Summer is coming... time for The Shed

Elf spotted at Diamond Falls!!!

I woke to a sunny christmas morning and ran down stairs to see if Santa had left anything under the tree. Woohoo, a Sterling Evolution 9.8 Sharma signature edition, Simon Carter's  World Climbing book and his latest calendar to keep track of all my sends. After a good christmas breakfast Wendy and I headed up to Diamond Falls hoping to find some good conditions.

The conditions were rubbish but what we did find was much more exciting! As we reached the main wall we were blown away to see one of Santa's Elfs hiking his way up Hairline '28'. I only just had enough time to grab my camera out of my bag and snap off a couple of shots before he crushed the route in style.

Santa's little helpers choose Red Chili Corona VCR's!!

 He yelled out "What a classic and a merry christmas to you all" before taking off with his belaying Reindeer. The identity of the Elf or the Reindeer could not be confirmed except that it wasn't Rudohlf as it didn't have a red nose, but was most likely Prancer by the way that he took off.

I hope everyone has had a good christmas and wishing you all a wonderful new year!!

Andy

The honey moon is over..... Zac Vertrees tells all

Victoria the place to be?....I have traded the much loved peppermint cottage in the sleepy town of Mitre for the hustle and bustle of Natimuk, taking  up residency in the pink palace smack bang in the center of town. Somalia is still dishing out a good hard spanking with feelings of dejection I decided to keep spirits high by roaming some more obscure areas in the Gramps, Scoop Rocks where I climbed the HB mega classic the Honey Moon Is Over a grade  27 finger crack with the infamous vagina move if you haven't done it I highly recommend it although its wise to tape up your digits as its a bit of a bone crusher. Then we checked out the tower where I choked at a gallant onsight attempt of the overhanging Super Gadget, a bettter version of Monkey Puzzle really. Back at Araps I climbed a old Chris Shephard project  on back wall of the pharos that was equipped in the dark ages it combines all the best bits of the back wall girdling through all the classics lets call it a link up! Treat Them Mean Keep em Keen 29 its really a must do.

 
The rest of my time at araps was spent sniffing flowers on a plethora of moderate gems until I dragged my trusty belay partner up to the bluffs to dog around on Sean Myles project this compression session has 17 brutal sequential movements that must rank as the most enjoyable moves  I have come across in my 16 years climbing I can froth all day about this one, I will be back with a little more power endurance up my

sleeve.

I then hooked up with home boy Rosie Cotton, and Jules for some climbing in the southern Gramps, staying at Buandik for one week Rosie, and I tramped the cultivation creek on a not so restful restday finding oodles of cool shit to do. But our main objective was to sample the amazing cave formations of Muline, I had a blast gazing up looking at endless futuristic lines of potential possibilities gobsmacking. One week was spent here climbing as many of Mulines classics as possible with occasional detour up some bushy gullies looking at three star sand stone.

Zac

  Treat Them Mean Keep em Keen 29 photo Max Farr

Climbing Coolum Style with Andy Richardson

JJ putting on a show for the crowd on Evil Wears No Pants

With white beaches, blue seas, good cafes and a big cave Coolum sounded like the perfect place for a quick getaway from work. The beach in the morning then climbing in the afternoon, it doesn't get much better than that. I had seen pictures of the cave with it's crazy looking features and couldn't wait to pull on. I knew that knee bar pads were essential, and there was a really good local scene, but even my wildest dreams would not of prepared me for the style of climbing that I was in for.

As I walked up to the crag it was buzzing with the noise of climbers and as I arrived the first person I saw was none other than Expedition Equipment team mate and the God Father of Coolum climbing JJ Obrien. Full of psyche JJ rolled out the red carpet, gave me the crag tour (i really didn't need to print off the guide) and I was tied in.

Crazy pinches and wild horn like features throw up endless sequences with every hold having at least 10 ways that you can hold it. Then theres the knee bars,  toe hooks and bum scums and......your head is spinning in this 3D kaleidoscope wonderland of holds.

Wild features, awesome holds, great moves and 3 STARS! "Spoonman 28"

My second route at the crag was Screaming Insanity 26, i was lost in a sea of slopey pinches and getting insanely pumped. I reached the anchors ready to slump on the rope only to hear JJ's chirpy voice yell "Play on!" Above me was another few bolts, the extension called Wholly Calamity, ahh how could i say NO.  I made to the second last hold but failed to reach the last and sailed through the air with a pump that i am sure lasted for 5 days.

I spent the week getting schooled on knee bars, hanging on the rope, getting frustrated with working out how to hold every hold, hanging on the rope, getting excited in all the ways you can hold every hold, cutting my knees, fore arms, chest, back or anywhere i could get friction on some crazy feature and some times even got to the top of a route. I met a psyched bunch of locals, like Ian and Max who greeted us with friendly smiles almost everyday as they would be working the moves on their projects.

Pumped, sweaty and all cut up after i used every trick in the book to onsight "La Cucaracha Airhorns 25"

Eventually I de-pumped, learnt how to climb Coolum style and sent some cool routes.

And a BIG thanks to JJ for, well, just being JJ. Go there for a climb and you'll see what i mean.

Arapiles Bouldering Simon Weill gives us the lowdown

Yup, you read the title correctly, I went to Arapiles and bouldered. Not just on the usual stuff either. Along with the Big Al, I went and did a couple of FAs up at Bushranger's Bluff. Al had done a couple of new lines during the week and was keen to show em off and I was more than keen to check em out. So, in between, not catching trout in the Nati lake with Wayno and drinking copious amounts of coffee in the Nat cafe with everyone, we sauntered out and did some crushing. I repeated Al's problems Judge Mental and the Lone Deranger both about V8 and awesome before adding a new V10, called The Vortex. Tops start to the weekend. I also tried the Overtaker on the back of Castle Crag, which is a 31 of Nick Sutter's. Somehow, with an Arctic wind blowing in I was unable to bust it out to the top after punching through the crux on a couple of occasions, mostly because I couldn't feel my hands. It was unbelievably cold, hard to believe it is Summer. Anyway, it will go down next visit for sure, which will have to wait for next year now though as I am off to Europe next week. Will keep y'all posted.
Simon

The Vortex