The Blue Mountains are one of the biggest attractions in New South Wales. If you are traveling to Sydney you will find them located roughly 2.5 hours outside of Sydney by train or 90 minutes by car. When I stayed at Sydney Central YHA I simply walked over to the train station and it took me straight to the Blue Mountains. Blue Mountains YHA is a short walk from the train station and it doesn’t get much easier than that.
The Blue Mountains are a huge attraction for visitors to Sydney and located directly west of the city. The Three Sisters are a must-see, the hiking trails are endless, but the real draw for me was the adventure.
Adventure in the Blue Mountains
The Blue Mountains have a lot to offer outdoor enthusiasts and adventure seekers. High N’ Wild offers canyoning, abseiling, rock climbing, bush survival and more. I only had a weekend in the Blue Mountains but I made the most of it by canyoning and abseiling for the first time. If you have no experience that is not a problem. They have highly trained guides to teach you everything you need to know before they send you rappelling offer waterfalls.
Abseiling in the Blue Mountains
High N Wild’s office is located at the Blue Mountains YHA so it is a convenient place to stay when you have an early morning. The day starts off getting fitted for wet suits that you will need for canyoning in the afternoon. Bring a pair of shoes you don’t mind getting wet.
If you’re unfamiliar with abseiling it is a controlled decent off a vertical drop such as a rock face. Rappelling is simple once you get the hang of it.
You will start off on a 10 foot wall to practice and work your way up to around 100 foot vertical drop. However, it looks like hundreds of feet down because you’re actually rappelling to a ledge and not the bottom of the cliff.
Canyoning in the Blue Mountains
The morning abseiling lesson was just a warm up for the fun part- canyoning! This is where you will need that wet suit and you will end the day by rappelling down a waterfall. This was the best part of the day. After being in the hot sun all morning the cool water of the canyons is a relief. Along the way you jump off small cliffs in the water and face small challenges and rock formations to maneuver around.
It all leads up to the massive waterfall at the end of the canyon. You’ll be ready for it after the rappelling you did on the cliffs that morning.
The High N’ Wild Adventure
The High N’ Wild team were great. My friends and I had never done any abseiling or canyoning and we were all pros by the end of the day. I definitely recommend this adventure in the Blue Mountains before you make your way back to Sydney. Canyoning and abseiling in the Blue Mountains was one of my best days in New South Wales.
More info: High N’ Wild
Where to stay: Blue Mountains YHA
Where to stay in Sydney: Sydney Central YHA and Sydney Harbour YHA- The Rocks
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