Arapiles Over 20's

Weekend of 19-20 September 1998

Location: Mt Arapiles

Team Members:

Neil Monteith

Danish Paul

Melbourne Nick Mc (something)

Kayaker Nick (Danish Paul flatmate)

Kayaker Nick's Girlfriend

We left Melbourne in two cars at around 8pm. The drive was fairly cruisy as we had three people in our car so we each only did about 100km. We did the now very traditional stop off at Ararat for supplies. We scored well again on reduced items. The best item I bought for a measely $1.50 was a KG bread and butter pudding from their bakery. It was huge and took all of us three days to finally eat. We ate it cold, warmed up, with cereal and with rice custard. It was the best value food item of all time! We are getting quite selective on our food these days. For the last couple of months I spend at least two days a week in a tent eating camp food so it now takes up a fair portion of my diet. Sustain cereal bars a good value at around $3 for a pack of six. Banannas are a well kept climbing fuel secret. Mix them with Rice Custard for the best dessert in the Pines! Anyway, enough of budget food...

Kayaker Nick and his girlfriend have only been climbing for a year so they went off to the Organ Pipes to do some grade 10's. Paul, Mel Nick and I decided to have a full weekend of pushing ourselves up some mega classics. First of all Paul did one of my fav routes off all time, Chinese Algerbra 30m 22. He pumped out after the sustained layaway crux so blew his onsight - oh well. He still cruised through the top half. Next I decided to jump on a route I had been on about two years ago, the super three star classic Birdman of Alcatraz 35m 23. On my previous attempt I had taken heaps of rests, pumped myself stupid and got very very scared. The route starts up a grade 18 corner, then travreses left with no pro for 5m (grade 22?), then a few balancy sloping moves to gain a big undercling (grade 23!!), then a long sequence of undercling diaginally upwards (grade 21?) to get some jugs. All up it is mega sustained and mega classic. The rock is truly awesome, orange, rounded and overhung. Anyway, I didn't get it clean but managed to climb all the way through the crux, then along the undercling and finally pumped out reaching for the end jug. Bugger! I was so close (literally 10cm) to getting it. I am now going by ethic of placing gear on lead on ALL natural pro routes. No pre-placed gear for me! I was sooo close... :-(. Anyway Paul & Nick seconded it clean and confirmed it was the best route they had both been on for ages. I was very happy indeed, my stamina is much better than it has proberely ever been.

Poul on Chinese Algerbra (21)

Neil's almost clean ascent of Birdman of Alcatraz (23)

Next we moved into Yesterday Gully where Nick got the onsight of Lemon Butter 15m 22, a real testing sustained pumpfest with NO rests at all. No move on the entire route would be under 17. The top is also quite bold, the guide describes it as a RP eating face. Paul and I both seconded it clean. Next Paul decided to up his grades by attempting Milk Blood 15m 23, also in Yesterday Gully. He didn't go very well, he rested about 10 times and didn't really like it. Its a slightly overhung finger crack with lots of slick rock on either side. The guide describes it as 'you never saw as many sinker nut placments in such a short space'. After Paul's go I decided to have a go. Paul cleaned the gear so I could get an ethical acent. I cruised the start, it was technical finger locks and wild bridging, but pumped off again on the last couple of moves. I tried once more but pumped out again. Its a tuff little number and tears up your fingers so it didn't try it a third time. I should be able to get it next time!

Nick then led Etheral 20m 20 which I seconded cleanly. The final route of the day went to Paul who, in fading light, managed to tick the onsight of No Future 30m 21 at lower Tiger Wall. He was severaly pumped at the crux and we thought he had blown it for sure but somehow he pushed through and up the last 15m. He rapped off as it was dark.

Dinner was a communal campfire adventure with the five of us making a mixture of Nacho's, Pasta and varius snacks. I finally found out some locations of caves in Melbourne so may be doing the cave thing in the near future. Also we arranged a walking/climbing trip to Wilsons Prometry sometime next month.

First climb of the morning was my attempt on No Future which I got onsight. It has fantasic twin flakes at the start then a hard mantle, then a tricky travrese right (crux) to gain a jug. From there its a juggy but overhung wall to the very dodgy rap chains. I really don't like rusted dog collars!

Nick decided to do Dazed and Confused 20m 20 on the south side of the Pharo's. I follows no particular line but insteed weaves up a series of flakes and ledges on a very exposed piece of rock. A funny thing happened (it wasn't funny at the time) on the walk up to the route. Here I was hiking up the path with a 20kg pack on and suddenely I slip over trying to scramble up a little slab. I fell backwards with the pack pulling me down and I fall directly onto my nutter which is hanging off the back of my harness. The sharp pointed 'extracter' end went straight through my pants and straight into my upperleg. I had to pull it out as it actually broke the skin. A bit of blood and pain confrimed it had stuck about a cm in. Fjesus it hurt!

Both Paul & I seconded Dazed' clean and arrived on a cool belay ledge. It was a pity we had to rap off a very manky looking anchor. The two bolts where only a few cm apart and very rusty. I have noticed that a huge amount of the routes at Araps now have ring bolts at the top of them so you don't have to scramble/solo out the top. Very good idea we thought. It was mighty cold behind the pharos so we treked back to the Chinese Algerbra area and Paul did the fantastic Wasp 30m 21. He got the onsight, just. I seconded and found the crux really hard. I got to the key flake, did a wild gaston move and had to dyno my left hand over my right to catch a good hold. Def not a grade 21 move. I did second it clean though. Paul had simialr problems with the move and did a wild serius of tenous laybacks to get to the hold. We recken its a big sandbag at 21. I felt like it was maybe low 23!!

Next I jumped on a route which has become one of my all time favs. Not becasue it was hard, scary or exposed. It was just a really perfect pitch on a perfect day at Araps. The route was New Image 25m 21 almost oppsite Castle Crag. From the ground it looks like an underprotected thin sloping horror show. I had looked at the route before and decided it was to serious but not on this day. In fact apart from one #1 RP placement the climb took bomber gear and had really decent sized holds. The rock was similar to Brolga but without the slippery shit. A super fantasic pitch which I got on onsight easily. Both Paul & Nick seconded cleanly.

Nick led the second last route which was just right of New Image. Hidden Secrets 25m 22 and he got it onsight. The only 22 bit was the boulder problem start which was a roof move from a strange layback. Another awesome route though.

I had the pleasure of finishing the trip with an un starred 'lets get a route done before night' sort of climb. It was located up in Chinese Algerbra's gully and is called BlockWork Orange 15m 21. Man was it tough! I took three grounders just trying to work out the first moves. It climbs an overhung diagonal corner on locks and jams. I go it clean apart from one rest up high. For a no star route it was really great. It didn't get much traffic so I actually had to look for holds not just follow the big chalk marks! The end consisted of a 4m traverse left to a stance (#2 RP) then a balancy move up a crimpy face. very commiting!

So, we managed to have a weekend of no under grade 20 climbing. That was our aim so we did it!! I havn't had such a hard core climbing trip for a long time. We all managed to second every lead and we all pushed our limits taking lead falls and just making onsights. Very cool.