Tassie Time (insert MC Hammer tunage)

So I’ll start this little blog with a typical opener…. ‘Sorry it’s been so long since I last posted, I have been sooooo busy’.

Well I guess I have been, but more accurately I was just finding other things to be busy with.

The last few months have flown by and we are now half way through the year, and this one has been bloody quick. So quick that Game of Thrones is almost over for another season!!!

So climbing hey……well that’s the name of the game right. I've been getting out a bit and it’s been a lot of fun. This update will quickly cover my Tassie and Blue Mountains trips earlier in the year, State Titles, and recent Wimmera action.

Tasmania – well this was my second trip in as many years and with bad weather at the Star Factory in the past I was really keen to get to some new areas and hang out with old friends – 'Crazy' John Fischer, Anna, Simon, Grug and Co. I had a couple of weeks up my sleeve, and jumped on the ferry with a few goals in mind.

1)      learn some crack skills (open ended goal setting at its finest)

2)      climb the Totem Pole

3)      climb something at Mt Brown

4)      climb White Powder (Fingal)

5)      climb Deeper Water (Lake Huntley, Tyndall Range)

Here is an extract from my travel diary…..

Day 1

Dear Diary,

I tried a 18 fist crack today. I had one cam that was flaring with I frog leaped to halfway. I got scared. I frog leaped cam down and got off. Jugged out of area to drink beer at C.J.'s.

Day 2

Dear Diary,

Backed of a 21. Jugged 50m out of Organ pipes. Drank more beer and ate curry.

Day 3

Gave up on Goal 1 – and diary writing.

PS, above extract never put to paper. If it had been, it would have read that way.

Jack seconding Pitch 1 & 2

So onward and upwards -  Met up with a toothless pirate going by the name Capt Jack Jane. We ended up having a right old adventure down on the Tasman Peninsula. First day out, we climbed Talk Is Cheap a 210m grade 24, a fun outing up the main face of Mt Brown. For me this was the first ‘little big wall’ I’d been on. Not big by world standards but more pitches from start to finish than I've done. The rap in down the face towards a churning top-loading washing machine first thing in the morning was exhilarating to say the least. Jack and I managed to do it pretty quickly without to many hiccups except for one factor two fall I took when a large flat sloper I was using to avoid some manky flake broke off, two body lengths from the anchor. Classic.

My Selfie (on a remote timer) topping out on the Tote

Next day out, my arthritic ankle was suffering from the cruisey walk the day before. Never mind, nothing a 90 odd min hike to the Totem Pole to loosen it up before some sea stack action. The Tote was challenge that first came into my consciousness when I first starting mucking around at the Nunawading gym some 11 years ago. I was watching a Gillette Sports (channel 9 I think) on a Sunday afternoon. Featured was the first female ascent of the Totem Pole by Roxanne Wells. This was so cool. Grade 25 seemed miles off at the time, and I don’t think I knew where Tasmania was…..jokes. To go have a great day out with Jack on this route was one of the best days climbing I've had. We went up the obvious route, not the original spiral staircase of Monks & Mentz. Although the route was (11 years later for me) not that technically difficult, I felt a little pressure to do it first go because I was tired and it was a little involved to red-point plus road trip blah blah. So being able to on-sight both pitches was a great feeling, and one I’ll remember for a long time. Especially having to fight of cramping hands near the top of 2^nd pitch – so good!

For me these were two big days of walking and climbing…..I was stuffed. Hats off to Simon Young and Alex Lewis for doing the Triple; both routes mentioned above AND Cape Raoul mission in 24 hrs. Shhhaaaaiitttt.

Right onto other things; Goal 4 - White Powder 31 at Fingal. Garry Phillips put up this masterpiece at a crag you would have to say as being a Winter Crag. Facing north and surrounded by black cliffs, this orange wall gets hot and climbs like Spurt Wall in the Grampians. I like this style, positive slopey holds on gently overhanging terrain. I saw a video of Garry cruising this ‘pumper’ and was pretty psyched to get on it. C.J. and I went there with Grug, Anabel and Young-Gun. It was way too hot really resulting in a draining wait until the last two hours of daylight before attempting. I managed to get my high-point on last attempt by head torch, only a few moves from the tick. My problem ended up being a simple one, I was rushed. I thought I had it dialled only to fall off then try another sequence from the ground. Anyway, the route is a classic bit of climbing, very fun, and I gave it a good crack – including a last min attempt a week later by head torch. It was hotter still and no wind. No dice.

