How can you pass up on a UQRC Blue Mountains Trip?! I couldn't, and fiddled dates and vacation time to get myself there as part of my christmas trip after my first year working in San Jose. The Blue Mountains will always be one of my favourite spots in the whole world, and the uqrc post exam climbing trips are one of the best ways to enjoy it. Unless you're me, who has a 50% strike rate of climbing stopping injuries. (Torn ligament '99, 12 stitches gash in palm '01) But it's still fun. And I still manage to do a bit of climbing at least.

SSC4 was a bit of fun. Bob felt like doing some hooking/low risk aiding, I felt like that would be fun, James said he would be our guide. (because he is soft) So we wander on down to Porters Pass, having a good look at all the other stuff that rarely gets climbed and finally make it to the base of SSC4. For whatever reason, I get the first pitch, and start off the block in etriers. I struggle with the aid, and eventually just get my shoes passed up and free up to the fourth bolt. Who would have thunk it, me passing up on aid to free a 24? Of course, I get a bit hung up, and end up lowering off to let Bob's superior skills take over. Bob cleans up the first pitch, and I muscle/pull/getpulled to the top to be his belay slave for the next pitch. James continues yelling (un)helpful hints and vague memories of the time he and maxwell claimed to have done the climb. :) He was at least kind enough to take some pics for us. James claims that the sport gods are frowning upon us, especially after I take a bit of a chunk out of a nice figners edge with a hook, and that we will be struck down for our sins.

How could you possibly follow up on such a powerful excursion? A trip to Hanging Rock of course! Somehow I'd never quite ended up out here in years past, and boy was I in for a surprise. Hanging Rock is AWESOME, and truly a sight to behold. James continues wearing his guide hat and points out climbs for us. The Grose Valley has some truly epic cliffs.

Blueies0102--01.jpg An old building in Sydney	Blueies0102--02.jpg Tom looking good on something...	Blueies0102--03.jpg ...at the hard end of Shipley
Blueies0102--04.jpg Me aiding P1 of SSC4 (before the sport gods smote us)	Blueies0102--05.jpg James pretending he knows what hooks are for	Blueies0102--06.jpg Bob ends up leading it properly
Blueies0102--07.jpg Hanging Rock...	Blueies0102--08.jpg ...cannot possibly...	Blueies0102--09.jpg ...be overstated.