Back in August Emmy came to visit us from Germany! Actually she came to see everyone, and look after some Dingoes, but we like to think she came just to see us

We didn’t have time to plan any trips away which would have been fun, but we still had a nice time showing her the sights of Canberra, and of course the best way to see Canberra is by bike!

Actually we started by going to the farmers’ market (not by bike) and getting some things for a picnic. We also stopped at Tilley’s on the way past for a coffee, Emmy likes coffee quite a lot.

Then we rode around the lake, and eventually to the Carillion, where we had a giant picnic and all ate too much. Afterward we rode to Kingston, for another coffee, und kuchen natürlich, and eventually back home.

It was a really nice day for August and a lovely ride, and really nice to hang out with Emmy and show her around. We just need to do the ride ten more times to make up for all the food we ate!

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The ski season took a while to get started this year, for one simple reason, there wasn’t much snow. Luckily it eventually came, and when it did it was actually pretty good.

Friday night we headed off with Penny & Emma, picked up skis and trundled into Thredbo Diggings. There were some other Canberra folks there, Ant and his mates, but despite their invitation to come and have a drink we hit the sack pretty early owing to the subzero temperatures.

The next morning was pretty crisp, but not terrible, and we got going OK. We let a big group go ahead of us up Cascade Trail, and started our way up. It was Meg’s first time on X-country skies, and it was a bit of baptism of fire (ha!). It’s not super tricky terrain, but it is uphill and quite narrow, with a drop off to the river, and in the morning it was still very icy. So there was a fair bit of side-stepping going on, and general struggling.

After 10 or 20 minutes we got past the worst of the climb and it flattened out, from there the rest of the day was really nice skiing. We found a nursery slope and practiced some turns, and then had lunch on the bridge over the Thredbo river.

We spent the afternoon touring further up the valley, to the south, and just mucking around. It was pretty warm with the sun, and although it looked windy up high it was mostly still where we were. A great day’s skiing!

Back at the camp we scrounged some wood for a fire, and got dinner going. The fire was a real life saver, with it getting down to -6 or -8 or something freezing. Still we weren’t up super late.

While we slept soundly in our beds, Andrew and his mate Oli drove down from Canberra, because Andrew had been working ’til 8pm or so. Crazy lads. Still it was good to see them in the morning, bright eyed and bushy tailed.

After a bit of um-ing and ah-ing, we decided to drive over to Guthega for Sunday’s skiing. It turned out to be an excellent decision. We skied over the dam, and then spent more or less the whole day just skiing up and down through the trees.

The others being super phat hardcorde powda monkies skied all the way to the top of the ridge and back down, doing nice turns all the way. Meg & I being a bit more novice just went up and down the lower part of the slope, but it was still great fun.

After lunch Meg & I went for a bit of a tour up the valley, but realised we were on the wrong side of the river after a while and headed back. As the sun began to drop behind the ridge we managed to just get organised to get a group photo before the light went. Like herding chickens!

To top off an awesome weekend we stopped in Cooma for giant big-as-your-head hamburgers, woot!

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Back in July we headed down to Nowra for a bit of climbing. For some reason that escapes me we picked a weekend when Andrew couldn’t come, so it was us, Penny & Emma.

From memory it wasn’t exactly an “alpine start”, involving a trip to Andrew & Penny’s with a cup of coffee, then a car change at Emma’s, a detour via the farmers’ market, and then morning tea in Kangaroo Valley. So sometime a bit before dark we made it to Thompson’s point and did a few climbs.

We had a nice quiet night at the animal park, with some slap-together vegie pasta, and a bit of port, before retiring in our slippers to the tent.

On Sunday we got going a bit earlier, but not early enough to beat the rush on the descent gully walls. Not that I wouldn’t normally warm up on an 18, but it was a bit of a cold morning, and getting the fingers going was tough. But still, after a bit of faffing, I led & Meg 2nd’ed Samurai Pizza Catz (18), which was pretty nice.

From there I think we walked around to the Orca area, and Meg led something that’s not in the guide book. It looked easier than it was, owing to the lichen and some surprisingly poor holds. But still she cruised it!

After lunch we did a few more climbs, I led Vanderholics (18) and Gina Hardface (18), and then Diddy Kong (18). On the way out I think we finished with SLH (15) and a nice sunset.

Yet another super top trip!

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Back in the depths of winter, when it was too wet or cold to do anything much, we did a bit of a kitchen reno.

We realised that having the fridge in the middle of the kitchen was really cluttering the space, mucking up the fung schway you might say.

So we moved the fridge into the corner, where it can be all big and sticky-outy without causing so much trouble. That left a gap where the fridge used to be.

Of course the gap is 89.5cm wide, which you’ll be surprised to hear is not a standard size for kitchen cabinets or other furniture.

