My six week Blue Mountain Climbing Trip

Six weeks in the Blue Mountains..... what a prospect! Where do i camp? what do i eat? what climbs do i try? What about the weather? I know..... Who cares, lets just get out there and do it! Everyone else's parents wanted them to stay home for christmas back here in NZ so i booked my flight and began my journey alone 2 days later! I arrived and was handed some camping gear and got pointed in the direction of the aussie bush! I set up camp and got straight in to it the next day.

 

 For the first couple of weeks i was climbing with my good old friend and a local Blue Mountain climber Matt Norgrove! This was really good for me because he took me around to all the best spots and chucked me straight on to the best and hardest climbs there! The first things that i realised that were different from the year before when i was here was that i could reach all the moves. There was no more getting shut down on some ridiculous reachy move half way up the wall. This gave me a huge confidence boost and i was buzzing from then on!

Since i had been here before i had been to many of the spots and i had a faint idea of the climbs and craggs that i would like to spend most of my time at this time. It didnt take me to long to get used to the powerfull goey style of climbing and then i was straight in to scouting out my projects and shredding my fingers on the sharp cristaly crimps of the beautiful red blue mountain sand stone.

                       Wiz Fineron on Equaliser 28/7c+/5.13a

During this trip i ticked off:

>Equaliser 28/7c+/5.13a

>Hairline 2000 28/7c+/5.13a (2nd go)

>Green Eggs And Ham 28/7c+/5.13a (2nd go)

>Onion Extended 28/7c+/5.13a (flash)

>Dont Believe The Tripe 29/8a/5.13b

>Levitation 29/8a/5.13b

>Big Wednesday 31/8b/5.13d (second 8b)

Some time after christmas my good friend Jesse Offner came over and joined me in the bush to do this supposedly fun thing called "rock climbing", a bit unknown of in jesses world in the last year since he has been hard at work at university but of course it didnt take him long to gain the strength and power necessary and he  began ticking some impressive climbs up to 28/7c+/5.13a.

   Jesse Offner on Equaliser 28/7c+/5.13a

   

Not to long later another good friend Adam steens known as Pnut came over and joined us. As expected it didnt take him long to adapt to the style and he also began getting an impressive ticklist with climbs up to 27/7c/5.12d. this was impressive because he only ended up having about a week of climbing due to consistant poor weather for the last week!

During the trip we had many exciting adventures but the one that stands out would definitely be Dumpster Diving! With about 2 weeks to go in the trip we were shown this verry handy and awesome way of living/eating cheap. Its called help-your-self shopping. You start off helping yourself to a supermarket trolley then dive in to their main food bins and get what eva you can! Dont worry its not illegal (i think) just embarrassing, but who cares - we never going to see them again!... This made every shopping really cheap because after this we would go in to the super market and get what we didnt get out of the bin. Some of the best things that we got out of the bins were unlimited bread and some awesome chocolates called Gu.... soo good! On the way back to our bush camp we'd stop by the local backpackers and, using the security code given to us by a mate, we'd grab a quick shower. All made for a pretty cheap trip!

                             Wiz Fineron on Dont believe the tripe 29/8a/5.13b    Photo: Harry Larkins

    Thanks heaps to Five Ten and Spelean for getting these awesome new blackwings sent to me. Thanks Matt Norgrove for delivering them to the cragg.

      Wiz Fineron on the crux move of Dont Believe The Tripe 29/8a/5.13b    PHOTO:Harry Larkins

since last time..... Blue Mountains, Australia

hello everyone!!!! still having an awesome time at the bluies, dont want to come home! (sorry dad).
 Over the last week or so the weather has been pretty good apart from the odd thunder storm at night!
I have taken advantage of the good conditions and sent a few of my projects and found a few more of my own. One of the projects that i have sent was a really cool climb at Shipley called Equaliser, a super classic grade 28/7c+/5.13a. I remember trying this last year and finding it pretty damn hard so i was super stoked about getting it 3rd pop this time! I found another awesome project about 20 minutes walk away called Self Portrait. A really cool crimpy line that goes straight up a dark steep face!
this picture is from the walk out after trying self portrait until we ran out of light (after untangling Jesses new rope)

Since Jesse arrived from NZ we have been climbing loads at the Glen and Boronia point. He has been ticking off a lot of 25s really quickly! and a few 26s. We also both jumped on this climb called Wrong movements in the Glen getting it pretty quickly giving jesse his first blue mountains 27/7c/5.12d. I returned to Boronia point and quickly sent Green Eggs And Ham on my second go and immediately found my next project called Dont Believe The Tripe 29/8a/5.13b. After a few working sessions we returned to the crag on a really freezing cold day with really low clouds. Surprisingly the rock was dry so conditions were perfect and i jumped straight on it, climbing away in to the clouds and sent it first pop that day! Jesse jumped back on Green Eggs And Ham feeling more rested than last time but didnt quite have the gas for the last move, coming off the jugs at the anchors. I know how he feels.....

