Goto Chockstone Home

  Guide
  Gallery
  Tech Tips
  Articles
  Reviews
  Dictionary
  Links
  Forum
  Search
  About

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

  Shop
Chockstone Photography
Australian Landscape Photography by Michael Boniwell
Australian Landscape Prints





Chockstone Forum - Trip Reports

Tells Us About Your Latest Trip!

 Page 2 of 3. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 40 | 41 to 46
Author
Buffalo Aid Weekend March 2010
brendan
23-Mar-2010
6:24:15 PM
here is my trip report

i had my girlfriends car loaded up with more beer and aid gear than i could carry in one load was psyched and ready for ozzy in a day. I finished work at 3:30 grabed some spare static and biners from work to rig defender abseil. Do a quick oil and water check in the work car park, find that the oil has gone down since i checked it last week, check water reserve and find the oil has made its way in there, check radiator also oil in there, conclusion not driving to buffalo, open boot, crack cold beer from esky
bummer

IdratherbeclimbingM9
23-Mar-2010
9:28:40 PM
On 23/03/2010 bl@ke wrote:
>Oh and at the end of the days climbing i took off my harness to find the
>skin where my harness was sitting on my hip numb and the meaty bits under
>the skin quite painfull.

Now you know why I made up the extra padding arrangement that I wear under the waist harness...
~> Even then, carrying a lot of gear and taking falls will still leave your hips bruised/sore.

>project

It is M9 or maybe M10 for part of a 120m maybe 130m length route I have my eye on. It has a super-bad landing. There are no bolts in it. I want to do an onsight ground up ascent, but am wrestling with the fact that it could maybe be done as two looonnngg pitches with the right rope, ... except for the fact that the hard aid will be about where I need a belay anchor...
In fact the middle 70m or 80m of it is quite blank so it doesn't even lend itself to easy belays anywhere...
It is a mind-game-ethical-dilemma; do I want bolted belays? If so do I hand drill, as abseiling in amounts to pre-inspection by default. Hand drilling in the crux M9/10 bits is a big ask, because if I blow it during the process then I'll end up an aid-angel swooping around the walls of Buffalo and wishing I had the luck of 'Lucky Adam' to still be mortal and playing the aid game...
If I solo it then I need not worry too much about hand drilled bolts for a belay, but if I was to have a partner, I wouldn't want to be taking shortcuts and end up with a FF2 onto a shitty belay they may be hanging off, so would need to do it right. ~> loop back to power drilling ethics / how to, ... without pre inspection or falling off a crux at the same time...
~> loop back to ~> loop ba-
You get the idea.

If I solve the above ethical riddle I have set myself, then I still need the audacity to actually pull off the ascent, and if I manage that, then I will be up against every hard (or less hard wannabees), free climber down the track wanting to sanitise a legitimate M9/10 into another spurt Gd 30+ or something FFA. This would irk me, as I want future generations to know that they can still go out and have a legit adventure on a legitimately hard aid route that is in too good a location to denegrate that way.
It may end up being left for the next unborn as yet generation at the rate I am going?

>Brendans TR.
Bummer mate. I commiserate with the let down after psyching up like that. At least you had beer with you ☺.
bl@ke
23-Mar-2010
9:33:37 PM
M9 That project sounds way scary and dangerous.
hargs
23-Mar-2010
10:16:04 PM

trogster on Thanksgiving Crack



JimmyW on Faust and Elizabeth

wallwombat
23-Mar-2010
10:30:43 PM
On 23/03/2010 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:

>...........................................................and if I manage that, then
>I will be up against every hard (or less hard wannabees), free climber
>down the track wanting to sanitise a legitimate M9/10 into another spurt
>Gd 30+ or something FFA. This would irk me, as I want future generations
>to know that they can still go out and have a legit adventure on a legitimately
>hard aid route that is in too good a location to denegrate that way.

I may be wrong here, but I don't think that has happened with other - Ozy, Lord Gumtree - aid routes that have been freed. Clouded Queen and Copperhead Road have survived intact for a fair while. I think She aand Magic and Loss have too.

