Lazy Days and Redpoints

Weekend of the 16th of January 1999

Climbers

Neil Monteith

Nick McKinnon

Poul Christoffersen

After some celebratory drinks for my 22nd birthday I headed off with Nick and Poul for another weekend in the Gramps. Nick was keen to get back onto rock that didn't disintegrate on touch, New Zealand mountains were death traps for loose rock. He told us numerous stories about very close calls with avalanches and massive rock fall. We got to Ararat in time to go on a 'reduced to clear' shopping bonanza. It was just like that old gameshow, Supermarket Sweep, we were running around throwing the booty into baskets. The best score was twin packs of fresh pasta.

We continued driving and eventually got to Halls Gap where we camped next a big lake. We pretended not to notice the large sign which stated '$2000 fine for camping on foreshore of lake'. It was midnight but we decided to cook the fresh pasta. It was another feast night of reduced items. We threw our sleeping bags on the ground and fell asleep.

The sun woke us early, and we quickly hid our sleeping evidence just before the first fisherman arrived at the lake. Our first stop of for the day was Barbican Rocks, a small cliff in a secluded valley about twenty kilometres south of Halls Gap. The area also contains the Dials series of cliffs. A short dirt track winds the way into the valley next to a small creek. It is an area well away from the tourist hoards of Halls Gap. The walk in was short and sharp, a quick five minute slog up a faint bush track. The cliff itself is very impressive, it is much like Mt Rosea only shorter and far less wide. It has the same amazing central buttress with gob smacking classics snaking their way upwards. The rock is awesome, orange with clean cracks and sharp edges. Much like some of the good desert cracks you see photos of in the States.

We had arrived very early, some time around 8am, so I decided to jump on the big classic, The Lonely Sea 50m 20. It was in direct sun but the day was still young. I opted to link the two pitches together into one rope stretching sustained climb. With a gigantic rack of double sets of cams, hexes and about fifteen quickdraws I set out. The first 10m was quite loose corner climbing which was not particle pleasant. I was sure some of the huge handholds would rip off any minute. A good grade 18 move around a blind arete got me to the end of the first pitch. Instead of the normal belay I had decided to continue. The crack above looked awesome, and very hard. The first moves above the ledge were really hard, delicate finger jamming which relented to solid hand and fist jams up an orange face. The crack did not relent for the rest of the pitch. The crux was a hard offwidth to fist jam move which I found really technical, especially with no chalk and the blazing sun. By the time I arrived at the end of the climb I was a hot sweaty physical wreak. The climb was a super cardiovascular workout and I got the onsight. Poul and Nick seconded it clean both arriving on the belay ledge very sweaty. We chose not to rap off the manky tree at the top and instead scrambled down some ledges to a bigger safer tree. The rap down was horrid, it followed a vegetated chimney reminiscent of Comet Ramp on Mt Buffalo. The sun was hitting the wall hard, so we decided to have a go at a bolted slabby face route right of the 'big lines' It looked good when we rapped down near it, so Nick got on first. Neil's fabled 'bomber horizontal cam placements' failed to materialise so soon enough Nick was fiddling in crap RP's and getting very worried. The moves were not very positive, lots of smears and rounded edges. He boldly ran it out above a nest of sketchy gear and finally clipped the first bolt. He screamed with pain as his new Sportiva Kibli boots became too painful. He ripped his shoes off and lowered off. Next to attempt the climb was Poul. He started out well, but soon got worried by the lack of good gear. He proceeded to add a few extra crap wires to the 'nest' and also gained the first bolt. He tried the move, fell off and bailed back to the ground. It was now my turn to try this 'absolute classic' (my words). I added a cam to the already bristling nest (by now it had five pieces of gear in the one horizontal) and climbed up to the bolt. The problem with the bolt is that it was to big for a hanger. I put a better wire on it (Nick had used a #9 wire!) and felt the moves ahead. After some thinking I worked out the very thin moves and cranked through to a sloping 'rest'. I then ran it out for a couple of metres, clipped some skank fixed pitons and did a bold traverse back right to gain a funky set of jugs. The rock was very calcified limestone looking stuff. It was all bubbly, with lots of little pockets. I clipped the last bolt (again with a wire) and kept cranking up the face. The top turned out to be a rambly mountaineering classic in the best possible New Zealand style. Almost fifteen metres of teetering fridge size blocks with no protection. Super classic! I got the flash of the climb and reckon it would be solid grade 22. It really needed a rap anchor above the good rock. Poul seconded it with a couple of falls. Next Poul got on the classic of the cliff, The Last Grain Race/Le Mer combo (19). I had a little nap on the rocks below as Poul casually onsighted this 45m crack route, which blasted through a roof via a sentry box chimney. Nick seconded and I took the third. It was one of the best climbs I have ever seconded. Nick had pulled most of the gear out so it let me just crank, and crank the whole 45m. The rock was magic and the crack itself was perfect. All the way up, I got positive hand and fist jams. A good distribution of jugs made this route a pleasure to climb. By the time I got to the top (I was practically sprinting) I was spewing out sweat. The grin on my face showed just how great this climb was. It is a must do route in an awesome area. A quick check of the guidebook and we were off driving again. We stopped off first in Halls Gap for Milkshakes and ice-cream then continued driving into dusk to the next crag. We had chosen to go to a cliff called Western Bloc, deep in the centre of the Grampians National Park. The road to get to the crag was fairly crappy. Thanks to Nick's Subaru we forged ahead. The reason we chose this particular cliff is that it has nil walking time for access. How does parking at the top off the cliff and rapping off your bullbar sound? You can't get better than that. The guys settled into dinner on top of the cliff while I checked out the cliff below for future climbs for the next day. Enthused by an excellent looking 24 I rapped down and pre-placed the draws. I also spotted a superb looking 23 and 20. It would be a good day tomorrow.

