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We've got new challenges on Rps 13 – 15. The controversial and very difficult Blue route on Rp 13 has been replaced with one which will hopefully gain a little more acclaim. It uses a fantastic set of holds and is still quite difficult and thin in its first half but eases as it gets higher.

Rp 14 now sports a straight forward route (Grade: Med-Hard) on Yellow holds and an interesting and unusual route on Green holds (grade: Hard) that brings bouldering moves to a top-roped slab – dyno from the start holds then smear, press and swing your way upwards and onwards.

The feature based route on Rp 15 is new as well (incidentally, the concept of a route just on features, as well as a cave system behind a wall to entertain the kids is a Rockhouse based innovation). This time it's perhaps slightly more difficult and works with the LH arête, without the arête and with the ancillary footholds as well as all available features.

And they'll be lots more new things next week.
Enjoy Your Climbing

Apart from the rain it might seem like we're about as far away from hypothermia conditions as can be – which is as good a time as any to remind ourselves of the dangers of cold. This excellent linked story features extreme, dry-type cold but damp or wet clothes, a bit of wind and temps hovering around freezing can be just as dangerous.

An outstanding chronical of how easy it can be to die.
http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/As-Freezing-Persons-Recollect-the-Snow–First-Chill–Then-Stupor–Then-the-Letting-Go.html

As Freezing Persons Recollect the Snow—First Chill—Then Stupor—Then the Letting Go
www.outsideonline.com
When your Jeep spins lazily off the mountain road and slams backward into a snowbank, you don't worry immediately about the cold. Your first thought is that you've just dented your bumper. Your second is that you've failed to bring a shovel. Your third is that you'll be late for dinner. Friends are…

A whole batch of new routes on Rps 17-19. A good spread of grades across the Med-Hard to Hard range, the black holds (grade Med-Hard) on Rp 17 and the Blue holds (grade Hard) on Rp 19 are perhaps the pick of the bunch.

On the other side of the gym Min has finished her run across Rps 1-10 and next week will begin again opposite the counter. Apart from the classic hands-free routes on the Belay Instruction Wall Red/Yellow jugs (grade Med) on Rp 4 has a lovely flow to it.

Photo of Min cranking through a sea of Purple blobs.

As you may have heard, Rock Magazine is no longer being published – but don't despair…
We've got a huge pile of back-issues at just $4.00 each – that's less than half price. So whether it's to complete your treasured collection or just to brighten up the bathroom, don't miss out on this collectors bargain.

Here's the things, kids – if you don't do your homework you'll have to sit out in the cold and scrub dirty holds all morning.

…every day.

The view from the roof this afternoon.

There are loads of new routes on the RHS of the tall side of the gym as well as a new lead route on yellow holds at about grade 24 (or 21 to the roof). The popular black holds have returned to the combination top-rope/lead area at grade 17 and on the other side of the gym Min has been busy on rope #7.

Next week will see new problems on the RHS of the boulder wall so finish of your projects or come and throw a few final laps on your favourites before Monday.

So destructive and so beautiful.

Timeline Photos
Sleeping monster on a cold still night. Looking from Mt York towards Bell, 15 minute exposure, just before midnight on 24 October 2013. Nikon D3s with 14mm lens.

It's already windy up there. To all the fire-fighters, emergency workers and residents of the Blue Mountains – Good Luck today. We're thinking of you.

Sometimes even the old fellas have their day in the sun…

Timeline Photos
Masters Male results.
2013 Black Diamond Australian Boulder Nationals. — with Tomasz oczapowski.