Climbing in the BLUE MOUNTAINS

Hi there everybody!

So we have been in the Sydney area for about two weeks and it has been raining for most of that time. We had set aside two weeks to climb in Nowra and the Blue Mountains, but most of that time has been spent walking around Sydney trying not to spend money on all the awesome things that are here. Sydney is a beautiful city; one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. It's composed of inlets and bays, so there is water everywhere and ferries are a common means of transportation to the city or to the surrounding suburbs.  In general, Sydney is an extraordinary mix of old and contemporary architecture and feels much more like a modern city.  We spent the many rainy days wandering the central cities diverse areas, poking around in galleries, visiting the botanical gardens, and walking a lot!  On the first sunny day, we lounged on the famous Bondi Beach and did a free yoga class hosted by Lululemon in one of the most beautiful settings that I have ever practiced - right on the grass overlooking the beach and surfers at dusk.

We waited around for the rain to break before we headed up to the Blue Mountains. The people that we are staying with graciously hooked us up with a car and camping/cooking gear so we could have an easier time of it.  We headed up Wednesday, and it was a very pleasant two hour drive from the city center. When we left the air was very warm and smelled like the sea, but by the time we got to Blackheath, the air was downright cold and windy! We found a stunning, free campsite at Perry's Lookdown that had a bathroom and an amazing view of the Blue Mountains. We had a huge dinner of chicken curry and vegetables and passed out (sort of given the cold wind). The next morning we climbed at Shiply Upper in 45km per hr winds. We did three climbs and decided to stop and take a nap before going back and finishing the day with a great 19 lead. The next day the sun was out and the wind was calmer but it was a little colder non the less. We climbed with a very outgoing Italian named David. We did some 19's and I lead a 22 called "These People Are Sandwiches."  It was excellent!

The next day, we ran into our French Canadian friend Pascal, from Arapiles and we decided to climb with him and his friend Philip and Evelyn.  We drove to Mt. Victoria and climbed at the Zap Crag. Dimity lead an excellent 18!  I tried to lead a 24 but got all beat up on it and gave up about halfway. The Australian grading is harder than the US. We had dinner with Pascal and co that night and by next morning it was raining. We waited the whole day and decided to spend the night and see what the next day would bring, but it only brought more rain. So we left the soggy, cold Bule Mountains behind and drove back to sunny Sydney.

We are going to try and go back to climb a few more routes that we really wanted to get on, but the weather will decide that for us.

Pray for sun everyone. Nolan