http://www.climber.co.uk may–jun 2020 47
He is well-known for his willingness to
chat to anybody and his ever presence
in the Mountains Climbing Community
is acknowledged. Climbing Guide,
Hugh Sutherland, shared this with me:
“Macca is a passionate campaigner
for the traditional ethics of climbing.
He embodies the term climbing dirtbag
through and through.”
The Big Red Rock, Pedro Vermelho,
another passionate Mountains’ climber
who looks like a European lumberjack
and climbs like a Trojan said this of
Macca: “Macca aka Big Mac, is an asset
to The Mountains and is passionate
about the ethics of this place that we all
enjoy daily, those same ethics this place
was founded on. He is a great friend to
have around to tell inspirational stories
from the past and of his latest adventures.”
Macca is endearing, what’s not to love
about a long-bearded, pirate-tattooed,
grey-haired, climb whisperer? For others,
he can be annoying as he is prone to talk
off the cuff on delicate issues and of
people. No one is perfect and neither is
Macca. As a pirate climber, he steers his
own course. This is how Zac summed
up his climbing mate, for whom he cares
a great deal: “Macca is a controversial
character but means well and he cares
for the sport of rock-climbing. I have
spent half my life trying to work out the
bearded fellow and I still don’t know.”
Listening to Macca I found a theme.
Macca is always chasing the next
adventure, almost as if he is being
pursued by a ghost but he shows no
fear and always has a plan. What some
climbers see as sawdust and stew he
sees steak and mash and he likes it
rare. I asked him about favourites.
“My favourite route in The Mountains
is probably Gigantor, but my current
favourite and focus is on Colossus.”
Both of these are Dog Face routes.
As he was sharing this his back
straightened and he became animated
like a puppy with a bone – if he had a
tail it would have been wagging. Colossus
is a route on Dog Face on the edge of
Katoomba. It’s an awesome looking
sight, 120m of dead vertical choss and
400m across, a sandstone scar of a cliff
which sheared away on a dark and
stormy night in 1931. Colossus was
established by Blue Mountains Pioneer,
John Ewbank, in 1969 and is graded M6
(this translates to you fall – you die). Only
the crazy climb there so Macca is right at
home and he and Zac are determined to
free this weirdness. “We freed the first
two pitches in 2007 and they are to die
for [I think you’re right Maccca]. Zac and
I are still working to free the rest of the
route it. The top pitches all go, there is
just a seven metre run-out traverse of
shale and clay to go.” Sounds promising...As Macca opened up on his Dog Face
obsession and worked to enlighten me
on the psychedelic climbing to be had
there, a cheer went out from the seated
posse for Nathaniel Glavurdic who had
just sent Psychodrama, another old route
that is reserved for the dedicated ones.
Soon after an invitation went out from
Nathaniel for a second. “Awe yeah, why
not.” Replied Macca. Everyone cheered
some more. He stubbed his smoke
and reached for a new set of boots he
wanted to wear in and as he did so he
mumbled to me: “Maybe I should have
warmed up for this, Dave?” But then the
climbing vibe took and I could see a
gleam in his eye as he explained his
willingness to climb. “If you get too safe
you get complacent.” Complacency is
something this old charmer has not and
does not entertain. He can’t afford to,
two years ago he dislocated his knee,
completely rupturing three out of four
ligaments. Apparently, he has no cruciate
ligaments, you would hardly notice.
It was Macca’s turn to climb. He
gingerly stood on his tired knees and
walked towards the climb. As soon as
he had tied in and the rope went taut,
he started climbing like a young man
bounding from sequence to sequence,
a gazelle with a goatee, grey hair,
good vibes and a never say die attitude.
Climb on, Macca. nMacca in the process of
putting up a new variant,
Software Freak (23 or E6),
on the Exhibition Wall, Mount
York, Blue Mountains. The tiny
little carrot bolt next to his
beard is what sensible people
normally put a bracket on
and clip.Macciza Macpherson – a Blue Mountains DirtBag