By Mark Busby.

An advert for Sydney.

Going to the Blue Mountains from the UK you will probably consider starting and finishing your trip in Sydney, to be fair there is almost enough to do here without even bothering to go climbing. Awesome beaches where you kick back desperately trying to tan without dripping too much of your rude sized smoothie onto your pasty body below; go 'proper' surfing, or make a shark biscuit of yourself on the super-fun body boards at world famous beaches; eat mounds of good food, at bargain prices, before sinking as you snorkel amongst the school of brightly coloured fish. Try finishing off your day with coffee and giant slabs of triple choc-icky-icky-goo-cake in one of Bondi's beachfront cafes.

There is plenty to do in the city centre; if going to the beach is not really your bag (you freak). Why not visit any of the obvious landmarks (Opera House and Harbour Bridge) or the massive aquarium where you can see the big toothed fish you did not want to meet in the surf. If none of these appeal but small fury animals are your thing then the Taronga Zoo has a vast collection of cool, cute and weird animals, oh yes there's loads more to keep you occupied but this is a climbing website and the climbing in Australia is pretty awesome.

Directions to the Blue Mountains from Sydney.

The Bluey's part of the Great Dividing Range, forms a large, flat sandstone plateau. On the walls of its many gorges, a feast of climbing is waiting. The settlements of Katoomba, Mount Victoria and Blackheath provide chance to stock up on enough gear 'n' groceries to keep your larders fully stocked. The 109 km drive inland, along the Paramatta road from Sydney is not a pleasant experience, until you break from the exhaust fumes, start gaining altitude (to 1100m) and get your first views of the National Park. The journey takes 1-½ hours by road, or about 2 on Cityrail's hourly service to Katoomba and Mt Victoria.

When to go.

I went in January, and the abundance of sun was a welcome relief to the usual British grot. It was always possible to find somewhere shady to climb, due to the difference aspects of the plateau. Like so many of our crags the best time to climb is during spring and autumn, don't forget that their winter is our summer and visa versa.

Where to stay.

Budget; Free camping, in the bush 6.9 km outside Katoomba in the Megalong Valley consists of flattish land, fire pits and a couple of toilets. I enjoyed my stay here, but wasn't happy about leaving the tent up during the day as it seemed an ideal place to have gear nicked. We heard that it's a popular weekend spot for 'Hoons' but didn't meet any.

Low to middle; A 10-minute car drive from Katoomba is the Black Heath Caravan Park. A landscaped site, nestling in the bush, with plenty of room for 2 tents on each pitch ($7 per person per night perhaps) the free electric barbies were bonza for throwing a few snags onto! The owner was a bit grumpy if you made too much noise too late on (I didn't, I'm a good boy I'm…). He was also a bit of a demon convinced we were handing the washroom keys to waif and strays or sneaking non paying guests onto the site (allegedly to use the showers). All in all the park's recommended, caravans are also available to hire at a reasonable price.

Mid; Alternatively stay in one of the many hostels in Katoomba, The Blue Mountains Backpackers had comfy beds and with double rooms available, suitable if you're soft or intending to entertain a lady (laddy!).

Top hole; The Hydro Majestic Hotel is plush, they fold the corners of the toilet paper into little triangles, and it's too expensive for the likes of us, but its nice to dream.