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The weekend, how was it? 5-Dec-2005 At 11:34:42 PM adski

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The weekend was awesome and it flows into this week. After teetering about and not committing to the upper headwall on a previous attempt, I climbed Grey Power (?) or some other confusingly named derivative.* Boronia was full of spectators that day as some hard cranker was performing at the far right of the wall. Quite a show apparently, but I was after some action of my own so I persevered and managed to persuade one of these spectators to reassess their definition of sport climbing to actually include some climbing and do a few more routes with me. Lo and behold I climbed the only other new routes for me at this crag under grade 25 so I guess I'll have to step it up next time I go there. Veterans Affair looked inspiring, or was it just JC's Macleans moment? Can't wait for the photos JJ!

Sat evening saw the fierce loyalty of Shire entrepeneurs meet the just plain fierce Newcastle 1-2 krew and result was much tale telling, plenty of Bundy to go round, perhaps too much for some. (!?!) I remember DOD leaving the keys in his ignition and a selection of his best tracks in the front with a sign saying: "this beast loves to party. Best view from on top" So out the sunroof went two beat driven bandits and their booming basslines. Bonza!!

It seemed early Sunday morning I was scheduled for some light oesophagus stretching which took quite a while and left me quite tired so I could hardly present appropriate conversation at the crag, let alone stay awake. Apologies to my partners in climb for sleeping half the day on my rope tarp. Mid-afternoon I woke up feeling quite refreshed as though somebody had washed (or licked?) my face while I was sleeping, and strongman Sensei had the draws on some nice routes so I managed to climb three new hard routes in good style.

It appears that the short term weight loss I had experienced earlier that morning was working to my advantage but I have it on good advice that Bulemia is not a smart long term weight loss strategy and hesitate to recommend Triple Bundies to anyone. One is more than enough ;-)

JCP had a contrary opinion on this however and tried to coerce me for post-climbing Katoomba beer gardening to welcome me into my temporary Blue Mtns local lifestyle. Alas I was planting roots in my new temporary home.

Today saw a stinking hot day and a beautiful 5 pitch route ICE at Echo Point go down, and then up, no walking access required. Three blocks from a friend's house, how good is the mountains!!!!! We lapped it up, one awesome pitch after another. My food was going down and thankfully staying down so after a couple of days on a liquid diet I am now back on solids. The week long weekend continues!!!!

* I haven't used a guidebook in months and have just been going on recommendations, resulting in some fantastic days out. I totally recommend this approach. A highlight was launching up a mixed route on windjammer wall close to my limit, and blindly committing to running out the top section until I was rewarded with a bolt to guide the way. It's only a small thing to know a route has three bolts not two, but not knowing made the climb that much more memorable and satisfying.