By Fiona Cunningham aka. HexKisser
with a few additions by Georgi Knox aka TradFace.

The SURMC Women’s Trip for semester 2 began bright and early on Saturday morning with Fiona and Georgi cruising over to the Ledge to find Katie, Kate and Aline waiting amongst the hockey players for their ride to Barrenjoey. After a short stop in a North Sydney bakery for coffee and snacks (eat your heart out, Blackheath Bakery!) the girls motored up to Palm Beach in perfect weather and then headed across the beach, through the water and up to the crag.

The high tide approach

Georgi skipped up Jezabel with great ease to start with, while Fiona frowned her way over the run outs on Starboard Barnacles and Katie showed that a pair of La Sportivas will do a better job than heels on the balancy slab Carrie Bradshaw. Kate and Aline also lead Jezabel with everyone unanimously agreed the topout was quite awkward.

Hex Kisser

Aline on belay!

Fiona and Georgi decided to step it up a notch got on lead for the twin 18s Marsupial Smearer and Liquid Insanity side by side. Liquid Insanity was nicknamed ‘Surly Sailor’ since you weren’t allowed to climb it without swearing at least three times before topping out. Call of the day was made by Fiona after someone remarked on the amount of swearing when she said, while trying to jam a nut in half way up MS, ‘this is a women’s trip, not a ladies’ trip!!’ (before letting out a few more profanities when faced with a smooth bellyflop exit under an overhanging boulder above her to join Kate on the belay ledge. Melanie in particular did a lovely job of conquering the tricky start on Liquid Insanity/Surly Sailor and didn’t require the standard BP (bum push) to get her footing.

After a few choc chip cookies, snakes, biscotti and Katie’s cheese and crackers, the girls headed left to hit a few overhung cracks. Georgi handed her rack over to Fiona for the inaugral hex swearing ceremony and Aline led Hung Over after Kate made a valiant attempt (who grades an overhanging crack a 9???). Both returned to the ground a good deal later and a good deal more scratched after trying to find the mythical ‘walk off’ that Dino had used on a previous visit to Barrenjoey. Maybe it was for tall people only!!

Kate places the No 6 as her jesus nut

In the meantime, Fiona was trying to impersonate Kate by finding the essence of Cosmic Ecology. While she was taking her time on that shocking sandbag of a 14, the girls on the ground discovered one advantage of having the boys around when climbing when an odd fellow rocked up and could not hide his ‘excitement’ at our climbing. Thanks to Georgi for telling this unpleasant character to not exist near us. Katie had an interesting time trying to clean Georgi’s #2 from the crack in CE (it had been pushed in by the rope); it was beautifully and lovingly scratched before its final exit.

Katie bounces up Cosmic Ecologie

A few more cookies and snakes and the girls bailed off into the sunset and burned back to Billitown (Kirribilli) for some killer Stir Crazy Thai and a drink or two at Fiona’s place, where the boys were permitted to re-join us

Overall a great day of climbing and fun for the super-strong SURMC Women!!!

The girls then shut up shop!