CLIMBING IN AUSTRALIA

I've been able to climb a little more as my routine settles in.

"climbing up the walls"

There are a few areas that aren't too far from me. I have only been to 3 different areas so far. Each place i've explored only a couple times.

1. Kangaroo point is a 15 minute WALK away from me, right along the Brisbane River. It is really convenient! There are big lights that shine on it in the evening, so it is available to climb at night as well. It is almost like a free outdoor climbing gym! The rock is comparable to Kings Bluff in Clarksville, TN - if any of you have been there. I will go to KP to traverse the walls in my free time or do a few pitches with a partner if theres nowhere else to go. It's a great place to just get some exercise in! Pictures coming soon... (check beck next week!)

2. Toohey's Forest is about a 10 minute bus ride away from me. It is in the bush out of the city of Brissy. There is a public park there and a paved walkway where people walk and run. It is comprised of beautiful black sandstone boulders, similar to those in the southeast of the U.S. The rock is pretty sticky and my fingertips get sore after only an hour or so of climbing. The type of movements really take a lot out of me so it is a great place to go if I want to get a hard workout in really quickly. I recently sent a really cool v8 there called "Butter Me Up." It required solid tension in my movements because the holds were really bad. I was psyched to send it!

"Butter Me Up" v8

Simon running up a warmup

huge bull ant, the size of my pinky

rob's proj, the v9

rob managing to hold onto super bad holds

Rob climbin'

happy after climbing (and sending) =)

3. The Glass House Mountains are by far the most amazing rock climbing I have seen here so far. It is about an hour away, which is nothing compared to trips I used to do in the U.S. to climb! They are basically these amazing black mountains near the Sunshine Coast. The quality of the rock is great and the view is extraordinary. I recently posted about my first climbing trip there, which you can read about here. The views are magical and cannot be described in pictures!!! Here are some pics from my last visit:

crazy hole in the rock

it was windy at the peak of the moutain!

magical mountains

Horsefly!

Lizard!

in awe of nature's beauty

Rob raging on his project, Acid, 5.12d

Rob, my OZ climbing partner

me on Acid...the climb!

Acid

pic from my first trip out... my neighbor edited 3 pics into one!

the sun was shining on the mountain, making it purple and beautiful

MORE TO COME SOON! =)