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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 1 of 3. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 40 | 41 to 46
Author
Buffalo Aidfest November 2014.

IdratherbeclimbingM9
25-Nov-2014
8:34:09 AM
Am still in process of writing a slander up, but if other participants want to pre-empt being slandered, then post up photos and your version to this thread; as fragmented reports are harder to find in years to come for any future participants to get a gist of what goes on.

As a teaser, there was only one fall taken this trip and that was on a successful 17 hr ascent of Ozy-Direct; though there was an interesting moment had on Cacaphonic Crack...

Standby...
brendan
25-Nov-2014
11:10:11 AM
Looking forward to the upcoming trip reports

MonkeyBoy
25-Nov-2014
12:10:33 PM
snip
>to pre-empt being slandered, then post up photos and your version to this thread;

I only took one photo the entire weekend and it doesn't even have any climbing pictured ! I may try and post it when I can figure out how as it shows what a great day Sunday was shaping up to be as I made my escape down the mountain.

I was up at Camp Catani just after Lunch on Friday to meet M9, who was a little late, so I went for a scout about as this was my first time in the area.

I ended up meeting up with NeilD and going to climb ( not aid ) "Maharajah" the 42 m grade 17 on the Cathederal to kill some time as M9 set up camp and other people arrived throughout Friday. Great climb and great scenery.

Then on Saturday it was time to Aid, which we did.....I will leave others to fill in the gaps and supply photos as I know some were taken. NealD and M9 were great at sharing information and opinions on technique and helping TimP, Dave_S and Myself through a days aiding and cleaning on the 15m wall below the disabled look out.

It was great to have two people with lots of experience there to offer suggestions and tips while keeping an eye out for anything that could become dangerous. Opinions were not always aligned about the best way to do things but that only re enforced what ( I think) M9 said which was " there are no hard and fast rules to this kind of climbing"

Anyway I made my first Aid lead on gear, managed to place and weight a cam hook and had an excellent couple of days at buffalo. Only wish I could of stayed for Sunday and done some more !
TimP
25-Nov-2014
12:48:04 PM
I've been curious about aid climbing for years and began reading up on it after following last years aidfest posts on Chockstone.

My interest is partly about becoming a well rounded climber (got my eye on ice and alpine climbing too), and partly wanting to experience the kind of skills and adventures I've been reading about.

Considering my options for climbing any route over grade 17 would involve more skill and strength than I have, I thought I'd give aid a go; only to find it is as physical and challenging as free climbing but in different ways.

Thanks to Phillipivan and M9 for instigating this years aidfest weekend, I was tempted to go last year but actually got my act together this time.

I met a few of the crew Friday night but we got together Saturday morning to talk aid. M9 was happy to share his vast knowledge of aid climbing, the gear, and Mt Buffalo. We also had also NealD's input; fresh from a big wall solo in Yosemite. By this time Phillipivan and Scott where already on Ozy.

It was great to finally be handling the gear I'd only seen photo's of as M9 talked through the whole process from leading to jugging, hauling, bivies etc. with Neal's added perspective plus the gear and experience others brought. Great to see M9's home made gear, created and finely tuned to his way of climbing. I saw the idiosyncrasies of the different solutions and it made me realise there is no one way, it is what-ever works for your own personal abilities / situation / gear / goals.

I managed to assemble the basic kit for the weekend thanks to Miguel79 for loan of gear (and jugging intro at Camels Hump) also KeiranL for retired jumars. Got to borrow two different types of hooks to play with for my lead.

First up I belayed Dave on Cacophonic Crack, a pretty nasty off-width at the top, then had a go at seconding / cleaning. Got to lead Thanksgiving Crack (M3) the next day; tried a cam-hook and got coached through a freaky hook placement top-out by M9. That arvo Dave and I did an abseil then free hanging jumar up Country Road, I managed a full botanical wrestle at the top-out. Bush 1 climber 0.

It seems to me aid is an art of keeping a clear head and managing all the gear in the context of massive potential for a clusterfx of etts, daisies, rope and gear. Then having all this dialled in to make efficient use of energy on longer climbs, or to just survive if things get nasty and/or fatigue sets in. The whole gig has to be meticulously planned: dehydration could set the scene for fatal mistakes. Ad to this the mental challenge of exposure and freaky hook or cam-hook moves and faith in tiny RPs. I'd read the term 'marginal gear' but now I know what it means, and that's only at M3!

Aid climbing sure teaches you about placements, I've just whacked pro in what looks good when free climbing, but bounce testing then cleaning them after gives you pretty good feedback. I thought they'd be a nightmare to get out, never used my RP's like this before, but I managed to get all my gear back.

Good to revisit exposure, don't get much at my local crag. Even the short climbs art Buffalo are hundreds of meters above the valley with swirling up-drafts, it'll take a bit of getting used to and confidence in my own processes… I'll need to settle into all that.