Victorians ain't fit climbers

Onto the Tyndall mission, well it certainly felt like a mission. The Lake Huntley Cliffs is as remote a place I've been to go climbing. It’s not often I think about letting people know where I am in case I don’t return in three days. It’s a 3 and a bit hour drive north-northwest of Hobart through arse rape and banjo territory. It’s a 2 hour walk up hill. It’s a 305m abseil in and it’s a 305m vertical-going-on-slab conglomerate cliff face to get back to top. It also happens to be the wettest area in Tasmania, with 3m of rainfall annually. The cliffs surround a massive lake that resembles a meteor crater filled with glass like water. There has to be some crazy creatures living in this prehistoric pond. So cool to imagine what could be cruising its depths…….maybe a diving mission one day. 

Lake Huntley Cliffs

My words don’t really do it justice and unfortunately nether do my version of point and shoot photos. Anyway, C.J. had been frothing as he does for about a week before we got there, making plans, checking the weather every 14.3 mins and planning the attack. CJ has lots of experience on the big stuff and I had one route from the week before. We had come up with a game plan to do a route called Deeper Water, 27 - 305m (mixed) in a day in a team red-point style, at least one of us leading each pitch clean. The route was established by Adam Donoghue and Gareth Llewellin, back in 2005. Since then it had only seen a couple of ascents (Alex and Simon?), but none in a single push or single day. Previous attempts had seen groups leave fixed lines, or take a portaledge. We decided that to go for it in a day we would pull the ropes and literally face a shit night and walk the next day if we failed. This ‘walk’ I speak of had only been made possible in less than 3 days of bush bashing, thanks to some enterprising B.A.S.E. jumpers jacked on speed (rumoir) and some chainsaws a year earlier. We had meticulous planning including photo copied topos, heaps of water and energy bars to be stashed on the wall. Our pack was light with only the bare necessities, only one down jacket, first aid kit and a camera. We had a 3 day weather window so all looked good.

Morning Rappel In 

We woke in the bivvy cave at the top of the cliffs around 5:30 am and after a large coffee cooled with milk powder we headed off, arriving at the top of the route at around 6 am. The usual abseil route (double bolt belays) would have got us to the bottom quickly, however our plan was to check out the route on the way down, leave some water and quick-draws to lighten our gear for the first half. It took a couple of hours to get down the route – never knew an abseil could be so awe inspiring and daunting at the same time. As the sun came up, we were welcomed by a golden wall that looked epic. It was also about the time that the coffee and milk powder kicked it. My guts were in agony as I held onto a massive cliff poo while rapping the last 3 pitches (cruxes), C.J. who was going first, would have been off the rope for barely a second and I was running down the wall to meet him. In my haste to find a bush at the bottom I wasn't able to check to route out as planned. On the ground however I was treated to a most satisfying poo with a view – funny how being out in the bush allows you to appreciate the little things.

9 am Pitch 1, the “Gate Keeper” grade 27. C.J. went up first, probably cause I was busy shitting myself. He was able to work out the intricacies without ever making it look easy, an awesome effort for the first crack. Our plan had been to work out the moves and red-point it around 2 pm once the sun had left the wall (baked and glaring). At around 10 or a bit after I decided I’d go for it. C.J. had the draws on, but I couldn't see any holds from the ground. The wall is like looking at white and grey magic eye picture. I set off, nervous beyond comfort. No pressure – yeah right!! Flash it and we are in the box seat. Go for it, but blow it at the top and I could be toasted or open up a tip. C.J. had advised against going for it and sticking to the plan of 2 pm red-point. I still hadn't decided when I was approaching the first hard section. It involved some techy foot moves and a long move to an invisible pebble. John was yelling out some beta here, but it didn't help, the wall became two dimensional, with sunlight from above and reflected from the lake below. The infinitely featured wall became featureless. I hung around for what felt like eternity before committing to the move. I think my feet were starting to get sore, so had to go for it. I stuck it and the next move and so on. The more moves I got through the more I had decided I had to go all the way in this go or not at all. If I blew it, C.J. would still have a chance of red-pointing it, and keeping the team RP goal alive. The last few meters were all that remained, and I got the sequence a little muddled. The last move became a slightly nerve racking lunge to the belay ledge. This was without a doubt my proudest flash; no warm up, difficult to read, bottom of a 305m route, crux of said route. I yelled out to the hills, it was an amazing feeling, yet it was only the beginning. 

