Project Now Pt 2: Arapiles, Victoria.

What do you get when you put Emma and Jacqui together? A whole lot of schemming and then BLAMO before you know it your sitting on the side of the street looking like a homeless person...

It all started in NZ really, but Emma will be posting something about that in good time. All I can tell you is that eventually some how myself, Emma and this dodgy NOLS'y Ben, found ourselves sitting on the side of the road in a town called Horsham trying to find a ride to Arapiles with 2 loaded trolleys and a bouldering mat - I mean how hard is it really?

After many looks of "sorry mate" or "you've got to be kidding!" We managed to squeeze into a car with all our stuff and arrive at the infamous Mt Arapiles with grins from ear to ear and sweat dripping from all directions... We set up camp in the pines and headed on out to give Em the ultimate tour of what was to come for the next week of extreme mishaps...

After a touch of bouldering we called it a day and turned back to camp salivating for a refreshing GnT!

We set out to climb the next day with the intention of only climbing climbs with at least a 2 star rating, and so we did in fact I think every climb we did had at least 1 star on it.

Ben ripping it up the first climb Hornpiece *** 14

After a couple of days climbing we managed to find another dodgy NOLS'y to tag along in the adventure, Scott. His evil twin decided to join in on a group photo:

We continued climbing everything Araps had to offer, single pitch to multipitch and even a really good bouldering session. Good rock, beautiful scenery, good people and delicious food and vino...we spent the week indulging in the life of a araps climbing bum and boy it felt good...

Emma attempts "the sqeeze test" Lucky for her she lubed up beforehand and slithered through quite nicely.

We had to get the token jumping shot, by this stage me and Em had worked it down to a fine art.

oh the sunsets

Sleeping under the stars seems like a fine idea in this place that says theyre in a drought...unfourtunalty the annual rain fall decided to visit that night and we were sent running with our tails between our legs

After a solid week of climbing it was time for Em and myself to head home - I then decided I wasnt ready to leave, having no where really to be I decided to stay. But unfortunatly a conference was calling out Emmas name in Wellington and she had to part. We bid her adue and then prepared ourselves for the following week, step one a tarp...

A fine piece of shelter building if I do say so myself

Sharing some fine vino

Scott tackling the 2nd pitch of the infamous watchtower crack*** 16

A view from half way up

Mr Latto, climbing super hero

Me taking on Quo Vadis** 19, 5th pitch

Lunch time

The boys insisted on these crack climbs - I wasnt so sure...

If you look hard enough you might be able to spot Ben leading up Tanins*** 19

And there is was 2 weeks of some amazing climbing, never wanting to leave we had to drag ourselves away. Until next time Arapiles!!!!