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This page last updated: Saturday 20 March 2010
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The Blue Labyrinth - A Fat Ass Run
General Info :You are welcome to download the maps and do it yourself as a training run at any time.

 

 
Date/Time of next run :TBA

Distance : approx 14km - Premature Ejaculation Option
approx 45km - Piker's Option
approx 54km - Flimpyhead's Escape Option
approx 90km - Full Monty Option

Previous Runnings : 1st November 2003 1st December 2001 9th December 2000

Start Location :Woodford Railway Station, Woodford, Blue Mountains, New South Wales. The meeting point is on the southern side of the station, away from the Great Western Highway.

Finish Location :Same as start. (except the Flimpyhead Escape option which finishes in Katoomba - find your own way home)

Start Facilities :Car park (free), toilets, water tap, railway station.

Time Limit:None - take as long as you like

Entry Fee:Free! (although you may make a donation after the run if you feel the experience warrants payment)

Course Description :A circuit of firetrails (ie easy to find way, not technically hard, although up and down) makes up the standard option, with an optional circuit that goes up, along and down Mount Solitary (ie very difficult). Lots of up and down. Great views but very hard work. For the bush lover.

Sketch Map :A Sketch Map is available here and a larger one here.

Full Map & Instructions:Full map and instructions will be handed out on the day.
 Download the map as a word-97 file (2.75Mb) (Version: [an error occurred while processing this directive] )

Course Summary :

This Fat Ass run starts at Woodford Railway Station. The meeting point is on the southern side of the station, away from the Great Western Highway..

The run starts by going south along Bedford Road which soon becomes a firetrail - Murphy's firetrail. Follow this down to Bedford Creek. Turn around at the creek crossing and return to the start for the 14km Premature Ejaculation Option.

For the other options, go across the ford and veer left continuing on the main trail - this is now Anderson's firetrail. Continuing for approx 20km, it eventually comes out on the King's Tableland Rd (actually still a firetrail). Turn right (northwards) and continue to The Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital. This part is naviagble by cars and would make an excellent aid station.

The Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital marks the main decision point of the run :

  • The Piker's Option then continues northwards for a couple of km, and turns right at Queen Elizabeth Drive and onto the Ingar Firetrail for about 20km and folws the signs back to Bedford Creek and the finish as per the way out. This gives a 45km Option. All of the 45km route is also suitable for good mountain bikers, if you want to bring a friend as personal aid attendees.
  • Don't be fooled into thinking that the 45km and 54km options are almost the same - the 54km and 90km options both cross Mt Solitary, the entire inspiration for the event. Mt Solitary is hard but beautiful work and is a great treat and worth extending yourself for.
  • For the Longer Options, continue left (south) at the Queen Victoria Memorial Hospital along the Kedumba Valley Road, which quickly becomes firetrail only. After a couple of km you reach "the water board gates" going across the track blocking access to traffic, but foot traffic IS allowed. Go past the gates, down Kedumba walls and follow the trail for a few km until you reach a fairly major firetrail going right. This is the water board track. Go right here for approx 300 metres until you come to a wide right hand turn. On the left hand edge there should be 2 small stone cairns (piles of rock) marking a track. Go left on this track and follow until you reach a creek, marked by 2 huge fallen trees. Cross the creek via the trees and go thru the scrub to the top of the hill to re-join the track to Mt Solitary. It is a tough and brutal climb to the top of Solitary taking an hour or more. Sign the book on the stone outcrop to the left, then cross the length of Mt Solitary, past the ruined castle, then along the foot of the cliffs that form the main part of the Blue Mountains. Eventually you will come to a point below Katoomba - take the scenic railway up if you are too tired (last train 4:50pm) or continue along a little way and follow the signs to the Giant Staircase (up 1000 stairs and coming out at the Three Sisters & Echo Point). This will give approx 54km and is called the Flimpyhead's Escape option, as this option was completely neglected in the original plans for the run, until Flimpyhead announced that is what he was doing as he wanted to get the Big Stuff in, but still go short. Eventually many people did this option, and we have made it THE proper option now.
  • For the Full Monty Option, to take your full circle back to the start, keep following the track along the foot of the cliffs and eventually you come through the prehistoric and beautiful Leura Forest (take the Federal Pass signs). At the waterfall and bridge, do not start going up the stairs, but go past the sign post into the bush following the faint trail which will become a firetrail past a disused sewage treatment works and continue to the foot of Kedumba Walls, and return to Queen Vic Hospital and continue to the Ingar track and back to the start at Woodford. This gives approx 90km all up and is for the seriously FIT athlete.

    WARNING: the 90km option is very remote and getting lost/injured could result in you being missing for some days. You MUST bring a torch and be an experienced night-time bush runner and/or multi-day athlete.

Good Luck in your challenge !

Altitude Change:From Woodford to Bedford Creek is approx 200m/ 3km and must be completed as a descent and climb by all runners. From Bedford Creek to Wentworth Falls is approx a 400m climb, done in 15km on the out leg on Andersons Fire Trail and 10km descent on the Ingar Trail return leg. The decent from Wentworth Falls to Kedumba Valley (down Kedumba Walls) is 600m/ 5km and must be done as a return climb on the 65km and 86km options. The climb up the East Face of Mt Solitary on the 86km option in 650m/ 2km and is more severe than Duane Spur or Staircase Spur in the Bogong- Hotham race, although not as long. The trail across Solitary, to Narrowneck, around the Katoomba escarpment and back to Kedumba via the Sydney Water service road is constantly undulating- especially on the service road. By comparison, Pluviometer at Six Foot Track is 500m climb in 6km, and Staircase Spur at Bogong- Hotham is 1410m in 8km (second highest climb from base of peak to summit on the Australian continent).

Aid Summary :As it will be summer (hot), you should carry at least two water bottles. Unfortunately there will be no shops nor water taps passed due to the remoteness of the area, but there are some clean creeks that are suitable for re-filling. Do not drink from Bedford Creek, Jamisons Creek or the Kedumba River (the major crossings on the course) as they are all contaminated. We may put out some water dumps, but expect to be self-sufficient

Route Marking Summary :As there will no track markings for the run whatsoever, you should pick up a FREE! map of the course at the start, or purchase your own. If you come off track, look at your map and work out the best way to get back on route.

You should also bring along a plastic envelope or something to keep the map dry if it rains or if you sweat heavily.

Intending Runners :If you have read the introduction about Fat Ass runs and the waiver that you MUST sign and are still keen to run then email us to let us know you are coming. Please note that to ensure you don't miss any late breaking info, join the email list or at least read the public archive of messages sent! There are often discussions on the Fat-Ass section of CoolRunning also. Don't blame us if you miss something important!

Further Information

no fees, no awards, no aid, no wimps
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