Mezzaluna Wall

Winter has well and truly arrived in Sydney! I heard from my friends living in the Blue Mountains it had started to snow on Friday night, so first thing on Saturday morning I went to see for myself.

Under a crisp, clear blue sky I arrived to Leura, it was only once I turned off the motorway that I saw the remnants of yesterdays weather. It was only a dusting, but there were plenty of white roofs and iced over windshields around town. The roads were clear and there was no wind, so after a coffee I took Stuart and Tim out to Mt York for some rock climbing.

Given that the temperature was only a few degrees above zero and I was climbing with some beginners, I decided to check out 'Mezzaluna Wall' which offered some easier grades.

We climbed in the sun, but it did little to warm the rock and it wasn't long before our hands were numb from the cold. It made the easiest climbs much harder as we were unable to judge the quality of the holds, but we managed to get in a few climbs before the sun set. And I only got hit with one snowball so I considered the day a success!

I stayed the night in Leura with Cherry and Byron, it was a very cold night but mulled wine made it comfortable. After a decent nights sleep I awoke to no snow but a layer of frost covering my car.

After breakfast, Byron and I  decided to head back to Mezzaluna Wall to climb some more easy grades, Cherry would join us later on. Unfortunately the wall didn't receive any sun until after midday, so the first few hours there were less than ideal. Just as the sun crested the wall the clouds set in, so it was a day of frozen hands and feet. Again we attempted some easier grades, just happy to be outdoors and climbing.

The skies grew more grey as the afternoon went on, so we called it a day in case we were in for some more bad weather. After a pub meal in Blackheath is was time to return to Sydney where it was slightly warmer. I was a little disappointed I wasn't in the Blue Mountains while it snowed, but there is still plenty of winter left!

More photos here

Celebrity Crag and Mount York

The long weekend rolled around and it was a big one! I flew to Brisbane on Friday night to see 'Greyface' and the album launch of 'Seas of Valoria', then back to Sydney on Saturday with two full days of climbing ahead!

I once again drove out west to the Blue Mountains where I met with Byron and Cherry to go exploring. We decided to check out 'Celebrity Crag' (consisting of Rock Hudson Wall, Cliff Richards cliff etc.) which involved a nice hike down a mossy and ferny gully before the path split off the main hiking trail.

Before we got to the short section of cliff we wanted to climb we had to crawl along a small ledge in the cliff, not an easy ask for someone with my frame and having a 70 litre pack full of climbing gear strapped to my back! I had to crawl on my stomach for the last short section, but once I was able to stand once more we were rewarded to the some great climbing in a beautiful location. With the sound of the nearby waterfall in the background we got started up the small selection of routes.

Unfortunately we climbing in the shade for the majority of the day, but at least the skies were clear and we were protected from the wind. Nevertheless it was very cold climbing on the frigid rock, packets of chemical hand warmers kept in chalk bags being a very popular accessory.

We climbed 'Johnny's Jalopies' (18), 'Butt Nuggets' (19), 'Mr Scumbag' (18), 'Anal Leakage' (19) and 'Hark! The..' (20) while we still had daylight. There was a all-to-brief hour of direct sunlight which helped to warm things up, but by the end of the day our hands and bodies had suffered enough in the cold and we returned to Leura for the night.

After a hearty meal and a round of board games it was time for bed and to rest for another day ahead.

It was slightly warmer on Monday morning (no frost as per the previous day) but a thick fog had descended on the town. By the time I had picked up Lucas from the train station it had turned to rain, but before long the brilliant winter sun had started to burn away the mists.

It was decided we should climb at Mount York as its location would catch the morning sun, and it did not disappoint! It was a stunning day to climb, hard to believe considering only an hour or so earlier the situation looked dire.

We climbed 'Currawongs & Chocolate Cake' (17) as a warm up, before moving to 'Sparrow' (18).

Next up was the phenomenal 'Exhibition Wall' (21), the first ever bolted climb in the Blue Mountains. The start was exceptionally thin, and the rest of the route was very sustained, hard moves all the way without many chances to rest. A classic!

The skin on my fingertips had already taken a beating from climbing the day before and a long indoor session a few days prior, but I wanted to make the most of the day while we still had daylight.

I climbed 'Spangled Drongo' (21) which had another very thin section that was brutal on my skin. Once that was done it was still too early to head to the pub for dinner, so I got on 'Crow' (20) for the final climb of the day.

Once again it was very thin and sharp at the start, but once past this section the climbing was quite fun and committing.

My hands could do no more, red raw from the day but I couldn't have asked for a better weekend. We hiked out as the valley caught the last of the sun, sore but content.

More photos here