Blue Mountains in Mid/Late October?

My fiancee and I are planning our honeymoon and debating between Greece and Australia. We want to do a mix of sightseeing, relaxing, and climbing. We've been to Europe several times so we're leaning toward Australia, and the Blue Mountains seem like an obvious choice (lots of single and multipitch routes of high quality, close proximity to Sydney, lots of other non-climbing outdoor activities) but I'm worried it might be too hot.

Has anyone been to the area in that season? If so, what was your experience?

Alternatively, if you've climbed in Greece in October and would/wouldn't recommend it, that's helpful too.

Have you read this basic guide to the area?

https://www.commonclimber.com/blue-mountains-review.html

After a couple of wet years things are drying out and warming up. October is a good time for the Blue Mountains. Only Dec-Feb it might be too hot in some areas. The exchange rate is currently on your side and so far we don't have the fires and chaos that Greece currently has.

It's a warm time of year, but really, if you're not a pro climber, who wants to come to Australia on holiday and freeze their ass off midwinter, just for better climbing conditions.

The Blackheath Rhododendron Festival is first weekend in November so it's a pretty time to visit. It'll be warm enough to rappel down some slot canyons as well for a rest day, and of course go to the beach.

While there are exceptions, *generally* the crags face west and get morning shade and afternoon sun, so a brisk morning session will always get you climbable conditions even on hot days.

Damien Gildea wrote:

After a couple of wet years things are drying out and warming up. October is a good time for the Blue Mountains. Only Dec-Feb it might be too hot in some areas. The exchange rate is currently on your side and so far we don't have the fires and chaos that Greece currently has.

Do you reckon the perception of climbing seasons in the Blue Mountains has changed over the years?

I feel like it used to be only the most insular locals would climb through winter, everyone else went somewhere warmer. And the Blue Mountains was a summer destination, all the Queensland and Victorian clubs would come for Christmas or new years trips in the middle of summer.

But Tom O'halloran was just saying he plans his season for May-September, of course he's trying to develop the absolutely hardest possible routes. Even so heaps of people climb through winter now and do Nowra trips as an afterthought, Nowra seems to have more of a local scene as well (which is great!).

Seems to be a combination of more variety of new routes in sheltered warmer spots (Bell), better accessories (hand warmers, heater fans, portable hangboards), people in general climbing harder grades with better tactics and willing to climb in the cold. And climate change. The Black Summer 2019/2020 was apocalyptic it felt like living on Venus, you couldn't go outside.

I'm bumping this, because I ended up reading that Common Climber review elsewhere and I have to comment on it -

https://www.commonclimber.com/blue-mountains-review.html

Firstly for some reason they say you should rappel to clean and THIS IS NOT THE LOCAL ETHIC! WE LOWER, ALWAYS LOWER TO CLEAN. None of that Yankee "cleaning sport climbs on rappel" bullshit thanks. It always seems to be Americans having lowering accidents (and at the Shipley Grey Slabs), so don't join the list.

Secondly, one of the crags they reviewed is the Soft Parade. That crag is crap, its really pretty bad and a lot of locals think it should never have been developed. I'm horrified to think a visitor formed their opinion after climbing there. Don't go to the Soft Parade!

(They also go to Bardens, Porters and climbed Sweet Dreams, which are all fine choices)

Now I can imagine because they're Common Climber they have a mandate to review the easy climbing, fair enough. But if you are going to climb easy routes in the Blue Mounts (YDS 5.0 to 5.6) you *really should* plan to climb trad. There are basically no good easy sport routes. A comprehensive trad ticklist is here thecrag.com/en/list/4751366526

Sam M wrote:

I'm bumping this, because I ended up reading that Common Climber review elsewhere and I have to comment on it -

https://www.commonclimber.com/blue-mountains-review.html

Firstly for some reason they say you should rappel to clean and THIS IS NOT THE LOCAL ETHIC! WE LOWER, ALWAYS LOWER TO CLEAN. None of that Yankee "cleaning sport climbs on rappel" bullshit thanks. It always seems to be Americans having lowering accidents (and at the Shipley Grey Slabs), so don't join the list.

