I sat with my "mate" in a crowded pub in the hip West End of Brisbane, Australia when the Closing Ceremonies began. I had literally bumped into an old climbing partner from 5 years ago on a mountainside earlier that week. Now, Neal McClennan and I were happily making plans for a 10 day climbing trip in Queensland, thinking that fate had drawn us together again. It was my shout so I bought another round and soon the waitress brought more beer. On the big screen TV or "tele" at the other end of the pub, IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch announced that the Sydney Olympics were the best games ever and proclaimed the Games of the XXVII Olympiad closed just as our climbing plans were starting to take shape. Neal raised his glass and, shouting over the noisy pub proclaimed "the climbs of our Queensland Olympic Quest OPEN." And thus our adventure began.
By 7am the next morning with, a strong cup of coffee in hand we were sorting climbing gear. We had decided that our "qualifying round" of climbing was to take place in the city of Brisbane at Kangaroo Point. Brisbane is a port town on the Brisbane River. In the early 1900's when stone was needed for development of the city, the south bank of the Brisbane River on Kangaroo Point was quarried, thus leaving the rock on Kangaroo Point exposed. Development of the crags began in the late 50's and has continued on natural protection through the 60's, 70's and 80's. Bolting began in the late 80's and flourished throughout the 90's. Today Kangaroo Point is considered a mixed crag with many sport routes. There are over 150 distinct routes, all of which are about 60 feet.
 Climbing gear sorted, Neal and I put our pack on and hit the pavement for Kangaroo Point. We decided to warm up and top roped the balancey "Cloak of Darkness" 13 (5.7). Australian climbers have developed their own grading scale staring with 8 (5.5) and going up to 33 (5.14a). By 8:15 am I was caffeinated, warmed up and ready for my first lead in the Southern Hemisphere. It came on the bolted "Adam's Rib" 16 (5.10). I reached the first clip and to my amazement found only a bolt, nothing to clip. "In your right pocket," Neal shouted up. It was then that I remembered the 8 "hangers" that Neal had given me that morning. Shaking my head, I took the hanger out of my pocket, hung it on the bolt and clipped it. I soon learned that this is standard for most bolted routes in Australia. Three more bolts with manual hangers and I reached the top. It finally felt as if the climbs of our Queensland Olympic Quest had begun. We spent the next three days leading, top roping and bouldering. As we climbed, hundreds of Brisbanites jogged, biked and roller bladed to work on the bike paths at the base of the crags next to the river. It felt so strange to be climbing in the middle of the city. We met local climbers who pointed us in the direction of their favorite climbs, when we told them we were headed to Brooyar crags they told us to keep our eyes out for the red car parked at the base of the crags at Eagles Nest.
On the afternoon of the 5th day of climbing at Brooyar, Neal and I decided that we were prepared for the "gold medal" round of the climbs of our Queensland Olympic Quest. This was to take place 80 miles south in the Glass House Mountains and consist of a multi-pitch climb. We decided a rest day was in order, so after a lazy morning we broke camp and drove south. The Glass House Mountains are a bizarre series of 13 volcanic domes rising out of the plain some 1000 ft or more. They were named by Captain James Cook who noted the reflections on the glassy smooth sides of the Rocky Mountains. There are established routes on five of the mountains, however the guidebook is out of print. All Neal and I had as a guide was limited information from an Internet site and a hand drawn map from one of our friends at Kangaroo Point. Before dark we reached our destination, Mt. Ngungun (pronounced gun-gun) and decided to camp in the woods near the parking lot. We spent a soggy night trying to stay out of puddles as the first rain in months saturated the ground. By sunrise the next morning the rain had slowed and by 9am it had stopped completely. Poking his head out of his sleeping bag, Neal said "You know Jud, I think we owe it to ourselves to get out of this tent and give this climb a try." With that said, we packed up our gear and were soon hiking up the muddy approach trail, trying to find the base of the cliff. Unfortunately the mountain didn't match either one of our guides, so we decided to follow the tourist trail to the summit and "abseil" (repel) to the base of the climb from above. On the summit we were welcomed by dark rain clouds and gusts of wind that felt as if they would knock us off our feet. We found solid bolt anchors on a moderate route and I quickly repelled down to have a closer look. The rock was damp and quite slippery. I decided that given the conditions, a lead climb was too dangerous and that a top rope was in order. Neal and I played like schoolboys on this unknown route for almost two hours. As we were coiling up the rope, the sun poked through the clouds and we could see all the way to the Pacific Ocean. As we set the timer on my instamatic camera and posed, I realized that the climbs of our Queensland Olympic Quest were coming to a close.
