In an age where there are multiple bushwalking apps to stop you from getting lost, one seasoned Blue Mountains writer has produced a comprehensive new book called Top Walks in New South Wales.
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Ken Eastwood, the associate editor of R.M. Williams Outback magazine and a Wentworth Falls resident, spent a year updating the original version which was published more than a decade ago.
There are 66 walks with detailed maps in the small but sturdy book, and the travel writer has walked most of the trails multiple times in different seasons and conditions using a GPS and compass to record distance.
He said in an era where phone apps have changed how we navigate through the bush, it's always reassuring to have a written map in case service drops out or batteries fail. That said, he does recommend AllTrails, if an app is your thing.
Sixty pages of the meticulously researched 360-page book are devoted to the Blue Mountains.
"I'm a mad keen bushwalker, canyoner, climber, camper and finally made the move to the Blueys a few years ago, having spent most of my weekends up here for much of my life," the 55-year-old told the Gazette.
"I redid most of the walks and then had to add new walks to replace those that had closed [mostly due to landslips]," Mr Eastwood said.
The book's updates take into account "change after change" in the natural world - the horrific fires, floods and storm damage "from which the communities and the environment will take many many years to recover".
"The combination of these, with the undercurrents of climate change, has understandably seen unprecedented closures of national parks and bushwalks. In the Blue Mountains historic walking tracks used for 120 years have been closed indefinitely."
He misses his favourite stunning Mountains walk - the National Pass - which shut in 2017 after a contractor died while working on a rockfall hazard.
"That track has completely disappeared. I don't think they'll be able to ever fix it. However I remain hopeful that the Slack Stairs will reopen, giving us access once again to the beautiful waterhole at the very bottom of Wentworth Falls, and also to Vera and Hippocrene Falls."
His current favourite Mountains walks are the Grand Canyon in Blackheath and Lions Head in Wentworth Falls "which is a lot quieter".
Otherwise he recommends the challenging, The Castle in the Budawangs, and the Light to Light as the best multi-day walk. Blue Lake in the Snowies is also in the mix of his highlights.
Mr Eastwood said he is very concerned "Instagrammable" sites are being loved to death and heartsick by walkers who neglect their responsibilities to protect special areas and even deface Indigenous sacred sites.
Publisher Hardie Grant employs an Indigenous consultant who went through every bushwalk, removing any material considered too sensitive.
Mr Eastwood said it's now well documented the link between wellbeing and spending time in the outdoors.
"The link between our frenzied screen-focused lives and poor mental health is now well established. There's never been a better time to get out and walk some of NSW's amazing tracks."
The book hit the shelves in January and is a must for lovers of top walks.
