Spots / Oceania
Empress Falls
Blue Mountains, Australia — A classic abseil descent through a fern-lined slot, finishing on a spectacular waterfall rappel.
Photo: Bkamprath · Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Spots / Oceania
Blue Mountains, Australia — A classic abseil descent through a fern-lined slot, finishing on a spectacular waterfall rappel.
Photo: Bkamprath · Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Empress Falls is the Blue Mountains' best-known beginner-to-intermediate canyon, and the photograph of an abseiler descending directly through its final waterfall is iconic. The route is short but genuinely technical: a cool, fern-draped slot leading to a committing rappel down the cascade itself.
A short walk from the Wentworth Falls area leads to the canyon entry. The exit climbs back up the valley on a maintained track.
Two main rappels structure the descent, the second going through the spray and force of Empress Falls. The water is cold year-round and the rock is slick — solid abseiling technique and a careful, braced descent are essential.