This weekend Howsie and I had planned to head down to the Stirling Ranges to bag some big multi-pitch routes on the mighty Alpine style Bluff Knoll. However, this spring has been a tad fickle weatherwise and we kept an eye on what was to unfold. Eventually deciding that with the likelihood of a high 30 degree day on Saturday and a possible wet start to the Sunday it was probably not the best idea. So instead we went for plan B, an overnight camp down at Cosy Corner allowing for a big day on this little crag. Seeing it is a place that I haven’t sent an email about recently I thought you may like another update on my lucky life of climbing in the SW of WA:

We left Bunbury at 4:30’ish, after work and headed for Peppy Beach. There we picked up Lofty (our campervan), my gear and much to our surprise a big pile of homemade wedges for the journey down (that Lisa had made for us). She also knocked up a quick rice and veggie meal for later that evening too (that we didn’t eat as we were full on wedges – well I was). How lucky were we! It is only an hour and a half drive from my place and we managed to get there just in time to see the fading light and the beautiful changing colours that signalled another day coming to an end (as the image above shows). The next morning we were up at 5 with the moon clear and visible high in the sky. First things first, I put the kettle on:

Armed with packs, food and sippy mugs full of steaming tea we beelined for the crag. With the tea too hot to drink we racked up for the first line of the day. Howsie used to come here as a kid but had never come back as a climber, so was very excited. The place offers wonderful mid-grade coastal climbing, nothing too long and some of it a bit broken but you can’t beat the setting:

Starting sensibly I offered him first lead, seeing the tea was still in the mug I hadn’t really properly prepared to climb. This route named Bland is a great warm up and we both took a relaxed pace to get used to the different style required on this fine granite with its super friction. We have been keeping up our early before work climbs at Welly Dam, which being a quarried coarse grained granite is very different to this stuff:

One of the fine aspects of this place is the outlook and I’ve included a few random images to show this. Here you can see the reef just below the water, and as low tide encroached during the morning this became more and more exposed. This is a place I would love to snorkel at, as I reckon it would be teaming with life having plenty of nooks and crannies to explore. The coastline is full of reefs and we saw several boats with people fishing or dropping cray pots, and no doubt wondering if we were mad. The forecast was for 2m swells rising to 3m, but with low winds and a receding tide I guessed we would be fairly safe:

I’ve only been here twice before, way back in 2006 and then again in early 2015 when I was gathering info for the new SW guide. On both trips new routes were established and this little chestnut called Bad Directions was put up by Steve and Leanne. It seemed fitting that I should try it on the pointy end and I wonder now if we maybe under-graded it. I remember Leanne not being too keen on it and we could see why she may have been a bit nervous. It has one large loose flake that is hard to completely avoid and makes you use smears which, despite the great friction, at the grade may be asking a bit much. That said it is still a mighty fine line:

In our usual efficient and eager way we were soon onto route number three, well at the top of it. Crystal Corner is a fine line and more technical than the two warm-ups. I was happy that Howsie was on lead as my head was still not quite there, which meant that after this line it was time to drink our cuppa. The reason I kept this image in the email is the wall that you can see to the left of where we climbed:

I’d been watching this wall while belaying. As I said earlier we have had a fickle spring, and it has been colder and wetter for longer than most. This has thrown out some of the our feathers friends and I noticed some swallow darting about catching the early morning midges. But then I noticed that they were taking their catch into the undercut flake just left of the vertical crack in this wall. So we guessed they may have had a nest there. The vertical crack also happens to be the hardest line at the crag, and one Howsie was keen to try:

After a cuppa and a few dunky biscuits (Arrowroot of course) it felt like we had a resurge of energy. So back down for the last climb from this abseil point. Crystal Cut, which we started from the lower shelf because the sea conditions permitted. This gives the climb an extra worthy five or so meters. Again a slightly more technical climb and helping us to mentally preparing for when we had to move onto the next sections which would test us that bit more:

The big question was where next, we were really keen on Pat-a-Cake and Petropunster (the second being the awesome looking crack that the swallows were probably nesting close too). So not wanting to upset the swallows and feeling refreshed from our cuppa, we decided on a bit of exploring. The obvious choice being the cleanest bit of wall that had no routes on it. As it was Howsie’s lead he went down first:

While he setup the abseil rope and slowly made his way down checking what may be on offer, I took a moment or two to take in a bit more of the scenery. Off the beach which is a very short distance to the south there are a load of limestone islands. They have been sculptured by the wind and waves into some pretty funky shapes like mushrooms, arches and bridges. Probably providing a safe haven for the birdlife of the area, of which we had seen mobs of this morning:

Then back to the rock, and after I rapped down we both agreed on the obvious line to go for. Howsie liked the look of it but was feeling a bit nervous. However, he is pretty good at on-sighting climbs and is probably better in those situations than when repeating climbs. So I gently persuaded him that he really should go for it, and he was not disappointed. Full on smears for footwork and a fine thin fingery flake made for an awesome and committing crux sequence that took him way above his gear – woohoo an on-sight first ascent in the bag named Away from the Nest:

As he was playing and taking his time to enjoy the route I was being distracted by another possible mob of new lines. This little crag was mentioned in an early guide as being a potential, but needing boat access. It was hard to gauge what it would be like but there was definitely a great looking corner that I reckoned would go:

Before I could think too much about the next place it was my turn where we had the rap rope set up. So I left Howsie to enjoy the fabulous belay position, with the sea lapping a few meters below his feet, a comfy protected belay stance and a great outlook:

Double woohoo, another on-sight first ascent with a nicely consistent climb that stayed interesting and had solid rock; despite me being a bit nervous about some of the flakes I used for wires. We called this one Three Little Birds. With both of us sat at the top of the crag we agreed that these were probably the only two worthy additions in this area so we set our sights elsewhere:

Despite feeling good and confident, lucky for me it wasn’t my lead! So guess who had to go down first and assess if we should go for it. As the image shows the wall was very steep and if we couldn’t climb out we would need to prussic out. Also due to the swell and south westerly’s the bottom third of the wall was sopping wet. To put the final nail in the coffin the most probably line was crawling with midges, which if disturbed would swarm about us:

Not surprisingly we decided we needed a calmer day to explore that crag. So seeing we were at the northern end of the crag the obvious line to go for was Sink or Swim, an impressive traverse on a rounded crack with barely enough footholds. This was a line Craig and I put up way back in 2006, and I have been keen to get back on it ever since. If you look closely there were a couple of swallows hovering about, but we saw no signs of a nest:

With only marginally more than smears for feet in many sections Howsie tried some desperate measures to find better holds. The wall rounds off below the traverse and falls into space above a cave in which the waves are continually crashing. All you can see is moving water as you look down to find feet, while your hands rely on slopey holds which were thankfully dry:

Finally realising that feet had to smear and stay low he inched his way along, remembering to protect both himself and his seconder (me!) with regular gear. It was a top lead and again I wonder if it is a climb that when it was established we may have under-graded. A tough call and it really needs more people to try it and give feedback. One thing was for sure we both had very big smiles on our faces (when we finished the route):

At the end of the traverse you have three options: reverse the traverse; a dull roped scramble; or the Escape Hatch (again put up by Craig and myself). The obvious choice was to head upwards, so I led the Escape Hatch. Once again we were impressed with the rock quality and thoroughly enjoyed the moves and positions up the steepening wall. Nearing the top I managed to get a sling for protection, which I managed on a few climbs here. Placing these pieces brings back great memories of climbing in the bigger hills of the UK, especially when out with Bob in the Lake District:

Seeing all we had consumed that morning was a cuppa a few dunky biscuits we felt it was time to take a break and have some more food. So we found a cosy spot to enjoy the scenery and nibble on some trail mix and rehydrate with water. Our original plans were to climb all day but we had already bagged eight glorious routes and it was only 10:30. Um maybe we wouldn’t last the whole day:

