I had organised with Lukas to climb on the weekend so on another beautiful autumn day I left Sydney and made my way up to the Central Coast of New South Wales. I met Lukas at his parents place in Erina and we made our way to a crag at Blackwall.
The crag was nestled in a small bushy area, surrounded by houses and water further out. Lukas nor I had been there before, so it took us a little while before we came across the rocks we were looking for. The mosquitoes were horrendous but they quickly gave up once we covered ourselves in DEET.
The routes were on average 10m, quite short, but the thin and crimpy nature of the holds made the climbing quite strenuous. Messing around with bolt plates added even more stress to the climbing, but it was a nice change of style compared to the Blue Mountains.
I managed to tick off a few 19s, a 21 and a 22 before warming down on an easier 16 and 17. By that time it was late in the day, and with sore fingertips we hiked in the late afternoon.
It was a very nice place to climb, sheltered from the hot sun yet cooled but a nice breeze off the water, not to mention the great view. No wonder someone had chosen to live in the cave adjacent to the climbing area. I later learnt that the person had been living there on and off for 25 years!
We returned to the house of Lukas' parents where once again I was treated to great hospitality and plenty of hearty Polish food. Board games and beers would round out the night.
It was a late start the next morning, after a huge breakfast we spent most of the day at nearby Avoca beach swimming and kicking the soccer ball around. Later in the afternoon we returned "home" and after another filling meal it was time to return to Sydney, another great weekend done!
More photos here