Lunch Ledge

Because of the time we now had up our sleeve, C.J. would have an attempt and come agonisingly close, coming off past the crux of the pitch. We were out of time and I jugged back up. The rest of the climb started of well, we got to the second crux pitch, a bouldering 26, just after lunch. I set off and fell a couple of times when two holds broke. This was the first time where I wasn't sure we’d succeed. After a 15 min break while CJ had go, I had another crack. This time I was able to crimp through the crux, splitting a tip, and continue through. We were home and hosed or so I thought. It was now dark and we had 5 pitches or so to go. Long story short, we were tired and the whole world in a one square metre of head torch light sucked. More than I thought it would. We carried on, however in a daze of fatigue I was reading the topo wrong. Where we should have gone up and left, I was reading up and right……or something. C.J. who was on lead asked me to get the topo out one too many times and I bloody well dropped it. Following some bolts found us in a weird spot; thought we were off route, couldn't work out how we had gotten off route, worried about failing the one day push etc. After an hour or so in the above state, including aiding through what we thought was an aid pitch (off to the right somewhere) and seeing some karabiners and not realising that they were the ones we left on an anchor that morning, we decided to bail. This was a horrible choice to make. We had come so far, had the weather window we needed, I’d flashed the crux, and we’d gotten past the last of the 2 hard pitches with what we thought to be 3 or 4 left. It was agony, and the decent sucked balls harder than a Godfrey’s ad. A bunch of abseils down and 2 hours later we were on the ground again. Still smiling, disappointed but glad to be off the wall, it was now 1:00 am. We knew of the base jumpers track, but had no chance of finding it in the dark, let alone safely get up to the top. A shit house bivvy was to follow. We had one down jacket (C.J's, which of course was more for show than warmth – I think he stole it from a homeless dude in the states), 3 ropes, a backpack and one small emergency blanket from my first aid kit. I can’t remember feeling so vulnerable yet having a great time all the same. We were at the mercy of the elements, totally fucked mind and body yet we could still see the funny side of it all.

Cold AS!

 To stay warm we half spooned (back to back, not that cold yet), took it in turns to half the jacket for an hour, and flaked the ropes back and forth while waiting for daylight. It was the coldest I've even been. Proper uncontrolled shaking for almost 5 hours. At the first hint of a light purple sky we were up and about looking for the cutting and track up to the bivvy. It took almost 45 mins even in growing daylight to find the track. From there it was almost 3 hours or so of walking up and muddy hill and through the forest. 

Once at the bivvy it was quick lunch/breakfast/dinner and an attempt at sleep, nice idea except for the march flies.

I think John killed about 150 while reading the bible. 

Too shit to sleep we hiked down to the car and drove back to Hobart. I was only during the drive back, and about the 39^th hour of being awake that I realised that we had been on track and not off route. FUCK! When preparing we had it in our minds that once we got up the 26 there would be a 24, 25 and two 20s. In actual fact there was a 23 first. We’d forgotten about the 23 pitch. When I read the topo I was reading the description for the grade 24 pitch which explains why we seemed to be off route. FUCK! We’d been in the box seat to do it in a day. At least we didn't get wet.

View from top - bivvy cave to the right

Wow, that is a fair bit to digest. Sorry if that got a bit like a romance novel or something. Don’t know how else to give you an insight into a really fun adventure. Different to the normal climbing I've done. Anyway, what’s happened since Tasmania – in a nutshell.

I went up the Blue Mountains for almost 2 weeks to hangout with Old Mates and check out the latest craze, Elphinstone. The crag was awesome, but involved and I managed to fall off high on lots but not send anything. I did however get up Some Kind of Bliss, 30/31 at Diamond Falls. Great fun, and something I’d wanted to do for a long time since my first trip there in 2004.
As always it was great to hang out with the Blue Mtns crew; Elmar, Kat, Rowan, Tom, Amanda, Lee, Julian, Gay Dave, Norry and Nigel. It was inspiring to see how strong and psyched everyone is up there. I do feel its about time I move up for a bit .........few people (Mel Shields) will think this is a running joke as I always say that.

