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On 11 May 1813 the group forded the Nepean River and headed south-west. The way was not straight or easy to travel. The explorers followed a ridge that twisted its way up into the mountains. Deep, rocky gullies were on either side of this ridge.
On the first few mornings, dew on the ground made travelling slippery and unsafe, so the party had to wait for the ground to dry. The horses found the travelling difficult. A couple of them fell because of their heavy loads. By the third day the trees and bushes were so thick that the group tried following another ridge. But whichever ridge the explorers followed, they always ended at a sheer drop. They were forced back to the main ridge.
