Shipley Upper and The Dam Cliffs climbing

This is getting a little repetitive in the best possible way! Saturday arrived and my destination was once again the Blue Mountains. I picked up Bernard from the Mt York camping ground and we were on our way to Shiply Upper in Blackheath.

It was another stunning day, we made the short hike out to the cliffs and got climbing! I warmed up on 'The Bandoline Grip' (18) before trying the slightly harder 'Nude Tuesday' (20). From that point we walked a little further along the cliff line and climbed 'Scramble Syndome' (20) and 'Do Androids Care' (21).

We were both climbing well so we decided to have a try at something harder. We chose on 'Sexi Mexi' (23) which involved a pretty dodgy traverse to start, a fall at the start would almost certainly ensure a ground fall! Once through that section is became steep and very thin, somehow I managed to pull through the crux and finish the climb onsight! No rests, no prior attempts, my hardest climb in that style so far, a new personal best!

The climbing had left me with pretty sore fingertips, we climbed 'Girly Germs' (21) before decided to try somewhere new.

We hiked out and drove to nearby Blackheath for a coffee and some delicious proper hot pies. After some discussion we decided to try somewhere new, and with that we drove onward towards a dam on the outer part of the national park. 

We found a very different style of rock and climbing at The Dam Cliffs, but the area was great. More jugs and less crimps, so the fingers got a momentary reprieve.

We climbed 'Lonely Thursday' (19), 'A Tale of Two Cities' (18), 'The Sisters of Fatima' (16) and 'Stormin Norman' (18) in quick succession as the sun went down.

With only enough light left in the day for one last climb, I decided that a thin crimp fest was what my body needed! I led 'Vasco Pyjama' (22), taking a rest before the crux as my fingers were hurting. Somehow I managed to lunge off the tiny and sharp crux and stick the crucial hold with a single finger, before finishing the climb and the day. Bernard followed and with that we were walking back at dusk.

I managed eleven climbs on mostly thin, delicate and technical routes, my fingers were done for the day but I was feeling fantastic! I dropped Bernard back off at his tent and made my way back down to Sydney. Another brilliant day of climbing!

More photos here

Reservoir Dogs climbing

I awoke on Saturday morning to find Sydney city shrouded in dense smoke, a result of hazard reduction burns up in the Blue Mountains.

Strangely enough there was no smoke higher up in the mountains and I arrived in Medlow Bath to perfect climbing weather. I followed the trail through the scrub to a gorgeous lookout, then abseiled down to a wide rock shelf where the climbs began.

I warmed up on 'Stuck in the Middle with You' (19), a longer climb than what I have been used to which was a nice change of pace.

It was a gorgeous place to climb, after I belayed up Byron Cherry and I climbed 'Bohemiath' (20)., another great route. Very thin holds on the first pitch, but the view was fantastic, especially from the vantage point that Byron was taking photos from.

To finish the day Byron joined me once more at the bottom where we decided to climb 'Let's Get a Taco' (18). 

It was getting late in the day and the only way back to the car was to climb up and out. The sun was fading quickly but we had to wait far too long for a couple on the same climb out to stop arguing half way up the wall and finish the route. Quite inconsiderate especially as they were quarreling about climbing too slowly but Byron and I managed to finish the climb in the dark and we were on our way back to the car. 

After a pub meal and a few cold beers it was time for bed. I awoke early on Sunday morning to head out to Mt York to meet some random climbers for another session.

It had rained overnight and it drizzled all the way out there but I met with Bernard, Nate, Michael and Matthias and we decided to climb what we could.

We started on 'The Arrow and the Song' (15) and 'Monkey Girl' (17) before it got too wet to continue. We decided to have a go at some of the short, steep and hard climbs in a nearby cave. After a few goes I finished 'Scheme of Things' (23) before cheating by pulling up off quick draws to finish 'Careless Memories' (24).

By this time the rain had gotten heavier and my burgeoning cold had become full blown so I called it a day and headed back to smokey Sydney. Another great weekend.

More photos here

Climbing at Bardens Lookout

More climbing in the Blue Mountains!

It had rained overnight so we weren't in a rush to get to the cliffs, we had a relaxed breakfast while we waited for the rock to dry. Just before midday we set out for Bardens Lookout in Mount Victoria.

