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Chockstone Photography
Australian Landscape Photography by Michael Boniwell
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Chockstone Forum - Trip Reports

Tells Us About Your Latest Trip!

 Page 2 of 3. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 40 | 41 to 50
Author
Araps 14-17 August 09

Sarah Gara
20-Aug-2009
5:23:19 PM
Blake stylish writing -thanks for spliting it up -loads easy to lead.

Andrew I didn't realise you went to bed to avoid meeting me!!

Good weekend apart from egosan putting a tree through his hand and ending up in Horsham hospital.

Who's coming on th VCC trip 5/6/ September? x
bl@ke
20-Aug-2009
6:40:55 PM
No worrys :)
Im not a member of the vcc but i should join, think i might be heading to the gramps around then woohoo!

Also read the article on south african climbing and Ed, interesting read. we've got it easy over hear.
bl@ke
20-Aug-2009
8:43:41 PM
The next day we trip out to declaration crag to have a bit of a climb (duh) we get there as a few other people turn up and set up a top rope on Steps ahead grade 29.
i want to lead Sickle grade 9 so i rack up and start off, but i start on the face to the left and cant get back to the crack of sickle so i end up doing Hamer with the almighty grade of 4! woohoo im cranking hard.

Meanwhile Ben and Nikki do Marshmellow sea grade 7 .... i think. they have fun on that while Gordo, Larry and i watch these guys working Steps ahead, WOW. One of them offers us a go but Gordo and Larry decline but im up for it (afterall i did do a grade 4 just before lol ) so i tye in and off i go, starting ok (getting off the ground) i go for the next hold and fall, repeating that twice before i get the hold.
I am now in tippy toes holding these two small crimps (jugs for this climb though) I look around for a footer but dont see anything so i ask where to put my feet, the reply? up above your knee there" Bloody hell im already on tip toes how am i suppose to do that? Otion A) i send the route packing and go home.
option B) i fall
What do you think happend?

after that we have a look at them working the route and this dude with the maddest dreds around (down to his chalkbag) goes and solos Marmots mall grade 15 and then downclimbs via the grade 4 i just lead! why do i even bother!

Anyway Nikki leads sunny gully ( i think) her first trad lead (i think) so she is happy with that and Gordo racks up to do Marmots Mall.
He leads that happily and as i start to second him its starts raining, so i try to up the pace a bit.
soon the rock is soaked and im trying to dry my fingers and the holds out with chalk to little success. i eventualy reach the top saturated and we Bring Larry up once the rain stiopped.
We decend, wish our hard men good luck with Steps ahead and get in the car and head back to the pines for lunch.

After lunch we go out to the organ pipes so i can lead Picollo 35m grade 11, and so ben and nikki can climb horn piece grade 13.
I rack up at the base and start off gaining a few metres before placing my first nut. I continue up and Quickly reach the crux. There is a fixed nut out to the left a bit so i clip it but then realise that if i fall from the crux it would be a fairly big fall by my standards, so i unclip it and put in a bit of pro higher up and try the crux a lil' bit before downclimbing and moving my pro higher up still and then finally comit to the crux....

I try reching for the hold up high as i prefer that to getting my feet up high and just manage to grasp it with my fingertips.
i chose not to do that and downclimb to get comfee again. after a few deep breathes i commit and pull through the crux by getting my feet up high and holding on. There is no pro straight after the crux so i keep climbing up and then i realise the distance between me and my last peice, Gulp.
i reach a micro ledge where i can relax and get a nut in. I take another step up and as i do i knock that peice out, dam! Now its even further between me and my last piece, now im facing a big fall. If you grab your guide and have a look at the bulge crux on the climb pg103 and then look to where the little bush is growing i was bout a metre up from that.
I put in a cam after i found out that i wished that WC made there big hexs 6mm bigger. So i continue up a little bit and then we are greeted by Sara gara and ajfclark, hello! They watch my snail pace progress for a little while and then i beleive they go off to rescue egosan from a tree imbedment i beleive. My sports medicine class is kicking in now, Dougnut bandages, leave the imbedded object in yadda yadda.... All you need is some termites and they will eat the stick away for you :)

I traverse right and start up an slightly overhung bit gunning it for the top, things starting to run out a bit so i place a sling over a jug and reach the top a little freaked out.

