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Chockstone Photography
Australian Landscape Photography by Michael Boniwell
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Chockstone Forum - Crag & Route Beta

Crag & Route Beta

 Page 2 of 4. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 40 | 41 to 60 | 61 to 61
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Author
So you want to climb Bunny Bucket Buttress…

nmonteith
2-Jun-2014
4:51:11 PM
I was amazed to see three parties attempting Sweet Dreams yesterday - it pissed down for most of the day. The weather report was terrible - why would you even consider doing a slabby multipitch (on mostly dubious soft rock) in the rain??
duploboy
2-Jun-2014
5:43:49 PM
"For some reason many people pick it as their first multi-pitch route"

Have heard people whizzed about "going multi-pitching" in their leadup to BBB. Like it's a rad new thing.

As already mentioned in this thread and previous threads following such rescues- it would do no harm to highlight in the guidebook the committed nature of ANY 9 pitch route. The fact that it's all there in the book right alongside the routes at Shipley or whatever makes it seem just as sanitised to someone that doesn't know any better.

And I second the comment about Bellbird Wall, Sublime Point as much better places to link a few pitches together (though we know that Sublime Point isn't the easiest place to fly a chopper into).

ropedonkey
2-Jun-2014
6:20:32 PM
What's with phones etc on a route anyway.
My day out in the grose generally starts with "Bundy I am climbing blah blah if you don't hear from me by 9pm maybe I am in a spot of bother. .
Also it's not a place to practice or rehearse moves, you fell off so come back again.
Also as Mike said earlier the belays soak up time.
It's not the place to post selfies on facebook about how your new helmet looks great

pedro.c
2-Jun-2014
7:41:34 PM
Ropedonkeys comments lead to what I've been wondering since the latest BBB rescue. What's Bundy supposed to do when Ropedonkey doesn't return to camp? Give him a ring and hope he's got his phone on him I expect.

It is recommended practice to tell someone of your trip/adventure intention? Do you instruct the someone to give you an extra day or so to come out? When your mate doesn't make it back to camp by 9pm, what next? Head out to the crag and lower off a blanket? When do you call 000 for someone else?



Wendy
2-Jun-2014
8:06:31 PM
On 2/06/2014 duploboy wrote:

>
>As already mentioned in this thread and previous threads following such
>rescues- it would do no harm to highlight in the guidebook the committed
>nature of ANY 9 pitch route. The fact that it's all there in the book right
>alongside the routes at Shipley or whatever makes it seem just as sanitised
>to someone that doesn't know any better.

Do these people have a brain? Surely it is no act of genius to think," gee, I get pretty tired after a few pitches at Shipley. I wonder what doing 9 of them in a day might be like? " or, "it's pretty convenient just pottering in and out of shipley, and being able to bail early if I get unexpectedly trashed on something, but I guess it might take a little longer to get into BBB and I don't think there's a walking path to bail from any of the pitches".

Some of wiser of these budding geniuses could try starting at the right end of the slabby nonsense wall of shipley and wander left doing each route setting up a top belay on each until they get 9 pitches done and see how long it took and how tired they felt then make an informed decision on whether they might need more practice or not. Especially considering that BBB pitches might just be a tad longer.
>
martym
2-Jun-2014
8:47:33 PM
This "guy I know"... sent his wife who was overseas a photo from the mirrorball rap at 12.
He and his mate climbed back up mirror ball and took photos and checked the weather update and maxed out the juice on both phones. When they got back to the carpark, they managed to fire off an SMS to their safety contact, watching the apple symbol appear directly after.
Whatever, we'll be back in Sydney soon, all good, they thought.
Meanwhile, this guy's wife who is in Europe panics, sends half a dozen emails and Facebook posts etc. asking if anyone has heard from her husband... The buzz builds, everyone is calling.. as this guy obliviously rolls home after a good day's climbing....
Luckily his message got through and the panic ended - but when he started his phone up it was pinging with messages...

Lesson? Ignore your safety contact and make sure you call your wife?
Or don't use your phone to take photos with?
mikllaw
2-Jun-2014
8:53:48 PM
Though it's fashionable to bash the noobs, most of them run up it with no issues, they climb so bloody well. The problem is that many don't have the skills in case something does go wrong, as has happened to a few parties.

I reckon they should go out and do big things, just learn a bit more first and get up early. If you pre-stress, you'll be back at the car at 1pm.
ropedonkey
2-Jun-2014
9:31:36 PM
Well in classic Bundy form mostly forget us until he realized I haven't rung him bragging about how we had such a good day whilst he worked...
Maybe between our daily phone banter we could work out my rescue plan when I get my chalkbag stuck in my grigri.
jrc
3-Jun-2014
12:25:42 AM
I remember Mike telling me about BBB just after he did it . Thought it might be fun some time to try it.

