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rain 22-Jan-2007 At 9:54:13 AM andyR

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I was at Araps..Bloody hell ive never seen rain like it on Friday night, Centenerary Drive had sheets of rain crossing it, the entrance to the campground was awash and muddy and anyone still there was in the picnic shelter. Set up my tent then thunder, lightning, and rain rain rain, then more rain...drove to Horsham for fish and ships through...rain and ... lightning...Climbed on the Atridae Saturday morning in a slight break from the rain, set up first pitch belay, then....it started to rain! All three of us cracked up laughing it was so silly climbing in pouring rain with water cascading down the top juggy pitch of Tantalus/Hell for Leather, I looked out and down and around through sheets of rain and burst out laughing as fortunately...I was wearing my boardies..DWS at the Raps! The rap down was classic, actually stopped to take in the beauty of it all, with waterfalls cascading down beside the rap..if you can get over being cold and wet, it was somethig to savour being out climbing at Araps in the rain, it gives you a different perspective of the place. The roos were all out, obvoiusly really getting into it...cool...Got back down to camp for hot coffee, proscratinating, more coffee, more procrastinating, then headed out after three in a slight break in the rain to climb...not surprisingly guess what? Well the rock was wet and greasy from the rain! We finished our climb, then headed back down and into Nati to the pub for beers and parmis, feeling good about having given it a go. Back to the picnic shelter for red wine and a chat, watched this crew twirling fire chains, tried to work out who sang "Tonight's The Night" (Neil Young or .. Rod Stewart?) couldn't seem to get them to stay alight for long in the...rain...We all agreed out highlight of the day was cracking up with laughter at the ludicrousness of it all being caught in such rain at Araps. So even tho we really enjoyed it in a strange masochistic sort of a way, we dedided not to repeat the experience on Sunday and headed home mid Sunday morning to our various destinations (Bendigo, Buninyong) after more coffee and more proscratinating... We had planned this weekend for months and would have to choose the one weekend when it buckets rain. Still, it's great though, bloody hell we need this rain, and you can always boulder...