After setting up the rap rope we were back down. The three lines in this spot are for me the best collection of routes at the crag, being a bit longer and that bit more sustained. Howsie was, again, first up and I gave him the choice of the lines which are all a similar grade. It might look like he is climbing complete choss, but the calcified start of Indecision is actually pretty cool. Much as it looks like the solid granite to the right provides holds the climb forces you onto the limestone until the big flakes can be reached:

As I sat at the base of the cliff a crab kept its beady eye on me making sure I wasn’t going to harm it. Not that I could reach it, as it had stuffed itself deep into a crevice. The last time I had sat here to belay Dan up these routes I was being watched by a Carpet Python, I looked around a fair bit but this time I wasn’t lucky enough to see one:

For my lead I jumped on Chick Point which is a climb I have never led, I knew it was going be a bit thin both for gear and holds so was a bit nervous. It certainly had me working hard to stay on while finding the gear and working out the moves. Maybe it was because I was tiring, but the sustained nature meant that my arms were getting pretty pumped. The great hanging layback corner helped work then that bit more and I finished with jelly like arms:

Chris followed up and seemed like he still had gas in the tank, so back down we went to tackle Loose Lips. This is the only climb on the cliff that we gave two starts in the guide, that may be a bit of a rough deal in all honesty as a number of other lines here are pretty damn good. As we rapped down we came down directly over the line and I took this image of an insitu-wire, which from memory I clipped in 2006 when I led this climb. But ten years on it was looking a tad worse for wear:

Howsie worked his way up loving every second of it, whether he feels it was better than other routes there I didn’t ask but he certainly enjoyed the lead and the two stars it gets are very worthy. We were certainly fully trusting the smears by now which made the crux moves yield that bit easier, even still we were tiring. Whether needing to get up or feeling more confident on smears he even sprinted up the final hanging corner, running it out way above his last piece of gear:

On the way up he touched the insitu-wire and subsequently knocked it off, but the deteriorated head is still in the rock. The wire however now sits in his house as a momentum from the day, I did wonder whether to leave it to the elements, but as there was plastic on it I didn’t want to do that. Instead tucking it in my pocket and handing it to Howsie at the end of the day:

When I followed up I must have been panting a fair bit as he remarked on how he was probably feeling how I sounded. Fatigue was setting in and we only had three lines on the crag that we hadn’t tackled. One being a bit scrappy and really not worth it. So we sat atop for a bit and watched the waves wash over the sand bars round the limestone islands, with the tide out these were now pretty exposed giving the view a whole new feel:

After a short break for more water and a quick tally to show that I was one lead down on him, we decided to rap back down and scramble across to check out Pat-a-Cake. We were hoping that we would not get too close the nest, if there was one. So back down we went and then had to scramble across the black basalt rock, which due to the low tide was nice and dry bit still felt a bit sketchy in places:

I’ve led this climb before I knew it packed a serious punch. The thin rounded finger crack was near the swallow’s nest, which did happen to exist, so I didn’t want to hang about. With forearms already tired it was a battle, but I held on and didn’t slip even on the elephant arse top out above the finger crack (which is where Howsie is at below). Better still, as with the rest of the day, all with no chalk – hope you are happy Rongy(!):

Howsie followed up, and here he is eyeing up the final moves of yet another very fine line. He then told me he had taken the time to have a quick look and saw three chicks in the nest (hence the names of the new climbs J). Swallows are pretty hardy birds and us having passed their nest would not have worried them too much, but we agreed that once was enough:

It was now coming up to 2 and we decided that was enough climbing for the day so with an even number of leads under our belt we headed back to the camper. First things first, I put the kettle on and then we eagerly tucked into the remains of the very welcome and tasty rice and veggie dish that Lisa had prepared for our dinner last night (a very big thank you!):

It wasn’t a bad view as we munched away, the sea looking a beautiful turquoise colour and the limestone islands were reflected in the microwave. But before we finally packed up to leave there was one more thing to do:

Go down and check out Wave Wall, a short amphitheatre style crag located just inland. It has a number of pretty tough sport and trad lines and is an impressive sight. The colour and striking visual nature of the black and beige streaked wall reminds me of Welly Dam, but the rock type and steepness is very different. Howsie looked at the lines in awe but didn’t seem keen to try any, which I was quite relieved about. So we left the climbs alone agreeing they would give us a good reason to one day come back:

While it was not a two day trip and we finished early afternoon, I was very satisfied and also very happy to see my girls and be back at home.

Much as it was a very relaxing day off, we were keen to get back into it. Unfortunately the wet weather had not fully blown over and today was forecast for high winds and showers. A great thing about the Blue Mountains is that with so many crags if you check out the wind direction, even on a wet day, you will generally find a place to climb. So we checked the trusty guide and find a suitable place. Our chosen destination place had another reasonable walk in (by Australian definitely not UK standards) of half an hour’ish so once parked up we trudged in with rain visible in the valley and little drizzle falling on us:

We really did enjoy the walk-ins here, very different to back in WA with tall trees and vista’s that suddenly appear and then disappear. This walk didn’t disappoint and as we got closer to the crags we started our descent off the ridge through a gully with denser and greener vegetation. Occasionally we stumbled across gully’s filled with lush ferns and the sound of water trickling in some hidden creek. I’d always stop in these spots to breathe in the fresh air and let the sounds wash over me. The gully got steeper and steeper and towards the end included some knotted ropes and rungs:

Well we were certainly safe from the rain! Bell Crag is also referred to by some as Bell Super Crag, it is a sports climbers haven with steep walls, extreme overhangs and lots and lots of steel. The only thing that struck us was the amount of routes in close proximity and of course the number of bolts on each line. While we had just taken a rest day we were not quite ready for the hard stuff here (will we ever be I wonder) so we headed for an area that offered a more gentle warm:

The southern end of the Blowhole area allowed us to start on some reasonable grades, but they were very uninspiring lines and we soon bumped the grade up to so what gave. Blow was the best of the three we did in that area, and I once again I seemed to fail to have the stamina to complete the crux sequence. Or after that climb and chatting to Rongy was it that I didn’t have the mindset and grim determination to push through? We both led it and it certainly was a nice climb with a great technical start, but none of the other lines here we calling out our name so it was time to check out another part of Bell Crag:

We walked back along the shady side and nothing jumped out so we worked our way across to the sunny side. The timing was good as the threat of rain was reducing and there were also glimpses of blue were coming out. After having a look at guide I was drawn to Duck Wall for no other reason but the name. Several of the climbs also had cool names which attracted me but the one that really caught my eye was Daffy. When we got there it felt like we had made the right decision and the place really had our attention, a decent height wall with clean and inviting lines:

After a warm up climb I was eager to try Daffy, and had been thinking about changing my mind set and going for the on-sight. It was a steep and unrelenting line (except for a decent ledge before the last headwall). The climbing up to there was awesome, it followed a twin seams until you had to branch out left at a bulge which was very committing. Decent holds awaiting but it wasn’t a real rest and above there were more moves to get the forearms screaming. However, I didn’t give in and got to the ledge so only the headwall to go. I worked my way up and the hold despite their size were not feeling that great and I had to yoyo a bit and also wedge both legs in a horizontal to shake out before committing to the final moves. Needless to say I was very chuffed and that pitch was a contender against the awesome pitch on Bunny Bucket Buttress. The image of Rongy abseiling down shows just how steep the wall was:

While for the first climb we had this place to ourselves to start with, within half an hour it was teeming and there were ropes all over it. So with less lines on offer Rongy was keen to try something a bit harder and the description for Pluck-a-Duck did sound good. It seemed a climb of two halves with a delicate wall followed by a steep (mostly) juggy overhang, and certainly challenged him. He was almost ready to bail from the wall but after a bit of encouragement him got through that section and then being gassed he had to dog his way up the overhang to the exciting finale:

He came down shattered, which I found a tad concerning especially since Daffy had really tested me. So I set off and with some beta from Rongy cruised the lower wall, which shouldn’t have been too much of a surprise as I do pretty well on the more technical less thuggee climbing. Then the overhang loomed above me and I drew a breathe and wen for one hold at a time trying to conserve my strength and shake out when I could. One move to go to the ledge before a final mantle, past a smaller hold that might have seemed like a bomber hold at the start of other route. But not at this stage and I was off, that said even if I pulled that move the final tricky mantle would probably have spat me off. A solid line indeed and well worth the effort:

Eventually we decided it was time to get away from the crowds, especially as all the easier lines that may have been good to warm down on were taken. So we wandered to the next crag that also looked pretty cool, aiming for Seamstress that was reputedly (along with Daffy) the best climb in the area at the grade. The sun was on us in full for this climb and it was very welcome feeling. This climb followed a rising rightward seam (doh) that got steeper the higher it went. Rongy led it missing out a bolt here and there because they were so close, and it looked so good that I pulled the rope and led it afterwards. It seemed my mind trick from earlier in the day had worked and I danced my way up this fine line:

We decided that it was time to call it a day with four leads each under our belt. What had started as a little disappointing for the Bell Super Crag, certainly changed and with the two later areas we were very happy with our choice and day out. As we made our way back up the rungs, ropes and gully we left the valley behind us. Just as we got to the ridge we looked back to find Duck Crag bathed in a pocket of sunlight standing out in a glorious orange hue:

The forecast for the next day was no better in fact the winds were even higher and it felt bitterly cold, so it was again time to do some careful thinking of where to go. We could have plumped for another steep sport area but were keen to mix it up and also for a slight less intense day. So we plumped for another local crag, Mount York. Despite being a wet and windy day we went the sunny side as this was supposed to be sheltered from the wind. The place seemed to us to be probably the most visited area with more defined walk trails and steps and warning signs everywhere. It’s not surprising I guess as there is a campsite right above the area. This place had for the most part lower grades and more trad options, so I started on Crackle:

Despite having a star it also came along with a warning that it had been the scene of a few fatalities over the years. So I was pretty cautious on it and soon found out why there may have been accidents, but am a bit bemused as to how fatalities had come about unless they were due to poorly placed protection, not wearing a helmet or just bad luck. After an easy corner with bomber gear the step headwall packed a punch, with little gear but you would be miles away from a ground fall and would for the most part fall into space. It was however a great line and kept me focused and smiling all the way up it. The rock felt cool this morning and my fingerless gloves which I bought in the old Gritstone days some 20 plus years ago were very welcome for whoever was lucky enough to be belaying:

Rongy then spied a long slabby wall that brought back memories of the rock formations and climbing style at the Grampians. He set off with a rack and plates, being a mixed line, but as proved the case so often very little of the rack ended up being used. You have to question why you’d bolt a route for all bar one piece of trad gear. Was it getting to us, well may be a bit. Despite that the line was very good and enjoyable, so much so that I jumped on the one next to it that was a trad line called Aunty Jack:

Another image of Rongy as the cold weather meant that the camera was getting less action. It does however show the line well and my climb went out left closer to the arête so had that bit more exposure. After this wall we had spied a climb with a name that we felt had to be climbed. Currawongs and the Chocolate Cake – what a name! It is very apt as should you leave any bags unattended these inquisitive and intelligent birds would swoop down and check it out. It would not be enough to simply put the hood over the bag as they could flip it back over, so you had to buckle it up. We did jump on it, but only after offering to helped put a top rope on it for another group that had been struggling on it for ages. The climb was not that great but still with a name like that it was worth doing:

Moving right along, mostly to get away from the group we had just helped because the conversation had been steered onto our religious beliefs and was getting a little too heavy for our liking. We picked off lines that had cool names or looked worthy, and then Rongy decided to try something a wee tad harder. Oblivious was a pretty stunning line and was fully of interest requiring varied techniques and good body work. We also did Atomic Punk next to it which was also enjoyable but the first line was by far the superior. I have previously climbed here and led the corner to the left of these two lines, called The Obituary going at grade 14. I did this with Warwick and Sinead, Warwick being the person who encouraged and inspired me to get my Alice Springs rock guide published. The reason I bring this climb up is that it also came with stars and warnings about fatalities, and you have to ask why a bomber corner with more gear than you can poke a stick at. Well watching someone second it gave us an idea as to why. Instead of climbing a corner they were trying to face climb one of the walls making it way harder to climb and probably also much harder to place gear – if they had been on lead:

We had certainly licked the right place to climb, the wind was fierce but blew right over us and we could also see the rain come down but we managed to stay dry. It was still however pretty cold and so we bailed in the mid-afternoon as we had a big day planned for the next day, and also had to get food ready for the gathering that was to descend on us that evening. A very short walk back to the car and then the rain hit us, so I sat in the car while Rongy wandered about in the rain hunting Pokémon!

The penultimate day, and what a day. The forecast was for 21 degrees and low winds – woo hoo. So where better a place to go than back to Pierces Pass and we knew exactly where we were heading – Hotel California. Due to the exceptional conditions we knew there was a chance of other parties being out so we decided we would get up before first light and head out early. Many will know that is not unusual for me but when you have all day to climb there isn’t such an urgency of getting out quite so early. Anyway this day we got to the carpark 30min after first light, and were too late. Not one but three parties were there before us and were all at the carpark. One was heading to Bunny Bucket and the other two both for Hotel California – damn! We pondered our choices for a while and thought of upping the ante by heading for Weaselburger (at 22, 23, 23, 21, 22, 20 – eek) but we hadn’t brought plates – double damn. So chatting to one of the guys already there he mentioned a new’ish climb next to Bunny Buckets that he claimed was equally good and went at 20, decision made:

We strolled in knowing that there were three parties ahead of us and also that there would be a log jam at the abseil point. They told us that they were not going to go down the dodgy rap but the safe one. Much to our surprise when we got there the ‘safe’ rap was the one that had a horrible scramble to get started and then went to a pillar and then down a gully. Go figure, so while six people battled on that we walked past and rapped down the clean lines we used previously. Not only did we get down before them but we had finished our first pitch before they walked past! Now we did consider when we got down the rap whether we should head to Hotel California and race up the first pitch, but we are both big on crag etiquette and also karma. So despite the option we decided to head for the new climb:

Pitch one was good, despite having some weird chain link bolts it was sustained and mostly on good rock. We had been told you could link the first two pitches, but when I looked up I thought better of it. Rope drag, the lack of remaining draws and the scary looking line made me decide against it. Rongy followed up and then kept moving up the next pitch, the lower grey wall was in stark contrast to the next glowing orange wall and both pitches were great. It was a relief as we were not sure what this climb would have in store for us:

Pitch two still and here I am just before the traverse that would have created horrible rope drag, notice the ring bolt. We were interested to come across chain, ring and fix hanger bolts on this route. Also the glue work was pretty messy and would in WA attract much commentary. I guess on such a big wall it wasn’t considered so important, as it certainly wasn’t representative of other areas we had sampled on our trip. However, we had read about how bolting in the Blue Mountains required a level of experience and knowledge more than other places due to the sand stone, so with some ring bolts with the depth marker still protruding from the rock we did wonder how much to trust some of them:

That little side track aside, the first three pitches were certainly really good, but from there on until we hit the upper buttress we were left wondering about the route with scrambles and meandering lines it lost its momentum and we were starting thing we should have thrown karma into the wind and jumped on Hotel California. Then came the headwall and Rongy had picked the short straw as I got this awesome traverse pitch and also the chunk of the headwall. All three pitches were good, but in same way we were also feeling like we were back on familiar territory as it was similar climbing and right next to Bunny Buckets:

You could tell that this was a more recent line than Bunny Buckets, as many of the ironstone holds showed signs of fresh breaks. Whether that was from people pulling them off while on the climb we were not sure but based on the amount of them it is also possible that while they developed the route they came along and knocked a head off. Whichever way it again detracted from the route and kept that niggling doubt in our mind about our earlier decision; ultimately making the route less enjoyable:

