Australia
Karijini National Park
Red-and-black iron bands plunge towards cold pools inside narrow Pilbara chasms.
Red and dark bands run through gorge walls above cold pools in the Pilbara. Lookouts make the scale visible first; descents then range from formed paths to routes requiring guides, equipment and a sober reading of conditions.
Karijini National Park protects deep gorges cut through ancient banded-iron formations on Banyjima, Kurrama and Innawonga Country. Dales Gorge provides formed viewpoints and walking access, while parts of Hancock, Weano, Joffre and Knox involve steep, wet or technical terrain. Cold pools, exposed rock and flash-flood risk reward conservative route choices, with qualified guides opening the harder sections to travellers who should not attempt them independently.
Solo
Stay on formed routes appropriate to your experience and join a qualified guide for any classified gorge section.
Couple
Pair high lookouts and a formed gorge walk with an eco-retreat stay, keeping cold water and flash-flood risk in the plan.
Friends
Let the group's least confident scrambler determine the route and use a qualified operator where required.
- Ancient banded-iron formations create striped walls and narrow Pilbara chasms.
- Lookouts and formed tracks reveal several gorges without requiring technical descent.
- More difficult gorge sections are steep, wet and technical enough to justify specialist equipment or a qualified guide.
- Pools, waterfalls and dry plateau country create striking contrasts within one national park.
Banjima rangers and Elders still study and pass on which plants on this country feed and heal.
Gorge days run on carried food, eaten with iron dust on your hands.
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