A quick morning climb with Libby and Russ. It was good to dial back the difficulty and concentrate on trying to unlearn some bad technique that I have found myself falling in to.
Pun not intended.
Wait, yes it was.
Mt Boyce
climbing
Old Baldy
6-06-2020
I joined Russ paying around in some sandy cracks in the Wolgan clifflines while the others got their King Arthur on and climbed Excalibur
BACK
The Eyrie
Empress Falls and Sweet Dreams
31-12-19
Madie and meee
I’d strained a tendon in my arm so hadn’t climbed for ages but with 99.99% of canyons closed due to the devastating bush fires that are raging across the country I was going a bit stir crazy.
I text The Mad One to see what she was up to over new years.
Want to go climbing now?
It’s like 6pm Monday afternoon. Sure
There’s an easy climb at Mt Boyce that I use to really enjoy that she hadn’t done yet so we decide to go give it a crack.
A quick look at the guide. You need bolt plates she says.
I have plates.
Cool.
We meet at the car park. a quick check of the guide and we drive around to the new car park…. It’d been 20+ years since I’d climbed this one.
So we abseil in, and leave a rope in place. Good call
and head around to the start of the climb.
I can’t see many bolts, says she
I remember it being run out, say I
And up she goes to clip the first bolt 6 or 7 meters off the ground.
Um, Flynny. I can’t see any bolts above me.
I lock her off while she pulls out her phone to check the online guide .
Um this is a mixed route….
We didn’t pack any trad gear. Ooops
A delicate retreat was made and by the time we ascend our abseil line it’s dark… Bugger! shall we try something again tomorrow?
It’s New Years Eve and we skived off work early to see if we could find somewhere open.
Pulling into the car park we step out of the car… holy crap it’s hot.
Wanna do a quick run through Empress to cool off first?
Yep.
Changing plans is what we do the best
Back in the car and out to the conservation hut
Back at the car we check online to see what crags are open then head off for the classic Sweet Dreams. A climb I’ve never done before
I totally sooked it and “let” Madie lead every pitch but I thoroughly enjoyed the climb,
3 sisters and 2 morons
Cheers 2019. you have been eventful.
Here’s to 2020
Arethusa
30-11-2019
Dirt Girl, Bad-arse Barbie, Shreevy, Dare Devil, Monners, The Wizard, Sketchy Maddog and meeee
Bad-arse Barbie mentioned she needed a bit of support to get back on the horse after last weekend’s incident so in a funny sort of round about way me and the Mad One pretty much invited ourselves, and later The Wizard, on to the trip she was doing with Dirt Girl. Belatedly we worked out it was originally suppose to be a girls trip….
Anyhoo,
It had been awhile since I’d seen some of this crew and it was the first time meeting Sheervy and Monners in real life so we do a meet and greet and I notice every one had the packs out ready to go.
Um, we still need to drive down a bit to the car park…..
At the carpark we wake some campers with our not so quiet banter and then make our way along the trail
Last couple of times I’ve followed the trail down a bit far east and had to traverse back through scrub. This time I make more or less a bee line down the ridge. Through the scrub
Sketchy Maddog starts to “question” my navigation. It’s just down there. Says I. pointing to a big tree down the ridge
I think it’s over there. Says she. You’re shit navigator. It’s over that way
I’m pretty sure it’s just there. Say I
Oh shit, I can see the sling on the tree. Says she pointing to the very same tree I pointed to earlier.
1 point: Flynny
We gain the creek and boulder hop down to the start of the canyon and one of the coolest abseils in the Blue Mountains.
Even in this dry spell it didn’t disappoint
Shreevy 
Bad-arse Barbie 
Bad-arse Barbie 
Dirt Girl 
Monners
Click to enbiggen
The Terrible Triplets 
Naiads 
Naiads 
Their natural environment
Click to make large
Click for the sake of clicking
We’ve gotten through the canyon fairly quick without ever feeling like we were rushing. So we have an early lunch and chill out in the sun
The traditional exit was to continue down, then traverse the Carne Wall, then get benighted. then cry a bit, then swear you’d never ever, ever do it again.
A climbing exit now makes Arethusa one of the most funnest, adventurous little canyons in the mountains. Not to mention how pretty it is.
But you need to have reasonable climbing skills
Madie lead all of them. 3 Points Sketchy
And as luck would have it a cool breeze greets us for the walk out
Party size: 8 all experienced
Time: 6.5hr car to car
I have a simple philosophy: Fill what’s empty. Empty what’s full. And scratch where it itches.–Alice Roosevelt Longworth
Bardens Lookout
Mt Alexanda 17-08-2019
17-08-2019
Jeremy, Aleasha, Russ, Madie and Me
Road trip!
For one reason or another I find myself picking up Madie and Russ and pointing our wheels south to meet up with Jez and Aleasha for some climbing at a popular little crag near Mittagong.
It was a perfect winters day and for a while we had the crag all to ourselves.
Madie, Russ and I set up on a nice looking 14, Selective Cleansing. It was a nice way to warm up
It was a short climb so we each have a lead and move around the corner for another 14, Open to Public Scrutiny. Basically 1 smeary move down low and a walk up the wall
Again Madie places the gear, then we pull the rope and each have a lead and leave the gear in place to swap routes with the others
Mean while had Jez and Aleasha set up on a more ambitious 21…. Crimp a Buttock They both have a quiet, smooth style. They are nice to watch.
Jez would eventually follow her on lead while Madie and Russ manage the direct route on top rope.
Feeling confident after the top rope we decide to have a lead on something a little more challenging, 17 or 18 would be nice… A slight miss read of the guide saw Madie leading up Silver Fox, 20
Now a just a few weeks ago we dragged each other up a 15 on top rope and were over the moon…. Well, I’ve never known her to back off a challenge and bang, she leads her first 20. While Gibbo and Aleasha are quiet and precise, The Mad One is pure determination, power and self belief, oh and a “little” more vocal 🙂
The challenge is out and I surprise myself by following her to bag the hardest climb I’ve done in over 20 years.
But that would pretty much be my last win for the day. With blown forearms I attempt to follow the others up a few more routes but fail.
Still stoked for the day. If you’d have asked me on the way down I would have said I’d be happy if a managed to second a 17. Bagging a 20 (with pre-placed gear) was a pleasant surprise.
Mt Alexandra is such a cool crag. Interesting routes on nice rock with a good mix of grades. No doubt we’ll be back.
Routes.
Selective Cleansing 14: Madie, Russ, me
Open to Public Scrutiny: 14 Madie, Me, Russ, Aleasha, Jez
Crimp a Buttock 21: Aleasha, Jez (17 variant on lead). Top rope: Madie, Russ Jez (Direct route) Me (17 Variant)
Silver Fox, 20: Madie, Me, Russ, Jez, Aleasha
Three and a Half Thousand 20: Jez, Madie Aleasha. Top rope Russ, Me (Failed)
Corner from Heaven 18: Aleasha, Jez, Madie: Top rope Russ
Madie and Jez then lead some pumpy little over hung route in the cave. Aleasha had a fair crack on top rope. Me and Rus were done
Make sure you become part of the glorious past in someone else’s future: A Penny
Clarence Dams 11-01-17
With all the people who visit the Railway dams on Dargan crk at Clarence now days I wonder how many have ventured up into the backwater. It had been ages since I’ve done it.
As well as leaps of faith the main wall is also great for deep water soloing
There are lots of climbable lines on the wall, however most involve a blank section 3/4 the way up that require a long stretch or balancey moves on tiny climps while trying to smear with bare feet.