The last pitch, well two. Bunny Bucket had eight pitches (seven of them glorious) this route named Randy Rabbit Ridge had elven pitches making the route more broken with more scramble sections and a number of shorter sections. So Rongy linked the last two up soon regretting his decision as the rope drag got worse the higher he went, so much so that I had pity on him and tied into the midway point on the rope so he didn’t have to try and haul it up’. The last wall was pretty cool but as I topped out I could sense his disappointment, as this was our last chance for a big wall:

Now I mentioned we had a crowd come round the night before, so much so that we had a later night than usual and it is possible that our feelings were also because we were a bit tired. However, a good outcome from the social night was my chat with Adam. He was raving about and convincing me that we should jump on a climb, which I must admit I had spied already and really liked the look of. Rutger Hauer is not only the cover image of the guide but there is another full page image in the guide, and both pitch 2 and 3 looked amazing. So seeing how the morning had not lived up to our expectations, I suggested we wander over to have a look at it. Soon we found the spot and were abseiling down yet another two rope length rap:

We scrambled along the half way ledge of the walls of Pierces Pass. This line didn’t start from the bottom but half way up. So it was a mere 105m but boasting four good solid pitches and clean orange rock. I’d already done the maths so despite having had the last lead I sent Rongy up first and I could hear his excitement and feel his energy levels rising with each move. At the top of the pitch he whooped and hollered for joy – now that was batter! I was pretty tired and followed up with a degree of apprehension, the climbing was great and the rock solid but I knew what was coming up next:

Pitch 2 and the wall steepens up I set off and kept a steady pace and before I knew it the end was in sight. The wall had channelled me into a grove that got steeper the higher I went and despite taking rests when I could my arms were getting pumped. All that remained was the last steep section that also happened to be the crux sequence on smaller holds. It took me a while to compose myself and I needed to steady my breathing. Despite the safety of so many bolts I was still feeling on edge, a depth breathe and I went for it one move after another “gotta keep swimming” silently repeating in my head. The final hold and I made it – a huge sigh of relief, a lot of satisfaction swelling up inside me and a big smile coming up:

Pitch three – the glory pitch and also the cover the Blue Mountain guide. Rongy could sense my tiredness and offered to tag the second line up to haul the bag. He had done really well on the last pitch to get it clean with the bag. While there wasn’t much in it there was enough weight to make the moves on the steeper section that much harder. This pitch was more of the same of what I had done but on harder territory, and there was no way that Rongy was going to let it get the better of him. Once again the final grove steepened up to a glorious thin crux before a final more juggy section led to the end of the pitch. With the bag not on my back I set off more confident, and having just on-sighted my pitch I was keen to get this clean too:

Yeehar I loved it, that pitch was so cool that I emerged onto the ledge busting to get onto the final leg. The last pitch went down a few notches but was still on great rock in a superb position. This time when we topped out we were both very happy and grinning like Cheshire cats. Thanks to Adam for not only the suggestion but the encouraging words that we could bag this beauty. At the top we ate the last of the rations and had a drink before packing up for the walk out:

On the walk out we had to go past a very unusual rock formation that left us wondering how it had formed, it looked like a ripple and was unlike anything we had seen so here is an image of it. We both agreed that should we come back this way we would spend most of our time in Pierces Pass on these big walls, and should probably also push the boat out a bit more to test ourselves. As we approached the car park the two groups that had jumped on Hotel California had only just got back and were getting ready to leave. It was therefore quite possible that if we had jumped on it before them they wouldn’t have even seen us, but that said we can’t complain with our last big day out:

Back at the house there was time for a freshen up and a cuppa. We were also lucky to have a pair of King Parrots fly down, and Sirja suggested that I could hand feed them. So with barley in hand I offered it to them and they eagerly pecked away at the seeds. Then one of them pecked at my fingertips (which were pretty raw by now) mistaking the almost red tips for a seed – damn that hurt! I didn’t mind as it was great to finally see a bit of wildlife, I’ve said it before but we were surprised at how little we saw of birds, reptiles or flowers on this trip. That said the beauty of the landscape more than made up for it:

Back in the pub and the most deserved pub meal of the trip, I was pretty shattered and sore so much so that I couldn’t be bothered to join the queue to order food. Each time it looked like a clear counter another mob turned up, so after finishing our beers I decided I had no choice. I got their just in time as ours was the last order they took and when we picked up the meal from the counter they closed the hatch behind us. The second beer and meal went down a treat. A short walk back to the house and we crashed:

The last morning and once again it was blustery and wet, but there is no way that was going to stop us. We had already set our sights on returning to Mount Piddington to bag a couple of trad lines we saw on our first day out. One route each was all we were after as we would need to pack up and head to the airport later, and being the end of a long weekend we were advised the traffic might get bad. So we packed light no guidebook, food and only a bit of water:

We parked up and walked to the top of Mount Piddington, the highest point in the Blue Mountains. We could see belts of rain marching across the valley interspersed with sunshine. Then a rainbow came out stretching across the valley, a wet and windy day but an atmospheric day on which to end our trip:

We walked in a long way taking the cliff top path, the reason being we wanted to check out the sundeck camping cave. Rongy had known a climber when he spent time at Arapiles who mashed up huis legs in a motorbike accident. He had then spent 9 months living in and working from this cave, while recovering. That was some years back now and amazingly the cave is still stocked up and has mementos from his time here. He certainly looked after the place as things were neatly ordered and there was also a broom. It is not like it is a well-hidden secret as the cave is in the guidebook so we were amazed at how well it had been kept since he left:

The cave was a great place to veg out in as the next belt of rain hit us. This time we hadn’t picked the crag to avoid the wind, and were going to be hit full on. After a while we continued our walk in passing this waterfall. If you look closely you’ll see all the water droplets flying upwards from the waterfall, the wind was funnelling up the crevice bringing the water with it. As we took the cliff top walk we found a goat track that led to an abseil to the base saving us the need to walk the whole way down. Then it was down to business:

I was up first and stemmed and jammed my way up Amen Corner, a glorious 30m corner crack that gobbled up gear all the way up except for the off-width section at half height. The crack went from hands to off-width to finger, great stuff. With the wind on our back, no sun and cold rock our fingers were feeling it and by the time Rongy had followed me us we wasted no time celebrating the classy climb, instead rapping back down:

Then Rongy set off up The Janicepts that was the hardest climb in Oz, both in 1966 as an aid route and then in 1974 as a free climb. Both this and former lines were ones we had looked at on our first day out, but having just come off a red eye flight and already climbed five good routes we didn’t feel that we could do them justice. I was a tad unsure of this climb as it had a reputation for being a hard jamming route. He certainly worked hard on it and took his time, later claiming he was close to falling several times. When I seconded up the climb I was surprised to find that there were no sustained jamming sections, several parts required face climbing and the midsection jamming was quite reasonable. Then can the final headwall where the crack became thin and fingertip face climbing was required. My fingers were cold from belaying and raw making this section excruciating but I powered through and after a quick congratulations on a solid and stylish lead rapped back down:

Well we bagged the two climbs we wanted and had no desire to try and squeeze any more in. The wind was bitterly cold, more rain threatened and my fingers were shot. One tip had been getting worse over the last three days and the second climb on the big walls and today opened up a few others. They were screaming out to me that it was time to rest up and heal:

We were very chuffed with our two solid leads on full trad classic climbs, and now ready to say goodbye to the Blue Mountains. Sirja was out today enjoying a canyon, which we had been tempted to join in with but the timing would not have worked. So when we got back to the house we set about getting some lunch, packing up and washing the sheets so she could come home to a spick and span house:

On the walk out I spied these little caterpillars who seemed to be praying for sun. Most of my emails have a healthy splattering of other stuff so I couldn’t resist using this one. It also gives me the time to say a huge thank you Chris and Sirja for their amazing generosity and hospitality, Howsie for lending us his guide which I managed not to put blood prints on, everyone who joined in with our days out and evenings in, and also you for taking the time to enjoy reading about our trip:

So below is the end bit route tally, not bad in our minds. We didn’t hit every route we had on our wish list but that is no drama as it gives us reason to consider a return trip. Despite our best efforts to sample different places and styles there is certainly enough rock and variety here to warrant another trip. So maybe one day.

