Naga Nothings

Ghost Valleys sampler: pebbles, squeezes, and a sensible bailout

Some of us cruised out during daylight for a bit of reconnaissance by car. Others did the classic bushwalker thing—drove through the night and rolled into the trailhead about 10:30 pm. One splinter group sensibly chose a bed at the pub and met us in the morning… fashionably late by half an hour.

At the trailhead, we ran a short briefing, checked comms and PLBs, and Luen—our trip leader—eyed a couple of bulging packs. “We’re squeezing through tight gaps today,” came the gentle hint. Message not received: Less is more when the walls get close.

Day One: Ridges made for walking

The plan was simple: off-track through open bush, then along broad sandstone ridges to reach Naga Canyon. The ridges were a joy—pebble-armoured caps with the occasional undercut edge that kept us honest (stay well back). After last September’s fierce burn, much of the scrub was thinned, so we strode across pale rock with big skies and bigger views. A light breeze, blue patches, and just-right temps—goldilocks conditions.

A reality check at the lip

Skirting the canyon for a while, we reached our intended entry point and peered over. The first abseil was… not what we’d expected. Considerably longer than planned. Luen had previously run the canyon, but not this specific entry, and with a mostly beginner crew and limited gear, he wasn’t keen on dropping a big pitch into a committing slot. Good call.

Luen rigged, rapped in for a proper look, jugged back out, and made the captain’s call: not today. No fuss, no ego—just solid judgement.

Plan B: find a friendly weakness

We backtracked to the main ridgeline and hunted a break in the ridge well and truly downstream of Fat Canyon (aka Phat Canyon). Satellite images matched the lay of the land, and soon a sandstone step barred the way. It went to a down-climb, but with the rope in the kit, we switched to caution mode: a quick top-belay for everyone (clip in, descend cleanly, keep the pebble marbles out from under your boots). Then it was more scrambling and canyon-edge wandering with the breeze keeping the heat at bay.

Lunch, quicksand, and two side quests

Once we made it down off the ridge, at creek level (Phat), we dropped packs for lunch. A few of us boiled creek water for cooking lunch.

Fed and happy, we poked upstream, weaving through dog-leg branches and the occasional patch of shoe-stealing quicksand—much laughter, some undignified noises. Two side slots tempted us:

• Slot One: We walked the line of a major collapse, peering ~15 m down into the active canyon. Below the fall-in, a dark water-filled tunnel glinted under a low cave roof—one for another day maybe...
• Slot Two: Only metres off the main creek but quickly blocked by a dry waterfall. There's no clean way around it; we left it for future tinkering.

Somewhere in there, Jodie’s shoes began to fall apart. Two zip ties helped, then Luen trimmed a metre off the end of his static rope and teased out the core strands—instant cordage. Bushwalking couture, held together with prusik guts. It lasted… long enough.

The boulder choke and a chilly detour

We pushed on to the junction of Naga and Afternoon Delight, where a house-sized boulder had slumped into the gorge, forcing a grunty 100 m scramble through blocks and tight squeezes.

Beyond that, we reached Morning Glory—a beautiful, narrow slot that begs an upstream exploration from below. Helmets on, headlamps lit, we waded in: icy water to the chest/neck for the tall folk, proper gasp-inducing stuff. Polished walls, echoing drips, grins all round.

Camp (expectation vs reality)

After the exploration, we returned to the bags and pushed on to camp at a creek confluence. We cruised past a few superb sandy beaches (filed mentally as “next time”) to reach Luen’s marked spot… which turned out to be a small overhang with hard, dusty sand and thick scrub nearby. A couple of tents squeezed in after some gentle gardening; others bivvied under the lip with thin dusty powder. Someone even produced a camp chair, which tried its best on the lumpy ground. Stars were excellent; sleep, patchy but content.

Day Two: one last wander, then high and wide

Morning brought clear light and an easy exploration up both nearby junctions—one a particularly elegant narrows of pale stone. Then packs on and back to the Naga/Afternoon Delight collapse, where we took the Afternoon Delight exit: an easy pass to regain the ridges.

Up top, we were rewarded with sweeping views into the gorges and across a quilt of pale rock and burnt country. We followed the ridge, brushed through low shrubby heath, skirted a big orange knoll, and made the final push across open bush to meet the dirt road. A dirt trudge later, the cars appeared like mirages that actually work.

Debrief

• Best decision: bailing on the long first abseil for a largely beginner group. Safe choices = more fun.
• MVP fix: rope-core laces to fix shoes.
• Conditions: sunny with a breeze, cool water in the slots, perfect for ridge travel.

We didn’t “send” the canyon—didn’t need to. We stitched together smart decisions, playful exploring, a chilly slot wander, and a classic ridge walk home. Naga Nothings? Maybe. However, the smiles were something very much.

Why we’re coy about the place

This area is incredibly fragile, with soft white sandstone, thin ridges, and undercut edges that break easily. It’s also a serious landscape: slots can choke down to body width or disappear underground; water is cold and dark; wildlife (including snakes) sometimes becomes trapped. Pack it in, pack it out; leave no trace; keep trip logs private.

Ethics & safety

• Fragile rock: This country is fragile and serious. Edges are thin and often undercut; avoid standing near the lip.
• Leave No Trace: No soap or toothpaste in creeks; cook and wash 50 m from water; carry out every scrap.
• Wildlife: Snakes are around—watch handholds and shaded ledges.
• Navigation: Official topos are vague; high-res imagery is your friend.
• Comms: No reception—be self-reliant, share an exit plan, and stick together.

- Luen