After a bit of looking around, and a tip from Dave, we decided shelves might be a good option, because we could make them just the right size. So that’s what we did.

There was a bit of bashing and bolting from me, and then lots of sanding by Meg while I had the flu, and voila nice new shelves.

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Apparently this video has “gone viral”, but I only saw it today. If you haven’t seen it, well it is pretty funny, although not for the squeamish. Rock climbing isn’t always glamorous!

Oh and I’d like to point out this is absolutely nothing like the climbing trips I go on!

Boogie ’til You Poop from Cedar Wright on Vimeo.

So it seems I’m nearly 6 months behind writing blog entries, which pretty much sums up my state of organisation these days.

But anyway, back in May we went to the Collector pumpkin festival, they had giant pumpkins and donuts and bratwurst and all the good things, including quilts.

We drove up in Meg’s mum’s new car which was cool, and on the way back we could see the wind turbines across Lake George. You can always see them I guess, but it seems I’m normally driving so I’ve never really had a good look at them.

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As usual I’m reporting on events in the deep deep dark distant past, but better late than never I guess. It was April apparently, actually it was Easter I think, and we headed up to the Blue Mountains with Andrew & Penny for some excellent climbing.

We spent Friday at Shipley Upper, doing most of the climbs on the Grey Slabs, we particularly liked one on the far left, Country Special (19) I think. I top roped Lardy Lady’s Lats (22) which was great, after Penny kindly put it up. We also did Jack High (19) which was not bad, although I had Lars or Julien nearly fall on me from the corner on Flaming Flamingo.

After a great sunset and a top pasta cook up we hit the sack, ready for another day. On Saturday we headed to Mt Piddington, for a bit of trad climbing. Meg & I started with the super easy Faith (8) and I think we also did Chastity (14) and Hope (15). In the meantime Andrew lead the much more committing Tombstone Wall (15) just around the corner.

Having had enough of cracks I started up the slabby Sincerity (13), noticing that the guide said “much harder (22?) if you do the final moves” (as opposed to moving right into the crack). Of course I decided I was good enough to do the final moves, and had nearly stuck it when I fell, probably from a metre above the bolt. With the rope stretch I probably fell 2½m, and caught my toe on a ledge, yanking my ankle upward. Ouch!

I felt OK after a minute or two’s swearing, and managed to get to the top and belay Meg up. By the time we’d rappelled back down it was feeling fine, so I thought I was good to go. Later I would realise that this was a false, adrenaline fueled, recovery.

While we’d been enjoying ourselves around the corner, Andrew & Penny’s mates John & Justine had arrived and had been busily climbing routes. Justine led Eternity (18), and then after a bit of egging-on Andrew did too. Penny had climbed something else to the top and got a great sequence of shots of Andrew leading.

After we’d had a bit of lunch Meg was talked into top-roping Eternity, and absolutely cruised up it. Not to be out done I had a go too, and although I didn’t have any major trouble by the time I got down my ankle was hurting a fair bit. Oops!

The walk out is a good couple of kms, and a fair climb, and with only one foot it got a bit interesting! I managed to hobble it, with the assistance of a few sticks, and some pack carrying from the group. Not wanting to miss out on the fun I managed to hobble into the pub for dinner. What a great weekend!

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Though the election campaign is turning out to be utterly depressing, at least Saint Paul’s letters to the electorate are quite amusing. I’m not sure why really, perhaps it’s ’cause I’m a heathen, but I find the biblical tones quite agreeable.

vii) And Anthony became greatly distressed, and cried out ‘They are murderers who have done this to Kevin, for Kevin was good.’

viii) And the people said ‘Dids’t thou not declare against Kevin and avow oaths against him, and spit upon him and call him an abomination? And dids’t thou not also murder Malcolm and usurp his crown?’

ix) And Anthony said ‘Thou must not take any notice of what I say. For I am fair dinkum’.

We have been blessed up to now with four letters, 1, 2, 3, 4, may Saint Paul have mercy on us and bless us with more, for there is much to tell. I vote for more smiting.

Here’s a couple of panorama shots from Tassie. Click them for the super enormous original versions.

Sunrise at Shelf Camp

Cradle Mountain Panorama

Ever since our Europe trip in 2008, and perhaps before, we’ve been planning on getting canvas prints done of some of our photos. After much deliberation, and quite a large amount of procrastination we finally picked four shots to get made into prints.

They came out really nicely, the photo quality is great. The Eiger shot is a little dark, but we kind of knew that. The framing is really nice, they are quite deep, and the photo wraps around which looks really cool.

We have three along one wall in the lounge room, and the fourth on the opposite wall, they look pretty tops – in contrast to the rest of our mess

And although we haven’t worked out the details, some of one or more of them are a late birthday and/or Christmas present for Meg & I, thanks to Mum & Dad!

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