Thursday, 6 September 2012
Wednesday, 5 September 2012
So Long Winter
Sometimes it is hard to write a climbing blog. I feel that a
lot of them lack a bit of substance. “I ticked this and I ticked that”. I don’t
know. Perhaps it is because I haven’t ticked a whole heap of late that I feel I
have nothing to write about (I’ll mention names of a few meaningful things,
tick list is on 8a.nu). Until I sat down tonight I wanted to write something
along the lines of ‘Not much has been happening of late…..blah blah’. It is the
usual way to set a readership up to not expect too much. I’ve used it before,
in particular on the Captains of Crush blog and in time will use it again. The
truth is, while there is no long list of ‘ticks’, a lot of stuff has been happening.
I have had to look past the obvious to really appreciate what that stuff is.
As you’ve no doubt read in past posts, I spent two months living
in Natimuk. A small town populated by farmers, artists and climbers 4 hours
west of Melbourne. If you’ve climbed at Mt Arapiles you’ll know it. The
objective of this stay was to see if liked working as Paramedic in Horsham, and
try and get a whole heap of climbing done. Work was good, lots of down time to
either study or in my case sleep. The new woody went up, along with a hang board
and some other old school torture devices. The weather got cold, perfect for
bouldering. And then it just kept getting colder and colder. Winter it turns
out isn’t as much fun when you’re living in a shack. My skinny jeans and
cardigans just aren’t cut out for it. I had thought being so close to quality
rock and away from the distractions the city brings would transfer directly
into big numbers and heaps of fitness. Alas my expectations were perhaps too grandiose.
Most of my time on rock ended up being in the one area trying a couple of
boulder problems without success. Other than that I bolted a new roof and
attempted it a couple of times, before coming to a slow conclusion that south
facing walls are no fun in winter. Eventually I decided to just train for a
trip to Nowra, so while my housemates Gareth and Alister drank beer and ate
pizza inside, I locked myself in the cold shed (had to be 0 degrees some
nights) to get strong. I was dedicated and slowly over a couple of weeks
started to feel the results. In my last week in the Wimmera, I managed to do a
rather quick send of ‘Between Fear and Desire’ at the Mount. This was awesome
fun because Zac and I did it in the dark after work with only a handful of
torches on a bloody cold night! I also managed the 2nd Ascent (I think)
of ‘Nomentum’ in the Gramps. This is a problem that Al and started working on
around the time the guide was being written. There’s a photo of Al on it the
guide actually. It is a 2 move problem that Simon Weill solved after I showed
it to him. The name comes from the lack of momentum you have to gain the top.
While these two problems were good to do, it was disappointing to not have achieved
my primary goals. Not only because I didn’t do them, but because I didn’t even
attempt most of them. I had expected to be crushing all winter.
For 3 weeks in July the Shoalhaven caravan park was my home.
I had travelled north with good friend Ash Hendy to escape the cold of Natimuk
and to get back to where I feel the business is…..route climbing. Nowra is of
course the home of powerful, accessible sport climbing. The Weather was a nice
10 degrees warmer than down south so made for perfect climbing conditions. I
had been there a couple of years before for a couple of weeks, and had fallen
for it. Nowra is like the ugly runt of the climbing destination litter. What it
lacks in serenity, colour, size and adventure it makes up for in grunt and
burl; two things that I have tried to improve on over the years to move away
from the punting pumper of old. Last time I had been in Nowra, I had been close
to doing ‘Dungeon Master’ before the rains came and prematurely called an end
to the trip. 2 years later I felt stronger and generally better. I guess this
notion stemmed from some consistency of late, something I feel that I generally lack.
I was going to smash DM straight up and the move onto the list of things I had
formulated. The list was about 10 routes of a similar grade and yep I was
confident. I had done the time on the hang board and the woody. I had 3 weeks
and I was psyched. Ash hadn’t climbed in a couple of months so the first few
days were dedicated to getting used to the style again. The first few days went
well. I had planned to stay of DM for at least a week to make sure I was fit.
However it got the best of me and I put the gear up. All the moves felt easy.
In fact when I lowered off I was sure it would go next shot. I retied and off I
went, however I missed the first long move. I lowered off without working the
rest of it. It had felt so easy when I put the draws on. I was going to tick
this and then then all the other things on my list. Oh boy, can you see where
this is going? It’s easy for me to see it now, however at the time it was
rather less than obvious to me. I was so carried away by getting this one route
done so that I could ‘move on’ that I was oblivious to simple mistakes in my
sequence. I fell in the top section more times than I can recall. A few times, I
fell with my hands on the lip. What a goose. I had expected to do it easily,
because I had trained and because I was stronger, older and wiser? No,
certainly not. I was frustrated to say the least. It took someone special,
someone who doesn’t climb to help me break through this mental block.
