ROCKS N’ CROCS
Yeah dude, you’ve got this!” Above, a headlight glowed, behind it was the bouncing shape of a very excited Alex, providing a solid belay and some welcome words of encouragement. My hands were jammed into overhanging cracks, from which shiny trad gear was frantically extracted. Hidden below, my feet probed blindly for secure footing. The jutting rock overhead kept knocking a much-needed headlamp askew, exacerbating an already frantic situation. With a final heave, no doubt accompanied by involuntary grunts, the final piece of this vertical puzzle was unlocked. Increasing levels of lactic acid and desperation were suddenly traded for positive holds and an unmistakable feeling of jubilation. Beside me Alex was grinning ear to ear, dangling from a slightly unconventional and rather ingenious anchor. He’d slung a loop of rope around the entire 4m wide pillar. Cardigan Crack (15m, Grade 20) had seen a first ascent. Soft moonlight washed across the sandstone columns and stars glittered in the sky. Alex hushed me, and we shared a giggle listening to the unmistakable sounds of snoring echo from somewhere in the darkness below. Nathan was down there, asleep beside his camera, set to capture a time-lapse of the climb. Despite the advanced hour, and a long day that had begun before sunrise some sixteen hours earlier, we buzzed with a collective energy. Standing atop ancient stone carved by time incomprehensible, somewhere deep within Butterfly Gorge. It was almost midnight and we were alive.
SORRY, DID YOU SAY CLIMBING IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY?
What if someone told you of a place full of wonder, where ancient stone corridors engrave a land rich with natural beauty. Strewn with winding gorges, with flanks hewn from ancient rock standing proud above oases, filled with vibrant sparkling waterways. Dirt so red it leaves a crimson mark upon your soul and sunsets that make the entire landscape glow with hues you’d never thought to imagine. If such a place existed, would you want to know more? This writer certainly would. Yet, when the notion of a rock-climbing trip to the Northern Territory was suggested, this dramatic ode is not
