I was in the Blue Mountains for a conference, and the Saturday afternoon was free time. Instead of taking the official “organised bushwalk” option, a group of us put together our own plan out to Lockley’s Pylon, borrowed a colleague’s car, and drove up Mt Hay Road out of town.
Instead of walking along the clifflines on the southern side of Katoomba and Leura, our plan was to walk out to a peak overlooking the Grose Valley called Lockley’s Pylon. It’s a half hour drive out of town, along a dirt road that has some steep little pinches. From the carpark just near Flat Top, the track heads out along a ridge, and is not terribly difficult as it follows the ridgeline NNW. The vegetation is mostly heath or open territory.
It took us about an hour to reach Lockley’s Pylon. Two thirds of the way, there is a small rise called Mt Stead. When I say a small rise, that’s relative to the ridgeline. The drop down to the valley below is sharp, and there are some excellent views developing to the Grose Valley.
It’s when approaching Lockley’s Pylon that the view really opens up. Here’s the base of Lockley’s Pylon.
There is an exceptional view across Walford Creek and the valley beyond.
As we ascended Lockley’s Pylon, the side of Fortress Hill opened up, including the amazing spectacle of Fortress Creek Waterfall. This plunges off the escarpment down into the valley.
From the top, the views were amazing. We could see across to Govett’s Leap, over Govett’s Gorge and along the Walford Wall. The clifflones along the mountains were dramatic, and very high along some faces.
There are some side trips that can be undertaken from along the track, including an extension of the walk down into the Grose Valley. This track is presently closed due to bushfire damage.
Map: 1:25,000 series “Katoomba”
