We set up camp at Arapiles in the alternate camping ground under the gum trees. Just as we arrived it pissed down with rain but this was just about the only time in the two weeks we stayed in Victoria. We had a big canvas tent for a living area to protect us from the elements after copping it from the heat and sun last year. This year's theme was to be strong wind.
I won't go over a blow by blow list of routes that we climbed while we were there. We checked out some new areas in the easier grades which we could all enjoy. I'd say the best areas for our combined trad climbing grade (8-16) were around Pharoh's Gully, Bushranger Bluff and the Organ Pipes. We got into the knooks and crannies and bagged a whole bunch of short routes at different grades so everyone could have a go.
We did try a few of the classic longer multi pitch routes on Watchtower Face, Bards Buttris and Eskimo Nell which were also pretty special but the major drawback was that in the strong wind that occured most days we could hardly communicate out on the open faces. This made the protracted climbs longer and less rewarding for us. Particulalry when we were climbing in threes. My mates Stef and Tod showed up halfway through the trip but this didn't really make things easier. The long routes I enjoyed in previous years just weren't as fun in the strong wind.
The highlights on this year were definately the shorter routes we punched out, banana milkshakes from the milkbar, drunken bouldering in the evenings and swimming in the lake just outside Natimuk. The low point was probably when Joe passed out from the heat whilst belaying at the organ pipes. A tense moment on the lead and a bump on the head for poor Joe.
We went back via Torquay and a couple of days at the beach courtesy of Joe's family. Good times for all.