Since then it has been back to weekend warrior thing in the Grampians, even if my weekends are midweek. Since Easter I focused on a few things that have been on my To-Do list for years and it was great to get up them.

Tourniquet (30) on Taipan

Who’s a Naughty Boy? (31) On Spurt Wall and

Somoza (32) on Sandinista Wall.

With some concentrated effort on the red point process it was most enjoyable, especially Somoza because I didn't try and red-point it until it was ready, then it was first (lets go for it) go.

I also went down to Melbourne to have a crack at the State Titles. Competitions are not my thing. A couple of years ago I won the title down at Bayside gym. The whole day I felt shaky, weak and fatigued. I even fell asleep in isolation for the final. The win was close and surprising. It was the first time that I had become aware of some real anxiety issues when it came to performing in front of a crowd. Not sure if it was there as kid swimming competitively or playing football, yet it was here and real now. I didn't compete at the nationals, or go onto compete last year. It was a horrible feeling. I started working on it, and spoke to a few people and now have a better understanding of my symptoms. This year was a test to see if I could push through it. I went into the competition expecting to feel sick and shaky and a little weak. Knowing this before hand made it easier to climb while it was happening. Although I felt crap, the qualifications went quite smoothly. In the final I came out last, and still felt like I had a handle on the nerves, which is a shame because I rattled a pocket move and fell off half way. Really disappointing to say the least, I’d worked pretty hard, and didn't fall from being pumped or misreading the sequence, just rattled out of a pocket. Anyway, it wasn't the most enjoyable day at the office. Congratulations to Campbell Harrison who took the win, most deserved. On the day I wasn't happy with 2^nd Place, but that’s only because I wanted to win haha. 2^nd is still good hey.

Apart from that, I've been playing on some projects on Sandinista and getting ready for a trip to Rocklands in a couple of weeks time.

Sorry that was a long winded blog entry.

- Grosey

Hot Dang

Chook, looking happy with his creation...

Not so much now though...

One or two of you may have noted a lack of posts lately from down under. There really is only one reason for it, it has been hot, really oppressively, heart breakingly, stinking, blood hot. In the last month there have been 2 days under 30 and they weren't far off either. So, any fitness that I had gained from my route climbing in December and early Jan has disappeared and I am now master of the mid grade. It has been too hot to even get excited to try hard. Sweating your way up routes in a brief window before exhaustion or disinterest sinks in is really the only answer. Instead I have been focusing my efforts on a wicked new pursuit, tree jumping... So, Lake Fyan's, which is about 15 mins from my place is the venue and it works like this. Grab a kayak, paddle out to the deeper water, lash the kayaks, swim across to your chosen tree, find a route up and then jump from as high as you dare. Pehaps throw in a backflip for good measure. Sweeeeet. It has been a great addition to the list of activities and has other benefits. There is a great beach there that you can drive on to and have a BBQ post swim and lounge around in deck chairs sipping on a cold beer. All in all it has been a pretty fun summer, but it has felt like it has been hard work to get anything substantial done. Anyways, I guess you guys aren't that psyched for reading about my non-climbing related activities, so here's a run down.

Adding the bolts...

And the send...

I have been trying two routes a bit, but have had no luck. I have wanted to do, 'Who's a naughty boy?', 32 for a long time, but it is my anti-style really with the crux coming right at the end and being a continuous 10 move boulder. I can pull on and do the moves without too much effort, but doing the 29 route beforehand just saps that little edge that you need for it. I have come really close on a bunch of occasions, but have oozed off the final moves, very frustrating, but not entirely unexpected in these conditions. I have also had a play on United Nations which is an awesome wall that shades up nicely in the afternoon, so is perfect for an evening session, post work. This one is a different prospect, just a hard boulder that I haven't managed to do yet. It has a pretty hard mono move into a two finger undercling and is sick. It's probably 31/32, but not sure. Some visiting Frankendura local pathed it, but for mono mortals it is quite hard and has only had two repeats, so we shall see. I'll perservere with both, but am really just looking forward to the colder weather now and some serious bouldering. My flirtation with a cord is almost at an end.

