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Blueys/Nowra roadtrip 20-Apr-2004 At 3:46:20 PM adamk

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Sometimes the distance between experience and articulation seems too big to span. Particularly with something so all consuming as a climbing road trip where you and your climbing buddies travel around in a bubble that contains your own culture, language, humour and actions that are spider webbed together with the threads of subtlely beutiful moments.
here is a collection of those moments in no particlular order
*the grose valley - this place is a must visit for all climbers. Abseiling into the valley is both commiting and exciting. I now have little desire for anything else in climbing except to tick every climb in this valley. It is a testament to mikls vision and hard work. In he's article in rock a while back he commented on the combination of technology and adventure and this captures beautifully what the Grose is about.
*while in the Grose Dan had a massive hissy fit and accused Jan and myslf of being dumb and stupid and he hated us both...it was one of the funniest moments ever. Dan then went on to say that surely theres not that many rules to setting up a belay...it was an alltime spit and i feel quite sure the dummy is yet to land.
*when the rope is between your legs and your belayer says if you fall you will nacker yourself dont always assume you will not fall...
*when walking along seaside cliffs in the quiet of the night blow holes that you dont know are there can be very scary
*Chiks on climbing trips are amazing. After the second day of the trip burps and farts were almost as extinct as the dinosaurs(what would a dinosaur fart b like?)
*When you dont have a bottle opener nut tools can be used to open bottles of Heiniekin
*The Nowra hamburger shop is the bomb...not only are the burgers the size of dinner plates but you get free verbal abuse instead of fries. These two hilarious hard faced woman payed the crap out of us, labelling Dan a little smartarse and Jan a Tart who should b working in the local brothel. Somehow i managed to escape unscathed...
*Watch out for two Newcastle climbers. We first meet them at the grotto and all seemed fine. The next day they decided they couldnt b bothered walking out of thompsons point and so climbed out up Gunbarrel Highway with they're hefty packs while we were on Diddy Kong . While Newcastle one was halfway up the cliff Newcastle two(on belay) phone rang. He promptly asked Newcastle one to just make himself comfortable and answered the phone, chatted for about ten minutes...hung up and told Newcastle one to continue climbing. They're short cut out of there didnt quite work when they're car wouldnt start and they had to come back to us to see if we had jumper leads.
*There is a patch of grass in Kiama, right beside the beach that is beautiful to camp on and watch the sun rise in the morning. Just b aware though that it is also along the walking track where all the locals exercise each morning and they will b more than happy to give you a morning greeting sign.
*In a certain outdoors shop in Katoomba you will see one of the dirtiest mullet haircuts with matching beard. Makes Jason Gilespee and Fraser Gherig look like glamour boys, but it's all cool coz "i've been climbing in the blue mountains for ten years mate".....yer whateva
Overall our climbing road trip was an amazing week of fun. The climbs were bomb (that was the word of the week) the company was brilliant and it was surely an experience none of us will forget. I just want to thank Dan and Jan for accompanying me. Jez for lending us the Kingswood. Helen, Zac and Vincent for letting us camp in your back yard and all the chockstone crew who gave out Beta in the week leading up to the trip. My parting words are 'go to the Grose Valley now'