One late evening phone call opened my eyes to the real
problem, something I’ve already mentioned it in this post. An outsider to the
climbing game could see that I while I set achievable goals, I was expecting
them to be achieved merely because I had set them. There was a step missing. I
had set goals, I had trained for them, but how do I put all that together to achieve
them. I had to really think about it. The mental side of climbing is a tough
one. I don’t think it is spoken about enough or at least well enough. Everyone
has a campus board routine or whatever, but what do you do when the physical
side of things is all good but you are still falling off. I haven’t found the
answer, yet I feel I have found ways to deal with not knowing it (another post
of two’s worth). During the process of looking for it, I had to decide if I
really wanted to do DM because it is a fun climb. Or was it just because it something
to tell people about. In the end I decided I wanted it. I took a step back and
worked on some other routes, then came back with the new objective of linking
DM with overlapping sections. Something I should have done from the start. Yep
some of you will say that that’s the red-pointing process, and I say you’re
probably right, but I am a slow learner. A few goes after this new mindset was
implemented, I pulled over the lip and clipped the last bolt. It was a strange
feeling. I was happy to have achieved it, but even happier to have battled
through. I had learned a true lesson.
I had a bit of time
left in the trip and some of the Victorian Boys had come up – Alister, Chris
and Omar. Apart from hanging out with my best mates, the last few climbing days
were spent trying ‘Beefmeister’. My strategy improved, and I only tried it a
handful of times in a session. This route is a burl fest. I feel that I was
pretty close, linking it in 2 overlapped sections a couple of times. I just need
to get a bit stronger on under clings, because I would just fade on them at the
start of the crux. Although I didn’t do it, I did go about it in the right way.
Saved some skin, made sure I had enough time in the day, and worked it
systematically. Perhaps another couple of sessions and I would have done it,
perhaps it may take longer. Either way I am happy with my effort and really
psyched on it and will attempt to get back up there soon. Not only was
the trip north good for climbing it also allowed me to catch up with a bunch of
awesome friends from Sydney and the Blue Mountains and of course ring-ins from
Tassie and Austria.
Back in Victoria and I am working in Melbourne again for a
couple of months. I needed a bit of break from climbing and it has definitely
taken a back seat. I needed some time to sort out life stuff. You know all
those bills and stuff with girls and coffee machines that get put on the back
burner. Things that you think will make you more content only to find out that
they don’t. Maybe it’s just me. Certainly seems those pesky expectations are
rearing their ugly heads again. While I haven’t trained, I have headed out to
the Grampians a couple of times. I spent an afternoon trying a project of mine
at Little Hands Cave. This is a steep rising traverse that I bolted a couple of
years ago. It’s very similar in nature to some of the Nowra routes I did. I was
able to figure out a new sequence at the crux so stay tuned for its send. I
have also been cleaning up few boulder problems in a new area in the Southern
Gramps. These are going to be super sick, slopey and high. Stay tuned again.
No blog is complete without something not so great
happening. Hmm maybe I need to re phrase that because I bet you’re thinking all
that whinging above wasn’t so great. In fact, I suggest that the mental issue I
was facing was a good thing. Climbing for me is an ever evolving entity. If I
wasn’t able to get something out of it then I’d be bored and probably doing something
else, but it does frustrate the crap out of me too. I feel I have been
enlightened a little by getting through the mental block and this is great. My
trip to Nowra, although a semi local crag was time well spent with mates,
having a great laugh and doing something awesome. Climbing! So, the not so good
bit: Again I was out at Mt Arapiles just 2 days ago. I stumbled up the track in
the northern group to encourage Alister who was bolting a new project up there.
I found a boulder that looks awesome. I grabbed the brushes from my pack and
went about cleaning the top out. Somehow during this process I lost both my
feet and fell off the boulder. I landed heavily on the slab below then was
flipped upside down and somersaulted maybe 2 times, 3.5 meters to the ground.
Luckily not landing on my head, but landed heavily on a rock. After a very few
scary moments for Al, who had heard the crash landing from about 50 meters away,
he was able to help me to walk to the car. X-rays at hospital showed no damage
to my spine but revealed what I had diagnosed already a rib slightly askew. So
the boulder is going to be sweet, it had better be for 3 broken ribs!
Wicked - I hope Spring brings on the sendage for everyone.
- Grosey
 |
| Attempting 'Beefmeister' 32 |
 |
| Al Robertson on 'Concrete Petunias' 28 |
For 3 weeks in July the Shoalhaven caravan park was my home.
