Asgard Head and Asgard Mine - 30 Jan 2016
I left Sydney at 14:00 to do this walk. On the way up the mountains I encountered very heavy rain from about Springwood (about 20mm fell). I kept driving but stopped at Leura to consult with the weather radar. Fortunately it showed a very strong storm cell moving south-east from Portland which would soon clear. After about half an hour the rain stopped and the cloud disappeared, so I continued to Mount Victoria. I took the Mount Victoria Road turn off from the Great Western Highway and continued until I saw a sign to Asgard Swamp. I parked the car and began walking at about 16:00. I soon passed the two big rock formations and the camping ground but missed the turn-off to the left to the mine. I continued to the lookout which provided amazing Eastern views of the Grose Valley. To the South of the Grose Valley was another valley with a waterfall which I recognised as Victoria Falls. I had walked there about a year earlier.
I returned from the lookout along the same track looking carefully for the track to the mine. I discovered the track which I had originally mistaken for a stream because of the volume of water coursing down it about an hour previously. I followed this track which crossed a stream twice. It was much better defined than I had expected. I then followed a steep descent to another waterfall. As I walked to the waterfall I noticed the mine. The entrance was a lot smaller than I expected and a far cry from the industrial "move mountains" technology that we use today. I crossed the water fall and about 10 metres afterwards came across the kiln. Again I was surprised at the small scale of operations and wondered how it was viable even in 1800s.By this time it was about 19:00 and so I made my way back to the car as I was keen to be on the service track before it got too dark.
|
| The view from Asgard Lookout up the Grose Valley (left) looking East |
 |
 |
 |
| A waterfall on the way to Asgard Lookout | The view from Asgard Lookout up the Grose Valley | Rock formation at Asgard Lookout |
 |
 |
| A waterfall near Asgard Mine | The view inside the Kiln |
 |
 |
 |
| A view of the mine entranceln | A view of the front of the Kiln | A view of the rear of the Kiln |
 |
 |
 |
| Route from Highway | Route of walk | Elevation profile of walk |