The boys climbing the fourth pitch of this 9 pitch monster. Escension climbs the north face of the west peak of Mt. Warning, northern New South Wales, Australia

John Harvey climbing up past a giant tree fern in the descent gully on the west peak of Mt. Warning, northern New South Wales, Australia.

The blood on Mats leg is from leech bites. They can be in plague proportions at times, particularly after a big wet season but have been knocked around of late by the drought. Mat got these bites during a walk out from attempting an ascent of Escension 260m A2+ 17 or free at Oz grade 25. Escension is on Mt. Warning, northern New South Wales, Australia.

Pic of Simon and Cam sitting on the slab on pitch 1 of Escension and showing pitch 2 behind them. Escension is on Mt. Warning, Northern New South Wales, Australia. This route is on a 500 metre big wall in the sub tropical rain forest and beckons any hardman from around the planet to put up another route. There are only two routes on this whole wall and so more are available to go on this intimidating face.

How`s this for a scene from a Tarzan movie. This big fig tree has moved huge boulders with its roots. The boulders are also festooned by huge creeper vines as thick as a mans thigh. Rock orchids literally drip down the face of these overhung boulders. We spotted this idyllic scene whilst clambering up the side of a steep gulley to get ourselves in a position from which to take pics of Escension on Mt. Warning. Escension is a 260 metre A2+, 17 on the Wollumbin Shield which is a wall that is 500 metres high.

More of the route as seen from the foot of the first pitch aproach slab. Not seen in this pic is pitch 7 and 8.

This will give some idea of how thick the rainforest is when aproaching this subtropical big wall. We are no more than 500 metres from the wall but do not get a clear view of it until directly at the base. The Wollumbin shield is 500 metres high and is situated on Mt. Warning, northern New South Wales, Australia.

Cam and Simon posing in front of Mt. Warnings Wollumbin Shield. We are seeing the western end of this massive ancient lava chamber. The route known as Escension pretty much goes up the skyline and is currently 260 metres long with a possibility of a further 60 to 80 metres of easy top out climbing to be added to get to the trees at the top.

We came across this story book scene from fairyland when we were making our way through the rainforest on the aproach to Mt. Warnings Wollumbin Shield which is a 500 metre big wall in northern New South Wales, Australia.

Nick McKinnon aids up pitch 4 on the first ascent of Escension A2+ on Mt Warning in New South Wales far north. This pitch has now gone free at grade 25 (5.12a). Photo Neil Monteith Sony Digital