I doubt any big aid routes will be retro bolted any time soon and I'm sure if they were, the move would draw a fair bit of ire from the climbing community. The north wall is too much of a unique place. Even big aid routes in the Blue Mountains that have been freed haven't really been retro-bolted into submission.

As to the drilling problem (I do think you should have bolted belays if there is no other alternative), why don't you just pull up a power drill and a bolt kit on a tag line?

ajfclark
23-Mar-2010
10:49:34 PM
Could someone else bolt the belays for you under your direction from afar? That way you don't get to inspect anything and you get a belay (hopefully) in the right place...
robertsonja
23-Mar-2010
11:15:08 PM
On 23/03/2010 brendan wrote:
>here is my trip report.........bummer

So as I understand it, you tried to do Ozy, failed and then had a couple of beers. Two weeks later you try and do Ozy again, fail and then you had a couple of beers.

My suggestion would be to rap into the bottom of Ozy, down a couple of your favourite Aldi super strength beers and then start on Ozy.......what is the worse that could happen?

wallwombat
23-Mar-2010
11:24:49 PM
I think the rooted head gasket was the crux of the climb for Brendan.

And ajfclark, that's not a bad idea.
robertsonja
23-Mar-2010
11:34:03 PM
On 23/03/2010 ajfclark wrote:
>Could someone else bolt the belays.......

M9 is off The Matrix where bolts do not exist in the real world. The Oracle (M9) just needs to build a Matrix with equalised RPs, Crack'n Ups, Peckers, nut tools and lolly pop sticks.
brendan
24-Mar-2010
7:38:40 AM
On 23/03/2010 robertsonja wrote:
>On 23/03/2010 brendan wrote:
>>here is my trip report.........bummer
>
>So as I understand it, you tried to do Ozy, failed and then had a couple
>of beers. Two weeks later you try and do Ozy again, fail and then you had
>a couple of beers.
>
>My suggestion would be to rap into the bottom of Ozy, down a couple of
>your favourite Aldi super strength beers and then start on Ozy.......what
>is the worse that could happen?

yum aldi beer, i guess thats why i didnt drink beer in NZ jase, its bad luck for me.

evanbb
24-Mar-2010
9:57:23 AM
On the bolted belays... surely bolted belays seriously decrease the difficulty of a hard aid climb?

Where is this Aldi beer Brendan? We should go climbing.

wallwombat
24-Mar-2010
10:14:18 AM
On 24/03/2010 evanbb wrote:
>On the bolted belays... surely bolted belays seriously decrease the difficulty
>of a hard aid climb?

But they also dramatically decrease your chances of becoming instant strawberry jam.

Only nutters like Jim Beyer (google away) forego bolted belays to increase the overall difficulty of a climb. And, with bolted belays, the climb will still be as difficult anyway. Just less deadly.

The word "contrived" springs to mind when I think of these A6++ no bolts at the belay ascents.


M9, can I have your portaledge if you decide to become the Jim Beyer of Australia?

climbau
24-Mar-2010
11:09:44 AM
Belays could always be be pre-drilled bat hook holes that M9 can equalise into a web of faith?
Or make holes deeper to be used with RBs?
brendan
24-Mar-2010
11:48:43 AM
bolted belay for sure, then you can hang a ledge off it for the belayer's 7 hour belay session
brendan
24-Mar-2010
12:09:34 PM
i found after i started to bounce test properly, i became more confident on my aid placements, which means i got upper higher in my aiders faster which made me climb faster (also safer)

how to do it
http://www.youtube.com/user/SuperTopoVideo#p/u/66/krH-bTSuilo

how not to do it
http://www.andy-kirkpatrick.com/blog/view/reason_to_test/
egosan
24-Mar-2010
12:21:03 PM
Thanks for those links.

