Walk 48:- Warrimoo or Blaxland to Glenbrook via St Helena Crater At A Glance
Route Summary:- If starting at Warrimoo, this walk goes for about 1.3 km along Warrimoo streets to the start of the Florabella Pass Track, then follows this for about 2.7 km to its end at the Pippas Pass Track. If starting at Blaxland, the walk goes for about 0.5 km. along Blaxland streets to the start of the Pippas Pass Track and follows this for about 1 km to the end of the Florabella Pass Track. Thereafter both walks are the same and go steeply down on poor track to Glenbrook Creek to cross this on rocks and steeply up on poor winding track for 0.3 km. to the top of the ridge where a clearer track continues gently up along ridge for about 2.7 km. to a T junction with a well defined track that becomes a fire trail after about 1 km and follows this for another 1 km. to a T junction and an overgrown fire trail that goes gently down along St Helena Ridge for about 4 km., then steeply down to Glenbrook Creek and across this just downstream of Duck Pond, then up on tracks for about 1.8 km to Glenbrook streets, with the final 0.5 km along these streets
RQI:- From Warrimoo 86; from Blaxland 91
Highlights:- Remote bush; views; steep descent into and up from Glenbrook Creek; possible short detour to St Helena Crater
Negatives :- Long walk on Warrimoo streets;
Length:- 13.8 from Blaxland; 16.3 from Warrimoo
Grade:- Medium
Weather:_All weather except when Glenbrook Creek in flood
Continuous walking time with a few 3-4 min. stops:- 3 hr 50 mins ex Blaxland
Train Time from Central to Start :-. Warrimoo 1 hr. 10 min; Blaxland 1 hr. 7 min.; Western Line; every hour
Train Time from finish to Central:-. 1 hr. 1 min. ; Western Line; every hour
Total Climb :- 320 m.
Total Descent :- 385 m.
Water:- Warrimoo; Blaxland; Glenbrook
Toilets:- Warrimoo (may be locked); Blaxland; Glenbrook
Café/Kiosk :- Blaxland; Glenbrook
Published 1:25,000 Map :- Springwood; Penrith
Walk No 48 Track Notes
Warrimoo or Blaxland to Glenbrook via Saint Helena Crater
14/07/2013
Walk Starts at Warrimoo
Km/hrs.min Kilometers in bold are shown on map
0.00/0.00 Warrimoo Station; Start of walk; cross footbridge over the highway and descend to road level
0.16/0.04 Walk west (uphill) on the service road beside the highway to The Boulevard
0.35/0.07 Turn left into The Boulevard
0.70/0.11 At the end of The Boulevard, turn right into Arthur St., then first left into Florabella St.; follow this to the end.
1.32/0.18 End of Florabella St., start of Florabella Pass
1.66/0.27 Track crosses small tributary creek
1.70/0.28 Track junction; turn hard right here and cross Florabella Creek on blue bunting on trees and red arrow on tree after crossing; track veers right and climbs for some distance, then descends more sharply; after track descent, note cavern overhang feature in sandstone cliff.
2.27/0.39 Track crosses Florabella Creek, then hard hard right after crossing; creek now on right.
2.38/0.42 Minor track leaves main at right angles on left; ignore this, go straight on.
2.53/0.44 Timber bridge over minor tributary of Florabella Creek which is still on right.
2.60/0.45 Minor track uphill on left at right angles; ignore this; 10 m further, track junction; track on right signaged ‘Glenbrook Creek 1 km; no exit’ ; ignore this; go straight on.
3.62/0.59 Y track junction; left hand track signaged ‘Plateau Parade’- ignore this; take track on right with sign on tree ‘Exit via Ross Crescent’
3.69/1.02 Minor creek crossing.
3.73/1.03 Track junction just before rock overhang; ignore track straight ahead but turn hard left and follow track steeply uphill.
3.78/1.04 Another track junction; again ignore track going straight ahead (blocked by sticks), but turn hard left and continue uphill.
4.00/1.09 Track junction; ‘Florabella Pass’ sign on tree and partly washed out ‘Warrimoo’ and arrow in white paint on rock face about 5 m further on; almost next to the tree with the ‘Florabella Pass’ sign, a poorly defined track goes steeply downhill towards Glenbrook Creek; take this
Walk starts at Blaxland
Km/Hrs.min
0.00/0.00 Blaxland Station; cross Great Western Highway on overhead bridge; at base of steps down, turn hard right and walk straight down Station St. for about 5o m. to its intersection with Hope St.
0.16/0.02 At Hope St, turn left and follow this to a broad right hand bend
0.36/0.05 Near middle of right hand bend in Hope St., look for Public Library sign on right; walk down concrete ramp to library, then walk along wide terrace in front of library; at end take steps down to car park.
