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A day at "The Glen"

Breezy

17-Nov-2004
12:22:02 PM

Trip Report

A day at “The Glen”

This is the first time I have attempted to write a trip report, so bare with me and don’t be too harsh and my punctuation is bad I know :)

Plans where set and goals where made, I had decided to “head back” to Centennial Glen, a place I had not visited since my return to climbing after a 3-4 year lay off. Having been injured, had a daughter (well my partner did), and just a bit of burn out in general, I had been climbing again for around 5 months.

Plan: Get there early, before “hard man harry” and all is cohorts arrived.

Goal: A flash of Pad’ngton (25).

Well as usual the plan was out of whack 10min after my climbing partner arrived at my house, we where not going to be early. A few (read: too many) coffee’s and we where off to the Glen.

After pulling into the carpark and seeing more than 10 cars, howling winds and 4 bushwalkers, my heart sunk, I like the Glen for its unique nature, however had never liked the Nowra “feel” of the place, ie; if your not climbing 27+ ….. “get outta my way”.

I was persuaded to stick to the plan, despite my feelings. After arriving at the main wall and actually being greeted in one way or another by everyone we passed, I started thinking maybe the Glen has changed. Maybe “nice” people do sport climb :P

After completing a few warm ups which I had done many years before, the time had come.

Up went my partner to place the draws for me on Pad’ngton. An onsight was outta the question as I had previously watched many people complete this route and seen various photos of it. So why not send someone up to place the draws and clean the holds.

Holds where cleaned, draws placed, all that remained was me to climb it.

I started up the route shaking like Elvis, came to the crux and felt the little left hand crimp, … ahh … not so bad I thought and carefully placed my right foot onto a high edge and rocked over and reached through for the next hold. I started to think my goal was going to come to fruition. I kept moving through the next 8 or so moves and came to “my” crux. I was staring at 4 holds within a 40cm diameter and had no idea which one to use. I tried one then another, oh my they feel small and I am supposed to have done the crux already…. wtf I thought. I finally decided which one to use and proceeded to pull through, and just at the wrong moment my foot decided that it no longer had a bond with the rock, rather a bond with the air, about 2 metres below.

I was off.

The flash was blown.

I was not too disappointed about this and felt I had given the attempt my all.

Whilst resting and belaying my mate on August 1914 ( he didn’t get that day, maybe next time) I came to realise the Glen had changed a lot since I was last there, maybe it was me, maybe I went on a “good” day, but the “Nowra” feel I had always got from the Glen just wasn’t to be found. People where happy to watch, give beta and just general encouragement to anyone, despite the route they where on.

I started to think back to when I climbed at the Glen 4 years earlier and realised I may have been wrong in my assessment that it was a hard man harry’s crag. I had rarely climbed there on the weekend always having the luxury of mid week climbing and thus no crowds. The few times I had been on the weekend I found it more crowded than some gyms on a Tuesday night and the crowds didn’t like “another” person there.

After resting a for an hour or so, I was off up Pad’ngton again, this time knowing what hold I was going to use. After passing “the” crux I again came to the 4 holds, placing my hand on “my” hold and proceeded to pull through, …….. wow …. What a cool move I thought as I climbed on through and up to the next jug. After a few more metres and a scare with a slipping foot, the double rings where clipped and Pad’ngton complete. Second shot, I can live with that.

After lowering to the ground I received congrats from people I barely new,…. ahh its only 25 I thought, why the congrats, I thought I needed to tick 27 at least to even get a smile.

After lighting the celebratory smoke and pouring some coffee I came to realise, it was me, not the Glen. I had preconceived ideas about the place due too one or two incidents from years before. The Glen is nice, the people better. Nowra is Nowra, The Glen is the The Glen.

I will be heading back to The Glen again this weekend, no goal in mind, no plans made, just have some fun and do some climbs, I enjoy the Glen and even if hard man harry arrives I’ll just watch and smile and remember ……… this is the Glen not Nowra.

Breezy

alrob

17-Nov-2004
12:35:29 PM

great report breezy, thanks!

IdratherbeclimbingM9

17-Nov-2004
12:57:21 PM

It was a good read Breezy.
Nice to know there are still places out there and days like this ahead of us.
Keep enjoying the moments!

kubadora

17-Nov-2004
1:50:57 PM

who's hard man harry?

oh, and nice TR.

Goodvibes

17-Nov-2004
2:17:30 PM

Nice report Breezy. That was last sunday right? Unless I am mistaken I am pretty sure I met you guys there, I was the one finishing up BLS with Sivert just as you arrived and proceeded to give you plenty of useless beta for Paddignton. The Glen is probably my favourite crag, at least for now. As far as summer crags go, they don't get much better.

Probably see you there again this weekend.

Breezy

18-Nov-2004
8:47:58 AM

On 17/11/2004 muncher wrote:
>Nice report Breezy. That was last sunday right? Unless I am mistaken I
>am pretty sure I met you guys there, I was the one finishing up BLS with
>Sivert just as you arrived and proceeded to give you plenty of useless
>beta for Paddignton.

Yes i do remember you, nice send btw :)
Did Sivert get WM ?

>Probably see you there again this weekend.

Will be there Saturday all going well.

On 17/11/2004 kubadora wrote:
>who's hard man harry?

The fictious character who frequents every crag around, hes loud, arrogant, thinks he climbs harder then anyone and more importantly will tell you he climbs harder than anyone. As i said in my TR he doesnt seem to be frequenting the Glen =, well at least last weekend he wasnt.

Nottobetaken

18-Nov-2004
12:12:24 PM

Thanks Breezy - I once spent many similar days at the Glen - now traded for Arapiles. Weekends spent in that gorge (Porters included) were great. Look forward to another update.

PN

18-Nov-2004
12:49:52 PM

Thanks man, sounds like a great day

Goodvibes

18-Nov-2004
7:47:25 PM

Thanks mate, it was about time. Nah, Sivert went close o WM but didn't quite get there. Not a bad effort when you consider his fingers are trashed. I, on the other hand got completely spanked on it. Oh well, just another day at the Glen.

Not sure when I will be heading out this weekend. Will see you around at some stage no doubt.

Chester

10-Jan-2005
12:06:19 PM

The Glen probably isn't hard man Harry's crag anymore because he's moved on to new crags, undeveloped sections of cliff, new projects and lots of it isn't described in the latest Blue Mountains guide. I think the whole elitist thing isn't nearly as rampant as it may once of been (even in Nowra).

Johan Vonshizzle

11-Jan-2005
10:00:32 AM

With most of the old school hard guys out of the Nowra scene, Nowra definitely has a more friendly vibe
about it these days. Thompson's last winter was a great place to be social, and yeah climb.

Johan

There are 11 messages in this topic.