This Sporting Life

Weekend Report of the 13th February 1999

Climbers

Neil Monteith

Poul Christofferson

Nick McKinnon

Adam Demmert

Thomas Wimmer

The weekend adventures started early for me. I managed to escape from work at the unbelievably early time of 5pm. We all met at my place, it was a two car weekend with five of us going. Driving over the Westgate bridge at dusk was a truly visual experience. A weird red sun was slipping behind the smoke stacks of the industrial western suburbs. It looked like a scene from a post nuclear holocaust. The familiar straight road out of Melbourne greeted our vehicles. With music pumping and provisions bought from the Ararat Safeway we headed deep into the Grampians. After considerable hunting we never managed to locate James MacIntosh and his elusive 'secret campground' so instead we headed north to the Mt Zero campground.

We awoke to light rain and heavy fog. However this soon lifted revealing a fine day ahead. Thomas was keen for a Tiapan Wall adventure but none of us wanted the humiliation of yet another floundering attempt on a hard man classic. Ben Firth from Arapiles was supposed to meet us there, but not having a car, he must have not made it. After a fantastic cranking afternoon last weekend we decided to head back to Van Diemans Land. The walk in is long, about 40 minutes, but one of the best walks for a climber anywhere. You start along a nice graded track passing Summerday Valley and the Wall of Fools, then you walk underneath Sandanista Wall then continue along the base of Mt Staplton for a further few kilometres. The rock you walk past is simply stunning. I even discovered a good section of rock with mega project material. One line, an obvious left leading weakness, looks to be an absolute classic. The one problem is you will have to leap across a ravine to reach the base of the rock. Poul can almost touch the first hold but I fall very short. The drop off beneath your feet is at least six metres. It was going to be a stinker of a day, we were already dripping with sweat. The poor Euros can never handle heat, they complained bitterly the whole way up.

We dumped our gear in a perfect lunch bivi cave directly in front of Van Diemans Land. With shade, a perfect viewing platform and a Passport to Insanity roof crack boulder problem we were set! The roof crack was really interesting. It wasn't an even size, it varied in width but had no other face holds near it. Nick managed to crank the whole thing, injuring his hands considerably. We tested Adam's crack gloves but found them a bit loose for roof cracks. The crack itself was at least five metres long in total but only the last three metres were easily climbable. Very interesting bouldering for a sport crag!

Nick boulders the roof crack. Thomas looks on.

The sun was blazing on the rock but I was mega keen. I wanted to tick Body Count (24), the route I attempted last weekend. My first attempt went okay, I managed to climb up to the crux at fifteen metres height but then fell off. A few tries and I had worked out the crux move and cranked the rest of the route to the chain. This climb is so steep and sustained. Its a good climb for me at the moment. I have started to get some nasty finger tendinitis so crimpers absolutely kill. This route is all slopers and sideclings - perfect! With the 'draws on I could now work it. I dragged Thomas out of the cave, after he finished yet another cigarette, and onto Sisters of Mercy (23). He cranked up the initial amazing pocketed hueco wall but the heat soon took its toll. He had never climbed in the Australian sun, so he bailed off midway through the climb. He then went and slept in the bivi cave for the next three hours! Whilst we were doing this Nick was attempting Terminal Insomnia (22). He cranked the lower overhung part but became unstuck when faced with the technical rounded knob pulling (??!!) of the upper part. A few rests later he made it to the top. We all decided climbing in the sun was silly so went back to the cave.

Neil clips the draw before the crux on Body Count (24)

The heat finally abated and I headed out for another attempt at Body Count. The start is really gnarlly hand jamming which is really hard and quite scary as its just above a ledge. Every time I do the moves I am in fear of decking out but never do. To cut a long story short, a tale of many belayers and many close calls, I ticked the climb on my six attempt of the day. Three times I got the climb with one fall at the crux. Every time I would be practically climbing the entire route so it was like doing six 24's in a row. It reminds me of the time I attempted Two Tribes (24) at the Gallery with Gareth last year. I did the entire route eight times in a row, falling off the last move every time. I never did get that route... The crux moves on Body Count are really good and quite committing. From a good pocket jug you put your right foot above your hands on a crimper then reach up with your right hand to a mega sloping layaway pocket. Match your hands on the sloping pocket (crux) then commit one more move to a sloping layaway with your right hand. Now lunge up to crimp with your left hand then lunge with your right to a crap sidecling. The final move of the crux sequence is a big move with no footholds to a jug. Once you latch the jug your feet cut away and you look down to see the last bolt a couple of metres below. At this point the climb is really steep, about 30 degrees overhung, and you clip the next bolt as soon as you can. Its a fantastic crux sequence and very hard to work as its so far above the last bolt.