The car park was full when we arrived, we scrambled down to the base of the cliff to see quite a few climbers spaced out along the rock. We found a free corner and roped up.

I climbed 'Solvin Puzzle' (17) as a warm up before climbing 'Lady Stardust' (21) immediately after. The latter climb had a fantastic and committing start, a slip here would mean an almost certain ground fall until well after the second bolt. But I powered through the moves and finished the climb ending with a gorgeous view of the surrounding valley. I belayed while the others climbed and took photos.

We trekked a little further to the 'Historic Wells' section of wall to find some free climbs. I climbed 'Statistical Scare Tactics' (20) and 'Tree Beard' (21) to see out the day. The latter climb was fantastic from the get go, and a perfect way to end the weekend.

I had feared the weather would have been ill suited for climbing but it turned out to be a spectacular day. A relentless frigid wind whipped around the base of the cliffs, the occasional sand storm aside, the beautiful weather was capped with an incredible sunset, the late afternoon golden rock turning to a fiery orange-red as the darkness crept it.

A magical time of the day and another great session in the mountains.  More photos here, the good ones were most likely taken by Cherry.

Wentworth Falls

Feeling the urge to get out of the house I returned to the Blue Mountains for some fresh air and exercise, stopping off at Wentworth Falls. Apart from some steep stairs descending to the first base of the fall it was a pretty easy hike in a gorgeous location.

Once at the first bottom of the falls I started along the National Pass trail. After spotting some metal ladders leading even further down the mountain I took the detour to the very base of the waterfall, then continued along the Wentworth Pass. The eventually joined back up to the National Pass, so I backtracked along the trail carved into the side of the mountain and returned to the falls.

It was getting dark so I drove to the Three Sisters lookout to catch the last sun of the day. The temperature sank along with the sun so I drove a short distance to Leura to catch up with Byron and Cherry for some tacos, beer and a chance to climb in the Blue Mountains the next day.

More photos here

Canberra

My secondment down in Sydney has been extended, but that is no reason to slow down my exploration of the surrounding areas. This weekend I had decided to drive to Canberra and see what the nation's capital had to offer.

The three and a half hour drive south was a pleasant one, the colours of Autumn are out in full force. That is always a nice touch especially coming from Brisbane where the season doesn't seem to exist.

I headed straight to the Australian War Memorial where I spent the remainder of the day. Anzac Day was only a week away, and as I walked through the many thorough and impressive displays I had time to contemplate its significance. The overwhelming feelings of sorrow and disgust at the colossal waste of human life on all sides was hard to shake. I stayed for the sombre Last Post ceremony and was back in my car as dusk set in.

I left the city and drove out east to a camp site on the banks of the Cotter River, just below the dam wall. It was school holidays and I was taking a risk on finding an available spot, but while the area was mostly full of campers I was able to find a small site at the end of the road where the noise of the river drowned out all others. After a hot meal courtesy of my spirit stove I retired to my tent as intermittent rain fell from above.

The next morning was cold (thirteen degrees) and overcast, I broke down my tent over breakfast and was soon on my way. It was a pretty drive through the Tidbinbilla farming valley, the road often lined with golden leaved trees, and I turned off along a non-descript road flanked by sheep-filled paddocks towards my next stop.

The Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex, home to, among other things, the antenna which broadcast Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon

I walked through the small but informative museum, complete with space suits, moon rocks, and models of rockets, space ships and landers. Great stuff! After a coffee on the balcony looking out at the antennae I continued my journey back to Canberra.

I toured the National Portrait Gallery, then spent a few hours at the National Gallery of Australia. Time was running out but I managed to take in all of the displays before wandering a short distance to the Old Parliament House building.

The political cartoon exhibition was a highlight, and it was interesting to walk through the rooms and corridors of such a historic building.

It was getting late in the day but I wanted to see Parliament House before I left. It was only a short drive, I had just enough time to take a few photos in the courtyard before needing to leave.

I left Canberra with quite a few things still undiscovered. I didn't make it to the National Museum, the Film and Television Library or many of the other sites, I could have easily spent another day or two exploring the capital. I was surprised at how pretty the surrounding areas are, and would be more than happy to return again.

More photos here