journey..: A coastal and cliffular exodus, New Years 2007

New Years Trip 2007----Australia in detail.

Well at least some surfing and climbing areas in detail, and Sydney for New Years.

I guess 2 blogs are required....one a climbing/surfing entry and the other for (regular) people...

Here goes the climbing one...

The Blue Mountains 80 kilometres west of Sydney are an incredible sandstone rock formation(s). The amount of climbing there is unfathomable. You could honestly spend a lifetime there. The potential to spend one hundred lives (just climbing) is also possible.

The rock is absolutely incredible.

My journey at the Blueies began as I eagerly waited my turn to climb the areas traditional jamming classic (and the route I have waited one year to climb!!!)....ETERNITY. I'm pretty jazzed about my onsight...the route is pretty stout for its 5.10 grade and has a super tricky finger jamming crux high up that felt quite high value at a 5.10 rating (read sandbag as usual...what do you expect from an Australian classic!!). Heres a couple photos that don't do the route or the area justice... this route has been compared to the supercrack at Indian Creek.

The Blue Mountains version.....

perfect sustained hand jamming in the lower sections...keep moving up these fantastic jams....the sustained, technical finger crack crux is coming just out of this picture view

Pretty much these route photos can give you some insight into the seriously high quality sandstone splitter cracks of this particular Blue Mountains crag....just unreal... Doing the perfect eternity jams...your mind is so pure, the moves are so fantastic...this was probably the best route of my life.... wow. Big claim. Many would agree. I guess time to check out Indian Creek and the Super Crack!

Heres a couple photos of Kristy crankin some other classics on our brief visit to the blueies

tombstone wall....direct start 24..my hardest onsight...leading to easier climbing above...Kristy demonstrating the upper 5.10 section of another classic blueies arete once the desperate crux start was long gone(out of view)...

oh yeah...Kristy topping out on hocus pocus (8)..about 5.2 but super exposed flake climbing, overhangs, face jugs and just the best full-value climbing in its 50metres....yeow!!! The guidebook calls this another MUST DO route for good reason....and you save the 3km hike out by topping out on this route, hence the packs...

Did some coastal bouldering on fantastic granite!!! Another great typical Australian sunny day and some technical bouldering that reminded me exactly of the bouldering on Dover Island, Nova Scotia....

Some random rocks in Victoria....made for a nice rest break...possibly never climbed before...oh except for me.

OK....I guess that completes the Climbing nerd part of my blog...my apologies for those less inclined to care....Here is some photos of other stuff accomplished in this epic 2 week whirlwind mission down the east coast of Australia...

of course....some nice waves were harvested along this coastal and cliffular exodus...