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Questions regarding routes, bolt and grades. 20-Mar-2018 At 10:09:03 PM IdratherbeclimbingM9

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On 20-Mar-2018 bigchris wrote:
>On 20-Mar-2018 ajfclark wrote:
>>Is there good gear between the belay and the first bolt?
>
>
>
>Ummmmm.....there's no gear. The first bolt is about 2 meters, the second
>bolt about 3.5 meters, and then there is an almost body width chimney for
>about 25 meters. If you don't have a super big tube chock, big bro or Valley
>Giant (Valley Giants rock btw), you've got no gear from the bolts to the
>top. And when I say no gear, there is actually zero gear. Not even a seam
>for an RP! :D :D :D

and kieranl wrote...
>Grading : If this is the Pinch then it was originally graded 12 with 2 bolts for aid by BA and Bangla. IT was freed by Rod Young at grade 16 in 1975. They were all pretty solid on Buffalo wide cracks so I'd be a bit wary about upgrading it.

Although I haven't climbed with Bill Andrews (who led the pitch in question), I've had the pleasure of climbing with his partner of the day Peter Watling, on a couple of other nearby-ish offwidthy style chimneys and gutters at Mt Buffalo...
As a result of that experience I vouch first hand for the run-out style in which they were done and of which was considered normal not only back then, but also by some of us still today...

Modern generation climbers consider the style involved as an old school sandbag, even with gear that these days can protect some of it.
Run outs have always been daunting, though chimney thrutching was almost an essential ingredient in one's climbing apprenticeship back then, with few these days acquiring the head-space / comfort zone necessary to tackle them confidently, due the required style largely falling out of vogue...
The most recent example of demonstrating the necessary ability characteristics that I'm aware of, is Singer Smith free-soloing most everything of similar nature out at The Horn...

When I get some free time I shall reproduce a few photos from an original Mt Buffalo Guidebook and post them here to demonstrate more clearly what was involved.

... Done.