We watched Phillipivan and Scott on Ozy and I wondered if I could be that game, it'd be an amazing thing to accomplish even in a couple of days let alone their 17hrs.

Taking in all the info and processing it to evolve my own methods will take time and practice plus a bit more gear accumulation. There's a whole lot to be finely tuned to make it all efficient, which doesn't matter on short stuff but on bigger climbs or critical situations I can see the need. So I'll slowly be putting together a coherent personal method from all the great ideas / solutions we where exposed to on the weekend.

Lake Catani impressed my family who walked and swam while I climbed, so they're happy to go back. Even had a great adventure with my son crossing the lake with our clothes wrapped up then summiting the hill on the other side.

All in all a great weekend.




phillipivan
25-Nov-2014
7:53:10 PM
Abridged version:

Scott and I climbed Ozi direct in 17 hours 33 minutes on Sat. More impressive considering Scott had never stood in etts, or used jumars. He led up to big grassy, and the fang pitch above the Gledhill Bivvy, so calling him my second is not even vaguely accurate. Seven hours faster than last year, much of which is probably down to better managed hydration. Rain arrived two pitches from the top, and we got completely drenched.

The next day we climbed Maharajah (in a day) as a gentle recovery.

Monday saw us optimistically rack up for Angels as the grey clouds moved in. We hoped to get far enough up the route before the rain set in that going up would remain the preferred option. The rain arrived before we passed the hang glider ramp. We compromised and settled for a (wet) one day ascent of Banana Blaise.

Things I forgot this year: Whisky. Packed my spoon, but couldn't find it for a day and a half, so ate with my fingers.

Thanks all for the company. Dave, I'm looking forward to seeing some of your photos.

ajfclark
25-Nov-2014
9:06:01 PM
Nut tool works well as cutlery except for soup.
Dave_S
25-Nov-2014
9:12:11 PM
I'll have my contributions to the trip report ready in a couple of days. Meanwhile, here's a preview shot of PhillipIvan and Scott on Ozy. (Click to enlarge.)


Duang Daunk
25-Nov-2014
9:23:42 PM
On 25/11/2014 phillipivan wrote:
>Scott and I climbed Ozi direct in 17 hours 33 minutes on Sat. More impressive
>considering Scott had never stood in etts, or used jumars. He led up to
>big grassy, and the fang pitch above the Gledhill Bivvy, so calling him
>my second is not even vaguely accurate.

Noice bro, no, actually more good than that, really choice!

>Dave, I'm looking forward to seeing some of your photos.

Very impressive shot you have given us already, so yeh bro, bring on more for us.
Who knows. I might even take up aid climbing with your inspiration, but will wait for bro stugang's feedback before committing.

>Things I forgot this year: Whisky.
On a wall?
Reckon bro M9 would either be impressed or miffed with no options in between.


An yeh, how did the absquealers picnic go?


phillipivan
26-Nov-2014
6:11:44 PM
On 25/11/2014 Duang Daunk wrote:

>Who knows. I might even take up aid climbing with your inspiration, but
>will wait for bro stugang's feedback before committing.

Oh come on, it's not fair to blame me for that kind of shit.

I don't pretend to know this stugang chap from a cheese sandwich, but I'm pretty sure he wasn't there. Or at least, it wasn't me who ate 'im.

phillipivan
27-Nov-2014
6:15:27 PM
Dave, that photo is great. It's amazing that I can look kind of photogenic all it takes is an extreme long shot, in an awesome environment. Hmm it's not really me that looks great now is it?

Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing the rest.

Pi.

MonkeyBoy
27-Nov-2014
9:17:50 PM
Yes Dave. Great shot and I know you took a few more too ! How's the trip report coming along ?
Dave_S
30-Nov-2014
3:14:56 PM
And I've finally got all of my photos ready. Click here for the full album, or see the highlights below. Click to enlarge.


Rod was stoked to see that I'd had a go at making my own cam hooks (blue slings, top right). However he then produced his previous failed attempts at home-made cam hooks (purple sling, right), which had been made from mild steel, like mine, and of similar thickness. This was a concern. The ones on the red slings are commercial (Leeper or Moses) hooks.



One of my cam hooks, after testing it with bodyweight. Back to the drawing board, I guess...



PhilipIvan and Scott on Ozymandias, 11:30am.



Owen aiding Thanksgiving Crack (M3) on lead



Owen cleaning Thanksgiving Crack with ascenders



PhilipIvan and Scott on Ozymandias, 6pm.



