Party: Matt, Steph and Tom
Grade: 14 climb, with a 15 section at the top. 180m climb with 5 pitches
Notes: My rockclimbing best friend convinced me it would be a good idea to try 'Sweet Dreams' as my first multi-pitch rock climb and so on Sunday we headed out to Sublime Point in Leura. Having had little to no experience with outdoor rockclimbing, I was extremely nervous for what lay ahead.
Starting from the carpark we walked along the track for about 5 minutes before veering off to the left and down the hill. It took us about 30 minutes to walk to the crag, of which there were a lot of jump-downs, ropes and a little bit of exposure.
The first pitch was probably my worst when it was meant to be one of the easiest. I had trouble finding the hold towards the top and had to get pulled up by my two friends. I also panicked which made it even more difficult, and I considered abseiling back down and walking out because if I couldn't get past this, I would have no hope for the rest of the rock climb. But in any case, I persevered!
The 3rd pitch was probably the highlight - it was a traverse across the cliff face on a really really easy grade. The rock was easy to maneuver - but looking down was terrifying as at this point we were at about 130m with full exposure, and the 3 sisters in the background.
The final pitch was the most difficult rockclimbing, however I did much better than the first pitch (I must have gotten into the swing of it by then). It was definately a challenge, with it being the hardest grade (15) and also being 150 odd metres up. Looking down was terrifying, but getting over the edge was very satisfying and a HUGE relief! It took about 3.5 hours in total car to car (slower than normal with 3 people).
 |
| 3rd pitch - sweet dreams traverse |
 |
| right before the traverse |
 |
| 3rd pitch |
