2019-09 Forum Trip 6 - Pat's Canyon (Chewings Range)

Pat's Canyon lies to the west of Canyon of Defiance, and roughly parallel to it, however it is generally at a higher level. It has three reaches.

The lower reach is entered directly from the plain (where camping is possible). I scrambled up the creek until it became difficult to progress further.

To get to the short middle reach you climb a short way up the very steep ridge that lies between Canyon of Defiance and Pats Canyon, which I call Pats Ridge. You then make your way across to the west into the creek. I have not yet visited the middle reach.

The upper reach can be followed all the way to the tops. To get to the upper reach, continue further up Pats Ridge. Soon there's an "obvious" way down a steep spinifex-covered slope to the creek. The creek is fairly level at this point, and you can make your way downstream until it gets more interesting (and eventually impassable).

Going upstream, the valley narrows and an unclimbable dry waterfall is reached. You can bypass this on the right hand side (west). For a rock climber, this is an "easy climb" but as a scrambler I found it very steep and quite treacherous, with a lot of loose rock.

Further along you come to a small dry waterfall. This has a straightforward climbaround on the right which leads to a gully full of scree. The scree slope can be climbed in ten or fifteen minutes and leads to Termite Saddle, where there are many termite towers.

From Termite Saddle you can head south to the Skyline Ridge of the Chewings Range, from which you can descend to Giles Yard Spring (not too hard) or you can make your way generally west to the summit of Mt Giles (mostly straightforward, but with one deteriorating and treacherous section). To the north of Termite Saddle is an unnamed peak with great views (and I also received a weak but usable phone signal on its summit).

Return the same way.