The best route is found with your eyes, your map, and your judgement
Navigation Point 8. Central Gully (Route Choice)
Navigation Point 8 sits at the base of the Central Gully on the western side of 3rd Arrow. It is shown on the map and in the accompanying photographs. This is the cleft that separates the Central Buttress from the North Buttress, and it is one of the most important route choice points in the 3rd Arrow section.
Looking east from Saddle
This photograph is taken from the saddle, looking east towards Navigation Point 8 and Central Gully. Together with the map, it provides an excellent overview of this important route junction and helps place the surrounding terrain and route options into perspective before entering the Central Gully area.
On the map, the main track is shown in yellow, while the optional variations are shown in orange. In this photograph, the main track has been highlighted in red to distinguish it from the orange optional variations.
In the photograph the red routes represent the main track. From Navigation Point 8, the main track heads north around the base of the North Buttress to 3rd Arrow Cave before continuing towards Navigation Point 7. The main track also continues west from Navigation Point 8 towards 2nd Arrow.
The orange routes represent the optional variations. One variation heads south towards the Water Barrel, while the other passes through Central Gully between the North Buttress and Central Buttress. Depending on your itinerary and intended campsite, many walkers may regard the Central Gully variation as their preferred main route, with the track via 3rd Arrow Cave becoming the variation instead. Both routes eventually reconnect at Navigation Point 7 before continuing towards Baker's Knob.
This photograph is not intended to show fine navigation detail. Instead, its value lies in helping you compare the photograph with the map, identify the North Buttress and Central Buttress, and understand how the red main track and orange optional variations relate to one another before entering the Central Gully area.
“The best route is found with your eyes, your map, and your judgement”
The best route is found with your eyes, your map, and your judgement
Looking west to 2nd Arrow
This photograph is taken from Second Arrow, looking east towards Navigation Point 8 and Central Gully. It provides an excellent overview of the western approach to the 3rd Arrow system and helps put the photograph and map into perspective for walkers travelling from Bluff Knoll towards 3rd Arrow.
The red route shows the main track heading north from Navigation Point 8, around the base of the North Buttress to 3rd Arrow Cave. From 3rd Arrow Cave, the main track continues towards Navigation Point 7 before heading through East Pinnacle Gully towards Baker's Knob.
The orange routes shown on the photograph and map are optional variations. One variation leaves 3rd Arrow Cave and heads towards the Small Cave. Another heads south from Navigation Point 8 towards the Water Barrel. The remaining orange variation passes east through Central Gully, between the North Buttress and Central Buttress, before continuing towards Navigation Point 7 and through to Baker's Knob.
Depending on your itinerary and intended campsite, some walkers may regard the Central Gully variation as their preferred main route, with the track via 3rd Arrow Cave becoming the variation instead. Both routes ultimately reconnect at Navigation Point 7 and continue towards Baker's Knob, allowing you to choose the option that best suits your plans.
From this viewpoint, the North Buttress and Central Buttress dominate the landscape, with Navigation Point 8 located below the entrance to Central Gully. Comparing the photograph with the map helps identify the major landforms and understand how the red main track and the orange optional variations connect 3rd Arrow Cave, the Small Cave, the Water Barrel, Navigation Point 7 and Baker's Knob.
Looking west from 1st Arrow
This photograph is taken from 1st Arrow, looking east towards Navigation Point 8 and Central Gully. Together with the map, it provides a broad overview of the route options and surrounding terrain for walkers approaching from 1st Arrow.
On the map, the main track is shown in yellow, while the optional variations are shown in orange. In this photograph, the main track has been highlighted in red to distinguish it from the orange optional variations.
From the saddle between 1st Arrow and 2nd Arrow, two route options are available. The red route follows the northern side, while the orange variation passes through the gully. Although not visible in this photograph, both routes continue around the north-western flank of 2nd Arrow, bypass the summit, and descend into the saddle between 2nd Arrow and 3rd Arrow.
Beyond this point, the route options around Navigation Point 8 can be seen, including the main track around the northern side of the North Buttress to 3rd Arrow Cave, the optional variation through Central Gully to Navigation Point 7 at the base of East Pinnacle Gully, and the optional variation to the Water Barrel.
The prominent landmarks of 3rd Arrow, Pyungoorup Pinnacle, Pyungoorup Peak and Ellen Peak help place this section of the Stirling Ridge Walk into perspective. When viewed together with the previous two photographs and the map, this image provides an excellent overview of how the major landforms and route options connect before entering the 3rd Arrow and Central Gully area.
Looking west to 2nd Arrow
This photograph is taken from the high point between the Central Buttress and the North Buttress, looking west towards 2nd Arrow. It shows the upper Central Gully area before the descent to Navigation Point 8.
The Central Buttress is on the left and the North Buttress is on the right. The route drops through the gap between them, then continues down the grassy descent towards Navigation Point 8. From there, the main route continues west towards 2nd Arrow.
