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Chockstone Forum - Trip Reports

Tells Us About Your Latest Trip!

 Page 1 of 2. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 30
Author
Thumbs Down - Clean Aid and Free, Solo.

Macciza
2-Apr-2012
5:29:45 PM
Tried for a 'News' style heading . .
As mentioned in the GrassHopper Beta thread I had a play on Thumbs Down recently.
Just thought I'd send in a quick TR about my recent shenanigans on it . . .

A few weeks ago I went down to Sublime for the first time and spotted a few likely playthings; firstly Pink Falloyd, now a a WIP; then the "Corner-Crack-Rooflet that Shall Not be Bolted"; and of course Thumbs Down also took my eye. Hard to imagine that this has repelled all the potential 'climbers' down there, so naturally I went up and had a look; once we had been shut down on the C-R-C-etc route just to the right of it.

So first look went ok, easy climbing and a bit of gear ot two gets me up to the ledge below the corner, and after sorting some gear a few more moves gets me up to the roof and a move or two out gets me realising I don't have suitable small gear for it right now. A minor bit of rock breakage that attacked the belayer helped call proceedings to an end.

So a week or so later I finally had an Aid-Solo play on the first line- Pink Falloyd - and got it underway before eventually 'pink-pointing' up to the main roof, then falling , hence the name, but I digress . . .

Back to the area this past weekend prepared for various eventualities saw me decide to give Thumbs Down a play to investigate it's 'free-ability' which had looked promising the previous time - I know, I should have just MU'd and gone for it but I'm getting old, ok . . plus not actually climbing much . .

So all goes fine; up to the ledge and out through the roofs without too much difficulty - all doesn't seem too bad, a little bit 'nervy' but it's been a little while 'out of the saddle'. Get through the roof aid and to the arete and final section of free climbing - probably should have pulled up the free side of the rope as drag made this final section a bit engaging, along with little et snags etc . . But all good . . .

Chuck in some wires and a cam and rap back to the ledge, feeling pretty hammered, then to the ground for a bit of RnR before deciding on the next phase - the top or the tick . . . In typical fashion I figure the moves and holds didn't look too bad, not that I tried any actual climbing, so I may as well put on the rockshoes and go for the free ascent on toprope self-belay using the MiniTraxion and MicroScender - sounds like a plan, that will help get my head in shape . . .

Get it it all set-up, ditch all the aid-gear and launch of up the corner towards the roof before getting tension mid-move in an akwardly balanced position, but peering down manage to work out I have not disconnected my lanyard, hmm difficult reversing gets me back to tension of the toprope but not to the ledge, tenuous bodyposition lets me pop the cam on the MiniTraxion and get back to the ledge.

Disconnect the lanyard, quick drink and launch back up the corner past previous tension point and up to the roof, unclip a piece or two and out a little, before noticing the MiniTraxion not feeding to well- hmm in fact in does not seem to be grabbing at all, due no doubt to me clicking it off earlier. Two little Jiminy-cricket style Mikl's appear, one on either shoulder, the younger one is just laughing hysterically whilst the older one is calculating fall loads and reciting physics formulas at me. Ignoring them as best I could I got a head and shoulders press that allowed me to reach down and fumble the cam catch into operation and pull up the slack to something resembling tension from above. Of course I had a second backup rope that would have caught me after a bit of weird pendulum action and the rope was tied in back at the ledge but my neither of the Jiminy Mikl's had offered any suggestion about using that . .

Anyway now that things had returned to some semblance of normality it was a simple case of pulling back on an piecing together the rest of the moves, which all kind of fell into place in an odd sequency sort of way. A passing climber, Mark, snapped a pic or two and hopefully can send them in.

Had to leave a wire or two in the route as I could not clean them on the day but will be back for them; also a wire a the top belay and a boltplate and biner at the middle ledge are not abandoned . . .