I bring Larry and Gordo up and we decend and regroup with ben and nikki who had a wee wee mini epic. they got court in the rain and had to bail so there is still unfinished busnus for then on horn peice. We walk back to camp and have a nice relax and a double big dinner as its our last night.
kieranl
20-Aug-2009
8:53:04 PM
Ed February's camped at the Pines? Haven't seen him for over 25 years. Now that I've finished my two straight weeks of work I'll have to go out and see him. He probably won't remember me from the distant past though he might remember the set of RPs I sold him.
simey
20-Aug-2009
9:10:47 PM
On 20/08/2009 kieranl wrote:
>Ed February's camped at the Pines?

Not any more. He left a few days ago and headed up to the Blueys.
kieranl
20-Aug-2009
9:20:38 PM
Bummer.
jacq
20-Aug-2009
10:47:51 PM
Fabulous report... wish you did this much work at school! ;)

gordoste
21-Aug-2009
12:26:13 AM
Nice TR!! and nice work on leading piccolo! it's a long pitch with that interesting bulge to make you think a little. By the time we got down, Ben and Nicci had bailed but the rock dried out and Larry led Hornpiece. We offered Blake the opportunity to second it but I think he was still recovering from the lead and so he was just happy to go back to camp and chill :)

IdratherbeclimbingM9
21-Aug-2009
9:30:55 AM
Un-asked for, but offered as constructive feedback... ☺

bl@ke wrote;
>and Quickly reach the crux. There is a fixed nut out to the left a bit so i clip it but then realise that if i fall from the crux it would be a fairly big fall by my standards, so i unclip it and put in a bit of pro higher up and try the crux a lil' bit before downclimbing and moving my pro higher up still and then finally comit to the crux....

Did you consider leaving the original fixed piece clipped but with a longer sling? That way your next piece (placed soon after by the sounds of it), backs it up and helps keep the rope aligned to the direction you are taking. You obviously recognised the crux, and will find that doubling up on gear before a crux on an onsight, leads to a much more relaxed mental state!

>I try reching for the hold up high as i prefer that to getting my feet up high and just manage to grasp it with my fingertips.
>i chose not to do that and downclimb to get comfee again. after a few deep breathes i commit and pull through the crux by getting my feet up high and holding on. There is no pro straight after the crux so i keep climbing up and then i realise the distance between me and my last peice, Gulp.

Not knowing what lies ahead of a crux (particularly if it's a bulge and obscures the route), is another excellent reason to double up your pro while you have opportunity to do it. Being able to read the moves is one skill, but being able to read the route and husband your gear accordingly, make placements with rope-drag in mind, etc is another skill worth developing. Runouts are much nicer when you know before-hand that, which is what you are committing too.

>i reach a micro ledge where i can relax and get a nut in. I take another step up and as i do i knock that peice out, dam! Now its even further between me and my last piece, now im facing a big fall.

Good reason to not climb past excellent gear placements hoping to find some later, unless you can handle the run-out that could develop if you don't find what you want. Place gear while you have opportunity if you have enough for the pitch. ~> In fact many of my climbing partners can attest that I offload excess gear in this manner when I lead!

>I put in a cam after i found out that i wished that WC made there big hexs 6mm bigger.

Did you consider using the same hex end-ways instead of sideways?

>I traverse right and start up an slightly overhung bit gunning it for the top, things starting to run out a bit so i place a sling over a jug

Did you girth hitch your sling? Often this is necessary to prevent them lifting off their placement due rope-drag.

>and reach the top a little freaked out.