                      Here's a picture of Jesse trying Equaliser just after I mashed my knuckles ripping a hold off Decodifier a 29/8a/5.13b just to the right.

We have also been climbing at a crag called Logan Brae, a short steep wall with lots of 23s-25s, so perfect for training. Jesse ticking off another 25 called Doctor Stein, the crag classic. I jumped on a 28/7c+/5.13a called E.I.E.I.O but got shut down on a single move.

                       Here's a picture of me getting some training in on the short but pumpy routes at Logan Brae.

Since Jesses arrival we have moved up in the world with our camping setup, but even combined, our cooking skills are minimal (basically living off nutella). Our campsite now boasts two tents and a tarp for a roof but still doesn't protect us from the bastard magpies!

Peace out peeps! Off to a par-tay with glenda!

blue mountains, australia so far.........

So here i am on another rest day after shredding my fingers to bits climbing on the rough but awesome blue mountain sandstone!  This is my second long climbing trip here in the bluies and i am loving every second of it! During this first week that i have been here the weather hasn't really been the best may i say, but hey…. who cares! it hasn't stopped us from climbing. Its great over here because no matter what the weather is doing there is always crags to go to and some on to climb with, which is handy because i try to take the least amount of rest days as possible because just as any rest day, you get shit bored! But here i think it is defiantly very worth the odd rest day because it really sucks trying to bare down on those little crimps with taped up fingers….. it just dose not go well!

At the moment i am camping in an awesome location  in the middle of the Aussie bush right on top of the cliffs. I just take a 2 second walk down a little track and there is an awesome lookout point overlooking the valley, with bright orange cliffs on the side and the faint hills in the harison with the Aussie bush in the middle! looks really nice when the sun is in the right spot!

During this week i have been climbing mostly with my good friend Matt Norgrove who lives here and is very strong! It has been really good climbing with him because he knows this place off by hart and he can show me all the really cool lines that i should jump on! We have been climbing lots at the Glen mainly because that is the place to go to when it has been raining but i have also been to Boronia crag which i think is super cool and  have begone to line up a couple of really cool climbs there which i am super psyched to try! I jumped on this really cool climb called Green Eggs And Ham (28/ 7c+/ 5.13a) and i fell of the last move going to a big jug trying to stop my hands from opening up from pump! I was super stocked with this because last year i couldn't reach the first holds and was to week to do the first boulder problem! I was really happy to be able to do the start confidently because there are a lot of climbs that start on this same boulder problem! Cant wait to go back there when the weather isn't so wet!  At the glen there are many super cool climbs! Mat showed me this climb called Levitation (29/8a/5.13b) which i was first really intimidated by because there are some really big moves in the first boulder problem through the roof which looked awesome but hard. Anyway after surprisingly being able to do all the moves pretty quick, i went for the send on my second shot!, and of course i ended up falling off a move at the top that  was totally expected! It turned out to be a pretty  hard move when on the red point, so the next day i came back and spent a little bit of time making sure it wouldn't happen again…… I ended up ticking it a couple of tries later after falling of the hard moves on the first boulder problem on the try before hand!!!  super psyched!!!!!!

Petzl RocTrip China!

This two week climbing trip to the Getu Valley in china was a great experience and a huge eye opener for me. The trip started with a crazy bus ride down a small windy road through a very poor but beautiful part of china. Driving in to the village i was in awe of how much rock i could see on ether side of the road, i just couldn't wait to wake up the next morning and go climbing.

Petzl Rock trip….

The event itself had a really cool atmosphere to it! every one was so friendly and fun to be around. It was really fun at dinner and breakfast time because every one would get around the tables and talk and talk and talk. it was so cool! everyone would just listen to everyones stories.

And the climbing was amazing…… During the first week Petzl had set up a flash contest in order to get everyone to visit as many crags as possible! During these few days i spent my time climbing at The Great Arch, The Buddha Cave and Banyangs Cave. These crags all seemed huge compared to what i am used to here in NZ. All of them consisted of many 30+ meter routes of amazing quality. Every crag during the event was packed full of climbers and photographers from all around the world and with lots of local chinese people with their cameras pointing in every direction. During the event there were also many really cool climbing movies playing on the big screen at night and often many parties which collected a decent crowd every time.

