Photos by newbierockstar

Fun route, good hands...a lot sharper than it looks, though. Yeeowwch.

Newbie cruises the perfect rock in Pale, finger-pockets-galore!!!

Newbierockstar soaks up the sun on a rare warm day in mid-October. Beautiful scenery, perfect rock. Great to be back!!

Not the best quality photo ever, but it proves that Newbierockstar is not a top-roper 100% of the time. Just 97.63%

Great rock, beautiful scenery, very short walk-in. Just off main road in Pale.

Newbie scoots up her first route on European rock at the wonderfully accessible Pale Small Crag. Kalashnikov optional.

Newbie in the home stretch of her second-ever turn on the sharp end. 5.12 trad here I come!! :-)

Ummmm...guys? Where's the handle? Isn't there supposed to be a handle around here somewhere?

Is it me, or am I free-soloing this *killer* 5.8??

Newbie demonstrates every possible rookie mistake in the book as she claws her way up the classic NRG 10b.

Dave circa '96 on a *classic* Blueys climb.

Newbie and Kachoong climb this classic Arapiles route and pose for one last picture before the fateful surgery to separate their craniums.

Christmas comes early as NewbieClaus scrambles up her first-ever 10d. Woot woot!!

...Newbie and Kachoong brave the elements together on top of this classic splitter crack near Canberra. And yes, it was as cold as it looks!! BBbbbrrrrr!!!

Newbie shows off her hard-earned war wounds after battling this sheer and sharp 10d.

Newbie soaks up the warmth of Victoria's lingering twilight hours on this unknown (at least to us!) boulder problem.

...Newbie shows off her handiwork after learning how to coil Kachoong's rope...*ahem*...so to speak....

Newbie makes it safely to the other side after bridging her way up the first section this super-fun 10d.

OK, it's not the going *up* that's freaky, but trying to walk forward when you're bridging...that feels kinda weird....Either way, I was happy to rope up on (and finish!!) my first 10d!! :-)

...isn't as easy as it looks! Hasn't anybody invented climbing gloves yet?!?! :-)

....may climb the one at Arapiles, but only I am THE Official Kachoong Ascentionist.... ;-)

...I prefer climbing on glass shards. Newbie earns her first flappers on this sharp and thin 10d at Legoland near Canberra.

Delicate, balancey moves 40m up beautiful poished sandstone. A bit slabby at the start for my tastes, but I guess patience is the key.

Newbie shows off her newly acquired, i.e. usurped, i.e. stolen, rack from Kachoong's stash.

Fun, classic climb is a nice warmup on this 5.3 Araps route. 50+m of easy, beautiful jugs and chimneys.