Mount Solitary - Bushwalking

Bushwalking

Along the way is the Ruined Castle, a rock formation on a ridge above the track, and the sealed opening of an old coal mine. In this area there's a large clearing which was once home to the mining community and is now used by campers. On the western end of the mountain is Chinamans Gully with a large rock shelter. There are expansive views to the south from the southern side of the mountain. From here the track descends to the Kedumba River, and then up to Kings Tableland, south of Wentworth Falls.

In December 2006, a bush walker, David Iredale, lost the track while on the Katoomba to Wentworth Falls trek with friends. He made calls to "000" on his mobile phone, but was repeatedly rebuffed by emergency operators because he could not provide a street address to which an ambulance could be dispatched. After his seventh and final call, a search and rescue operation was mounted. His body was found eight days later, approximately 200 metres north of the track, somewhere above the Kedumba River.

In July 2009, a British tourist named Jamie Neale got lost on his way to Mount Solitary. He had walked as far as the Ruined Castle after leaving Katoomba, he went onto Mount Solitary reaching the summit. But on return he got lost coming down Korowall knife edge. He was lost in the bush for twelve days before finally finding some campers in the vicinity of Narrow Neck Plateau. Later, it was reported that the agent Sean Anderson had taken Neale on as a client, after the story had received worldwide attention. One rumour was that the programme Sixty Minutes, on Channel Nine, had paid Neale $50,000 for his story.