I have been spending a bit of time at Arapiles, where the gullies offer some nice cooler microclimates of their own and you can chase the shade through multiple venues for the day. For those who don't know, Arapiles is one of the best trad climbing crags in the world, but is not entirely without some hard and techo sport routes as well. Luckily enough, I was gifted a project by one of my friends last week. A short four move boulder leads to easier climbing up higher. Perfect for a boulderer like myself. He'd already drilled the holes in it, all I had to do was throw two expansions in and pop the hangers on and go for it. The result, was an easier than expected, but still fun little 28, Mormon Poultry and is a good little addition to Doggers Gully. Anyways, last night was quite cool and low temps are forecast for the weekend, so hopefully there'll be some more action to report after the weekend.

Punks

The last month in Natimuk has flown by in a blur. It could be because I'm getting older and 31 days doesn't seem in a relative sense that long anymore. Most likely because of NYE and the following couple of weeks with a rotating crew of people from Melbourne and the Blue Mountains hanging out in Lake Ave. Time flies when having fun right?

Good Conditions!!?

In my last musings I mentioned that I'd had a quick play on Punks in the Gym, on Uncle Charlies. This route doesn't need an introduction from me. It's even more well known than Bert Newton. It is a route that I first heard about when this crazy young dude from the Blue Mountains was down living in the Pines. He sent it "like a bitch on heat", I didn't even know who Ben Cossey was until that point. The route since then was something that I wanted to do, but it was always put to the back of my mind. Several reasons existed for this, the main one being I was intimidated. Intimidated by both the style of the route, technical with some smearing, and the route's history. I probably didn't want to fail on a route so famous. When people overseas had found out I was from Australia they asked if I had done Punks....my ego probably found it easier to say "I hadn't been on it yet" rather than "no I can't do it". Whatever the reason I had avoided it for when I was stronger or something. In November last, when I played on it, I found that one small section near the end gave me a heap of trouble. I couldn't find a comfortable way to get through the last technical section. My plan then involved walking away for a time, learn some Araps skills, and then come back to it at Easter when it cooled down. 

New Plan - Sleep until sunset

This plan lasted all of 3 weeks into the new year. Gordon Poultney got psyched and easily convinced me to have a play on a cool 37 degree day. 'The moves are only going to feel easier in the future' was the moto of the day. Funnily enough the moves felt more straight forward than several months earlier. The weather for the rest of the week remained in high 30s which meant that I had one or two shots just before sunset one day then waited until the weekend when Saturday cooled off dramatically down to the mid 20s. Perfect summer conditions. 

Hitting the Bird Bath

Redpointing for me in the past has been a real battle. Normally I would try something, work out the moves or think I do, then just go for it from the ground. This would usually end up with doing something within a few shots or turn into massive epic which would only end when I'd given up all together and had gone through a minimum of three belayers. These sends would be more a relief rather than satisfaction - not exactly the feeling that I am looking for. After pulling off my best Charlie Sheen impersonation at Little Hands after falling off at the chains my project there for the fourth time, I devised a plan for 2013. Make sure I can do all the moves, can do overlapped sections, and visualise the entire route - then go for it from the ground. Sounds simple and basic but it has taken years for me to realise I hadn't been doing this. While frustratingly obvious now, it is why climbing is so good, I can always learn something. Punks was the first route I tried this new plan out on.......and it made a huge difference. I put no pressure on myself regarding number of attempts or time (now that I'm living in Nati there is heaps of time) and the difference was massive. I still did my usual fall from the last move but I didn't lose my shit, just accepted that I wasn't ready to do it. Slight modification of the move and the next time I got there I sent. Satisfaction! 

Organ Pipes - Mt Wellington

Well now I have some time off work and hanging around down in Hobart. Not sure exactly what I am going to do but pretty keen to have a crack at Gary Phillips' new route While Powder 31/32 at Bare Rock. It would also be cool to learn how to climb cracks at Mt Wellington so that I have some confidence to go do something bigger. As it is, I had to bail off a grade 19 hand crack cause I didn't have enough gear the right size and it scared the shit out of me. Ah rock climbing, one day you can be as high as a kite, then next eating humble pie. So much to learn!