Neil cranks the crux of The Lonely Sea (20) Poul on The Last Grain Race/Le Mer combo (19)

Poul and Nick wimped out on the super hot curry we had for dinner. It was so hot that Nick only ate a mouthful and just ate bread instead. I managed to eat a whole plateful and go back for seconds. Poul managed a half-hearted effort, eating a plateful between large amounts of water drinking. We slept the night in the open air on the cliff top. It was actually quite cold, I had quite a restless sleep as I didn't bring any warm clothes.

We were woken again by blinding summer sun at 8am. After some breakfast we bailed to the small creek at the base of the cliff. The sun would be on the cliff until well after midday, so we had many hours to kill. The creek wound its way down a mini gorge, several small waterfalls cascaded down boulders and there were some good little swimming pools. We swam, water bouldered and san baked until well after midday. I also checked out the cliff on the far side of creek for potential, but alas I only spotted on good route, an overhung arete that would need a few bolts. Maybe next time. We finally dragged ourselves up to the rock and Nick led off first. He onsighted Common Border (20) whilst I snapped off photos on abseil. As he had just been swimming he chose to lead the route dressed only in his underwear?? Not a pretty sight for the belayer! The route was given one star in the guidebook but both Nick and Poul reckon it was up there with any three star twenty at Arapiles. The climb followed a steep corner, then a wide crack and finally a very hard sloping roof move. The rock was true Arapiles slick marble.

Nick onsights Common Border (20)

I then racked up for an onsight attempt of the classic 23 I scoped the previous day named Bonn. My hopes were dashed about 7m off the deck when I discovered it got very thin and required some small wires to be placed. After a few rests I got the wires in and completed the crux. Above loomed a further 30m of mega sustained climbing. I placed some cams and lowered off. My next attempt was much better, I climbed clean through the crux and started up the overhung crack above. The protection was really mediocre but I finally got something and cranked upwards. The climb was super sustained, a did a few pocket pulls, some big reaches and fell off numerous times. All the pro was marginal, RP's, 3 cam out of four friends and assorted other junk. Near the top was another crux, a big crank with no feet to a sloping ledge. The problem was the ledge was covered in moss. I grappled with the ledge, trying to get a good hold and eventually mantled up. Rather scary when the last piece of gear was an RP about four metres below. Above the moss ledge was an awesome final roof which was big time pumpy. I rapped off ready for another attempt now that the gear was all in place.

Neil leads Bonn (23)

Neil leads Bonn (23)

I climbed well, cruising the lower crux and cranking the steep above. By the time reached the moss mantle, about 30m up, I was super pumped. I tried my hardest but fell off. I got straight back on and completed the rest of the route with no falls. I was happy with my effort. Poul seconded and got it clean on his first go. I was spewing! Nick then got on and also seconded it clean. Annoyed by this I rapped back down for one final do-or-die attempt at the redpoint. This time, I knew the moves perfectly and easily ticked the redpoint. What a fantastic climb! It was certainly one of the most sustained routes I have ever been on. The guidebook gives it no stars but I reckon it deserves at least two. You would be hard pressed to find a route of similar quality even at Araps. When I first got on the climb it was completely chalk less. After our numerous laps it was now looking like a super trade route! Poul then decided to have a crack at a redpoint attempt. In his slow exact style he ticked the entire route on his first lead attempt. I watched from the cliff top and it was fantastic. He almost forgot the moss mantle sequence but came up with the goods eventually. Why Poul isn't cranking 24 I don't know.

It was getting late so Poul cleaned the gear (many overcammed friends!) whilst I belayed Nick on an attempt of a short 20 on the far right of the cliff. He originally thought it was 17 but I corrected him once he was about 5m off the ground. He placed a wire down low, then got another about 10m up. He cranked into an overhung corner and started to lunge out left across the lip off a big roof. I was hoping the rock was good, as he only had one wire to protect his mad dynoing. Of course, as always, a handhold snapped and he went screaming sideways and upside down the cliff. The dodgy blind wire he placed held miraculously and stopped him 5cm short of hitting a large ledge. He picked up some nasty rope burn on the fall so decided to call it a day. I was thankful, it was a nasty looking fall. We packed our gear and left the cliff at 8pm.

Thats it!