I had travelled north with good friend Ash Hendy to escape the cold of Natimuk
and to get back to where I feel the business is…..route climbing. Nowra is of
course the home of powerful, accessible sport climbing. The Weather was a nice
10 degrees warmer than down south so made for perfect climbing conditions. I
had been there a couple of years before for a couple of weeks, and had fallen
for it. Nowra is like the ugly runt of the climbing destination litter. What it
lacks in serenity, colour, size and adventure it makes up for in grunt and
burl; two things that I have tried to improve on over the years to move away
from the punting pumper of old. Last time I had been in Nowra, I had been close
to doing ‘Dungeon Master’ before the rains came and prematurely called an end
to the trip. 2 years later I felt stronger and generally better. I guess this
notion stemmed from some consistency of late, something I feel that I generally lack.
I was going to smash DM straight up and the move onto the list of things I had
formulated. The list was about 10 routes of a similar grade and yep I was
confident. I had done the time on the hang board and the woody. I had 3 weeks
and I was psyched. Ash hadn’t climbed in a couple of months so the first few
days were dedicated to getting used to the style again. The first few days went
well. I had planned to stay of DM for at least a week to make sure I was fit.
However it got the best of me and I put the gear up. All the moves felt easy.
In fact when I lowered off I was sure it would go next shot. I retied and off I
went, however I missed the first long move. I lowered off without working the
rest of it. It had felt so easy when I put the draws on. I was going to tick
this and then then all the other things on my list. Oh boy, can you see where
this is going? It’s easy for me to see it now, however at the time it was
rather less than obvious to me. I was so carried away by getting this one route
done so that I could ‘move on’ that I was oblivious to simple mistakes in my
sequence. I fell in the top section more times than I can recall. A few times, I
fell with my hands on the lip. What a goose. I had expected to do it easily,
because I had trained and because I was stronger, older and wiser? No,
certainly not. I was frustrated to say the least. It took someone special,
someone who doesn’t climb to help me break through this mental block. |
| Elmar Jerg on 'Dude Food' 29 |
 |
| Attempting 'Meet the G that Killed Me' 31 |
 |
| New arete I Brushed up |
 |
| After falling off a boulder. 3 busted ribs |
Wicked - I hope Spring brings on the sendage for everyone.
- Grosey
Back to my Routes . . .
 |
| Cul de Sac (31), Waterfall Area, NarrowNeck. |
A light breeze, low humidity, a pumping westerly blowing up the Megalong . . .
NarrowNeck has always felt like home to me; free climbing DogFace horror shows or exploring other forgotten lines that have become out of vogue over the years.The inspirational John Ewbank was forging some of the most improbable bad arse looking lines ground up, hammer and trowel gardening on the go! He almost seems lost climbing without his hammer still to this day.
I first got drawn into freeing old Ewbank aid lines climbing Gigantor on DogFace with Macca - an awesome gut churning atmospheric sandpit of a cliff, routes are constantly changing and strength does little for uncertainty, if you cant stop your wheels spinning it can often be a stressful pursuit.
I can see why John spent so much time there, although I have always been attracted to the physical aspect of climbing, combining hard boulder problems high on a beautiful natural line, protecting it naturally seemed like an obvious challenge. So when Macca pointed out the Cul de Sac, a soaring overhanging corner crack first ascended by Ewbank in 1968, my palms became sweaty . . .
It looked big dark and somehow intimidating - its on the west side of the 'Neck tucked in between a waterfall and Devils Hole, a wild route with devious obscure moves. The crux is throwing for the top of the cliff - a potential heart breaker finish! Over the past six years I have fallen from the last moves so many times I have lost count . . . Plummeting, venting, hanging pumped limp, stuck in space!
It's logistically epic to work but on the first day of spring I started cleaning the closet, sending this beast of a line, being a personal best for me mentally and definitely a progression in my climbing. How hard?? I think 31 seems fair due to its devious nature and hard mandatory climbing, but only time will tell. Zac Vertrees, Spring 2012.
Tuesday, 4 September 2012
Whistling Kite Monique sends another big number...
Queensland classic went down....
Sterling climber Monique Forestier climbs Whistling Kite (32)! This iconic Australian trad
test-piece is located at Frog Buttress in South East Queensland and was first climbed
in 1988 by Paul Smith. Monique’s send is only the sixth ascent of the route and breaks a 5 year drought of tickage. Due to the difficulty
of placing the gear on lead, all of the current ascents have been done with preplaced gear, as the thin seam that bisects the beautiful bulletproof buttress is lacking face holds and makes for extremely blatancy super technical climbing with not too many spots to stop and place protection.
“it’s like a slippery
snake; it’s hard to get a hold of it and it’s ever harder to keep a hold of it,
you are either on, or you are off, there is no in-between”, says Monique.
With the small window to climb the route, as the sun hits the face at 9am, it allows only a couple of shots per day. After pushing to her high point higher,
and higher each day and working out those finite details of body positioning Monique was
successful on her 10th day! Another job well done.....
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