Blue Mountains

Two more days of climbing in the Blue Mountains before we head off on the first leg of our Australian rock climbing road trip.

Awesome top pitch of Eyrie at Mount Boyce

The first was at Mount Boyce, a great single and two pitch venue. Lots of bolted routes. I say bolted, but these are Aussie bolts; Carrot bolts. Big machine bolts driven into the rock with no hangers. You carry the hangers in your chalk bag and have to slot them on as you ascend. Clipping the hanger secures it, filling the wider part of the slot that fits over the machine bolt head with the back of the karabiner. So far we don’t like them much. We all agreed, either bolt the route properly or leave it for natural protection.

Anyway, saying that, we did have lots of fun, until the scorching sun forced us off the rock.

A beer after the climbing at the Victoria Hotel

We had fun that night with a traditional Australian BBQ with massive slabs of steak.

Our final day at the Blueys was saved for a full day multi pitch extravaganza. We went off to find Bunny Bucket Buttress (is that the right name?) a nine pitch route with an amazing and committing approach, while the others joined Andrew for Tom Thumb on Fortress Ridge Mount Hay.