Blue Mountains Gradient
Submitted: Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 12:04
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Member - Alan H (QLD)
What is the best gradient for towing a van up to the Blue Mountains from the west?
Is the road through Bell any better than coming up the Western Highway from
Lithgow the way to get to Blackheath?
Thanks in advance
Reply By: Member - Alan H (QLD) - Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 12:11
Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 12:11
And as a supplementary question - what is Blackheath caravan park like???
Alan
AnswerID:
397729
Follow Up By: Gone Bush (WA) - Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 15:14
Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 15:14
Hullo Alan,
check out Badger's Park Reports:
http://caravanersforum.com/badger.php
Blackheath gets a mention. Good for almost all parks around Oz and you can submit your own report if you want to.
And since this Thread has a couple of BT owners contributing, let me say that I think our newie is just outstanding. Took delivery in October. Love it.
cheers
FollowupID:
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Reply By: cycadcenter - Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 12:19
Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 12:19
Stick to the GWH, as all the trucks do now.
The first corner out of
Lithgow is the killer especially if it's wet. Something like a 1 in 5 grade around a sharp left hander.
Bruce
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Follow Up By: Member - Mike DID - Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 22:05
Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 22:05
It's a VERY sharp left-hander.
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Reply By: Ozboc - Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 12:38
Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 12:38
when i was not towing -- or taking a small box trailer --- bells line of road -- especially on a sunday afternoon as there is a MASSIVE amount of trafic due to road works and LONG delays on GWH
GWH when towing the van -- but leave earlier to allow for BAD traffic ...
Boc
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Gronk - Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 12:52
Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 12:52
I regularly tow my KK along the Bells line of road to beat the Sunday
parking lot along the GWH, but if you are only going to Blackheath, then either will do
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Fred G NSW - Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 13:04
Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 13:04
I towed my caravan across there (GWH) in June coming from Cowra/
Bathurst direction and will never ever tow across there again while ever the proverbial points to the ground LOL. The traffic, apart from the road, was something else, with never ending roadworks as a bonus :-(
Fred.
AnswerID:
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Reply By: Member - Tour Boy ( Bundy QLD) - Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 13:05
Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 13:05
Mt Victoria Pass is a 1 in 12 grade but not as slippery as the bells line when wet.
Cheers
Dave
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Follow Up By: Member - Duncs - Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 17:34
Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 17:34
Actually Tour Boy just as the road widens above the causeway about half way up the grade is 1 in 6 for a bout 100m.
I rode it on a pushbike in the mid 1970s now it was August and I wasn't towing but I did overheat.
I travel that road regularly and apart from traffic which is really only a problem on weekend afternoons the GWH is the quickest to Blackheath a on into central and southern
Sydney. If you were going to the north of
sydney then Bells is the quickest.
There is a steep pinch just east of
Lithgow on the Bells Road it is not a steep as Victoria Pass but the climb is longer. On the GWH it is all over in one steep climb.
Duncs
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Tour Boy ( Bundy QLD) - Wednesday, Jan 06, 2010 at 08:41
Wednesday, Jan 06, 2010 at 08:41
Yeah, the whole gradient is averaged to 1 in 12 but the steep pinch on the eastern side of the convict
bridge is 1 in 6.
I am born and bred in the mountains and until moving away from the cold 2 yrs ago I commuted from
Portland to
Katoomba for work every day for 7 years. Before that lived around Winmalee, Woodford and Hazo all my life and worked in the upper mtns on the council.
I definately don't miss the cold and lately it has been cooler in qld too.
Cheers
Dave
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Member - Beatit (QLD) - Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 15:05
Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 15:05
G'day Alan,
You'll be right mate! On my one and only outing so far I towed my BT over the GWH in a Nissan! No problems and even got a compliment from a passing truck for pulling over in a slow lane to let him past. I came in via Dubbo,
Orange and into Emu Plains.
Have a great trip.
Kind regards
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Alan H (QLD) - Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 20:25
Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 20:25
Hi Theo!
You better get out and get travelling to get the mould out of the BT.
Alan
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Follow Up By: Member - Beatit (QLD) - Wednesday, Jan 06, 2010 at 08:37
Wednesday, Jan 06, 2010 at 08:37
G'day Alan,
It will get some use at the end of this month when we will visit Moduran
Dam. I know it is not worthy of being catagorised as travel but hopefully it will blow away the cob webs.
Look after yourself.
Kind regards
Theo
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Reply By: Member - Kiwi Kia - Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 15:14
Tuesday, Jan 05, 2010 at 15:14
Hi Alan
I stayed at a CP at Blackheath a few months ago. Can't remember the park name but it was in a dell just off the
Govetts Leap lookout road. I have a small Troopy camper and asked for an unpowered site, they put down in a swampy gully with a few tents. Not the best of sites in wet weather but the facilities were near-by and first rate. The manager & his wife are also first rate. I was only there overnight and did not explore the rest of the park where the powered sites for caravans where but the whole place was immaculate, VERY clean and tidy and I would stay there again. The manager will not stand any hoons or noisy campers.
KK
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