Fri 30 Sept

Bell

• Aquardhere 15m 17*
• Araldite 20m 20*
• Blow 20m 22**
• Duckling 12m 20
• Daffy 20m 22**
• Pluck-a-Duck 15m 24***
• Duck Tits 15m 21**
• Seamstress 22m 22***

Sat 1 Oct

Mount York

• Crackle 18m 16*
• Zipper 26m 18**
• Aunty Jack 25m 19***
• Currawongs and Chocolate Cake 20m 17*
• Viparette 25m 17**
• Oblivious 20m 21*
• Atomic Punk 20m 20**
• Sparrow 25m 18*

Sun 2 Oct

Pierces Pass

• Randy Rabbit Ridge 280m 20**
• Rutger Hauer 105m 23***

Mon 3 Oct

Mount Piddington

• Amen Corner 28m 18***
• The Janicepts 27m 21****

Ah Pierces Pass now this is a place we were sooooo looking forward to. We had been told that the access might be misleading by more than one person and reading the book the climb we had our eye on to test ourselves on would normally take a 6 to 7 hrs car to car. So we were at the car park by 8am knowing we had the whole day and started the walk in. Because most of the cliffs are below road level, you either have a steep decent track of a leisurely walk to a rap. For this one it was the latter, after following the ridge we meandered our way through gully crossing the creek three times:

Then it was a walk along lunchtime ledge, quite a long walk but pretty safe as it was good and wide. You may get a glimpse of the scale of this place in the background. We were still 100m above the base of the cliff and above us at this point there was another 40m above us. The day was looking good, a blue sky and not too hot but the wind was threatening to pick up a bit with the promise of gusts of 40km/hr or so:

We found the rap station first time with no back tracking required, success so far. I had parent alert going off inside my head so let Rongy take the lead on the abseils, it had simply been way to long since I had been as adventurous as this on an approach. There were two abseils to make both of them would stretch a 50m rope but we luckily had two 60m ropes, unfortunately both singles so we were dragging a bit more weight than needed with us:

The first rap got us to a ledge that was good enough for a few to stand on but it felt like you were floating on a cloud. The next rap took us all the way down and for two thirds of it we were to be hanging in space which is a pretty eerie feeling. Many of you will know I’m not a fan of abseiling and only do it out of necessity. Curse those insurance people who reckon it is safer than climbing!

After pulling the ropes we had a short walk along the base to find the start of our climb, by now we had a good all over body warm up. We found a little sign indicating BBB for Bunny Bucket Buttress, a big classic mountain day out that was supposed to have two scramble pitches in its impressive 8 pitch covering 270 glorious meters. I had first lead which involved what many say has the hardest move of the climb right at the start. It certainly was a bit thuggee and even had a glue hold on it, but we will forgive them that:

Pitch one was awesome and then came pitch two, the rock was solid and the climbing was nice and consistent. The first two pitches were not too long but after that they started to get up to 40m and you could really get into the climbing (and feel the weight of two single ropes being dragged up behind you). We travelled light, ropes, gear, a few snacks an, water and a thin down jacket. Thanks to Chris who leant me his, while I did have my Buffalo with me and did use it on these big multi-pitch days his jacket was brilliant:

Pitch 3 was mine and what a pitch it was the quality kept coming and dare I say improving. It was a thinking pitch that made you wonder which way it went. While the climb is fully bolted the path of least resistance weaved about a bit and kept you continually looking and loving the moves with great exposure. As with the sport climbs we had encountered you were never far from a bolt which could be the only downside of this (and many other) great climb:

I’ve skipped a few pitches now as we had the scramble pitches, of which only one forced us off rock and onto shaly vegetated slopes. The one that stays on rock while never hard still was great fun and consistent, so we didn’t feel that it detracted from the quality of the climb in any way. So here Rongy is setting off on pitch 6, an impressive traverse into space and then he disappeared round the corner and kept going:

That is where we found out where the climb got its name a massive 70m buttress that is made up almost entirely of big juggy ironstone holds. The shapes where so good and the holds were unbelievable, it was never hard but sooooo much fun jugging up this wall on holds that you might think would break but seemed solid as. That said we both agreed it was not the sort of terrain you’d want to take a fall and some of the edges got pretty sharp and the ropes probably wouldn’t like that:

I had the upper pitch on the wall 40m of steep juggy climbing – woo hoo! With lots of space below and the big blue sky above it was one of the most pleasurable pitches I did on the trip. Of course it had to end but not before the rock changed to a rounded sandstone finish just to add that extra sting in the tail, and then Rongy came up to join me. The wind had behaved and while we got a bit cold especially the fingers the gusts were not too bad and never interfered:

Rongy headed off leaving me to enjoy a great belay spot with awesome views out across the valley. This place certainly did hit the right spot and we both loved every minute of the climbing. It also made us even more eager to get back here to jump on the other classic we had previously spied – Hotel California. A longer and harder climb but we were feeling good about the idea if the weather held. On this last pitch I picked up a few small broken ironstone holds as mementos to bring back, one of which is now on my desk at work:

After topping out we had a snack or two and enjoyed the scenery before packing up and trudging back out to the car. This is certainly the place that we both agreed was worth coming back for, lots of great multi-pitch lines on offer and simple stunning scenery. What was however interesting was that so far we had seen very little if any reptiles, birds or even flowers:

The walk out takes a different path and after 30min or so we hit the road and had to follow that for a km or so. It wasn’t the best way to round the trip off and the sudden sign of litter, car fumes and noise hit us pretty hard. The verges are not the widest and the road gets busy with big trucks so we had to watch ourselves on this leg:

We did however come across these beautiful flowers on the road side, and I have no idea what they are called. We found them a few more times in bush locations but they were not widespread, so I’m guessing they were not weeds. It was lovely to see a splash of colour that didn’t involve a fast moving vehicle or the litter that some bogan had thrown out of their window. We got back to the car by 1pm so a five hour round trip – not bad. A lot of that we put down to our belay set ups, we were quick and prepared for change overs, as the guide said waste 10min on each station and there’s an extra hour and half:

Hot dam we were back at the house at 1:30 and needed some warming up so, time for a very dignified spot of lunch and hearty cup of tea while sat in the sun on the decking. Now it is not clear as to why this decking which is separate to the house was built facing the house when if it looked the other way you can just see the valley and at least look through the trees? But it faced the sun and that is what counted at this point in time:

I mentioned before that the lucky Chris and Sirja could walk to their local crag, and seeing we finished so early we decided to check one out. So we headed to Engineers which was literally a 300m walk from the front door. We had been told that there was a climb here that simply begged to be climbed and after working our way to the abseil point we looked down and admired the top half of Catch the Wind. It looked good but hard. Being a single abseil of only 40m I was more than happy to go first and headed down to check out the full line:

Unfortunately it was seeping in the bottom half so we decided not to go for it. Being a sustained layback finger crack that required smearing on the slick face it just felt that the start would not be enjoyable. This was the one and only place where we encountered seepage in the whole trip, and besides there was an impressive looking wall to the left that we had to play on anyway. I say that but they looked steeper and harder and so I offered up the lead to Rongy:

He plumped for Passing Wind, no seriously that was the name of the climb. A seriously steep but beautiful orange wall awaited and off he set. Along with learning to jam on his globe-trotting climbing trip he also learnt the art of shaking out. He managed to find a hold and hang there for some time while shaking one had out at a time. So I soon learnt how hard a climb was going to be by the amount of shaking out going on. On this climb there was a LOT of shaking out:

After a long time he made it up and bagged yet another very impressive on-sight. Gulp, then it was my turn and the battle was on from the offset. It was the type of Blue Mountains sandstone climbing we had expected. Crimp and high foot it up, move after move after move.  I worked my way up higher, and higher but with a possible shake out hold in sight my forearms were close to busting and I slipped. I simply didn’t have the same stamina and couldn’t shake out as well, and it showed on a few of the harder climbs we tried. So while I had a rest I was still chuffed with the style of the second but felt shattered when I topped out – the face is not put on. I did however have energy for a fist pump to celebrate a storming lead, something Chris and Rongy introduced me too:

