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TR The Last Wave FA 3-Jan-2014 At 10:57:15 PM sbm

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Well we did it, two hours car to car starting at about 5pm. Turns out even plenty of U bolts can't quite sport-ify the sea cliffs, a little more adventure than I was planning on.

We parked on Chris Bang Crescent, the access was awful, we had to walk almost twenty metres across the whole park and there were even bindis in the grass. Fixed a static and rapped in without incident, there's a nice big square platform to aim for.

The first pitch was dispatched, hilarious mantle up on to the little ledge, then haul onto the wall above on jugs, then twenty meters of tip toeing on crispy eggshells, up to a ledge under the choss roof. I had a couple of cams and placed one at some point for good measure.

Brendan did well seconding. But just after unclipping the last draw, he pulled off a jug, and took a big swinging fall straight onto the belay. "I'll just swing back around!" he said, I cringed and tried to hold the rope clear as it pinged over all the little crispy eggshell edges.

The start of the second pitch looked bad, quite blank and hard, and all the slopey footholds were covered in rock dust from the recently drilled belay bolts. (Although, that could have just been the normal covering of sand).

Brendan stepped up, and actually managed to free off the belay, I was impressed. He made it to the first bolt, but then went up into the choss rather than staying low and traversing left. Another huge chunk of rock pulled off and he screamed and fell, taking a big factor 1 and ending up a bit below me and to the left. I got bashed into the rock a bit on the belay, and was starting to get scared.

But Brendan pulled back on and climbed the rest of the pitch, through the worst and rope-cuttiest choss on the route and past some delicate and dirty moves, to successfully mantle onto the next belay ledge.

Seconding was scary, traversing off the belay with sharp edges looming above. I got through it and we were at the last pitch.

Despite being the technical crux, the last pitch was great fun for me, the best rock, heaps of bolts and short, the hero pitch! I got up to the first big throw over the roof, went "Whoaaa super sandy!", backed off to the cave, then went up again and got it. Then there's another classic mantle to top out.

Brendan had quite a hard time seconding though, and after much dogging, ended up hauling up on the rap rope. However he was so battered, that even this was hard work!

Conclusion: sandy, gritty, and still scary with plenty of choss management required, but the bolts make it sane. Great position. I'd switch the grades of pitch 1 and pitch 2 (p1 18, p2 19) and consider double or twin ropes (or at least don't fall). And bring a broom. If you like the sea cliffs or at least the idea of them, you'll like it!