I’m standing on the Flying Carpet, hanging out over the valley with expansive views all around

“Whoever sitteth on this carpet and willeth in thought to be taken up and set down upon other site will, in the twinkling of an eye, be borne thither, be that place nearhand or distant many a day’s journey and difficult to reach.”  So says the story in the Arabian Nights about the mythical Flying Carpet, a great solution to all travel and transport challenges.  Recently I was given the opportunity to climb upon another Flying Carpet, one a bit heavier and less likely to fly but still offering grand aerial views and a cool breeze on the face.  It was certainly magical but there was nothing mythical about it.

The start of the walk took us through some beautiful terrain and warmed us up for what was to come

The Upper Blue Mountains Bushwalking Club, to which Julie and I recently joined so we could explore hidden secrets in the Blue Mountains that most people can’t reach, offered a special one day bush-bashing walk to a remote rock structure high on the escarpment and hanging out over Carne Creek in the Wolgan Valley.  This amazing flat platform with its vertical walls soaring 60 metres above it and the deep dark valley below was a perfect structure to attract the name The Flying Carpet.  And after a challenging walk with like-minded bushwalkers I’ve managed to stand on  top of it.

The view looking down into the Wolgan Valley

Julie had to pull out of this adventure at the last minute but I joined 12 other intrepid walkers and followed our leader Geoff into the unmarked bush of the Newnes Plateau.  Eventually we passed through a little hollow down on to a ledge of the giant escarpment face and followed the high wall for some time, clambering over huge rocks and fallen trees, scrambling along narrow ledges and bashing through thick bush until we finally made the base of the Flying Carpet and stared up at a 20 metre near-vertical scramble to the top.

It’s a narrow and somewhat harrowing walk out onto the Flying Carpet

Using a rope that Geoff brought we were able to safely negotiate this final steep climb and then take our first steps out onto the Flying Carpet.  From this dizzying height the views were literally 360 degrees with the escarpment reaching high behind us, the valley all around us and the escarpment walls creating an ancient fortified structure of immense size.  It was a stunning moment for all of us and a special treat given its remote location and extremely difficult access point.

A chance to rest and feed the weary body in this giant overhanging cave

But wait, there’s more.  We reluctantly descended the rope, harder going down than going up, and then continued to follow the rock wall into another small valley.  We came to a giant overhang rock formed by millennium of wind and water eroding its soft core and creating a huge cavity in the rock wall.  This was our lunch spot, a chance to rest for a moment and contemplate this ancient setting and the amazing morning we’d enjoyed.

The overhanging escarpment dwarfed us as we followed it along the valley walls

But then it was onward and upward, to the top of the escarpment, more stunning views of the valley below and more bush bashing to gain even better panoramas.  As one fellow bushwalker said, “Its just another variation of stunning”.  More photos everywhere.

Standing on top of our world for the day

After following the escarpment edge for some time we turned eastward into the thick bush and with some serious bushbashing through the thick trackless scrub, I’m talking put your shoulder down and charge in sort of stuff, we reached a higher ridge with less vegetation and enjoyed an easier walk back to our cars.

Some of the bushbashing at the end ensured we had earned our experience

This was a great experience in every respect – the sense of adventure and discovery, breath-taking views, great like-minded people and the chance to ride a flying carpet.  It doesn’t get any better than this.

Check out this very professional video I shot from the top of the Flying Carpet  http://youtu.be/_RGIgiSZir8

The view looking south from the Flying Carpet