Photos by manacubus

Jaws (21 or 5.11a) is situated on Wave Wall in the Blue Mountains and has the distinction of being THE warm-up route on the wall, or THE project on the wall, depending on your ability. A great route regardless. Photo: Lee Skidmore, Canon EOS 300D.

Aaron attempts the very hard and sustained Future Tense (26 or 5.12b), at Frog Buttress in Australia. Photo: L Skidmore, 35mm slide.

A nice harsh fall for Will. Photo: L Skidmore, Canon EOS 300D

Here's young tuffdy Aaron Jones cranking it on that lovely "outdoor gym" of a crag, The Gallery in the Grampians. Photo: L Skidmore Sony digital.

New Paths (24 or 5.11d) is 30m long and blasts its way up the guts of this massive dome. The climbing is on bolts and gear, and the angle is steep and uncompromising. Possibly the best route at Girraween? Photo: L Skidmore, 35mm slide.

Chrisco on the crux of the intermediate classic, Halva (16 or 5.7) at Kangaroo Point in Brisbane city. Large lights installed along the cliff base allow night climbing. Photo: Lee Skidmore, Canon EOS300D Digital SLR.

Marty jugging out of the Underworld. Photo: L Skidmore, Nikon 5000.

With a jungle green background, Erik onsights Pahn Taalod (6a), Dum's Kitchen. Photo: L Skidmore, Fuji digital.

A lone climber descends from Thaiwand Wall in Thailand, while the dripping stalactites loom overhead. Photo: L Skidmore, Fuji FinePix 3800, Nov 2003.

Black Op's (24 or 5.11d) is a new sport route located on this cool section of Mt Tibrogargan, Queensland, Australia. The wall is located 90m off the deck and you must either climb old-school trad to get there, or do a big walk, and rap in. Here, Phil is attempting the third ascent. Photo: L Skidmore, Nikon digital.

Lee onsighting the thin and bouldery start to the superb Child In Time (22 or 5.11a) at Australia's premiere crack cliff - Frog Buttress. Photo: M Spicer, Sony digital. If you're in Oz and want the same shirt, go here.

Lee modelling the new qurank shirt on Child In Time (22 or 5.11a) at Frog Buttress in Australia. Superb - symetrical - sustained! Prepare for a huge pump! Photo: M Spicer, Sony digital.

Those damn pants! It's actually lightly raining here as Mark leads up one of the rare face routes at Frog, Down With His Pants (24 or 5.11d). Photo: L Skidmore, Sony digital.

What a fantastic place to climb! While seals and dolphins cruise below, Sammi edges up the final slab on her ascent of Hello Dolly, Bayside Upper, Point Perpendicular. Photo: Lee Skidmore, Sony Mavica FD-88.

Sammi cranking hard above the waves on the onsight of Hello Dolly, Bayside Upper, Point Perpendicular. Photo: Lee Skidmore Sony Mavica FD-88.

Matt Wrigley on his "Pretty Hate Machine". It's a V14 which consists of over 30 moves on a horizontal roof, and then tops out of Hollow Mountain Cave in the Grampians, Australia. And yes, it's harder than Klem Loskot's famous V14 "Cave Rave" which lives in the same cave. Photo: L Skidmore, Sony Digital.

In the pouring rain, Sammi seconds the lovely "XI" (18 or 5.9) on Fang Buttress at Arapiles. Photo: L Skidmore, Sony Mavica FD-88.

Craigu showing that climbing is all around us. Location: Brisbane, Australia. Photo: L Skidmore, Sony Mavica FD-88.

Lee on the crux of the first ascent of Nasty But Nourishing (21 or 5.10c). It's a sport route except for the fact that one of the pockets requires a #5 camalot. Needless to say most people try to run it out! Photo: Steve Baskerville, Fuji Sensia 200 35mm slide.

Erik is focussed while seconding the classic Jezebel (16 or 5.7) on one of Mt Maroon's lower walls. Photo: L Skidmore, Sony Mavica FD-88.

Here, Lee milks a balancy rest and prepares to crank through the crux on the onsight of Overkill (17, or 5.8). Photo: M Spicer, Sony Mavica FD-88.

Aaron attempts the very hard and sustained Future Tense (26 or 5.12b), at Frog Buttress in Australia. Fiddling in natural protection on such a steep, imposing route is a task in itself. Photo: manacubus. 35mm slide.

Lee tries to burst every blood vessel in his eyes while doing the first ascent of Fame (22 or 5.10d) on Mt Stuart's Playground. Photo: Steve Baskerville, 35mm slide.

With bugger-all holds for the length of the route, the three-star arete of Alex In Wonderland (23 or 5.11c) really could be described as a "knifeblade". In fact, earlier in the day, I used it to cut up an orange. Climber: Aaron Jones. Photo: Lee Skidmore, 35mm Fuji Sensia 200 slide.

Not really, but hey, whacha gonna do? Here Sammi is fishing a wire into a poor slot at the top of her new route, Jungle Gym (14 or 5.6) on Jungle Wall, Burleigh Heads National Park, Queensland, Australia. Photo: Lee Skidmore, Sony Mavica FD-88 on a macro setting.