Tag: araps

Categories
climbing general

climbing in the rain at the arapiles

Ignoring the forecast of rain, I figured that it would probably be dry anyway. After all, it never rains at Arapiles. However, I had forgotten to take into account that with the change in government had come a change in weather patterns – since Kevin Rudd broke the drought, it just hasn’t been the same. The bare dirt has gone, to be replaced by actual green stuff growing from the ground – the paths to the climbs are festooned with daisies! And the cliffs themselves seem to be developing a healthy amount of foliage.

 

 

But anyway, it rained. There was a lot of this:

 

Megan (at the base of the cliff) shelters from the rain under a rope bag

 

And this:

 

Pete’s tongue shelters from the rain under a rope bag

 

And occasionally some of this:

 

“Wave your hands in the air like you just climbed Trapeze (11 ~ 5.7) in the rain!”

 

Categories
climbing general

a vicious scorpion

A weekend of no climbing at Arapiles… the Pines Plaza is back in operation though

Dawn just outside of Natimuk
 

Juergen solos Trapeze (11)
 

Bouldering in the shade, spotters are go
 

Vicious scorpion
 

Kangaroo lazing at the bottom of Tiger Wall

Categories
climbing general trip reports

building a pillow fort

A hot weekend at Arapiles saw us baking in dry 40oC heat in the Pines.


 

Swimming in the fire dam, somehow avoiding death by rope swing, and not catching any fish


 

And hiding in nice cool caves (well I did anyway).

 

In conclusion: lying on cool shady rock on a 40oC is much cooler than sitting in my un-airconditioned apartment on a 40oC day. Climbing in the sun is not the coolest option.

Categories
climbing general

lagonda flamethrower

Commencing trepanning in 4 seconds….

First time on rock in over five months (aside from a brief flirtation with the You Yangs for the sake of some advertising material; however, as that involved nothing more than standing around and looking like climbers, it doesn’t really count for much). It was a weekend of nearly full moon, no night climbing, but some night photography. Time spent lazing in the sun, climbing rock, watching other people climbing rock, and getting hungry due to the impact of the global shellite shortage on the Wimmera area supermarkets.

The photo below of the Plaque and view out to the south of Arapiles; taken around midnight on Friday with a camera so fancy it’s a wonder I even managed to work out which button to press to make the photo in the first place.

Categories
climbing general trip reports

minions to carry the cowbells

A warm sunny weekend was spent at Arapiles, as we took out a heap of beginners to play on the rock, and come multi-pitching.

Nothing quite like sleeping outside in the Pines campground, watching satellites before you fall asleep, listening to the guys in the campsite next door talk about their epics on past climbs, and having possums run all over the campsite, and over you in your sleeping bag, as they hunt around for food. And then getting woken up by the rising moon, before falling asleep again, and getting woken by the sun the second time around.

Clear blue skies, and noone fell to their deaths while rapelling. Not a bad weekend.