment); consequently all canyoneering adventures consist of a descent through one of these gorges and an end-of-day ascent through either Hancock or Joffre. In this account we describe a descent through Weano Gorge and an ascent via Hancock Gorge.

Since the winter months of July, August and September bring rain and the water is very cold and since the plateau temperatures can be very hot in the summer, the best time to visit is probably in the fall months of April or May.

There are only a couple of campgrounds in this widely spread out Park and only one place to find a bed for the night or a meal, namely the new Eco-Retreat (http://www.karijiniecoretreat.com.au) that, in addition to a campground, rents tents with beds. The Retreat (22o23.176'S 118o16.602'E) is also the hub of all current Park activities and is within hiking distance of the gorges described above. If you plan to follow either of the adventures described here, I would recommend that you sign up for a guided tour with West Oz Active Adventure Tours (http://www.westozactive.com.au) based at the Eco-Retreat who provide all the equipment you need. The owner, Danny Francis (email: info@westozactive.com.au) is the local canyon expert. If you wish to canyoneer on your own then you need to have a nationally recognized accreditation to abseil (rappel) and be lead by a qualified and acredited leader.

Trailhead

It is not easy to get to Karijini National Park. One way is to drive about 750mi north from Perth, mostly along the lonely Great Northern Highway. Another way is to fly from Perth to Paraburdoo, a small mining town whose airport is the closest to the park, and rent a car. This airport also serves the slightly larger mining town of Tom Price, 50mi (80kms) away. The Eco-retreat is another 50mi from Tom Price, and a large part of this is dirt road.

This adventure begins and ends at the Weano Picnic Area that is adjacent to both the Weano and Hancock Gorge trailheads (22o21.404'S 118o17.093'E). From the entrance to the Eco-retreat (22o23.176'S 118o16.602'E) turn right and drive about 6.5mi (10kms to the Weano Picnic Area. Park there.

Hike

From the Weano Picnic Area (22o21.404'S 118o17.093'E) hike past the information shelter and down the steps into the bottom of Weano Gorge (22o21.459'S 118o17.217'E). At the bottom of the steps and just upstream there are some lovely pools that are worth stopping to admire. Then, almost immediately as you start down the canyon, the gorge begins to narrow and there is a canyon-spanning pool where you need to wade. Beyond this is a short section with trees and greenery. But the canyon soon narrows further to a dark slot only about 4ft wide. After about 50yds this slot suddenly opens up to a large circular pool known as Handrail Pool (22o21.568'S 118o17.352'E), 0.4mi and 30min from the start.

Handrail Pool gets its name from the short section of railing that aids your short descent from the slot to a ledge on the left that runs most of the way around the pool. Be sure to use this railing for the footing here is very slippery and falls are a frequent occurence at this spot. Handrail Pool is deep and makes for a most pleasant swim on a hot day but other opportunities to swim lie ahead. The exit from Handrail Pool is a slightly wider slot and the next section is a deep wade and swim through a dark narrow section of canyon. At the end of the swim the gorge continues narrow, turns and drops fairly steeply to the narrow gate that marks the entrance to Jade Pool. Care is needed here for, again the footing is slippery and, just beyond the entrance, there is a drop of about 10ft to the surface of Jade Pool. There are bolts placed in the wall of the slot leading to the Jade Pool entrance and it is wise to use these to prevent an uncontrolled slide into the pool. The bolts extend through the entrance gate and around to the wide ledge on the right above the pool. You should reach Jade Pool about 1hr after the morning start.

Jade Pool is a deep and lovely swimming hole surrounded and almost enclosed by towering rock walls. Whatever sun filters down turns the water to a shade of gorgeous pale turquoise. You can proceed along the ledge on the right about 10ft above the water surface or you can jump into the pool and enjoy swimming out through the narrowing exit to another short section of slot. After a short cascade you follow ledges on the right that bring you out to another large open area and pool with broad rock flats to the right. As you come out onto these rock flats you will see ahead of you a window through which you see the far side of Red Gorge. This is almost the end of Weano Gorge. You should reach this point about 1hr 20min after the morning start having travelled just 0.55mi.

