Dodging bushfires and climbing rocks

So I'm hiding away here in Natimuk, near Arapiles in Victoria. I came down this way to go out and put up new problems in the Grampians but last week we had 5 days of well over 40 degree Celsius weather and bush fires took hold and destroyed the northern end of the Grampians National Park.

Brooding clouds and the glow of distant bushfires in the Grampians

I was yet another devastating series of fires and as a result the Grampians are closed until further notice. As a result I have been hiding away here in Natimuk, training and bouldering out at Arapiles.

Training in Natimuk

 That's not such a bad thing as the climbing and bouldering at Arapiles is world class. It's just been a matter of waiting till the late afternoon and getting amongst it  :)

Heres a little video I just made about the bouldering in Arapiles. The video is perhaps a little lower quality than I hoped so when I have a little more room on Vimeo I will upload a high res HD copy  :)

https://vimeo.com/84560051

Bouldering on the 'Swing Wing' boulder. Arapiles, Victoria

The hot weather has sort of demanded a bit of swimming time too  :)  Heading either to a friends pool across he road or venturing out to the local billabong. Here's a little clip of an afternoon at the billabong.

https://vimeo.com/84368645


Before leaving Canberra I got to spend some time caching up with one of my best of friends - Chris Webb Parsons. It was great to get to spend some time together, catching up, going for a boulder in our old haunts, lots of cafe time and relaxing. Psyched for him to get out and crush the World Cups again this year  :)

Caching up with Chris over coffee in Canberra

One last video before I go. This one is from just before Christmas. A first ascent of a V7 roof problem at Falls Creek near Nowra, NSW - one of the many new areas my good buddy, Jack Folkes has been developing down that way. The footage isn't super high quality, but it's a bit of fun anyway. Enjoy!

https://vimeo.com/83740912


Until next time... stay jazzed!
~ Always psyched  :)
Duncan

Goal Zero - Ambassador? Oh yeah!!!

So, with a little bit of trepidation, here we go launching a FB page dedicated to all the shenanigans I get up to 

Check it out here:  https://www.facebook.com/DuncanBrownClimber

I am super excited and very proud to have been announced today as an official Ambassador for Goal Zero -  http://goalzero.com.au

Today marks the launch of Goal Zero's first Ambassador Program outside of the USA and I couldn't be prouder to be on such an amazing list of outdoors athletes and photographers. The Australian ambassadors are a star studded bunch of names that you need to check out, if you don't already know them; Stu Gibson, Simon Carter, Mark Watson and myself, and we are joining the US Ambassadors amongst company that I feel humbled to be associated with, folk like Alex Honnold, Ueli Steck, Mike Libecki and Andy Lewis.

Check out the first post about us at:http://goalzero.com.au/blog/introducing-our-new-gz-ambassadors

I'm excited as one can possibly be for this year and everything it will bring! Right now I'm down near Arapiles in Victoria, dodging the 48 degree heat and getting psyched on developing some new areas in the Grampians and making some fun little films.

Watch this space for regular updates. Like it, share it, get inspired by the new GZ Ambassadors and live the ‪#‎solarlife‬

Psyched!

Let The New Year Begin!

2014 has landed. Yet another new year comes in to being and with all the usual festivities and celebrations we are off to a flying start.
Christmas was spent enjoying some quiet family time at my family home down on the south coast, sleeping by the beach, eating amazing food, and jumping on trampolines with the kids. Always a great way to spend Christmas. Boxing day was the usual, slightly out of control revelries by the pool with my friends in Canberra. New Years saw myself and my friend Kerryn do a little road trip down to Jervis Bay to camp by the beach, swim in the ocean, relax at my friend Jack's house and take it pretty easy for a few days.
Now it's back in the Blue Mountains for some slightly sweaty summer bolt clipping for a week or two before heading back to Canberra briefly and then back off to the Grampians and Araps for a month.
There is so much exciting news just on the horizon, with some amazing announcements coming up that I am bursting at the seams to tell you all about, but some of them will have to wait  ;)  One that I can tell you about is that my good buddy, Chris Webb Parsons is on his way to Australia right now, sitting on a plane as I type this, and I just can't wait for him to get here. It's been years since we last climbed together and now after a long time we will be hitting the road to the Grampians and Arapiles together again, road tripping just like the old times - super psyched!  :)
Now it's coffee time and then off to the crag, hope you're out climbing something today!

Jack struggling at pool whilst wearing a 200 year old diving helmet on New Years Eve

Tianjara Falls, NSW - a little stop off for a beautiful view during a drive between Nowra and Canberra