Podcast: Episode 167: John Newman: Adventuring from the land Down Under (Australia)

John lives in Australia, where the whole country is sports-mad, the runners are fast, the routes long ... and it's now summer.

"Normally it's starting to get hot, 40 degrees, but it's a La Nina year so it's raining now and the conditions are still good."

He's been exploring the tricky canyons of the Blue Mountains, which are very different.  His recent FKT is "Passes of Narrow Neck", which took 16hrs 40min.  He and his partner did 14 passes in one day.  What does that mean?

"A pass is an unlikely, in-obvious, or difficult passage through a rock cliff."

This route is a mixture of scrambling, hiking, running, and canyoning.  At one point he and his partner climb a tree to surmont a pass.  As the Route Page says, "This route is only for experienced scramblers who understand the risks, and who have rehearsed every metre in advance. Only two of these passes are maintained by National Parks - any other ropes, spikes, chains or ladders you encounter could snap."  As John's partner Keith wrote:

"The Passes Of Narrow Neck is a significant undertaking that definitely needs thorough preparation and familiarity with the route and terrain, as well as a good head for heights & strong scrambling ability.  By the end expect to be covered in charcoal, battered and scratched by the scrub and to have had an unparalleled adventure in the wilderness of the Blue Mountains."

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