This photograph is useful because it shows why the Central Gully is such an important reorientation point. From this position, you can see the main forward line towards 2nd Arrow, the side route towards the water barrel, and the route back around the North Buttress towards the 3rd Arrow Cave.
The actual Navigation Point 8 position is not at this high point. It is lower down, at the base of the grassy descent. This photograph should therefore be read as the view from above Navigation Point 8, looking down towards the junction area and the onward route to 2nd Arrow.
Looking south to water barrel
This photograph is taken looking south from Navigation Point 8 and shows the route to the emergency water barrel. If you need to access the water barrel, this is where you leave the main Stirling Ridge Walk and follow the track south as it descends towards it. The water barrel is intended as an emergency water source only and should not be relied upon as part of your planned water supply.
Access to the water barrel involves a short but serious rock climb. A fixed rope is provided to assist walkers, but it should not be relied upon as a substitute for sound climbing ability. The rock can become extremely slippery when wet, and both the descent and subsequent ascent require good upper body strength, careful foot placement and confidence on steep terrain. Walkers continuing along the Stirling Ridge Walk should remain on the main route towards 3rd Arrow Cave.
Looking north to 3rd Arrow Cave track
This photograph is taken looking north from Navigation Point 8 and shows the junction of three important routes. The track to the left continues around the base of the North Buttress towards 3rd Arrow Cave, while the track to the right climbs through Central Gully towards Navigation Point 7 at East Pinnacle Gully. The third track descends to the emergency water barrel. If you are continuing west towards 3rd Arrow Cave, remain close to the base of the North Buttress rather than drifting out onto the open slope.
Looking west to 2nd Arrow
This photograph is taken looking east from Navigation Point 8 and shows the entrance to Central Gully. The route climbs through the gully between the North Buttress on the left and the Central Buttress on the right before continuing to Navigation Point 7 at East Pinnacle Gully. Walkers travelling east from Navigation Point 8 will ascend through this prominent gap in the ridge, while those travelling west will descend through the same gully to reach Navigation Point 8.
Video: 360° panorama from Navigation Point 8: Central Gully
This video is taken from Navigation Point 8 at the base of Central Gully on the western side of 3rd Arrow. It provides an excellent overview of the surrounding landforms and helps put the map into perspective before continuing towards 3rd Arrow or Navigation Point 7.
The panorama begins by looking up into Central Gully, highlighting the steep gully between the North Buttress and Central Buttress. As the camera pans across the face of the Central Buttress, the track leading to the Water Barrel can be seen.
Continuing around, the panorama reveals Bluff Knoll in the far distance, with South Isongerup Peak in the foreground. As the pan progresses, 2nd Arrow comes into view and, just peeking through behind it, the North West Pinnacle and 1st Arrow can be seen in the distance.
The panorama finishes by panning north towards the distinctive green vegetation marking the main track as it follows the northern side of the North Buttress towards 3rd Arrow Cave.
Viewed together with the map, this panoramic video provides an excellent understanding of the terrain surrounding Navigation Point 8, showing how the main route and optional variations relate to the major landforms before continuing towards 3rd Arrow Cave, Navigation Point 7 and Baker's Knob.
The map ties the wide views and close up views together. It shows Navigation Point 8 at the base of the Central Gully, where the higher route descending from Central Gully reconnects with the route coming from the 3rd Arrow Cave. The thicker yellow track shows the main route via the 3rd Arrow Cave, while the orange alternative route shows the lower line to the Small Cave. The map also shows the nearby water barrel route, the 3rd Arrow Cave, the Central Gully and the onward line towards 2nd Arrow.
If you have come through on the higher main route from Navigation Point 7, you will have passed through East Pinnacle Gully. If you have bypassed the 3rd Arrow Cave, you will have followed the base of the Central Buttress, reached the high point between the Central Buttress and the North Buttress, then descended west down the grassy slope to Navigation Point 8.
From Navigation Point 8, the route choices are clear. West takes you onward along the ridge towards 2nd Arrow. South leads towards the water barrel. North takes you around the base of the North Buttress to the 3rd Arrow Cave. East takes you back up Central Gully towards the high line and Navigation Point 7: East Pinnacle Gully.
If visibility is poor, Navigation Point 8 is a good place to stop, match what you can see with the map, and confirm your direction before committing to the next section. Knowing where you are and where you should not be is a key principle in effective navigation. At this point, the surrounding rock features give you a strong framework: Central Buttress to one side, North Buttress to the other, the water barrel route to the south, and the 3rd Arrow Cave route to the north.
Used together, the map and photographs make Navigation Point 8 much easier to understand. The map shows the route choices and how the main yellow route, orange alternative route, water barrel track and 3rd Arrow Cave route relate to each other. The wide photographs place the whole 3rd Arrow system in context, while the close up photographs show the actual route choices available from the junction itself. Together they show that Navigation Point 8 is not just a point on the track, but a major route choice and reorientation point in the 3rd Arrow section.
Taken from Nav Point 8: Central Gully