Will be back soon for the send and hopefully some pics to follow . . .
Cheers
KIR
MM

Miguel75
2-Apr-2012
6:04:50 PM
Fun read Macciza. You've inspired me to pull out my aid gear for a play tomorrow.

benjenga
2-Apr-2012
6:21:12 PM
Nice work Mack, clean it up for me so I can go for the onsite :)

BundyBear
2-Apr-2012
8:03:38 PM
Cool report. Good luck on the send !!

E. Wells
2-Apr-2012
9:05:23 PM



One Day Hero
2-Apr-2012
9:20:22 PM
On 2/04/2012 Macciza wrote:

>Back to the area this past weekend prepared for various eventualities
>saw me decide to give Thumbs Down a play to investigate it's 'free-ability'
>which had looked promising the previous time - I know, I should have just
>MU'd and gone for it but I'm getting old, ok . .
>
>Get through the roof aid and........

>In typical fashion I figure the moves
>and holds didn't look too bad, not that I tried any actual climbing, so
>I may as well put on the rockshoes and go for the free ascent on toprope
>self-belay using the MiniTraxion and MicroScender - sounds like a plan,
>that will help get my head in shape . . .
>
>.......and launch back up the corner past
>previous tension point and up to the roof, unclip a piece or two and out
>a little, before noticing the MiniTraxion not feeding to well..........

>......Of course I had a second backup
>rope that would have caught me after a bit of weird pendulum action.....

>.......it was a simple case of pulling back on an piecing together the rest of the
>moves, which all kind of fell into place in an odd sequency sort of way.
>
>Will be back soon for the send and hopefully some pics to follow . . .
>
>........KIR

Just checking.......does KIR stand for "keeping it real"?

I'm struggling to see how; aiding a route (including placing at least one bolt, by the sound of that report), toproping the shit out of it, leaving some gear fixed, and then returning for "the send" is any more "real" than what the other guys are doing out there?!?

Macciza
2-Apr-2012
9:24:30 PM
Thankyou Dangermouth
It all looks so much easier and safer from down there . . .
Love the bottom shot . . .
cheers
MM

Miguel75
2-Apr-2012
10:09:33 PM
Cool to have some pics showing a bit of the climbs funkiness. Thanks dangermouth.

Macciza
2-Apr-2012
10:12:06 PM
No DHO
Maybe it means 'Keep it Real'

1. You must struggle with a lot of things then . .
2. Solo-clean-aiding an Aid route to climb it - after trying it free with belayer , yes . . .
3. Using an in-situ bolt and later leaving a biner on it rather than flick a wire off again.
4. Have one shot a seconding the thing on top-rope self-belay - no working/rehearsal of moves
5. Leaving some gear in cause I could not get it out, no nutkey, and kept climbing instead . .
6. Yes I am going back to climb it again, as a free route now - what of it . . .
7. Yes I should have done it differently - but you would not know that . . .
Can you explain to me the 'reality' of 'what those other guys are doing down there?!?'?!
FYI*
Komrade In Rock
MM
PS - * It probably does not mean what you think it means, but I'm not really sure that what you'll read will be not what I meant . . .

davidn
3-Apr-2012
7:52:49 AM
Who have you ever heard of that was so happy with themselves that they spent all their time trying to ruin others' good times? It's sad and pathetic that someone could consider 8 years of that to be time well spent. Low self-worth.

Mac - sounds like you had fun; fun beats numbers or style any day of the week.
One Day Hero
3-Apr-2012
2:59:46 PM
On 2/04/2012 Macciza wrote:

>Can you explain to me the 'reality' of 'what those other guys are doing
>down there?!?'?!

They're engaged in a bunch of ridiculous, contrived nonsense.....same as the rest of us :)

I'm just having a dig mate, not in any way suggesting that you should stop what you're up to.