- Grosey

Summer Lovin'

For the first time in many years I have been at home for a summer. Usually I would prefer to be hanging out in cooler climes, such as Switzerland, Spain or England at this time of year. Mostly to climb on primo rock with my Northern Hemisphere peeps, but also to avoid the hideous heat that Australia is capable of producing at this time of year. For an example of this, I need only cast my mind back to yesterday when it was 40degrees. For anyone who hasn't experienced that kind of heat, it is brutal. Stinging sweat, plagues of flies and burn-in-five minutes sun rays. Not much to be achieved when it comes. I rode up Mt William at 8am, a solid 10km hill climb, was home by 10.30 and then got in situ on the couch for the day. A waste of holidays really, but it's not all bad, there are a heap of days when the temperatures are not as high and some of the evenings are actually pretty good. Now I need to clarify this a little. When I say that it's good, I mean for route climbing. As you may know, if you have followed this for a while, I am mostly a boulderer and I love the cold weather. I love the feeling of my fingers crushing cold stone, knowing that any error is going to on my part and not a mere slip from a greasy or hot grip. That's not to say that I'm not a route climber, I grew up climbing trad at Arapiles and have climbed trad and sport in a lot of different places around the globe. It's just that I have really been focusing on putting up new problems and just trying to crush as hard as I can. But, when in Rome... So this summer I promised myself I would take a little break from pebble wrestling and tie in again like the old days... There are a few routes that I have had my eye on for some time and a couple in particular that I have tried before. I had a little early success on Contra Arms Pump, an old school mixed trad and sport route, 30 and decided the time was now to have a lash at Samosa, a 35 move 32. Not exactly cutting edge, but harder than anything I had done and a really interesting mix of power and power endurance. It breaks down to a V9 boulder at the start, followed by a second insecure problem of about 6/7. No problems right? But, there is no shake in between, I could chalk one hand once and the climbing from one to the next is tenuous and tension dependent. So, by the time I was exiting the second problem I was taxed and would fall from the final press before a good rest leading in to the final section. Did I mention the slab? Oh yeah, and there is a final slab section, where you go from a 25degree overhang on first and second joint holds to an under vertical bit with micro crimps and a weird and insecure finger lock that only takes the first half joint of your index finger. But, I couldn't fall from there if I made it, could I? Course I bloody could. I managed to fall from just about every conceivable point on the route. The only part that I really had nailed was the bottom crux. I could hike the power crux every time, but just had to take the time to gain the necessary resistance to do the rest. It was trying. I like the process, I enjoy the mental battle, but I gotta tell ya, falling from the slab was heart breaking. But, as they say, every cloud and all that... The day I finally sent, there was no pressure. It was just me and my friend Emma at the crag. I was warm and ready. I had no expectations, just an overwhelming sense of satisfaction that I was out on the rock on a lovely afternoon. Our conversation was relaxed and full of friendly banter and I realised that this is what climbing is really about to me. Being with friends in amazing places. I tied in, not even thinking about the end game, I climbed smoothly and confidently and before I even realised I was standing on the top of the slab, not knowing what had happened. I bathed in the glow of satisfaction... for five minutes, then I tied in and started up my next project...

Thanks as always to all the belayers who were goaded, beaten and cajoled into holding my ropes. I do appreciate it... Really, I do!

Across the Plains

The past few months have been rather hectic. If you read my last post you would remember that I was awarded a Gumby toy, for the most uncoordinated climber in Victoria. Falling off the top of a boulder, clutching desperately to a wire brush and my glasses was not the acrobatic phenomenon I had envisaged. With my busted ribs in tow, I headed back to Melbourne where aside from my thumbs (playstation) I wasted away.

Skip forward to October and the best conditions of the year. It seemed the Wimmera was alive with activity. Visiting rockstars from home and abroad created a real buzz around the plains. Pity I was relegated to the training room trying to get some 'omph' back. It never takes long to get back to my normal strength level, probably because I'm really a pumper pretending to be strong.

First thing I got back on, was the horse who bit me?? The boulder I brushed up and fell off at Araps. It is this awesome little prow behind Castle crag. So obvious that I'm astounded it hadn't been done before. Local legend Dave Jones, tells me he had seen it years ago, but it had been forgotten. Anyway this little gem took a little longer than the 15 mins of daylight I had allocated to it, and had to be done at a second sitting. I think its about V8  and have called it 'All the King's Men', an obvious reference to my relaxed attitude to sexual promiscuity ie. Easy as Eggs or Humpty. Take your pick it's a classic all the same.  