While I may have been pooped it was still too early to bail so I plumped for a slab that we had abseiled down, which looked fun. A nice easy lean-into-it climb that didn’t require forearm strength but delicate footwork and balance. It was probably one of the shortest climbs we did starting halfway down the abseil, but that was all good and it was a more relaxed climb on which to finish the day:

After a good night sleep we were ready for action again. While we tried not to head back to the same crags, we were drawn back to Sublime Point due to a few classy looking multi-pitches that people rated. The last time we were here we climbed some short but fun lines and did two longer harder lines which were on the Ben Trovarto Wall, which can be seen in the background. The line we were heading for this time was a three pitch climb called The Sublime and the Beautiful. Today the winds were forecast to be higher with gusts of over 80kmph, and we were not disappointed:

With the very blustery conditions we both felt awkward on the first pitch, but started to come good towards the belay ledge that was thankfully a good size. I was being buffeted about on a big ledge while Rongy set off up a long slabby pitch that had sections which seemed devoid of holds, it was super thin in places and he had to hang on and wait for the wind to abate to be able to make the next move. At times the draws on our harnesses were no long hanging down and the conditions certainly added a lot of atmosphere to the climb:

After the third and final pitch we had to head back down. We certainly didn’t want to hang about to enjoy the glory of the ascent or the great views, we were way too cold. So I rapped down first, and due to the high winds we didn’t dare drop the ropes instead flaking them out on either side and letting them out as I went down. It was kinda fun and I was concentrating so much that I missed the anchors and ended up using a single bolt. Rongy used the bolt above so we were not hanging off just the one. But there was a bit of a silver lining and we got down in two raps instead of three:

We were a little unsure of what to do next the wind was not letting up and if anything getting stronger. But we were here so we went to check out the Sweet Dreams Wall on which our next proposed climb of Whymper was. Surprisingly there were a number of parties already there, three lined up for Sweet Dreams and one for Whymper, but none had started. The guys getting ready for Whymper offered us the chance to go ahead as they felt they may be slower, which we gratefully accepted. How could we back off with so many others there! We were glad we did as we were up the top of the fifth pitch while they were still working the second:

The wind was crazy but the way the crag faced the climb was somewhat sheltered so it added atmosphere but didn’t blow us off. The climb was a pearler, every pitch was storming with the most amazing situations on a hanging arête over nothing but big amounts of space. The rock was again full of ironstone flakes and very enjoyable, this time we had to use bolt plates and a couple of times the bag in which we carried them tipped upside down but we fortunately didn’t lose any. We had considered to go back down to climb Sweet Dreams but with so many people there and the conditions not letting up we bailed and headed out:

Back at the house we once again had a spot of lunch and warming cup of tea to wash way the worries of climbing in high winds. With the bulk of the afternoon still ahead of us we thought we would sample another local crag, this time heading for Zig Zag which was named after the zig zag path constructed by the convicts way back in the 1870’s. We didn’t know what to expect so walked along the base looking at lines until one jumped out at us, which happened to be Just for Fun and it was. We were learning that a mixed route that had carrots was in most cases full bolted, with carrots. Maybe carrots are considered tread gear over east? Still we were in the bluies and the use of bolts is something to expect:

Rongy fancies Black Bart another mixed route and this time he did indeed use some trad. The arête didn’t look anything special but was full of interest and had several tricky sequences. Being 30m it was long enough to get into the swing of the climb and become absorbed by yet another type of sandstone formation that we had not yet encountered:

Everywhere we looked there were crags and it reminded me of being in the peak district in the UK, home of the infamous gritstone. With great crags that followed the top for the valleys for miles on end. There is so much rock here and much of it unexplored, so for the adventurer this place certainly would provide endless adventures and new routing:

Time for one more climb we decided so I plumped yet again for a slab that just sang out to me. So time to put on my Dress Rehearsal Rag and tippy toe up yet another delightful crimpy slab with the occasional jug to give the finger tips some respite. The day was wearing on by now and the cold setting in as indicated by the reappearance of the down jacket. So despite there being a number of lines that looked appealing we decided to call it quits and head back:

I couldn’t resist this image. This chunky old but good looking peg was on a line we abseiled down, which looked very inviting. It was quite cool seeing all the variations in bolting from carrots to pegs, chain link bolts, ring bolts (only half in), fixed hangers and floppy hangers. It seems that the same bolting freedom exists here as in WA and you have to wonder which to trust and which not too. I guess with the excessive bolting that happens if one fails it won’t be too far to fall before you need to pray that the next one will hold:

Day six and Sirja was not working so she was going to join us on a day out to place I had been eager to see. Cosmic County looked to have some fine trad climbing, so this time as we packed the bags we made sure we had a good assortment of gear and with three of us tramping it in we could share the load. Each night and morning we would diligently unpack and sort the gear and then repack it. Sometimes we had a good idea of what was needed down to how many draws and plates or specific trad gear but other times there was a bit of guess work required. Certainly when on mixed lines there was no guessing what would and would not be needed:

Not being a premier sports crag and having what some consider a big walk in at 25min this place does not get much traffic. So not surprisingly we there the first at the carpark and probably only ones, as we didn’t see anyone else all day. The access goes past residential properties and there has in the past been some issues so they ask that you give the houses a wide berth and keep quite. That was not an issue for us as we made our way through the trees. They had been burnt some time back now and there was lots of regrowth coming up, and the contrasts between the green lush understorey and blackened dead looking trees was striking:

It was a good walk with a bit of variety, and we were soon lost from any sound of civilisation. We could however hear the train as it made its way through the mountains. At the crag we were on the opposite side of the valley to the train and it was pretty cool to see it appear and then disappear as the track wove behind the rocky headwalls. The train doesn’t run that often so it was not too disturbing and by the time we were there all day we kinda didn’t notice it:

By the time we got to the crag and wandered along it was probably more of a 45min walk but the sky was blue and there was not a breeze in the air so it was a very pleasant and relaxed walk. It only seemed right to be gentlemen and offer up ladies first (lead)! Sirja didn’t mind that idea and was eager to go, but I feel like I gave her a bum steer. Checking the area out the night before I spied a selection of climbs named after one of my favourite films – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, and was keen to try a couple of them. So off she set on Blondie (The Good). It proved to be a solid lead at the grade with some run out sections, but she once again showed her resolve and made her way up without losing it:

The Bad and The Ugly didn’t look that great after closer scrutiny, so I contemplated another line that I had spied some time back. TZ was described as a good finger crack and I am partial to that kind of jamming. It is also the name of a dish I used to have when I lived in Ghana. With all that going for it and after looking at the line my mind was made up. The first pitch was a glorious corner with great stemming before the steep crack above which turned out to be more a crack for gear as you used the face and did the occasional hand jam where it opened up. It felt sustained and committing but damn good and I thrived all the way up, even if I had the jitters along the way:

It was certainly a classy line and we all enjoyed it thoroughly, it was a great warm up for Rongy’s next line and Sirja styled it even pulling out her jamming gloves. They are the same one that Kym has got and certainly seemed to make a difference, the crack was sharp in places and while I lost some bark she cruised up with an ear to ear grin. This line gave me confidence that the place had some great lines on offer after the mediocre start:

Rongy had fallen in love as soon as we walked past this little number, and it was obvious which climb he would jump on for his first lead. Interstate 31 is renowned for being one of the best cracks in the mountains. It’s a consistent 2.5 friend wide splitter thankfully with some horizontal breaks for us mere mortal and less seasoned jammers. We had probably five bits of gear that would fit it so there was a bit of walking the gear up required, but that didn’t irk him as he lapped up jam after jam. We both managed to follow up but not in quite the same style and had to agree that it was a stonking line:

