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Fri 22 Apr - Sun 1 May 2011 12:00am

Posted by Aaron L on Fri, 25 Feb 2011
Leaders: Aaron L
Standard: app/trips.standards.Medium
Meeting: Tue, 19 Apr 2011, 7:30 pm


Requirements: Because the bulk of the climbs at Nowra are quite hard (though there are quite a few easier ones), people going on this trip should have a medium (grade 15-17) level of physical ability. At an absolute minimum, you must be able to belay a lead climber safely and effectively. There will be learning sessions between now (beginning of semester 1) and easter to teach newer climbers how to belay and lead simple sport climbs.

Standard: Medium (climbing grade 15-20+).
Nowra is a wonderful place for climbing: heaps of sport routes on very good sandstone.
The plan would be to drive up there (please let us know if you have a car), possibly hire a house for the week if we have enough people, stay the week and climb lots and lots and lots!

I've posted this trip as medium as most routes are medium to hard (grade 18+), but it is still suitable for beginners as there are a few easier climbs (grade 15-17).  Expect a lot of excercise and to need to project (try more than once) a few of these routes!  You have a week to do so, so I guarantee it will be fun fun fun!

 

From http://www.climbing.com.au/nowra.htm:

Nowra is sport climbing central for New South Wales. With several well-developed areas, there are hundreds of great lines on high-quality sandstone. Be sure to keep the guidebook out of the kiddies hands; most of the routes seem to have been named by sex-starved teen-age boys.

It may not have the coffee shops or scenery of the Blue Mountains but if it's hard sport routes you're after this is the place for you! Most of the crags are spread along the Shoalhaven River and throughout the urban area of Nowra. The routes here are generally short, powerful, single pitch sport routes. Most routes are grade 18 and harder. Thompson's Point is probably the best crag to start at.

There is also plenty of desperate bouldering, with some of the best found at Cheesedale and Lot 33.

If you get bored with sport climbing and start to crave a bit of adventure, there is superb trad climbing at Point Perpendicular - 30 minutes drive away.

ROCK: Sandstone
LOCATION: Nowra is about 140 kms or 2 to 2.5 hours' drive south of Sydney. From Sydney follow the Princes Hwy south and eventually you will end up in Nowra. If you're into coffee shops and bakeries, Berry, 14km north of Nowra, is the best place to stop.
RECOMMENDED READING: Rockclimber's guide to Nowra and Wollongong. Edited by Rod Young. An Australian Rockclimber Publication PO Box 74 KEIRAVILLE NSW 2500. A new edition of this guide will appear in early 2000.

 

Despite what it says in the above description, the forum at http://www.rockclimbing.com/routes/Australasia/Australia/New_South_Wales/South_of_Sydney/Nowra/ points out quite a few easier routes in the Thomson Point (grade 15+) and Grotto (grade 12+) areas.

 

 


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