Climbing Pictures from Australia

In March 2000, I had the good fortune to find myself on a business trip in Australia, with the possibility to take a few days off before taking the very tiring flight (5 flights, 36 hours!) back. Well, I went climbing. Mount Arapiles is a famous place for climbing in Australia, known also well internationally. On the first day I took some lead climbing practise with a guide. Look at the forms of the rock! It is as if acid had been poured over it to create handles and belays for the climbers.

Photo: Guide. Climber: J. Arkko

On the second day I went with another guide to climb a magnificent set of pillars, 100-150 meters high.

Photo: J. Arkko

The views from the wall were excellent. Here's one, showing also the belayer for the neighbour team. In this picture we are some 50-70 meters off the ground.

Photo: J. Arkko. Climber: Unknown

Check out also the pillars from close up - what looks like a tiny detail in the large picture above is a huge pillar, several meters wide. We were climbing between the pillars.

Photo: J. Arkko

Finally, we made it to the top.

Photo: J. Arkko. Climber: Guide



Photo: Guide. Climber: J. Arkko

Guiding and equipment for Arapiles can be rented from the nearby town where Arapiles Climbing Guides holds their office "Cafe & Climbing".

Photo: J. Arkko

Later, I also "climbed" one of "The Seven Summits", Mt. Kosciuszko, a whopping 2,228 meters high mountain and the top of the Australian continent.

Photo: Unknown. Climber: J. Arkko

Others seem to take this business even more seriously - this guy really was after the seven summits. I'm glad he could get his pictures before the schoolgirls arrived on the top.

Photo: Unknown. Climber: J. Arkko

See also other Jari's pictures.


Created January 1, 2001. Last modified January 1, 2001 by Jari Arkko