Dare To Drop
Newcastle Herald
Thursday January 9, 2003
THERE'S a point in abseiling when you realise that dangling from a rope as thick as your index finger is not something humans were built to do.
Usually, it is in those first few moments as you venture over the edge of a sheer cliff, shuffling backwards awkwardly, holding your breath and praying your harness tightens and the rope takes the strain.
That's when the adrenaline really kicks in.
It is certainly not for the faint-hearted, but abseiling is attracting a growing legion of followers, from adventure-loving teenagers to grandparents seeking a new lease on life.
Equally popular nowadays is rock climbing, where participants don special rubbery shoes and a harness, leash themselves to a partially elasticised rope and attempt to ascend or traverse a rock face.
The Hunter and Central Coast areas are both perfect for the budding beginner, with excellent drops in the Watagan Mountains, on Mount Sugarloaf and near Berowra.
One of the most popular, and easiest to get to, is Monkey Face, a 50-metre cliff in the Watagans ideal for beginners and experts alike.
Further south, the forebodingly named Suicide Slab on the Hawkesbury is just a few hundred metres from Berowra railway station.
Climbing routes on any wall are graded depending on difficulty and the level of technical expertise required.
Single figures indicate the easiest grades, but 30 and up should be left to only the most experienced practitioners.
Newcastle University Mountaineering Club (NUMC) president Nikki Brown said many people got into adventure sports `to test their limits, to get out of their comfort zone'.
`It's one of those things that is adventurous and fun, but it also really pushes you, and a lot of people want that,' she said.
Boasting more than 400 members, NUMC is one of the largest organisations of its type in the region and is open to university students and graduates.
As well as frequent expeditions into the great outdoors, the club holds beginner days about four times a year to walk recruits through the basics.
Reassuringly, Ms Brown said safety was always the top priority.
She said beginners should always begin with an experienced leader or through a recognised club.
NUMC climbing instructor Rachel Skelly-Vazey compared learning to climb or abseil with a trade apprenticeship.
Recruits might start off on an indoor climbing wall, move on to small outdoor walls, join a club and eventually gain enough experience to organise their own expeditions.
There are a number of organisations offering training and qualification courses for all types of rock climbing and abseiling, and can be contacted through most camping or sports shops.
© 2003 Newcastle Herald