Neil whips off the crux on one of many attempts @ Body Count (24)

Poul then jumped on Sisters of Mercy with an attempt at the onsight. He climbed well, cranking the lower half with ease, but fell short of endurance near the top. Poul fixed the committing moves between the two last bolts by placing a cam. A very good idea I thought!. He gave it a few more tries but the best he got was an ascent with two rests. I also tried the climb and found it to be super pumpy. The climb is subtly steep, about 15 degrees, but just keeps going the whole way. A bit like Sandanista but more technical. I rested twice but was happy with my attempt. The crux was a weird gritstone move at the stop at the transition between overhung and slabby. Poul lunged, I powermutated it and Nick hand jammed the move. I think that says something about our three styles of climbing! Poul on the lower crux of Sisters of Mercy (23)

Poul attempts Sisters of Mercy (23)

Thomas emerged from the cave for an attempt at Body Count. The bastard got it with one fall on his first try. Nick then moved onto the elegant and very hard looking right hand variant to Body Count, Suicidal Tendencies (24). It climbs a series of small pockets up a very blank piece of rock. Nick struggled but was stumped by the crux and lowered off. We dragged out our 'European portable 'draw remover' Thomas, and he finally figured the sequence out. I think the route seems very hard for the grade. Adam and Nick got clean ascents of Terminal Insomnia to finish off the day whilst Nick led Sisters of Mercy with two falls. We timed the walk back perfectly, we arrived at the cars in the pitch black! We headed on into the night to the Mt Rosea campground. On the way through Halls Gap we saw the Grampians Jazz Festival. It was very weird seeing so many people and loud music in a small mostly sleepy town. It was defiantly not our scene so we headed to the campsite and prepared dinner. We socialised until well into the night, most likely keeping the other campers awake!

Nick cranks pockets on Suicidal Tendencies (24)

Next morning we drove the short distance to Bundaleer for another day of cranking. The wall was blistering with sun but Thomas insisted on jumping on Touchstone Pictures (28) first up. This route is one of the all time classic face routes in Australia. With a chequered history, (Mike Law chipped and dogged his way to glory on it in the early 80's @ grade 26 M0) and outstanding rock it is a must do route for the aspiring hard man. After several attempts at the lower crux and easily doing the upper moves Thomas decided it was too tough for him. The crux is a heinous slab crimp move on a razor blade flake. Every time he came off he screamed with pain. I then climbed clean the dodgy 'stand on the tree' version of Manic Depressive (25) at grade 23. By standing on the tree you eliminate the mega hard knee bar start which stumps most people, including me. The upper bit is three star sport climbing on great pockets. Continuing the sport climbing trend I ticked the onsight of Enter Sandman (22). This climb cranks a good selection of big jugs along the lip of a chossy cave. Some of the rock was a bit dodgy but the moves were really fun. My style of climbing!

During this time a weird guy arrived. He was apparently from Hong Kong and dressed in clean cut jeans, white shirt and trendy sunnies. He looked like he had just stepped out of Chapel Street. His partner was an old guy who was dressed in long trousers and multiple layers of dress shirts. All white of course, he looked like an old English expedition leader in a Safari suit. After wandering around the cliff, muttering about the lack of bolts, the 'chapel street climber' roped up and cranked Manic Depressive on his second try. he even managed to do the lower crux without the knee bar. Pure gym climber I think! He then proceeded to walk around taking video camera footage of us climbing. Strange guy...

We all moved across to the only natural line of my weekend, the three star face seam, Pathos (21). Poul had failed the onsight of this when he climbed at Bundaleer over Xmas. He whipped from the crux and managed to pull out his first four pieces of gear. Luckily the upper pieces stayed in. A good lesson in keeping the belayer close to the rock I think. With great expectation Nick got on the route first. He too climbed well to the mid way crux but also slipped off. It was now up to Neil 'Henry Barber' Monteith to push the standards of our group. The only reason I ticked the onsight was to piss off Nick. The climb was similar to my new routes at Lunar Crag. It climbs tortoise shell like rock with really good small gear placements. I found the crux very hard, properly closer to grade 22 than 21. The top half was excellent gritstone like climbing on sloping holds and offered a good runout. Both Adam and Thomas did the route clean with pre-placed gear. After our five ascents of the route we decided that some else could have a go. An English couple had been waiting for hours to get on the route! To end the day we split into two groups. Nick and Poul went off to do an old classic that Gareth and I ticked last year. The route, Basillisk Direct (16), is a very nice big trad climb. A large corner starts the route which is then followed by a four metre roof. Yes, a four metre roof on a grade 16. You can crawl most of the way along inside the roof (?) but at the end you have to squeeze out and swing around the lip. Awesome exposure and a good sling placement on a horn makes this a super classic sequence of moves. If horizontal squeeze chimneys are what you like, this is the climb for YOU.

Adam on Pathos (21)

Meanwhile Thomas, Adam and myself took a completely different approach. We decided to play on a grade 26 sport route left of Angular Perspective. The climb, Skullthugery, was classic Blue Mountains style bucket pulling through a caves roof. Thomas got on first but was slightly stumped by the few two moves after the start jug. He eventually dogged past is and worked the upper half, which was classic thugging on big jugs. With great effort Adam seconded Thomas's attempt. I then decided to jump on and give it a go. I couldn't work out Adams amazing heel hooking sequence down low so pulled p on a draw to by-pass the crux. From then on I climbed cleanly past another three draws to eventually pump out on the last few moves. The climbing was really continuous and sustained. My forearms were exploding as I pulled the last moves to the chain. A most excellent adventure. It was now Thomas go for another attempt. He cranked well but didn't get it clean, the first moves still stumped him. The fun bit was the cleaning of the quickdraws. Using fully fledged Euro sport 'draw removing techniques he managed to get all the draws off. The only problem was when he swung out after unclipping the last draw he whipped at full speed into a large tree. He took it rather well though, he must be used to it.

Thomas cranks the traverse on Skullthuggery (26)

Thomas cranks the same move on Skullthuggery (26)