From Dave Henwood (former Wgtn section member) “I was very fortunate that we picked a week of gloriously fine weather to visit the Bugaboos. Had a good time although the end of the week was a bit frustrating. I was in a group of 13 from the Vancouver section of the Alpine Club. We started off with a hiss and a roar climbing the classic west ridge of Pigeon Spire and Kain Route on Bugaboo Spire – both technically easy but tons of exposure. Pigeon has a 5.4 crux (did it all in leather mountain boots) and the Kain route has a crux of 5.7 (swapped to rock shoes for that one). You have to admire Conrad Kain for his vision and ability and wonder how he didn’t trip over those massive cojones he must have had. The crux pitch is a gendarme that involves climbing good cracks, then edging across a short slab with miles of air underneath, then reaching round a short rib to a nice crack. Technically easy as long as you don’t look down. Unfortunately, the trip was marred by a couple of accidents - while climbing on another route, one of our guys pulled a table sized boulder onto himself which crushed his left hand, then fell onto his left foot before nearly wiping out his belayer half a rope length below. He was able to set up an anchor and bring up his uninjured belayer who stabilised things, then was able to alert some other climbers including a guide who had a radio. The pair were choppered off the face and the injured guy was operated on in Banff hospital about 3 hours after the accident took place. On the second to last day a woman in the party slipped coming down the gravelly track just above the hut and thought she had badly twisted her ankle. She was flown out next morning.” Dave Henwood in the Bugaboos He’s turning into an Aussie….. Mike O’Brien writes: “Hi Rach. Have got a job in Halls Creek for a while, so thought I’d tell you about the climbing up in Northern Australia, or “the Top End”… The Top End The Top End of Australia is that really hot and sticky bit that not many people choose to inhabit. Temperatures range from 30 – 50 degrees, humidity is high most of the year, and the wild life thrives – the Top End scrub has the highest concentration of venomous snakes, scorpions and spiders in Australia. Bull sharks (simular to Great Whites) inhabit the coastal river systems, but generally you don’t have to worry about them, because the crocodiles get them! Sound unpleasant? It can be, but it is also beautiful, unique, and has quite a lot of climbable rock. In winter (the Dry season) it doesn’t rain (ever), making for great climbing and exploring weather. The land is truly ancient, and going for a walk in the bush will reveal rock art, amazing tropical water holes, and a landscape quite unlike any in NZ. Location: The Kimberly (northern Western Australia) and Northern Territory have hundreds of gorges, gully’s and ranges made of obscenely good quality rock. It is totally unfair that all this great rock is so far from anywhere. Fly into Darwin or Broome and rent a 4WD. Climbing: Natural pro. Very few bolted routes, and most bolted routes require some natural gear. While there are quite a lot of established areas and routes, the appeal of this area lies in the new routes to be had! Grades: Take your pick. Not many routes over grade 23-24 have been established. Season: The Wet season really is – it puts the West Coast downpours to shame! During the Wet (Summer) its humid, hot, and there are regular torrential down pours. Conversely, in the Dry it always is. It will absolutely, definitely, never rain in the Dry season. Early in the dry the roads can still be impassable, but there is more water to swim in. Accommodation: A mozzie net will be your best friend. The climbing is remote, so you will need to be self-sufficient. Services: There is not much of anything (not true – lots of flies, biting ants, etc) up here, so stock up before leaving the town you flew into. Once you leave town supplies from stores get scant and expensive. Guidebook: Get ‘Top End Rock’ by Stuart Anderson off the Internet at www.chockstone.org.au/guide. It’s recent and useful. ‘Northern Rock’ by Shane Richardson is out of date and very vague, but is a useful guide to climbable locations. Restday Activities: Find a water hole/spring/river to sit in – preferably not one inhabited by salt-water crocodiles. The cultural history up here is astounding and well worth attention. And the bush is totally unique, making a tramp in the bush a very rewarding experience (get in touch for pointers). And Remember: it might take a few days to acclimatise!”
