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Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User
Returning to climbing after 29 YEARS! 21-Dec-2014 At 12:09:08 AM deep Van Winkle
Message
Guess who? Rip Van Winkle only fell asleep in the woods for 20 years but like a comet orbiting in the depths of space an enigma/legend/nobody returns.


As a bumblie on my first big trip I found myself sitting in the Natimuk pub at the next table over from the one with visiting 'Hot' Henry Barber and the cream of hard Victorian rock climbing in Easter 1975. I continued to climb till about 1985 before leaving the scene. As the years passed I thought I was cured but it must have been a particularly virulent strain of climbing bug that I caught way back then for it to be able to lie dormant for so long.

Xmas 1975: Mt Buffalo, memories of half the Oz scene packed into a few Lake Catani sites and in the Day Hut there, the likes of Mike Law, Chris Peisker et al swinging arm-locked from rafter to rafter right over the heads of climbers cooking brekky on fuel stoves.

1978: On an attempt to free a multi-pitch route at Moonarie with a young Louise Shepherd, by the time I got to the top of the final pitch the stars were out on a moonless night. While following through the huge summit roof with jumar ascenders she got completely stuck in a gear snarl in the pitch black star shadows and shouted up that it was too dangerous to continue. I tied her off and promised to return with more gear. After making my way down to our packs near the base of the cliff, I raced back up with a spare rope and head-torch. About half an hour had elapsed during which Louise had been hanging in blackness. I recollected how some less experienced climbers that I had offered this type of adventure excitement opportunity to on previous occasions had not always gotten into the spirit of things and had finished up in various states of incoherent blathering/whimpering. Abseiling down and over the lip of the roof a couple of hundred feet above the ground I was relieved to hear a cheerful "You took your time". Yup, she definitely had 'The Right Stuff'. With some light available it was fairly straightforward untangling the gear and then topping out.

1978: The full-time climbers' campsite in the Pines at Araps was settling into it's 5th billy of tea very late one morning when a rustic Kingswood or similar very slowly meandered up and parked just outside the Pines. A middle aged country gentleman got out and wandered over he said because we looked like climbers and sincerely asked if we would mind taking his son climbing and teaching him the ropes. A teenage lad was visible sitting awkwardly in the back seat. We explained that there were lots of beginner type groups camping but none were visible to fob the job off onto as they were all climbing. It was with a certain embarrassment that we explained the situation that we ourselves had a lot more tea drinking to do but to keep an eye out for groups wearing helmets and carrying #11 hexes. The lad was Malcolm (HB) Matheson.

1979: Missed seeing Southern Californian 'Stonemaster' Tobin Sorenson do the 1st onsight solo of Kachoong 21 at Araps the previous day but he had convinced his travelling partner English Peaks District gritstone wiz John Allen to do likewise the following day which he did with a line of encouraging banter from Tobin leaving me somewhat slack-jawed. I was honoured when Tobin and John then turned to me and inquired whether I might like to join the party. Briefly thought about Australian climbing honour but must have started turning a shade of green because Tobin unasked soon uncoiled a rope.

1980: Watched in awe as Mike Graham led 'Ride Like The Wind' 25 at Araps with its 20m ground fall potential. You could have heard a pin drop as the small crowd in the gallery didn't take another breath for about 15 minutes as Mike ran it out.

1981: Doing the rope swing set up high on the back of ? Dunes Buttress and utilising about 4 ropes. About a 100m of arc swing way up high. Was even done at night once.

I had better stop, this is getting way too long.

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