Bloody Flapper

Well......there I was in a beautiful cave overlooking green farm land and even the outline of Mount Arapilies in the distance. I was wearing shorts (only the second day of our entire trip) and reveling in the sun and pleasant breeze. After several awesome warm ups and a rather pathetic onsight attempt I stare up at my draws hanging on the days project. I've already done a bit of climbing today but i feel good, strong even, and tell Nicola I'm gonna go for the send on this amazing route.



Roped up, shoes on, focused. I gaze up at the route and rehearse the moves in my head. I take off up the reachy face moves determined not to blow it with my shitty foot work. I get through the smeary feet and small crimps to a no hands rest under the roof and am glad for the rest (even if it is after just one bolt). The start was tougher than it had been the first time and I realize I may be more tired than I had let myself believe. I tell Nicola this and she tells me to giver! I dive in to the steep terrain-clip-jug-jug-pinch-sloper-heal........big move-crimp-jugs-clip-shake out. I think to myself that went far better than I expected, a few more big moves and I'm looking up at the final dead-point to a sloper and horizontal jugs to the chain. I collect my focus, shake, chalk, shake, chalk, chalk, chalk, chalk, chalk (Nicola yells at me to stop spraying her with chalk).......crimp-sloper-crimp-sloper-foot smear high left foot, launch up and right. I hit the sloper, damn I'm gonna stick this, cool I'm gonna send this route........BLAMO.......nope I guess I'll just bleed on it today!

cheers,

Nick

Fun in Victoria.....

Hey everybody,

Sorry for the lag time between posts....we have been consumed by the climbing here. We have been splitting our time between the Grampians and the Arapiles meeting new people and getting schooled on everything from the Tiapan Wall to Hollow Mountain to well everything at Mount Arapiles. So of course we are loving it. We have branched out a little more than usual to place some gear and do some easy multi-pitches and we are totally loving it!!!

We had to say bye to Pierre a few weeks ago so our pictures are going to take a hit.....but we met Dominik the 'Dominator' and he has kept us in stitches (and gear) for the last few weeks!!!!

I have tried to post a range of different stuff for pictures but it seems the bouldering photo's keep getting neglected as no one ever wants to put down the chalk bucket and pick up a camera (I'll work on this!!?)

Hope everybody is well and enjoying summer.......it is just starting to get warmer here!!

Cheers,
Nic's

PS....Thanks to the anonymous Aussie who corrected what we thought was a Lyre Bird nest (See Comments from last post!

Just the tip of the Arapiles iceberg, from our campsite in the Pines at sunrise.





















Nicola about to do her First Trad Lead on the super classic D-Minor!!!




















Hugh utilizing the often ignored but crucial face smearing technique on The RACK!

















Nick on the Invisible Fist at the Glorious Tiapan Wall!!!















A drift in a sea of chalk and pockets at the gallery.

Nowra Slides

Click To Play