 That afternoon we drove back to the city lights of Brisbane. That was followed by a rest day, which was followed by the last day of climbing together in the Southern Hemisphere. We woke early and were climbing at Kangaroo Pont by 8am. It was Sunday morning and church was in session on the crags. Climbers of all sexes, shapes and sizes were hard at work trying to defy gravity. After another glorious morning of climbing, Neal and I packed up and walked 15 minutes west to Brisbane's parkland jewel, South Bank. Here we met friends and frolicked in one of the many open-air swimming pools designed to resemble a natural lagoon. After cooling off with a swim, we walked back to Kangaroo Point for a final climb and a barbecue. I chose "Wind in the Willows" 15 (5.8) and as I climbed, I marveled at the Brisbane skyline over my left shoulder. As a rule, I shy away from the hustle and bustle of big city life, however if I had to choose a city anywhere in the world to live, Brisbane with the ultimate "urban crag" would be in my top three choices. After climbing, the barbecue feast began as Neal lifted his "stubby" (bottle of beer) and proclaimed the "Climbs of our Queensland Olympic Quest" CLOSED.
LOGISTICS
WINTER CLIMBING - Being in the Southern Hemisphere on opposite seasons, Queensland is an ideal winter climbing destination. Brisbane and the surrounding areas offer a diversity of climbing. There is more climbing to the north of Brisbane near Townsville and on Magnetic Island. Much of the climbing is located near the coast, so it is realistic to have a morning of climbing followed by an afternoon of surfing.
AIR FARE - Los Angeles to Brisbane return US$1450
CLIMBING BETA - "The Kangaroo Point Climbing Guide" By Darin Carter
"A climbers Guide to Townsville and Magnetic Island"
There are a few climbing shops in Brisbane where these guides can be purchased and the guys there are very helpful. Your best resources, however, is probably the Internet.
OTHER GUIDES- For general travel information on Australia, the Rough Guide to Australia and the reliable Lonely Planet Guide both have an abundance of helpful info and advice. Don't leave home with out one.
TRANSPORTATION - While in the city of Brisbane on the "urban crag," public transport on the streets and the river is adequate. For excursions to the Glass House Mountains, Brooyar Crags and all points north, your first choice is renting a car (US$25 per day). Or, depending on the length of your visit, you can buy a backpacker car and sell it back at the end of your trip. They are usually reliable, have lots of character and sometimes come stocked with camping equipment. Cars can be found for US$1000 and up.
ACCOMMODATION - There are numerous backpacker hostels in Brisbane with City Backpackers and the Palace being the most popular. They are filled with international backpackers and the folks behind the desk are very helpful. When away from Brisbane, backpacker hostels are found in many large towns and pub accommodation is common every where at a reasonable price and often includes breakfast. Camping is the obvious cheap option with the thrills and chills that go along with it.
$$$$$ -The Aussie dollar has reached an all time low of AU$.52 to US$1. That makes NOW the perfect time to plan a climbing trip to Australia. You can dirt bag travel on around US$20 per day, however you will be much more comfortable budgeting US$30-35 per day. I recommend you pack your bags and book a flight to the land of "OZ" for the climbing adventure of a lifetime. |