Good one.
~> Your mental capacity to handle exposure in the game is developing nicely ☺
HehX 3
WM
21-Aug-2009
11:14:14 AM
On 21/08/2009 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:
>bl@ke wrote;
>>i unclip it and put in a bit of pro higher up and try the crux a lil' bit before downclimbing and moving my pro higher up still and then finally comit to the crux....
>
>Did you consider leaving the original fixed piece clipped but with a longer
>sling? That way your next piece (placed soon after by the sounds of it),
>backs it up

I thought the same thing - and noticed you said you did this on another route too (panzer?). a nice little cluster of gear before a runout and/or hard section inspires a lot more confidence than trusting a single piece to take the potential plummet

ajfclark
21-Aug-2009
11:27:13 AM
On 21/08/2009 WM wrote:
>I thought the same thing - and noticed you said you did this on another route too (panzer?). a nice little cluster of gear before a runout and/or hard section inspires a lot more confidence than trusting a single piece to take the potential plummet

Depending on the quality of the gear, I also find that after a runout section a few pieces can make me feel a lot better. Particularly if I don't know where my next placement might be.

IdratherbeclimbingM9
21-Aug-2009
11:37:52 AM
On 21/08/2009 ajfclark wrote:
>I also find that after a runout section a few pieces can make me feel
>a lot better. Particularly if I don't know where my next placement might
>be.

For the same reason(?) hanging on a tight rope after a plummet* feels good too!

(*Assumes no bouncing along the way!).
larryfranklin
21-Aug-2009
6:31:29 PM
Blake swears really quietly when he is stressed which is also a great sign of someone who deals with stress in a constructive way and gets the job done!!! not yelling wildly makes Blake a pleasure to climb with.
larryfranklin
21-Aug-2009
6:36:54 PM
those termites are very crafty crittters huh???
bl@ke
21-Aug-2009
7:45:22 PM
On 21/08/2009 larryfranklin wrote:
>those termites are very crafty crittters huh???

yeah to bad we burnt them all! heh heh
bl@ke
21-Aug-2009
8:09:37 PM
re doubling up on gear before a crux and whatnot, it was a long pitch 38 mtrs or something like that and wasnt sure if i would have enough gear (i did in the end ) so i didnt reallt want to use gear unnecesarily (not to say that doubling up is unnecesary) so that is my reason for not doubling up. I also wasnt really thinking too hard about what to do and should i do this, equalise that.... and so on i just wanted to get on with it if you can relate to that.

Also when the hex wasnt nig enough i already had it longways :) I love hexs so much now, the are wicked for araps.

gordoste
21-Aug-2009
11:19:59 PM
On 21/08/2009 larryfranklin wrote:
>not yelling wildly makes Blake a pleasure to climb with.

Yeah you wouldn't shut up after doing the crux on muldoon!! just kiding
larryfranklin
21-Aug-2009
11:27:03 PM
i was having a ball though!!!
bl@ke
22-Aug-2009
10:15:03 AM
Slap! heh heh

Our last day

We wake up after a bit of a big meal last night and pack up camp and pack everything in the cars and then go bouldering.
Last time the albury crew were down there i beleive they cam close to sending Swing wing v4, so they were keen to try to send it this time around.
so we wander over to the swing wing boulder and start workin the problem. Ben and Gordo give it a good go and i give it a go and decide to focus my efforts on the high traverse graded v2.
so soon we are all giving the high traverse a good go and i make it through the crux after a few goes and then jump off due to my forearms about to burst.
So they hope back on swing wing nearly sending it a few times and then finally Ben sends it! good job.

Then gordoste nearly gets it, pinging of the last hold before the finish. Larry and i give it a few trysgetting to about the same spot, The crux. So we decide to give the high traverse another go.
I get through the crux and then keep going till im at the top of the sort of horn thing a mere move or so from the finish but i jump off again. The rest of the group try it getting through the crux on a couple of accations.

i try it again and send it! ahh thats better. it was all in the heel hook :)
So now its back to swing wing, i hop on it and give it a crack. i get into the crux sequence and as im holding onto a lil' incut crimp doo dad i pop off it OWW!! blood blister. so i retire and watch Larry and Gordo try to send it but to no avail.

So after a bit of a muck around on the nearby boulders and trying the no hands problems we decide its time to head off.

by by arapiles
c ya next time.

gordoste
22-Aug-2009
6:44:35 PM
yeah swing wing is going DOWN next time i'm there!

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