BundyBear
4-Apr-2012
8:42:53 AM
Add some ring bolts and chuck all your pre placed, top roping, aid crap away

Macciza
4-Apr-2012
9:57:08 AM
No BB

1. Ring-bolts are the ultimate pre-placed 'aid' . . .
2. All gear was placed on lead, most removed on second . . .
3. Top-roping? ground-up solo-aid then seconded . . .
4. Thats 'clean' aid crap . . .
5. Actually, thats 'solo' clean aid crap . . .
6. Actually, it's not 'crap' at all - I think you are confusing it with something else . . .

BundyBear
4-Apr-2012
11:46:28 AM
On 4/04/2012 Macciza wrote:
>No BB
>
>1. Ring-bolts are the ultimate pre-placed 'aid' . . .
>2. All gear was placed on lead, most removed on second . . .
>3. Top-roping? ground-up solo-aid then seconded . . .
>4. Thats 'clean' aid crap . . .
>5. Actually, thats 'solo' clean aid crap . . .
>6. Actually, it's not 'crap' at all - I think you are confusing it with
>something else . . .
>

GOLD Dude. Just taking the piss. Do it anyway you want. :-)

nmonteith
4-Apr-2012
12:02:04 PM
On 4/04/2012 Macciza wrote:
>No BB
>
>1. Ring-bolts are the ultimate pre-placed 'aid' . . .
>2. All gear was placed on lead, most removed on second . . .
>3. Top-roping? ground-up solo-aid then seconded . . .
>4. Thats 'clean' aid crap . . .
>5. Actually, thats 'solo' clean aid crap . . .
>6. Actually, it's not 'crap' at all - I think you are confusing it with
>something else . . .

I think this is a very grey area! Hanging off a sketchy sky hook on steep ground on a traverse when trying to place a bolt on 'rap' can be just as adventurous as aiding ground up! I've certainly injured myself a lot more by bolting on rap recently than leading anything.

Toproping = a rope attached to the top of the climb. I fail to see the difference between the definitions of seconding and top-roping.

Anyway - I love the adventure and the solo aspect of your attempts so far. Sounds like you're having a great time and that's all that should matter. The fact you are doing it without the impact of bolts should be commended. Just don't expect the route to get many repeats!
mikllaw
4-Apr-2012
1:24:30 PM
greg child took a blind man up everest and wrote everest the weird way.
In th the same way that sex is improved by attempting it in the most uncomfortable, inneficient way, go for it.

Macciza
4-Apr-2012
3:35:01 PM
No, NM

Not grey at all, very black and white - pre-placed ring-bolts are 'aid', both physically as artificial protection and mentally as dutch courage . . .

No comparison between hanging off sketchy hook on rap, or same hook ground-up solo-aid - Rap = a rope attached to top of the climb, rather than the bottom . . .

Difference is you can preset top-rope and climb from the ground - seconding is integral part of multipitch, and needed to remove gear . . .

And yes - had good fun scaring myself silly. Strangely, the seconding felt tenser than the lead, despite being arguably safer, go figure . . .

I don't care if it gets many repeats, the fewer the better - however, I expect those it does get will mean something to those climbing it . . .

Cheers
MM

E. Wells
4-Apr-2012
8:03:30 PM
It looks like a reasonable climb? I cant climb for a week at least but maybe I will go down and freeee it? :-)

Macciza
29-Apr-2012
3:02:26 PM
Hi All
Despite a very late start due to picking up shoes and greens, I managed to get down for a hack at this again, aid-solo again as the usual accomplices were not around . .

Got a look at the top roof pitch and it looks 'approachable' though in need of a clean, there's what looks like an old bong and a bit greenery up there . . .

Thanks to Matt, Marty? and co that stopped to check that all was good, and waited whilst I got back to the ground so I could grab a drink of water, thanks . . .

Left a biner at the ledge (again I know) - will have to pull that bolt to avoid this possibility in future . . .

Will keep you's posted . . .
MM

Macciza
15-May-2012
12:48:24 AM
High All
Ticked it today - 1st pitch @~23 . . .
Eliminated the bolt for for full gear ascent.

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There are 30 messages in this topic.

 

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