BLUE MOUNTAINS WALK - Ikara Head bushwalk with EPIC views - 8km moderate grade

Be prepared to pick your jaw up off the ground when you see this very impressive place! Ikara Head is a stunning walk between Blackheath and Mt Victoria, free of crowds for true peace, and a nice moderate track to reach some of the most breathtaking valley views in the Blue Mountains. If conditions are cool and everyone is feeling good on the return leg, we'll think about peeling off for a short additional loop to the equally impressive Asgard Head.

This walk is part of our Blue Mountains adventure weekend on April 5/6:

• Sat 10 May – 11am Ikara Head, moderate bush walk
• Sat 10 May – 5pm easy sunset & full moon walk to Walls Lookout
• Sat 10 May – 9pm easy overnight car camp at Mt Wilson
• Sun 11 May – 9am Mt Wilson autumn gardens & Mt Tomah Gardens

These events are designed to flow easily one into the next, so join us for some or all of them as you please for a big wonderful weekend away.

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THE PLAN
Meet at Blackheath train station (in the Station Street carpark) at 10.45am. If you need to contact us for any reason, the leader is on 0411 600 717.

If you arrive early in Blackheath, there is a supermarket, grocer and bakery for supplies, and the Altitude Cafe is fantastic for brunch.

We'll use the cars present to move everyone on a 15 minute drive to the trail: 5km along the Great Western Highway, turn right onto Victoria Falls Rd, and proceed another 4km to the start of the Ikara Head Trail.

The walk will be a loop, first following a small bush trail (which is sometimes a bit overgrown in sections, but nothing serious) along a rocky cliff line with big vistas across the mountains. We thread between mysterious stone pagoda formations, and out to the Ikara Head promontory where huge plunging views of the Grose Valley open in front of us. The only thing you will be able to say is 'wooowwww'.

After a relaxing lunch at Ikara Head lookout, we will loop back towards our origin following a broader fire trail along an open ridgeline with pretty heath and open forest. About 1 kilometre along we will cut across a gully, dipping steeply for 70 metres down the slope into a beautiful lush rainforest, past tranquil pools, and ascend up through huge ferns to exit the other side of the gully. This descent and ascent are not dangerous, but a walking stick will definitely help you here.

If the group is still feeling exceptionally good after the rainforest gully, we will have the option to take an additional 2km loop out to Asgard Head for a further dose of very epic views across the Grose Valley.

After the rainforest gully we'll continue on a fire trail with more of the dramatic pagoda rock formations, and after just a couple of kilometres we are back at the car park by about 4pm.

You can head home directly from here if you drove, or if you came on the train we will drop you at either Mt Victoria station or Blackheath station for a relaxed trip home.

If you are staying with us after this to walk for the rest of this weekend's Blue Mountains program, we'll make a pitstop for a cold drink in Mt Victoria, then continue from there for the 20 minute drive to the easy sunset walk at Walls Lookout, then overnight stay at Mt Wilson, and then Sunday's autumn colours walks at the Mt Wilson and Mt Tomah gardens.

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IS THIS ACTIVITY OK FOR ME?
The Ikara Head walk is rated as MODERATE difficulty as the trail has three ascents of about 70 metres each time - two of these are gradual, while the third section through the rainforest gully is quite steep but not dangerous (a walking stick is a good idea for it).

The total walk distance will be 7km to Ikara Head and back, or 9km total if we also loop out to Asgard Head. The pace will be relaxed, we will take a substantial lunch stop, and you can take as many pauses along the trail as you need to catch your breath and enjoy the huge scenery.

At the Ikara Head lookout there are unfenced cliffs - everyone must take care not to approach the edges.

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TRANSPORT

Arriving by car: Blackheath is 112km (1 hour 40 minutes) from Sydney. Take the M4 motorway, and continue on the Great Western Highway all the way to Blackheath, then turn left at the railway crossing, and right right into Station Street and the carpark. Allow some extra time for Saturday morning traffic through the mountains. Once we meet up at Blackheath Station to car pool, it is another 9km (15 minutes) to Victoria Falls Rd and the Ikara Head track.

Arriving by train: take the Blue Mountains Service from Sydney Central (platform 6) at 8.24am, passing Strathfield at 8.37am, Parramatta at 8.49am, Blacktown at 8.58am, and Penrith at 9.14am, arriving at Blackheath at 10.37am. See the trip planner at www.transportnsw.info for all connections and times.

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BRING

• Opal card for public transport
• your lunch, snacks for the day
• drink bottle (at least 2 litre, no refills on the trail)
• sturdy walking shoes
• hat, sunglasses, sunscreen
• insect repellent
• walking stick (not mandatory, but helps alot with ascents/descents)
• warm clothes for later in the day
• rain jacket, just in case
• towel or pad to sit on at lunch time

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DISCLAIMER
By your RSVP to this event you agree to the conditions of membership and participation which you can read in the "WHAT WE'RE ABOUT" section HERE.