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Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User
Psychos I have climbed with 28-Aug-2007 At 4:23:42 PM hipster
Message
When I first learnt to climb, and I'd lead some trad to about 16, I was invited to go for a climb with an English workmate called Mike Weekes. We bunked off work early and headed off to North Head to climb The Fear (17), a climb he'd done before. I was pretty scared after rapping in but felt in safe hands as we roped up at the belay. I followed him up 2 of the sandiest pitches I've still ever done, the second pitch being a rising traverse which he went off-route on, and placed some gear while off route which he left for me to take out. The occasional bolt was rusted to about 4mm, and flaking dark brown all over.So I top out dripping in sweat,shagged and bloodied( I'd fallen off route getting the gear out and taken a few slumpies on pitch 2) only to be told that he'd realised we were in fact not on The Fear. He didn't realise this till he summited and saw The Fear's belay bolts 10 metres to our right!! The climb we'd just done was a 22, and someone had died on it 2 weeks before we did it!!
One day I'll get him back for that....

Ziggy...not a person, but still a psycho...
Me and Carter head out late after work in summer to Pindari to climb a 2 pitch route called Jets Over Jordan, a classic 24. He brings Ziggy along for a walk. It's a rap in climb out affair. The top of the crag is pretty sloping so Carter ties up Ziggy while I set up the rap. We rap off and I succeed in sandbagging him on the first pitch. Ziggy is making a hell of a racket up the top. As I start leading the second pitch we see Ziggy off to the left, on the next arete. He's escaped, has spotted us, and is really distressed. Simon is yelling at him to get away from the edge. I continue on up, all the while listening to him wail. The top of the second pitch is not quite at the ledge you rap off, so the go usually is to bring the seconder up and then belay each other up the last little bit, which is loose and awkward. As I get to the belay Simon asks me to go on up to the top to shut Ziggy up, who is hysterical by now.
As I go up the last little bit Ziggy is there, going nuts a couple of feet away and coming closer to me and the loose, steep edge. I'm yelling at him but it doesn't work. As he gets closer I have one hand jammed in the crack, and with the other I start punching him, but that doesn't work either. He's over the edge, and wants a cuddle. I pull onto the sloping rubble, a handful of Ziggy's neck in one hand, and with the other i start yarding on the rope, which now has hideous drag, so I can anchor to a tree and make us both safe. I'm not very happy..
Simon comes up and comments that the last couple of moves were quite difficult and must have been scary on lead......
On the way back to the car Ziggy chases a kangaroo and dissapears for 45 minutes, and we get mauled by mosquitoes waiting for him. Now I'm late for a dinner the wife's cooked and in the bad books with her!!

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