Descending Weano Falls

The water exits this last big, unnamed pool, proceeds through the window and drops 120ft down Weano Falls (22o21.684'S 118o17.434'E) to the bottom of Red Gorge. Ledges on the right through the window lead to the rappel anchor, 2 solid bolts joined by a chain, positioned above the drop down the line of the falls. From this anchor you rappel 120ft) down the very slippery face of Weano Falls to a pool with a swimming disconnect. It is a short swim to the rocky beach beside Junction Pool which is just a very short way upstream to the right. You should reach Junction Pool (22o21.695'S 118o17.364'E) about 2.5hrs from the start having travelled 0.63mi. Junction Pool encompasses the exits of both Joffre Gorge and the much smaller Hancock Gorge, with the exit from Weano Gorge just downstream. Usually there is a welcome patch of sunshine on the rocky beach of Junction Pool and this makes for a nice lunch spot. High above Hancock Gorge you will be able to see the Junction Pool overlook that is as close as many tourists get to this gorge.

Parenthetically it is worth noting that there are two possible continuations of this adventure. One possibility that we will not cover here would be to continue upstream through Joffre Gorge. This transit through Joffre Gorge to Joffre Falls is about 2.7mi (4.4kms) long and takes at least X hrs since it involves many swims/floats similar to those of the Red Gorge. The terminus is the spectacular Joffre Falls that are adjacent to the Eco-Retreat. The climb out of the Joffre Gorge is on your right about 50yds before Joffre Falls. The ascent route up a steep side canyon is clearly marked with yellow triangles and the trail at the top leads back to the Eco-retreat just about 100yds away.

However, we describe here the second option, namely an ascent of Hancock Gorge. Not only is this more spectacular but it is also much shorter than the Joffre Gorge option. First you must swim across Junction Pool to the narrow opening leading into Hancock Gorge. Just inside the gorge there is a flat area where you should pack your floatation device and otherwise prepare for the climbing ahead. Just about 20 yds into the narrow and deep gorge you turn left and arrive at the bottom of the long narrow cascade known as the Chute that drops about 100ft down through some of the oldest rocks in the world. The climb up the Chute is quite straightforward; you should pause to inspect these layer of rock some 2.5 billion years old. At the top of the Chute you turn left and arrive at a much wider and flatter section with a large pool that you can pass on the left or right. This is followed by a small cascade that leads up to the bottom of the cliff-ringed Regan's Pool.

The beautiful Regan's Pool is named after the volunteer rescue team member, Jim Regan, who was swept to his death in the Chute by a flash flood that occured while he was participating in a rescue in Hancock Gorge. The other rescuers (and the injured person) survived the flash flood by being beached before the Chute. To ascend Regan's Pool you need to follow a high ledge on the left that is equipped throughout its length by secure bolts. The guided tours set up a safety line here and provide each customer with cowtails to secure themselves as they traverse about 60ft above the pool. Non-guided canyoneers should split into pairs and execute a horizontal pitch (or two) using carabiners and the line of permanent bolts to secure their traverse. Care is needed here since the much-used footholds can be very slippery when wet.

Above the short cascade that leads to Regan's Pool you encounter another lovely pool known as Kermit's Pool. This is the point where hikers must halt during a descent of Hancock Gorge if they are not equipped with technical gear so you may encounter an audience at this point. You can bypass Kermit's Pool on either the left or the right. A narrow section known as the Spiderwalk follows and this ends in a broad section known as the Amphitheater. Here the raw rock of the gorge ends and the canyon becomes more open and greener. You should reach this point about 4hrs after the morning start.

Upstream of the Amphitheater, there are several moderately long pools that can either be waded/swum or bypassed by the narrow ledges on the left. This is followed by a 100yds section of easy hiking that leads to a ladder on the right that marks the start of the climb out of Hancock Gorge. You climb the 20ft ladder (at 22o21.516'S 118o17.117'E) and proceed up the steep trail to the plateau above. The Hancock Gorge trailhead and the Weano picnic area where you should find the return vehicle are just a few yards away at 22o21.476'S 118o17.143'E. The hike should take about 4.5hrs during which you will have travelled 1.2mi.

Last updated 6/11/09.
Christopher E. Brennen