Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Topic Date User

Near Misses youve seen/or experienced first hand 31-Aug-2007 At 11:49:44 AM muki

Message

Heres another,I was at Araps with a pal when he sugested we do Auto De Fe, by that he meant I
should lead it, as he was definitely spooked about the crux.
I had done the climb many years before and had no probs with this so agreed, a bit too casual on my
part, a big mistake!
I led off and about half way up, got off route and headed out too far right, did'nt remember the gear
being so poor, but what the hey it's only 21 I thought to my self, as I looked up I did'nt recognise any
of the features, but my head had switched focus to finding some good gear.
I could see what looked like good gear higher up and made a difficult move (read irreversable) to get
up to it, then found it to be fused with no gear poosible.
I could see more little corners higher up and decided to check it out, a decent runout building up
underneath me now.
again more difficult moves that I now realised were irreversable, and was definitely committed.
again dissapointment, and the realisation that I was on unfamiliar ground with no way out, a fall was
out of the question, the runout had put me inline with several slaby ledges, not good, the moves were
now solid 23 slabing, with no secure holds, and constant body tension on vague dishes and scoops.
I looked down to see no gear under me for at least 15m, I was now too committed, too runout, to do
anything but suck it up and continue in the hope of some gear somwhere up ahead.
At the 20m mark on the runout I was starting to lose my composure, as the holds started getting
smaller and less secure (read desperate) my total body pump from all the body tension required was
starting to get to me bigtime, and I started to yell at myself to "JUST BREATH" my feet were doing
the step up sliiide down thing, and my belayer was dead silent as he had never heard me yell to my
self to keep it together before.
Finally just meters from the belay ledge I found a hole in the rock that would take a twisted #6 nut, I
very carefully grabed my wires and trying to maintan my balance placed the gear, clipped the rope,
and breathed a deep sigh, but there was no way I was going to fall on this piece, it being the only gear
between me and the big splash awaiting on those ledges bellow.
the last 5m were the most focused climbing I've ever done, when I finally got to the ledge and clipped
the rap anchors, I was a mess, totally drained, my partner took several hangs getting to the ledge but
was still keen to do the second pitch, but I was feeling like jelly inside and decided to bail for the day.
I called the new route Auto Da Fear, and gave it the X grade 23+ slab, but will not bolt it into
submission as this is the Watchtower and bolts are not in keeping with the area, and also the bolts
would be in the line of the rapell down the face and could get in the way of ropes and rapellers.