Secondly, one of the crags they reviewed is the Soft Parade. That crag is crap, its really pretty bad and a lot of locals think it should never have been developed. I'm horrified to think a visitor formed their opinion after climbing there. Don't go to the Soft Parade!

(They also go to Bardens, Porters and climbed Sweet Dreams, which are all fine choices)

Now I can imagine because they're Common Climber they have a mandate to review the easy climbing, fair enough. But if you are going to climb easy routes in the Blue Mounts (YDS 5.0 to 5.6) you *really should* plan to climb trad. There are basically no good easy sport routes. A comprehensive trad ticklist is here thecrag.com/en/list/4751366526

Agree all that. I don't follow CC in any way.

Soft Parage is rubbish, so many wasted bolts on a tiny nothing of a venue.

Yes, very few easy sport routes, which is a shame, if done sensibly. Maybe given the rock and anchor/belay situations they don't want to encourage less-experienced climbers onto some of the Blueys 'classics'?

Sam M wrote:

Do you reckon the perception of climbing seasons in the Blue Mountains has changed over the years?

I feel like it used to be only the most insular locals would climb through winter, everyone else went somewhere warmer. And the Blue Mountains was a summer destination, all the Queensland and Victorian clubs would come for Christmas or new years trips in the middle of summer.

But Tom O'halloran was just saying he plans his season for May-September, of course he's trying to develop the absolutely hardest possible routes. Even so heaps of people climb through winter now and do Nowra trips as an afterthought, Nowra seems to have more of a local scene as well (which is great!).

Seems to be a combination of more variety of new routes in sheltered warmer spots (Bell), better accessories (hand warmers, heater fans, portable hangboards), people in general climbing harder grades with better tactics and willing to climb in the cold. And climate change. The Black Summer 2019/2020 was apocalyptic it felt like living on Venus, you couldn't go outside.

Sorry for the delayed reply. I don't follow MP.

The perception and nature of climbing in the Blueys has definitely changed over the last 20 years. It's now viewed as much more of a sport climbing destination than it was, as opposed to a fairly classic trad area with some 'mixed' routes (ie. carrots + trad) like it was in the 90s. There are now thousands of rings/FH up walls that for years climbers only looked at from afar. Given how people are climbing technically harder from indoors, not surprising they're popular venues. Plenty of people still struggle and flail on The Janicepts (21) though ;-) 

The only time I climbed at Bell it was cold and windy AF, but whenever I drive past there are heaps of cars there, so...

Nowra is 2hrs drive from Sydney and lacks the big multipitch sport routes that the Blueys have now, that look so speccy on the 'Gram. Plenty of people live 60-90min from Katoomba-Blackheath, plus it has the train line, better cafe, pubs etc.

Though the smoke from the 2019-20 fires was terrible, as was the actual fire damage in some places, I don't think climate change is affecting Australian climbing just yet. Though I always considered the Blueys a standard summer area, I have less tolerance for hot weather these days and have found some periods there too hot (esp if humid). Things like LaNina, with its endless wet weekends, will have more of an impact on climbing than the greater trend of climate warming, at least for now.

I recall doing some reasonable quality easy/ moderate sport routes at Shipley Upper. There aren't that many, but enough for a day or 2 with a very easy approach.

As for weather. I was there in October a few years ago. Within 3 weeks it went from a cold, wet, very windy day at Mt. Piddington  to termperstures in the upper 30s C.--which set in for quite a while---fortunately starting the day after I headed back to the US. So from that, admittedly, extremely limited experience, I'd say that the weather in October in that region can be highly variable!!!!

Only one visit to the Blue Mountains as a travelling climber. Have been to Kalymnos twice. Unless you are keen on the Australian experience I would lean towards recommending Kalymnos for what you’re looking for. Much higher volume of climbing, good cheap food, lots of pleasant rest day activities. October is ideal weather, very busy first half of the month starts to calm down later in the month and into November. If you are a trad climber go to Arapiles, truly world class climbing and in my opinion blows the Blue Mountains away. 

Tassie (Tasmania) even better if you prefer cooler weather in the Australian summer as the mainland is hot anywhere you go. No bushfires and sweltering heat like the mainland during the hot season.

http://www.thesarvo.com/confluence/display/thesarvo/Introduction+to+Tasmanian+Climbing