0.47/0.07 Walk down to end of car park, then turn left to find unsignposted start of Pippas Pass Track; take this
0.56/0.09 Track T junction; turn right and immediately cross small creek on sandstone outcrop
0.67/0.11 Re-cross minor creek; creek now on right
0.77/0.14 Minor creek now in deeper gully on right
1.06/0.19 Re-crossing minor creek; creek now on left; track gently up
1.47/0.26 Track junction; track on right up stone steps goes to Ross St; signage:-‘ Florabella Pass’ on left; go left; after about 20 m., more stone steps on right up to Ross St.; continue straight
1.51/0.27 Track Y junction; signage:- ‘ Florabella Pass’ nailed high on tree in front and ‘ Exit via Ross St’ nailed high up on tree on right; take poorly defined left track down
From this point, both walks follow the same route. Times and distances given are for the Blaxland via Pippas Pass walk. If starting at Warrimoo via Florabella Pass, add approx. 2.5 km distance and 42 minutes walk time to distances and times given below
1.53/0.29 Track junction; faint track joins on right; continue down, sharp left
1.57/0.32 Steps cut into cliff face; take care
1.58/0.33 Track T junction; ignore track on right-it peters out; go left
1.59/0.34 Track T junction; both track go to Glenbrook Creek; right track more relevant; go right.
1.61/0.35 At Glenbrook Creek; cross Glenbrook creek on rocks at rapids just down from where the track ends; take care on slippery rocks here.
1.64/0.38 After crossing, walk up the creek bank on boulders for about 20 m and look for faint track in both directions where creek boulders end, parallel to Glenbrook Creek; go right and follow this faint track upstream for about 10 meters to a track junction marked by small clearing with stone cairn and bunting on left; go left and take this track uphill, away from Glenbrook Creek; at this track junction you should hear the rapids in Glenbrook Creek directly behind you.
1.68/0.40 At stone cairn; start of track up; after about 30 m you come to a large boulder with an apparent track T junction; go right and follow a faint walking track as it winds up over the lower cliff line
1.82/0.47 After winding gently up, track now near top of lower cliff line; stone cairn indicates sharp left turn more steeply up for a few meters through gap in cliff; track indistinct here between upper and lower cliff, but veer left and follow red bunting to the base of the upper cliff.
1.90/0.52 At base of upper cliff, veer right and follow red bunting and cairns through gaps in upper cliff to a larger stone cairn at the top;
1.94/0.55 At top of ridge; excellent views; this is the Bullant Track, now much more gently up, is a little indistinct at first; look for white bunting and small cairns; follow this foot pad for several kilometers along ridge line
2.12/0.59 Deliberately placed 15 m long line of tree branches to act as barrier- for mountain bikes?
4.60/1.33 Track T junction with main Glenbrook to Springwood Track via Bunyan Lookout; turn left and follow this good walking track south
5.67/1.44 Bush track widens to service trail and track junction; service trail on right goes to Saint Helena Crater. ( If you want to explore the crater, allow one hour extra and add 2 km to this walk); continue straight on along service trail
6.61/1.56 Track T junction; service trail continues to the right; look for stone cairn on left and go left on good clear walking track (former fire trail) along Saint Helena Ridge
10.53/2.44 Start of steeper descent; track still very clear
11.23/3.01 Track exits at Glenbrook Creek; turn left and walk about 20 m upstream to wide sand beach next to Duck Pond, but then turn around and walk downstream past the track exit on right for about 25 m to a crossing of Glenbrook Creek on rocks
11.34/3.08 At crossing point; after crossing, turn left and follow faint track upstream (Glenbrook Creek on left) to a gully entering Duck Pond from the right and with previous beach directly opposite but on other side of Duck Pond
11.46/3.11 Just before this gully, look for a track up beside the gully; note mounting block on right for former water pump to supply water to railway steam engines.
11.60/3.15 Three-way track junction; take narrow track on left, more steeply up as short cut
11.76/3.20 Track junction; take narrow track on right more steeply up as short cut; white bunting on tree on right
11.86/3.24 Track T junction with earlier, wider more gently graded track; go right now on wider track; white bunting on tree
11.96/3.25 Track junction; track on right also comes from Glenbrook Creek but further downstream, near its junction with Kanuka Brook
12.29/3.30 Track junction; faint track joins from left; continue straight
12.57/3.34 Track Y junction; veer right
12.79/3.37 track Y junction; go straight down hill
12.99/3.41 At gully crossing
13.23/3.45 Track emerges at side of house; turn right and walk up grassy slope beside house to the end of Station St.
13.24/3.46 At Station St. turn left and walk to junction with Cowdery St.
13.46/3.48 At Cowdery St. turn left, cross railway bridge , turn right into Burfitt Pde. Immediately after crossing; follow Burfitt Pde. To Glenbrook Station
13.75/3.51 Glenbrook Station; end of walk
Route Quality Index
From Warrimoo
On public vehicular roads:- 1.83km/ 11%
On locked service/fire trail:- 0.94 km/ 65
On walking tracks/off track:- 13.43km/83 %
RQI= 83+3+0=86
From Blaxland
On public vehicular roads:- 0.87 km/ 6%
On locked service/fire trail:- 0.94 km/ 75
On walking tracks/off track:- 11.94 km/87%
RQI=87+4+0=91
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