The following week with Five Ten was just as fun. The crowds slowly disappeared but the atmosphere stayed. This next week was really great and it was fantastic fun being apart of the Five Ten team, climbing lots, taking photos and just having a wicked time! During this week i spent most of my time climbing at my favorite crag Banyangs Cave. This is because after a week of climbing at the great arch and the buddha cave, i got a bit tired of slipping and sliding off the dusty slopers and when i found the awesome long crimpy routes at banyangs cave, i just loved it and couldn't stop going there. It was really good climbing with people like Dave Graham, Ethan Pringle and all those guys and i learnt so much from them.

During this trip i climbed some of the nicest and hardest routes that ive done!

>Calf 7c (Flash)
                                                                            
>Free Max 7c (Flash)

>Loco de noodles 7c+ (Flash)

>Going With Buddha 7c+

>Ki Di Buzz 8a

>Treblinka Pour Diego 8b

every route that i did here were top quality and i really enjoyed them!

I had never really done photo shoots before so it was all new for me and a huge learning experience working with the photographer Beau. He's a great guy and did an awesome job. At first I found it a bit weird having a camera always there but after taking manny photos with the locals and the photographers i began to get used to it and i began to enjoy it. it was amazing to see so many photographers super keen to hang on the end of a rope for hours on end waiting for the perfect photo.


Over this two weeks i had a ball of a time meeting all the best climbers in the world and just being a part of such a great team and such a great  event. So thanks to Five Ten and Spelean, can't wait for the next one!

I would also like to say a huge thank you to all my friends and family who helped me get there! i really appreciate it! :)

bluies photos

bluies 18th,19th,21st,22nd

January 18th:
To day we went down to Porters Pass!!!
We warmed up on:
Chasing amy*** 21
Pussy Wallow*22

then we did:
LaLa Land**** 24
Ken and Cory also did:
Escape velocity** 24

Then the sun  got the better pf us and we decided to give up trying to climb in the sun!

January 19th:
We wake up early and it feels like my fingers are on fire due to the lack of skin on them so the best place for us to head is back to Porters Pass where the holds seem to feel more polished then the other sharp crystle crimps of the blue mountains!!
We warmed up on some real cool climbs:
First we did Spread em Baby* 22 (a real tricky corner!!)
then we did Cutopia*23(needs to have more stars ) such a good climb that involved hard slabby crimps mixed with sand stone foot smears and burly " turn around and run your bum off" run outs.
Then we moved around the corner to do some recommended climbs!
First up was a climb called Dragons Egg*** 23
We also jumped on a cool but very tricky 27 on a slab!!! We managed to dog our way up most of it but then our feet got to sore after slipping off the crazy smear patches so we pulled out....
We decided that was enough for the day and we went back to the house!!

January 21st:
Today we woke up early and did the big long walk out to a crag called the Egg!!
We Warmed up on a climb called Funky Monkey *** 24( 2nd go)
Then we jumped on Glow***26 which ken got 2nd go and i flashed!!
Then i jumped on a climb called Headshot****27 which  managed to dog my way up but the heat was creaping in fast so i couldnt give it another go!!


January 22nd:
ITS KENS BIRTHDAY!!!!
To day we  went down to Centennial Glenn:
We warmed up on a few climbs that we have done befor then i jumped back on to a climb called Wrong movements ****27 but the holds are very friction dependent and the friction was not very good to day!
Then we moved around the corner to the main cliff and we did Earnest in Africa**25 and Nev Herrod **23
Then we went evan ferther around the corner for ken to give his nemesis climb one last go before the end of the trip!!He got so close  so many times but just didnt get it in the end which was dissapointing for ken!!
On the way home i bot ken a cream egg for his birthday present haha!!

bluies 14th,5th,16th&17th of January

January 14th:
today we went to Zap cragg so ken can give pulse a go!!!!
He  pulled on to try and link the whole crux and snapped a crushal hold off!!!!
He was gutted!!!!
After that he was a bit sad so we left and went to Bardons lookout.
i finally got a climb called:
The way of all flesh*****28!
Then we went to Boronia point for ken to try:
Green Eggs And Ham****28
But Ken wasnt in the in the mood to try hard after breaking the hold on the other climb!!!haha

January 15th:
Today we went to Diamond Falls for the first time!!!!
It was realy cool but most of it was wet from the showers the day before!
we tried lots of cool stuff but got spanked on most of the harder stuff there but it was a realy cool place!!!

January 16th:
Today we went back to a place called Gateway!!
After a long warm up i jumped on my project a few times and finally managed to get it!!!
the climb is called:
Gateway* 28!!
it should definatly have more stars haha!!!

January 17th:
Today we went to to Shippley Upper for ken to warm up on:
These peaple are sandwiches***28
Hold on to your hats 18
Pallets of pies** 24
Then went to main cliff for ken to try:
Trix Roughly****26
He got it after a few tries!!!
Then we went down to Porters pass
Ken did:
Blackheathen****24(2nd go)

We got back home and went for a swim in the local pool.....