Talon hook. This was holding my bodyweight while I took this photo. It turned out that Cacophonic Crack's M2 rating worked on the assumption that the climber had an inexhaustible supply of big gear. So after the crack got too wide for even my #2 Big Bro, that left two options - get in the crack any thrutch my way up, or break out the hooks and move out onto the mossy, almost featureless arete to the right. The first placement - this one - was solid, but the next hook I placed popped when I shifted my weight onto it. Luckily I had my hands on the edge of the crack rather than the aider that was attached to the hook, and when it gave way and my feet no longer had anything to stand on, I was able to catch myself through a combination of a two-handed layback off the edge of the crack, and an uncomfortable smear against the arete with my right nipple, before awkwardly downclimbing enough to be able to get my feet back into the aider on the lower hook, which was still holding.



Tim cleaning Cacophonic Crack



Neal bounce testing a piece on Cream Machine (M4)



This is why helmets are important in aid climbing - the result of two incidents of a pecker (pictured) popping out during bounce-tests on Cream Machine (M4), and shooting downwards, straight at Neal's head. This is also why you don't look at the gear while you're bounce-testing it.



PhilipIvan and Scott on Ozymandias, 9:30pm. They were still a few hours from the top, and it was starting to drizzle. The drizzle turned to heavy rain an hour later.



Extending "clean aid" philosophies to tent anchors



Tim's home-made belay seat



Tim jugging up Country Road. The climb (graded 24) follows the crack to the right, through the roof and up.



Me jugging up Country Road

TimP
30-Nov-2014
9:06:24 PM
Great photos and TR Dave.

phillipivan
1-Dec-2014
9:57:20 AM
Thanks Tim. There are some great shots there.

You certainly found a way to make Cacaphonic crack thin.

PS. Still waiting for M9's promised TR / Slander.

IdratherbeclimbingM9
1-Dec-2014
3:23:57 PM
On 1/12/2014 phillipivan wrote:
>Thanks Tim. There are some great shots there.
>
ThinkyameanDave...
Re great shots; blerrieoath!
We are indeed fortunate that another passionate photog attended an aidfest.
~> I reckon he should send one or two in for consideration for Chocky Picture Gallery presentation...

>You certainly found a way to make Cacaphonic crack thin.

Loved this bit;
>break out the hooks and move out onto the mossy, almost featureless arete to the right. >The first placement - this one - was solid

When one double clicks the magnification function on that shot, it reveals just how little it takes to make a hook work well.
(~> ~> I think I just halved the next aidfest attendance list...)
;-)

BTW, running out of big-bros these days normally just means resorting to ye olde fashioned art of stacking large hexs...
Heh, heh, heh.


>PS. Still waiting for M9's promised TR / Slander.

ImaSlackTripReporter eh? ;-)

~> Yeah, still working on it between other life commitments. Was hoping to get in before Dave_S, so that his pics fleshed out my ramblings by default.
~> ~> ... now that the thunder has been taken, my meager TR will seem insipid by comparison...
Some of what I have typed has now been said already, so I will be cutting down my TR to avoid repetition.

PI, if you get around to doing an un-abridged version of your 17 hr ascent, I would be particularly interested in your gearlist taken, ie what you/Scott reckoned you could have used more of (or left behind), etc.
~> I am trying to coax my retired first ascent of Ozy partner, out of retirement for a one day ascent... as I figure this is easier than trying to appease my better half to avoid her angsting if I ever decide to attempt to solo it in a day.

phillipivan
1-Dec-2014
7:02:16 PM
On 1/12/2014 IdratherbeclimbingM9 wrote:
>
>PI, if you get around to doing an un-abridged version of your 17 hr ascent,
>I would be particularly interested in your gearlist taken, ie what you/Scott
>reckoned you could have used more of (or left behind), etc.

Im not sure if I will find the motivation to write a longer version. I find it quite satisfying to do so, but it takes me alot of work. I like to (try to ) do a good job, but good story telling doesn't come naturally to me; Or spelling, or grammar or puncuation. None of which I have done a good job of below. It's largely stream of consciousness, and completely unorganised.

1x 60m rope.
No tag line.
If I was short fixing (which we didnt) I would make it a 50m

Followers rack, on shoulder sling:
2x ascenders
gri gri
nut key
kong duck (didnt need)
lightweight belay seat
Light back pack with water, very small qty food, and large cams (until higher up).
We took a very lightweight puffy each.

Leaders rack:
Reverso (in case of balilng) - didnt use
2 x tiblocs (in case of fall at overhangs into free space) - didnt use.

1 x 3 - 5 camalot
2 x 000 - 2 camalot (perhaps the odd triple, a mix of Dragon cams, totems,C4s, C3s, Power Cams, Master Cams and Metolius TCUs)
Broken Down:
5 Totems from 0.3 to 1 Camalot
Dragons from 0.4 to 1 Camalot
C3s Full set + double of Green
TCUs Grey to Blue (00 to 1) - hardly used
C4 #2
Powercam #7 (Blue one, 2 Camalot sized)- only used on fang pitch.
Mastercam #4 - Not sure if used, can't have been much though

+ a few offset master cams (I remember finding these more handy last year than this; perhaps because I led different pitches). Smaller ones are most useful.