It seemed that this spring, Mt Arapiles was the where the buzz was maintained. Sneaky afternoons after work were spent at Uncle Charlies mostly, as thats where the belayers were. I needed some quick lessons on smearing again and managed to get up Ethiopia 29/30 without much drama. Next over to Punks. This obscure routes is actually rather cool. Don't listen to what they all say about it. I was able to get a pretty good feel for it within a couple of reconnaissance missions, however there was a one meter section above the 'bird bath' that gave me some grief. I was not able to find a sequence that flowed for me. I got frustrated, as I do (see Easy as Egg comment above) and decided to leave it for awhile.

With only a couple of weeks before heading back to Melbourne for a month of nail biting medical emergencies, such 2 days of constipation, bad dreams and stubbed toes, I headed down to the Grampians. I was chaperoned around a new bouldering area called the Bleachers near Halls Gap by Simon, Matt and Venessa. I didn't get up much - not unusual - because I was more interested in filming. I've started a little bouldering number that should be out sometime in the coming months. 

 

Rodeo Drive, 29 FA. Photo: Gareth Llewellin

On the new route front, I managed to clip the chains of a couple of things. Firstly, a roof at the Plaza Strip that I bolted in the depths of an Antartic Winter. It starts up a rippled Grampian's slab, then busts straight out back over itself through a roof.

The hardest moves turned out to be, holding on for dear life as I pounced (impossible to jump) out of a stretched toe hook position to gain a good pinch. With legs spinning wildly I must have looked like that white guy in the NBA who can almost slam dunk. I called it Rodeo Drive and its a classic 29.

Also in the Grampians I managed to send a project at Little Hands. It is a rising traverse that breaches the steepest part of the cave and is essentially a link up of the other routes that I bolted there. I had tried it on and off for a couple of years, getting no where fast as it is hard to find belayers in Victoria willing to go to areas where the warm up is a grade 28. I had been trying a super cool 9a sequence that stayed low and went into the crux of my Substance D, now considered 30. This as I say was nails, and it was only by chance that Alister Robertson suggested busting up a little earlier.


Afro Warrior, 30 FA. Photo Neil Monteith

A new sequence unlocked; a wicked throw out of a kneebar and the route was on. Not without dramas though as it turns out that roof slug thugging for 20m is tiring as all buggery. I fell several times over a couple days, attempting to clip the chains. Somehow Alister is still talking to me after an outburst to put Christian Bale to shame. That was one time I was glad no one else frequented this most wicked of caves. Well, I was able to do the route now named 'Afro Warrior', grade 30?, on a sneaky daytrip about a week later. I'm stoked to have done it, as falling with the chains in your face is hard to take sometimes, let alone 3 or 4.....I'd lost count by then.


Well 2012 felt like it went rather quickly and now the plans for 2013 are beginning to take shape. I've moved up to the Wimmera for good now, so no more back and forth from Melbourne. I have several specific goals for this year and in my mind they require me to be close to them and climbing lots; the only thing I can do well off the couch is drink beer and coffee. I've still got several projects I bolted ready to be attempted and I have also spent a bit of time looking at a yet to be freed line on Taipan. Hopefully more on that one soon. Trips are planned too, Tassie again if it hasn't burnt down completely and then hopefully to Europe for a month. Gotta start getting into shape again - if only the training room wasn't so hot!!

Yep thats 47.6 degrees in the shade!

 

Hopefully the new year resolutions are still kicking along nicely.

- Grosey





The Red Mist Descends

Mid Crux... Again

It can be really draining trying a problem over and over. And trying a single move for days on end can seem like a complete waste of time, particularly if you have the attention span of a goldfish, like me. Now, what was I saying? Oh yeah...I spied this beautiful prow about four months ago, but didn't even wander up to have a proper look at it until a couple of weeks later. I was immediately blown away by how perfect the rock was and how difficult each individual move would be. Initially, I was only able to do three of the eleven moves, but could conceive doing all but one of them.
I have done of lot of new problems this year and it has been incredible. Most of them have taken only a session or two to knock over, apart from the Taken, which due to its height proved more of an issue. But, I have lacked something really hard to throw myself at. This prow would be perfect. The crux is low to the ground, easily worked on without a spotter and it is close to home, so after work sessions were a go.
I have never spent that much time on a problem, nor a route for that matter. Normally, either I do the moves quickly and then the problem or I can't do a move or two and I move on. Not this time. I was pretty sure that the crux would go down, but I would have to train for it. It wasn't a power issue either I didn't think, but more of a body tension thing. So, I went to work on the swiss ball, at the same time as trying the problem a couple of times a week. Anytime that I sat down in front of the tele I would do some sit ups or stabilizing exercises. The benefits were pretty immediate. On an afternoon out with Chook, I managed to do the problem from post-crux to the top. I was chuffed and had a renewed sense of purpose. At times I was pretty dejected about the whole thing, I had tried the crux move at least a hundred times and was making very little progress. The crux is a weird move, a proper compression slap from a good hold on your right, underneath the roof, to a single pad, slightly off camber hold. You have a toe hook on the arete with your left foot and a scummy heel toe with your right. Left hand open-handing the arete. There was so much momentum, that every time I fell from the hold I would end up about a meter downhill from where my left hand had started.

