More Ups and Downs on the Grand Cliff Top Walk – Day 2 – Leura to Scenic World, Blue Mountains NSW

The ol’ legs were a bit stiff and sore this morning, and there was a distinct lack of enthusiasm to crawl out of my warm bed. While yesterday’s distance was relatively short, it had been a long while since I have done so many sets of steps and stairs. A not-so-subtle reminder that I am not as fit as I could, or should be.

The upside was that I had more beauty awaiting me on Day 2 of the Grand Cliff Top Walk (GCTW) and the distance was even shorter again. Maybe I could be like that famous fashion model who said that “she doesn’t get out of bed for less than $10,000 a day”. I could say that I don’t get out of bed for less than 10km a day, but think of all the fun I would be missing? 😊

Let’s go…

The Winter wind was really whipping up Katoomba’s main street as I trudged uphill to the train station. This morning I would be going backwards, retracing my steps to Leura to pick up where I left off yesterday. I pulled my beanie down a little further and zipped up my jacket a little tighter. Winter in the Blue Mountains is both gorgeous and bloody freezing!

Here are the Nuts and Bolts of Day 2 of GCTW:

• Distance: Officially: 8km, adding on walking to/from the train stations, more like +9.5km.
• Time: Allow 3-4hrs, depending on how much standing about, admiring the view you do.
• Rating: Same as Day 1 – moderate.
• Terrain: The ups and downs continue today, although there are less of them.

• Path: Just like yesterday, the path underfoot is well formed. There are boardwalks, bridges and wide sandstone steps. It can get a bit damp and slippery if there has been recent rain, so take it steady in those sections.
• Mobile Phone Coverage: Yes, plenty as you are not that far from civilisation.
• Water: Take water with you as there are not many places to top up.
• Sun Protection: Wear a hat and sunscreen. Even though there is plenty of shade on the path, the Australian sun remains unforgiving.
• Bities: This area would be prime snake country in summertime. Be careful where you step. Also take bug spray if you are walking in warmer temperatures.

• Bushfires: Be careful with any cigarettes or naked flame. You are walking in a very heavily treed area with thick bush close to the path. It would be difficult to make a quick getaway.
• Toilets: Toilets are available at the start of this section, at Echo Point (adjacent to the Visitors Centre) and towards the end of the trail.

General Comments:

• All was quiet and deserted as I left Leura Train Station and headed down the Leura Mall. All the sane people were still tucked up in bed.
• As I was leaving Leura’s main shopping strip, my tummy started to rumble and I was thinking that I should have had more breakfast to power my day. Imagine my delight when up ahead I saw the magic sign, ‘bakery’? I’d forgotten that yesterday I had walked straight past the delicious and decadent Bakehouse on Wentworth. The Hiking Gods or Bakery Gods were smiling on me!
• It feels like a really long walk to get back to the start of the trail at Gordon Falls Reserve, even though it is only 1.5km. The houses seem to go on forever and luckily, there is plenty to distract me from the endless concrete pavement. Without a doubt, these are stately, old and expensive houses, and they quickly generated a solid case of house-envy!

• More people were out on the trail today. People like me – dressed and ready for a decent walk – and lots of visitors and tourists in their white tracksuit pants and pristine sneakers. I am not sure how they would have handled the muddy detours, or maybe they just turned around and went back the way they came.
• The going was noticeably easier with less steep descents and stairs back up again. The track seemed to hug the edge of the escarpment, delivering more level walking sections and also more urban noise drifting down to the path.
• Cliff Drive – a busy connector road – is located only 50-100m above the track itself so you do get some traffic noise in places. That’s OK with me as it’s better than having to walk on the road itself.
• When the road noise fades, the birdsong comes to the fore. Glorious!

• The Leura Cascades and Bridal Veil Falls are a highlight of this section. There is something magical about water rushing over rocks and tumbling off the edge of cliffs into nothingness.
• Again, like yesterday there are more lookouts than you can poke a stick at and each delivers their own special perspective of the deep valleys and blue escarpments beyond. Thick blankets of fog were a feature again this morning.

Top Tips for this Track:

• This section of the walk is really enjoyable and incredibly scenic although there are no facilities such as toilets or coffee spots. All these are available at Echo Point.
• It’s a bit of a shock to arrive at Echo Point and the Three Sisters as the place is heaving with tourists. One minute you are strolling along quiet bush paths and the next minute you are surrounded by a United Nations of tourists! Prepare yourself for people taking endless selfies and ambling aimlessly in front of you.
• Waymarking & Signage: The path continues on from Echo Point and it is not marked with any signage. Walk over to the large viewing area diagonally opposite the Visitor Centre and you will see a ramp heading down to your right. Follow this path straight around the edge of the cliff to Scenic World.

And all too soon, amidst a flurry of tourists, I had reached the end of the Grand Cliff Top Walk. I was a little disappointed to have finished this path so quickly and yet, it was just what I needed to blow out the cobwebs and remind myself why I like bushwalking so much.

Here’s to the next mini-adventure…

What is your favourite two-day walk?

The Basics

What: Due to its shorter distance, it would be easy to walk this section in an out-and-back fashion, starting from Echo Point.

Where: From Gordon Falls picnic area to Scenic World.

When: Like yesterday, there can be some muddy and boggy sections of the path. To keep your new sneakers pearly white, avoid the track after rain. Also, the heat of Summer would be less than desirable unless you got an early start.

Why: To arrive at an iconic tourist destination – the Three Sisters – from a completely different direction.

How: If you don’t want to walk back to Katoomba CBD (another 2km), it is possible to catch the #686 bus. It will first take you to Echo Point and onto the CBD. Bring your Opal Card to tap on and off.

Who: Today is a gentler day with easy access to shortcut paths if a short walk is all that is desired.

Related Posts: And to finish off another wonderful multi-day walk, here is the last section of the Bondi to Manly path. Here is Day 8.

Related Blogs: Trail Hiking is also a fan of the GCTW and has taken some much nicer photos of their experience than I could capture.

Read About It: For a whole range of tall stories, urban myths and Aboriginal legends of the Blue Mountains area, grab a copy of Michael Duffy’s Tall Stories: A Lively History of the Blue Mountains.

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