IdratherbeclimbingM9
24-Mar-2010
2:02:12 PM
On 23/03/2010 wallwombat wrote: re
>>sanitise a legitimate M9/10 into-


>I may be wrong here, but I don't think that has happened with other -
>Ozy, Lord Gumtree - aid routes that have been freed. Clouded Queen and
>Copperhead Road have survived intact for a fair while. I think She aand
>Magic and Loss have too.
>
>I doubt any big aid routes will be retro bolted any time soon and I'm
>sure if they were, the move would draw a fair bit of ire from the climbing
>community. The north wall is too much of a unique place. Even big aid routes
>in the Blue Mountains that have been freed haven't really been retro-bolted
>into submission.

Hmm.
You may be right, but to my knowledge Clouded Queen and Copperhead Road have not been freed, and Ozy/Lord Gumtree has plenty of placements that take good free gear, plus the odd fixed piton etc, and even then, additional belays have been added for the free version.
What I have been looking at appears to be very thin gear or lots of hooking for more than I imagine freeclimbers would be prepared to run it out, however I am a realist and know that it (because of location), would possibly be a strong magnet for a FFA, that would doubtless involve deviations from the aided more direct line(?), to try and utilise the few natural placements it may have.
Don't get me wrong, as being a realist I would expect that it be freed one day. I am just against the sanitisation aspect because if it ever was, then it would no longer be a 'legitimately hard aid route', as the mind-safety of having occasional bomber gear wrecks that aspect.


>
>As to the drilling problem (I do think you should have bolted belays if
>there is no other alternative), why don't you just pull up a power drill
>and a bolt kit on a tag line?

... might work if I hold my tongue just right, and the wind doesn't change direction!
ajf's suggestion could be a goer. It would beat the hell out of my trying to abseil in blindfolded!

Re bequeathing my portaledge. I shall have to think about that, as I am not intending on dying on a route any time soon.

wallwombat
24-Mar-2010
2:16:57 PM
On 24/03/2010 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:

>Hmm.
>You may be right, but to my knowledge Clouded Queen and Copperhead Road
>have not been freed, and Ozy/Lord Gumtree has plenty of placements that
>take good free gear, plus the odd fixed piton etc

That's what I'm saying = not all aid climbs become free climbs. Only the more natural lines.

And the people who spring to mind that might want to free something like you are talking about (the Cossey's, Zac, ??) aren't the kind of people who are going to go retroing your aid route. I wouldn't worry.

Anyway, the way it's panning out, someone is going to rap bolt the thing and free climb it before you finally get on it anyway. Get a move on youth!

Don't worry about the ledge - I think I'll get Evan to make me one.

ajfclark
26-Mar-2010
7:54:43 AM
On 23/03/2010 hargs wrote:
>

Are these actual polaroid photos? These guys have seen to be started manufacturing polaroid film so it should be available again now: http://www.the-impossible-project.com/
hargs
26-Mar-2010
8:07:25 AM
Nah, I wish -- haven't used my Polaroid camera in years -- these were taken with an iPhone.

 Page 2 of 3. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 40 | 41 to 46
There are 46 messages in this topic.

 

Home | Guide | Gallery | Tech Tips | Articles | Reviews | Dictionary | Forum | Links | About | Search
Chockstone Photography | Landscape Photography Australia | Australian Landscape Photography | Landscape Photos Australia

Please read the full disclaimer before using any information contained on these pages.



Australian Panoramic | Australian Coast | Australian Mountains | Australian Countryside | Australian Waterfalls | Australian Lakes | Australian Cities | Australian Macro | Australian Wildlife
Landscape Photo | Landscape Photography | Landscape Photography Australia | Fine Art Photography | Wilderness Photography | Nature Photo | Australian Landscape Photo | Stock Photography Australia | Landscape Photos | Panoramic Photos | Panoramic Photography Australia | Australian Landscape Photography | High Country Mountain Huts | Mothers Day Gifts | Gifts for Mothers Day | Mothers Day Gift Ideas | Ideas for Mothers Day | Wedding Gift Ideas | Christmas Gift Ideas | Fathers Day Gifts | Gifts for Fathers Day | Fathers Day Gift Ideas | Ideas for Fathers Day | Landscape Prints | Landscape Poster | Limited Edition Prints | Panoramic Photo | Buy Posters | Poster Prints