Here is a brief trip report on some of the climbing we did while in Oz. We were planning to go to Point Perp for some sea cliff climbing, but found out the cliff was closed for militiary operations (operation safe haven). So stayed in the Bluies and had a day at The Zig Zag, climbing Bumflute, grade 17 and some unnamed climb to the right about grade 16. The following day, Saturday 8th August, we did a bushwalk out to a place called the Ruined Castle via The Golden Stairs. It was close to where the British backpacker recently went missing for 12 days. We even discovered a goodbye from his father chiselled into a rock out there complete with a red rose.
Climbing Bumflute, a 2 star sports climb at Zig Zag Cliff.
The next day Mike and I decided we had done enough sandstone and took the drive out to Tarana, this is a great place for a change with Granite slab climbing being the order. Mainly bolted, but often very run out. We managed several climbs, but the best were Save the Whale (1 bolt!), grade 19, Spare the Hammer, grade 19 and hard at that, a couple of unnamed climbs that we had not found before at grades 16 and 14 and my best effort on this trip, Bloodbath, grade 20. It follows a water polished slab to a dyke and luckily has enough bolts to make feel OK. Despite the cool temps it still felt very slippy and required every move to be made carefully. We finished the day with a walk along the escarpment finding a couple of new lines to go and do, while bouldering the first moves of a crack there I almost grabbed hold of a small Eastern Brown Snake! I mangaged to leap backwards a couple of metres when I spotted it.
Mike following Spare the Hammer. Tarana.
Leading an unnamed grade 18 on Deckout Buttress, Tarana.
After this we drove down to Jervis Bay for 3 days camping and bushwalking and were treated to a full on electric storm and cheeky wildlife, a possum stole our chocolate biscuits and cheese and even had a kangaroo trying to get in the back of our car.