Victors ledge. Matt and I laughing about my smooth top-out skills

It was draining too. Maybe three or four adult tries and then another ten weaker attempts and that would be it for the session. Day eight on the problem and I still hadn't done the move, I was getting cabin fever from sitting underneath the roof for so long, trying to envisage another way of doing the move. The session before I had paused on the hold and fallen directly underneath the holds, but that was the most progress I had made in four weeks. Matt and Vanessa were up for the weekend, which always boosts my psych. Since those guys moved here, I have been more motivated than ever. Their enthusiasm for climbing and general good humor is infectious, not to mention the fact that they know all the same movie quotes as me... Anyways, Ness was on camera and Matt on spotting duty. I got him to take a little weight through the move, trying to train my body to remember how to catch the hold. After a couple of attempts, with very little assistance, I did the move and then, after a brief rest, I did it on my own. I was elated. I was so happy, I considered just calling it a day there and then coming back to finish the problem. Matt and Ness were having none of it, so I tried it from the start. All of a sudden I was at the last move, but a bit of slippage and I was off. Normally, I would be pretty angry, but I was so surprised to get there that it didn't matter. Twice more I did the same thing. So close, but I was smoked. Ah well, I guess I could come back during the week with a spotter and get it done. Again, the guys talked me into one last go. And thank fuck they did, as that was the money shot. I cruised through the crux and slapped with renewed energy, until only the difficult top out remained. I slapped blindly to the top and missed the hold, but was so determined that I dropped my hand back and went again, grovelled around and then swung my body back on to the slab and rocked it out to the top. Red Mist was born. I gave it V12, but it may be harder, we'll just have to wait and see... Thanks again to all those who spotted me and provided moral support.

Swingin Spring

Grosey, Blackbeard's Delight

White Shadow

Forgive me Matthew it's been a while since my last confession blog session. After a long and unusually wet winter, Spring has offered herself up for some primo sessions. After knocking over The Taken, I started working on another little area that I discovered near Halls Gap. It's been awesome too. Lots of varied rock, but a good, solid density of hard climbing. Fellow Red Chili and Wild Country sponsored wad, Scott Walter made his annual pilgrimage down to the Grampians to escape the humidity and general foulness of Sydney and to catch up with the newly expatriated Matt Tait and Vanessa Tocatjin, who were in residence at Arnie Acres. Our little party ventured out with much excitement, ready to do some cleaning and get our crush on. We brushed up the first bloc we came across, a grand distance of about 4 meters from the walking track. Initially, this was to be our warm up boulder, but it didn't quite pan out that way. Instead, the Sex Panther boulder was born. Here's a list of the problems that we managed to establish:

Scoots, battling the mantle on Musk Up

The Quickening

Sex Panther V10
Blackbeard's Delight V8/9
London Gentleman V10
Musk Up V9
Smelly Pirate Hooker V7
Not a bad start to the area...

Everywhere we looked there seemed to be more problems. After initially writing the area off as having only a handful of classics, I was pleasantly surprised to be able to return there day after day to establish new lines. Now called the Bleachers, there is a vast array of awesome problems there, from steep, hard, compression prows, to slopey, font-like classics, made for the technicians amongst us. I even managed to discover and ascend one of the coolest aretes that I have seen in the Grampians. Climbing just like a Grit route and with a similar amount of gear, it is an absolute beauty. It's just awaiting a second ascent now...

Blackbeard's

And a few more new problems:
The Quickening V10
The Walker V9
CMD V8
Evac V7
Force Code V9/10
Gangnum Style V9