One Sirja’s next line I kept my mouth shut and left her choose where to go! The choice was a fun corner crack which happened to be right next to the route I had my eye on. So while belaying her I kept an eye on what I had in store for me. The corner was fun and had a great ledge atop to sit and admire the view out across the valley. On the other side are the Railway Cliffs and the Freezer, which offer hard sport lines. With our mind on trad we left them for another time. Instead I jumped on the “most popular route in the county”, which followed a hanging arête that is unfortunately broken with two big ledges. However, from each you have to step into the unknown above a worrying amount of space:

Time for one last climb in this idyllic place that we had all to ourselves. Having enjoyed a good jam so much it was time for what looked to be another harder jam crack. If you go back to the image above of Rongy’s first lead you’ll see this line close to the arête to the right of Interstate 31. The guide says it should get done more often and we can only agree with that, there was not too much jamming but it was a great and varied climb with some great positions and moves. It also was in a perfect position to get some good shots with the valley stretching out behind the crag:

We had already decided that it was about time that we treated ourselves to another pub meal, so after the walk out and a freshen up back at the house we walked down to the local establishment. After another hearty meal we grabbed a second beer and hogged the fireplace to warm up. Despite the lovely day the evening temperatures quickly dropped so we worked on increasing our thermal mass in preparation for the cold walk home:

The next day, and despite my misgivings about such an idea, it was forced upon us to have a rest day. The rain came down at times in torrents, then clearing up a bit before hitting us again. So we made the most of it by heading to Katoomba to stock up on food and beer in the house. We also checked out the local climbing shops as someone was hankering to see if he could get a good bargain on a new rope, which didn’t happen:

In the afternoon we went to the local Mount Vic Flicks, a quaint and old style place. We decided from the selection of films to see an animated film called Kuba and the Two Strings, which was surprisingly good. The experience was made all the better by the fact that we could buy a bowl of very tasty lentil soup with a roll from the snack bar to munch on while watching the film. The place could probably hold 100 people and Sirja was shocked at how busy it was saying she had never seen so many people in there. I reckon it must have been only one third full, so it is pretty amazing that it keep going if that was a busy show:

When we emerged we were greeted with blue skies and sunshine, um maybe time to squeeze a local crag in – but then again maybe not. Instead we headed home for a good meal and once again an early night. I have to admit that the day off probably was a good idea, we had been going harder than I had expected in the first six days but wasn’t complaining. We still had another three and bit days ahead of us and I didn’t want to burn out too soon:

Below is the route tally for the middle bit. In the end bit (that I hope to get to over the weekend) there will be more big wall fun, disappointments, sport climbing frenzies and us taking on “the hardest route in Oz”.

Mon 26 Sept

Pierces Pass

• Bunny Bucket Buttress 270m 18****

Engineers Cascade

• Passing Wind 30m 22***
• Catchit 12m 19*

Tue 27 Sept

Sublime Point

• The Sublime and the Beautiful 75m 22**
• Whymper 145m 19***

Zig Zag

• Just for Fun 30m 15***
• Black Bart 30m 19***
• Dress Rehearsal Rag 15m 17**

Wed 28 Sept

Cosmic County (plus Sirja)

• Blondie (The Good) (P1) 20m 14*
• TZ 30m 18**
• Interstate 31 25m 17****
• Bell Bottom Pants 20m 15*
• The Eighty Minute Hour 30m 18***
• Bairds Effort 35m 19**

Thu 29 Sept

• Shopping (real and window)
• Watching a flick

Rongy and I took a red eye flight on Thursday 22 September to head to the Blue Mountains. With an eleven day trip ahead of us we crammed in a lot of climbs so this email only covers the start bit and there will be two more to follow, so if you get bored of me ranting on let me know and I won’t send you all three emails.

We arrived in Sydney just after first light at within the hour were on the road heading out of the big smoke. It was about a 2hrs drive and we arrived just after 9am to be welcomed with a perfectly timed breakfast of poached eggs on a bed of baby spinach leaves. This is how I was introduced to Chris and Sirja, and what a great welcome it was. They had invited us to stay at their house which is located in Mount Victoria conveniently located within cooee of lots of great climbing spots:

After a relaxed breakfast and several cups of tea, including one I took on the road because I had a higher tea intake need than the others. Despite having had very little sleep, if we were lucky maybe 4 hours, we were super keen to get cracking and find a crag. So the first destination was a local crag that had a mix of both trad and bolted climbs, Mount Piddington:

A short five minute drive later we were shouldering our packs and walking in. Both Ryan and I have been to the Blue Mountains before and I had vague memories of several of the crags that we visited, but there is probably only two lines that I reckon I’ve jumped on before. I must be getting old as I usually remember not only each climb but the moves and gear required. The first climb of the trip was one that I do remember seeing and wishing I had tried last time so I was very pleased to get first lead on this brilliant trad line called Flake Crack. It felt funny coming to the Blue Mountains and needing to layback and jam my way up the first route, but I wasn’t complaining:

As I belayed Rongy up this fine line I had a great view of Chris weaving his way up Tombstone Wall, one thing that this place had no lack of was great vista’s helping to make those shots even more dramatic. This is a climb I had done before (I can say with confidence now that I have perused my image library) and so Rongy took the lead on this one after we got down:

It was good to see that Sirja and Chris followed the same etiquette that we had of lead for lead and Sirja plumped for a body eating off width called Angular Crack. Every line here seemed to attract our attention and with so many for the picking we had in mind to try and hit the classics only. The guide has a four star rating systems and in the eleven days there was only one route we did with no stars, and even that one we both agreed that it was as good as if not better than many we did do:

As the image above shows Chris was getting warm, and on this first day we were led to believe that the Blue Mountains’ were blessed with blue skies, calm days and warm temperatures. This was far from the truth and most days we were getting up and out the house in temperatures of no more than 6 degrees and due to the howling wind felt like less than 0 degrees. While we did bag a couple of stunning days such as this first one, on most days the locals obviously thought the weather was too less than perfect. However, we only had a limited time so we simply wrapped up when needed and got on with it:

As Chris was battling with the scary looking hand jam crack of Gemini, something drew me to the blank face and arête of Skinless Chicken. So despite thinking we would start with an easy day there I was picking a 21, which up until this point felt pretty cruisey. Then I had to learn how to climb arêtes properly and it took a few goes before I could pluck up the courage to get over my parent alert and go for it. I eventually managed the move but it felt nervous and a bit scary. Rongy liked the look of this climb so much that he pulled the rope and led it without a worry. All of his recent globetrotting sampling different crags, rocks and climbing styles certainly looked to be paying off as he styled his way up:

He then proceeded to look at Gemini and was keen to try that, after Chris managed to slog his way up it with an equal amount of difficulty that I had on my route. It seemed to be the order of the trip as he once again switched style and breezed up it with secure and safe jams and not a scratch or bruise to show for them. I was very happy to follow up in reasonable style, jamming with somewhat less confidence but equal success except for the battle scars on the back of both hands:

Cracks seemed to be the order of the day and Sirja set off up Genesis, just as a few spots of rain were starting to fall. The twin cracks looked great and offering bountiful gear, but at mid height there was only room for big number 5 cams or even bigger gear which made it a bold lead. So while Sirja battled with her nerves Rongy and I headed off in search of another climb to jump on:

The rain was short lived and some may be offended by me even calling it rain. We soon realised that no matter how much it did rain here the rock dried incredibly quickly. Some evenings it tipped it down yet in the morning we could find no sign of it whether on the rock, tracks or roads. This of course was great for us and allowed us to make the most of our time here. On this day we were however starting to tire and so we had one more route in us and I jumped on Eternity, a consumer classic that offered fist to finger jams all the way up a beautiful 30m splitter that seemed endless. What a way to start the trip and end the first days’ climbing:

We got back to the house in time to grab a beer and sit out on the balcony to watch the sunset. As the darkness fell the cold wind came in and we felt bitterly cold, again we might have put that down to feeling knackered and soon after having eaten we hit the sack. Early nights were the order of the day which also meant that we were up at first light and out the house at a reasonable time:

