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Black Range - 3 eared kangaroo 6-Apr-2009 At 3:34:47 PM evanbb

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Yes, this is a trip report about a day bouldering. Yes, the next obvious step is TR's for training sessions, fingerboard pull-ups and every time you massage your fingertips at work thinking about the weekend.

It was a good day bouldering, but the main reason I'm TRing this is to share what was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen.

Pulling into the forest totally baffled about where we were Pete exclaimed "holy shit, look at that!". Pete said this with a NY accent so I ignored him, you know, tourist sees first kangaroo. But I'd underestimated Pete:

"Look at that. That kangaroo has 3 ears"

And it did. So if you're in the area, there is an Eastern Grey Kangaroo, I reckon a young female, about a metre tall, medium kangaroo build, that has 3 ears. The third ear is sort of leaf like, thin and tall, but definitely an ear, and positioned in front of another ear. Can't remember which side it was on. Weird stuff.

The bouldering was excellent. It's a beautiful spot, wet sclerophyl forest at a bit of altitude, in the coastal ranges east of Canberra. The rock is granite, less sharp than Booroomba and sharper than Freycinet, but that doesn't define the limits much. I'm reluctant to talk it up too much in case other people start going there. It's avery nice spot, and being so wet it's pretty fragile. I'd hate to see people brushing 3 inches of moss of boulders looking for problems. Most of the good stuff is steep anyway, and stays quite clean. On that note, there was a bit of rubbish out among the boulders, possibly from trailbike-bogans. Know that if I see you leaving rubbish out there my personal ethics demand that I kick your ahse, verbally at least. As said before part of the joy of the place is the beauty.

I didn't orient myself until late in the day, so I haven't a clue what problems we climbed. There's a confusingly large amount of rock sticking out of the ground there. We did a good little corner on the left of a good wall (which was seeping badly), a heel hooky traverse with some power moves to finish, the lay back flake up from the campsite and a bunch of other up problems and seated problems. Tickage % was down on estimates, but we predict strong growth in future quarters. Didn't touch the first area, but will return.

There's some potential projects around the place too. I've scoped out some that I doubt I'll have to race anyone for, but if you're wondering the highball-offwidth up the hill is mine.

Some photos:

Pete on the heel-hookery intensive traverse. There's a low start, that I fear won't be around for ever.

An undercling. Sit start into a big jug, then commit to the undercling. Powerful stuff.

Tillymill on the layback flake. It's a bit wide, slopey and high. Good clean fall at least.