1 size 1 red tomahawk (unused)

1 moses logan hook (its smaller and lighter than other hooks, which is good because it only gets used twice at most)

3 cam hooks (1 each: micro, normal, wide) The actual sizes are not that important. I got one or two placements with the micro which would not have worked with the others, but otherwise it doesn't really matter. The Normal is probably best / most versatile.

1 set of nuts WC/DMM mix up to 9 or 10 (The largest I definately remember placing is an 8)
1 set DMM offsets (peanuts + large DMM alloy offsets)
1 set WC superlight rocks
Handful of RPs/Metolius work alikes. Nothing smaller than a 2RP (of which there was one, placed once).

Half dozen or so bolt plates.

13 or so (a guess) Runners, 2/3rds 18cm 1/3rds 60cm. If you don't link pitches, and are happy to clip cams direct, then you could take fewer.

2x 120cm slings for anchors.

General thoughts (if I wanted to go light as I dared): I would take singles from .75 and larger (perhaps even .5 and up), and back cleaning extensively, like almost every 0.5, 0.75 and many #1 placements would be back cleaned. All the larger cam placements are bomber.
That is the main area where weight can be saved.

I don't like the TCUs for aiding on, too stiff and too wide to work in shallow awkward placements. The C3s however work very well, as do the totems. It is my preference to take as many smaller cams as I can, in place of nut placements, because they go in and come out faster.

At the larger end of the nuts it is not necessary to have both normal and offsets.
The WC Superlight rocks work very well, however can be harder to clean than some. Scott got one welded when he fell on it (it was a weird placement however). I could stomach leaving the normal nuts behinds completely, as the super lights will fit in the same spots (plus slight flares).

With some confidence on cam hooks, the smaller nuts can be cut down as well. However this wont really save much weight or bulk.

Tomahawk is unnecessary, and has a tendency to get caught on stuff during the walk in. The hook is handy, but probably only used twice on the route; so not that handy. A few free climbing moves and you could leave it behind completely (slab move past the 2nd bolt on P1; traversing left from the carrot to the small ledge below BG at the end of P3.

Short fixing would necessitate a tag line (or at least some rope shenanegins). I'd be happy with something even skinnier than my 7mm cord I sometimes use, since it would only be for pulling the rack up to the leader. At which point a microtraxion would help on the leaders rack.

Last year we used a microtraxion as a self minding back up for the follower whilst jugging. We tried this with the kong duck (its lighter and looks cute); it didn't work nearly as well.

I'd be happy with fewer bolt plates, perhaps two. It would be faster to climb the bolt ladder below the roof with a nut on each ett to hook the bolts. The cable rivet hangers would be better as they are faster to place and clean than a bolt place, and get you higher than a nut.

I'm still too lazy and stupid to haul a pack.

There is no gear I wished I had more of, though Scott may have liked more runners for linking P1s & 2. He left a number of small nuts not clipped to anything.

As always I could have taken less food. 1 Banana (had at base of route), perhaps 80 grams of chocolate and 250 grams of home made date & cashew logs. Im guessing here; it was probably less than that.

We had about three L of water each, plus a bladder in the leaders pack, with another 1.5 to 2L. Scott ran out before me, but I still had enough for a drink before leading the last pitch. Whomever leads from the ground to big grassy at this time of year will inevitably consume more water as they are leading in full sun (if its sunny).

Considering the well placed, bomber bolts for the anchors, a pair of quickdraws or single length runners would make a faster to place and breakdown anchor than a 120cm sling with a fig8 in it. Any runner longer than a sport draw is probably fine. Or I should just use a sliding x...

More important that what gear we took, wished we took, or imagine we'd have the balls to leave behind, which i think is mostly small fry (how much slower are you going to climb from the weight of an extra 1 camalot? (vs being scared from big fall potentail)) is having dedicated leaders and followers racks which make transitions faster and easier, and makes everything less bulky.

shortman
1-Dec-2014
8:58:22 PM
Thanks Phillipivan.
Dave_S
1-Dec-2014
9:19:34 PM
On 1/12/2014 phillipivan wrote:
>
>3 camlots (micro, normal, wide) The actual sizes are not that important.
>I got one or two placements with the micro which would not have worked
>with the others, but otherwise it doesnt really matter. The Normal is probably
>best.

Cam hooks, you mean?

phillipivan
1-Dec-2014
11:01:32 PM
Something like that

phillipivan
2-Dec-2014
7:31:54 AM
I feel like I should add a disclaimer to the effect of: If you are reading the above gear list and comments (on what to leave behind) before your first crack at Ozi, understand that it is an invitation to bigger falls. If you don't find M4 'easy', I would not recommend taking that little.

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