Day two and Sirja had to work, so with just three of us we headed to Mount Boyce and I recognised this place immediately. I did one climb here years back with Jason, it was a great climb called The Eyrie, the place offers great long 50m pitches up beautiful clean slabs and faces. We came prepared and set up a rap line and were soon heading down to scope the place out and pick our lines. I had last lead the day before so Rongy took first lead:

Due to the towering lines starting at tree level and the angles it was hard to get many spectacular shots here so I’ve gone easy on images for this location. We started on the reasonably graded Another Man’s Juliet, however both Chris and I felt a little uneasy even on second. The place has what seemed to be mostly mixed lines so while we had our trad with us there was a fairly bit of bolt and carrot clipping going on:

Chris and I both got it together and we went lead for lead jumping on two more very fun long lines with the grade just edging back in the 20s. Then on Rongy’s second lead it went up a notch. He jumped on a combination route taking the best parts of Girl in the Mirror and Mean Streak to provide a great 50m stunner that started with a stick clip carrot! We eventually worked out that yes you had to stick clip it with a wire, which seems and looked simply absurd why didn’t they just put a bolt there:

With the wire secured Rongy set off (swapping the wire for a plate on the way) and slowly and carefully wove his way up this impressive and unrelenting 22. It provided simply wonderful varied climbing on very steep terrain and he managed to find the composure to hang off the “bigger” holds to shake out before committing and moving on. It was all that Chris and I could do but to watch in wonder, and then attempt to follow up in just as good style, which we both almost managed:

Needless to say we were both shattered when we topped out, a top lead. But unfortunately it was also our turn to lead. So I plumped for a deceptive climb and had me foxed at the crux, but I managed to pull it off eventually with jelly like arms and wobbly legs. It was day two and already it seemed to us that on the bolted line we would never have that Welly Dam feeling from over west, as there were at time so many bolts that it broke up the climbing rhythm and at times we even missed a bolt out. On the last climb Elisa turning up so Rongy followed he up one line while Chris and I headed up the one right next to it:

Seeing Elisa got there late she dashed down to follow up the line Chris led while Rongy and I started to pack up the gear. The sun was not quite setting but the hues and colours were starting to change providing a beautiful changing view of the impressive cliffs of Mount Boyce. Chris was pretty surprised that even with three of us we had managed to squeeze in six rope stretching routes and time to spare. It was good to see that we were climbing not fast but efficiently, as sooner or later Rongy and I would be hitting the big walls for some multi-pitch adventures:

Day three and the weather was supposedly coming in. So we checked the guide, well consulted the locals, and headed for Sublime Point that due to its overhanging nature was a good place to climb in the rain. Of course overhanging meant the grades would go up a tad and it was also a fully bolted crag. But before we got there we had to descend and that included some fun sections including this squeeze hole for which you had to take your pack off:

Then there were ropes and fixed gear on some of the steeper sections, as well as fixed cables to tie into. It made the trip feel like a big adventure and was a lot of fun. We also had a view of the three sisters from this crag, which got what I thought was a bit of unjust bagging. But when you go climbing and experience some pretty storming scenery and positions I guess I can get why the more touristy aspects of the landscape can look a tad dull:

We started at Binary Cave which would never get wet, but on the downside offered mostly short routes and that had plenty of bolts. There were certainly fun and interestingly the one that felt the most nervous was the one Sirja jumped on to lead first called Please Dry, the easiest line there! It was a good solid climb that stayed consistent unlike most of the others and had some great nervous moves which didn’t faze her as she made her way up:

We jumped on all of the lines here and a few of them were pretty easy and were more or less one move wonders. Still for all my whinging and negativity as I type this we had a lot of fun, today there were five of us as Elisa was also joining in so there was fair bit of cajoling and encouraging going on, as we all jumped on line after line offering our own goodly advice on how to make the crux moves:

As the morning wore on more people had made the same decision as us and soon the place we getting a bit busier. Each line sported quick draws and after a bit of banter we all simply used what was there, it was certainly a very friendly crag to be at. We all had a bash on lead but soon we had polished off all the possible lines and it was time to find new rock:

But before we did that Rongy wanted to try a line that had caught his attention from the start, which happened to have no stars. So Elisa and I stayed while Sirja and Chris found another climb to try. Meanwhile Rongy was battling his way up the under rated Entourage, and he was finally able to relax and not worry about not having fallen yet as he made repeated falls on two of the tricky crux sections on this line. It was probably harder than the other routes purely because it was traditional climbing, not just face climbing and far more sustained. While Rongy took fall after fall Chris and I had great big grins on our faces!

While rain was predicted the whole time we were at Binary Cave it was a lovely day, so with a hankering for longer routes we wandered across to the impressive Ben Trovarto Wall. A towering 70m orange wall of steepness and impressive lines distinguishable but the line of stainless steel. This wall gets a bit more serious and there is little below 22 on it. However, there were two climbs for which the first pitches were a mere 22 and 23 so we headed for them. It was my lead first and I had a fierce battle with the hard start moves before the main chunk of the climb yielded to easier and less sustained climbing:

The great think about these two climbs were that they both made use of a tree start, they can be climbed direct at a much harder grade but it is accepted that a tree start is the go. The tree is looking pretty sad and is just about dead. We were told that the tree has been sagging more each year and no doubt one day will no long be there, leaving these two starts to become batman starts:

Both of these lines ended at a distinct ramp at half height, after which the grade of both lines jumped up a notch or two. We were however not motivated enough to attempt them and instead enjoyed the “easier” climbing, The 22 was a soft touch but the 23 certainly worked us and we felt after that as if we had had a solid day climbing. So with the very good Guillotine and Marxism under our belts we decided it was time to head out:

Things were definitely working out well for us, and as we were nearing the end of the walk, scramble, squeeze out the rain clouds began to march across the valley. In this image you can make out the three sisters in the right hand side of the horizon and I guess it is fair to say that after standing underneath the towering walls they do look a little less impressive. With the rain on our tails we quickened the pace on the last leg and made it into the comfort of the car just as the heavens truly opened and the rain that was promised fell:

So at the end of three days great climbing in three very different locations we felt that we had deserved a hearty pub meal. The obvious place to go being the local pub which also happens to promote itself as the oldest motel in Australia. The pub was great with comfy sofas, a roaring fire, really good pub grub and best of all no pokies. After this day Chris would be heading off to work, which was a gruelling 10 hour drive away and Sirja would also be back at work leaving Rongy and I to fend for ourselves. So it was even more appropriate that we took Sirja, Chris and his sister who had turned up for one night out for a meal:

Below is the route tally for the start bit. In the middle bit (i.e. the next email which I am yet to write) there will be tales of big wall climbs, multi-pitches in wild conditions, a sample of the crags the lucky buggers can walk to from their home and a place that goes back to good old trad climbing.

Fri 23 Sept

Mount Piddington (plus Chris & Sirja)

• Flake Crack 30m 17***
• Tombstone Wall 30m 15***
• Skinless Chicken 26m 21**
• Gemini 55m 19***
• Eternity 32m 18****

Sat 24 Sept

Mount Boyce (plus Chris & Elisa)

• Another Man’s Juliet 48m 15**
• Set, Piece, Battle 50m 16**
• Compassion Overboard 50m 20**
• The Girl in the Mirror (P1) & Mean Streak (P2) 45m 22***
• Weapons of Mass Destruction 50m 20**
• Ryan & Elisa – Endless Pleasure in a Limousine 47m 16**
• Krish & Chris – Sweet Seduction in a Magazine 45m 16**

Sun 25 Sept

Sublime Point (plus Chris, Sirja & Elisa)

• Rock Snob 12m 20
• Whimsical 12m 21*
• Socially Inept 12m 21*
• Please Dry 12m 18*
• Entourage 16m 21
• Guillotine (P1) 20m 22***
• Marxism (P1) 25m 23***