Only Trust the Intelligence you Gather Yourself

Spoiler Alert: Long Story

 

 

I had, for some time, wanted to get above Tiffany Falls to photograph Washboard Falls. My research on the web and other intelligence warned of the dangers of taking the path that leads up adjacent to Tiffany, so I tried to find an alternative. I noticed that there was a gully to the left just before the lookout platform and yesterday I decided to climb up it. By the time I was halfway up I had decided that I did not want to lug my kit up it. It was muddy, slippery and the rocks were loose. I thought, though, that I might find a path at the top that would lead to the Falls at one end and an easier access at the other. I found a path and followed it to the falls and beyond but when I retraced my steps, I found that it was cut off at the other end by a property owner's equivalent of "The Rabbit Proof Fence" and the only way down from there was via a vertical rock chimney which was obviously out of the question. So back I went and slid and scrambled down my gully. At the bottom I thought I would have a look at the path I had read so many warnings about. I found it, started to go up it and found it surprisingly straightforward. In a few minutes I was looking over the edge from the top. I went back down resolving to use the path the following day to take some shots of both falls from the top. This photograph and the next are the results. This one is Washboard Falls. Washboard on its own is not particularly photogenic, but with the fallen tree in the foreground I am satisfied with the picture. It would have been easy to give up yesterday, but the military dictum that was drummed into me, "time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted" kicked in, and I was glad I explored further. The path I took is not without danger, but the real peril lies in the attitude of the hiker. It is really dangerous if your idea of hiking footwear is flip-flops or running shoes. It is also best to avoid it if your sense of balance is not what it might be. Moreover, if you are prone to "switching off" (losing concentration) this way up is not for you. You need to be alert all the time and look around when you get up there.

 

Done