Katoomba, NSW
41.3 km (20 hrs )
★★★★☆

Mount Solitary is a prominent feature in the Blue Mountains. I have often gazed on the 800 m high mountain from the Katoomba and Leura escarpments and have longed planned to one day complete the challenging, multi-day hike to its summit. I had that opportunity in October 2023, when my friend and I were able to tackle the 41 km walk.

Beginning in Katoomba, we headed Leura Cascades for the descent into Jamison Valley. Having negotiated the hundreds of stairs, we followed the Sublime Point Trail to Kedumba Valley Road, where rather than following the easy, but long road to Kedumba River Crossing, we tackled the shorter, but oh, so much more difficult informal Goat Track. This necessitated in some careful descent using ropes in the steeper sections. In hindsight, maybe the easier road route would have been better!

After camping overnight in the pretty Kedumba Valley, we set out early in the morning to tackle the steep ascent of Mount Solitary. What would have been a fairly ordinary climb was made so much more difficult with our heavy packs, and the ever increasing temperatures. It was a relief when we finally reached The Col, which marked a much easier, level walk along the flat plateau of the mountain.

It was late afternoon by the time we began our descent, where I was so glad that we were coming down the challenging track, rather than up. After another overnight camp at the base of Ruined Castle, we completed the final stretch via Furber Steps to arrive back in Katoomba. The walk was fantastic to do once, but my friend declared that this would be the last of the multi-day hikes for him - well, at least until next time.