When the sun beats down on the Blueies and the spooge is too spoogey for even the keenest of beans, Big Top delivers with afternoon shade, bolted cracks and a camp site 15 minutes walk from the crag. Normally bolted cracks would see those who call themselves trad climbers shake their fists and grumble about the "ethics" or lack thereof of plugging in bolts instead of cams; however when your objective is to practice setting up a portaledge, bolts, cracks and anything in between that will help you to anchor on to dear life are more than welcome.
On Christmas Eve, Abi and I spent the night lying dead still on a portaledge propped up against the climb "Once You Bolt Crack You Never Go Back" (17). We had spent the afternoon jugging up and down a fixed line we rigged from the anchors of OYBCYNGB, and practised assembling and disassembling the club portaledge. When night fell, we wriggled ourselves into our sleeping bags, making sure that when we took off the leg loops of our harness we didn't also take off the harness and therefore our safeties (that would be bad...). We slept in head-to-toe configuration to avoid feeling like we were about to slide off the ledge and made sure we had well and truly emptied our bowels.
The night was perfectly still and the sky was clear. At one point I wondered if possums on a nearby tree could jump from the outer most branches and on to our ledge. No sooner did I freak myself out with that possibility, did I drift off to a most blissful sleep. In line with the community grade, I would give OYBCYNGB one star, and spending Christmas on a portaledge three stars 🙂
