|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Pinnacles climb involved ascending 1200m in a travelled distance of 2400m and the first 250m are flat. It was a gruelling but very satisfying day.
A misty dawn breaks over Camp 5, a quick 06:00 breakfast and we're off...
The sign at the start of the walk looking a little the worse for wear in the conditions, 9 hours later I felt much the same...
Looking back down from where we had come... this was no paved walkway...
Fortunately I got to the ladder section at around 9:45 (cut-off is 11:00), so I was able to continue to the top...
It's fair to say the route became more challenging in places, but good fun...
The top of the climb at last... the limestone points are anything up to 45m high and stick out above the jungle...
They were pretty sharp to sit on too, fortunately my 'padding' comes in handy for once...
We had been told to use gardening gloves to avoid being sliced on the sharp edges...
Ness, Christine, Alan, Cathryn, Viv & Becky at the top taking a well earnt rest. The wind was howling across the top, but it was beautifully cooling after such a humid ascent, I confess, I may have sweated a little...
We spent an hour at the top enjoying the air and the views...
There were a number of decent sized insectivorous pitcher plants at the top...
Oh well, what goes up and all that... time to go back down... the journey down took longer than that on the way up, the slippy rocks & roots and the groping around for footholds slowed us up a fair bit. Quite a few of us ran out of water too...
Christine tackling one of the ladders on the way down...
Back at Camp 5... Back: Karen, Ness, Barry, Clive, Me, Christine, Susan, Nigel. Front Viv, Alan, Cathryn & Becky...
