So... the month in review (and what a month it has been!). You may want to pour an adult beverage before getting into this one, as that I recon it may ramble on for a bit! I guess I'llk start where I left off... just after x-mas. It was time for another "dirtbag climbing vacation!"
Just before vacation had official started, I bought myself an '89 Nissan Terrano 4x4 (basically a pathfinder). This was my first car that I actually owned the whole time I've been over here... it was a very exiting event. We could now pack up all our gear and go damm near ANYWHERE! That is, until the reality of OWNING a car kicks in and you have to start paying to fix stuff! Less than 3 days into the vacation the old girl started making horrible sounds, which turned out to be the interior CV joint. An insant damper was put on the "grand road trip" that was planned. My mechanic promised me that he would try to find a used replacement for me (to save a bit of my precious vaca money)... but it may take a bit of time. He also agreed with my theory that as long as I only drove close enought tho home that I could be rescued easily... I really couldn't do MUCH more damage to the CV. Sweet.
As that my flat is THE climber base or the area.... my buddy Claydon and I decided to just take the vacation on a day to day basis. If no one else was around, we'd climb at one of the 3 local crags we've been developing. Thankfully, there were a number of nights that we got back to the flat only to find a tent in the back yard and a crew of climbers itching to go SOMEWHERE, SOON! So this was our vacation. Adventure somewhere with someone in THERE car, get back and see who else has shown up and see where THEY want to go (again, in THERE car!). We had 2 or 3 days that we had to do some local stuff... but for the most part we got a hell of a lot of travelling in and HEAP of good climbing with great friends. Hell, at one point I had 9 people crashing on my floors and 2 tents in the back yard! That was probably the liveliest night of the lot!
So, amongst bouldering exploits, cool trad lines and hard sport stuff... my mate Ryan got in touch with us about a new (undeveloped) cliff. He said it was good. Was THAT an understatement! The new crag, which in its 3rd week already boasts 15 bolted lines (most are still projects), is quite probably going to (quickly) become the North Islands PREMIER climbing destination. The cliff is made up of 2 levels of overhanging limestone (which stays dry in ANY weather) and is located IN a free campground complete with flush toilets, a massive river/ waterfall and bbq pits! It offers climbs for all levels, but excells in cool, hard lines... most of which involve steep overhangs with cool features such as 15 foot stalagtites, collenettes, bulbous pockes and horrible (but usable) sloping edges. Just to try to grasp the size of this cliff, we started walking from one end of the cliff and had to give up 45 minutes later as that we hadn't reached the other end yet!
Due to the MASSIVE amount of work involved in developing a cliff of this scale, we have begun recruiting ALL the strong climbers the North Island has to offer and are also in the process of trying to aquire a few government grants to help pay for some of the bolts. I have, for the most part, put ll my other crags on hold for a while..... though the advantage to the "local" stuff is that I can still get a bit of work done here after work during the week.
So new SUPER crag, great vacation.... does it get better? Yep. I met a girl. Not just any girl mind you.... probably the most perfect "Matt Natti" girl in the whole world..... I just need to convince HER of that! Her name is Jess. She is 23 (no comments from the peanut gallery!), a gymnastics coach, passionate about rock climbing (actually leads climbs a grade or 2 above what I can!), loves adventures, loves the outdoors... and seems to think that I am, at least... ok.
We had met once or twice before at various climbing events.... but due to my goldfishlike memory... it wasn't until we were set up in the same camp for a few days over New Years at Kawakawa Bay (yes, a climbing area) that I REALLY got to meet her properly. She was a friend of a friend. That worked out great because her friend was planning on sticking around with us for a few more days after Kawakawa.... Jess decided to stick around too. The friend had to leave after 2 more days..... Jess didn't, so she decided to stick around a few more days. Actually, she stuck around until the end of the vacation!
As you may have guessed, we got on just peachy. After the vacation, she headed back to Hamilton (1 1/2 hours from Taupo). We did a fair bit of texting back and forth over the week and it was decidd that as that she was heading back to Taupo for another climbing weekend... that perhaps a date (yes, a proper date) was an "ok" idea. We had a great dinner and she ended up crashing at my place for the evening (that's all you get!). Then we headed back out to Kawakawa Bay and spent the whole day climbing together. Perhaps our lust for adventure, combined with our climbing abilities was a NOT a good thing that day..... as that we ended up soloing (no ropes) a few 150 foot climbs, up to 5.10 in grade! I guess, as that we KNEW we could do the climbs and we KNEW we couldn't fall off (or else)... it was all good. We celibrated at the top of each climb with a high five and a kiss.... not too shabby.
So all good? Well, it sems she is perhaps a bit TOO independant and has requested that we slow things down a bit as that she a) hardly REALLY knows me and b) isn't really sure she wants to get into such an involved relationship right now (had the audacity to say I was a bit "intence" for her!)... but we'll see how it goes. I, for one, am in love.... but for know just knowing that she exists is a good start. The fact that she wants to keep being my friend is even better. The fact that she has not cast aside the idea of SOMETHING a bit more in the futere is down right DANDY.
And that, my friends..... is the news! Love to all of ya!