Sunday 3 August 2008. 830 am-Got up late after dinner party. Hasselled by 16 year old son (reminds me of Mikl in '73) 'ive been reading the guide Dad I reckon we could get up BBB today if we went for it.
900 am rational discussion on why this would be an unwise plan, considering we are still at home in Lindfield.
915 rational discussion on how we really could do it, it's all bolted anyway, as long as we can get up the first 3 pitches by mid afternoon we should be able to do the headwall before dark.
930 in car, 20 quick draws, 15 brackets, bunch of wires, 5 cams (well you never know),pile of slings, 2 ropes, water pack bladder; jackets, micro headtorch. Map reference & guidebook page left with wife! Told not to panic before midnight.
1130 leave the top car park. Small delay buying sunscreen at Richmond.
Walk, walk, walk, rap, rap.
1pm base of mirrorball. Look up at W Ridge which i'd done in 2003. This time as a potential escape route. No, we're doing the Bunny
140pm tied on, on rock at last. Swing leads on the first 3 pitches; top of first buttress about 320. Need to move fast so we roped together through the 2 x grade 8 pitches using Mike's excellent track markers. Decided if we could both get to the headwall half way ledge by 430 it was definitely a no stress ascent.
355 start the first headwall pitch. Both on the halfway at 440; Richard then did the 'doubler'; to the top of the buttress using the headtorch to set up belay. Beautiful sunset while he went up. I followed in darkness-took it slowly- but that was ok cause I couldn't see the holds that weren't there.
6pm up the chimney. Golly those shiny carrot heads really stood out like cats eyes thanks Mike! Richard dropped his ATC in the dark, not to worry we didn't need it again. 630, both on top, turned on mobile & advised basecamp all OK.

Adventurous wander along the fire trail in the dark. Car about 8 and home by 930.

So we got away with it. I would definitely NOT recommend starting that late, in winter. a few factors helped though:
-route finding is dead easy as you can see the bolts all the way. Absolutely no false moves or backsteps. it HAD to be the route. Obviously, critical you get the start right!
-the headtorch was essential - should have taken 2. Mind you I doubt it would have made that top pitch any easier.
-carried minimal food. It was a big dinner the night before! I think R shoved down a pie after Richmond. No delays having lunch.
-no camera or photophone
-swinging leads means no belay transfers
- ring bolt belays mean negligible belay set up : 2 screwgates on the front of the harness ready to clip on the rings.tie your clove hitches & clip x 2; fig 8 to finish.
- R had several years belay and rock (vs sport) climbing experience
- standard gear really helps: picking quickdraws and brackets off and reusing them on the next pitch meant minimal gear reracking at belays (go try Elijah or some other route where you have to sort 20 wires each pitch if you don't get that point- BBB is luxury mon).
- didn't waste time placing wires or cams. Still, i'd carry them next time
- yes, we were ready to rap off if we had problems in the first 3 pitches. After that, the fastest way off is via the top so the decision is made for you.

We liked the route and we'll be back on it again. This time we'll start earlier but we will keep the same attitude to the deadline. And, Mike's excellent points.

BTW the absolute scariest part of the route was walking back along the Bell Rd to the car.
duploboy
3-Jun-2014
10:45:09 AM
>Do these people have a brain? Surely it is no act of genius to think,"
>gee, I get pretty tired after a few pitches at Shipley. I wonder what doing
>9 of them in a day might be like?

I think we've had this conversation before, Wendy. :-) I can't comment on brains and don't enjoy noob bashing- it just happens to be the 'culture of the day' and perhaps we can do something to a little more to dissuade the naive and save on precious rescue resources. It is unlikely many of them will be reading this forum of fogies ranting to the choir.

But since you ask: the party in question was overtaken by some friends before descending Mirrorball demonstrating to belay bunny how to set/up clean an anchor. Let's hope the next punters take your advice and practice this on the grey slab.

BundyBear
3-Jun-2014
10:47:17 AM
On 2/06/2014 ropedonkey wrote:
>Well in classic Bundy form mostly forget us until he realized I haven't
>rung him bragging about how we had such a good day whilst he worked...

Rick Roller ! Im stuck at work today and I have not heard from you. I hope your not climbing !!!
martym
3-Jun-2014
12:16:01 PM
On 3/06/2014 duploboy wrote:
> It is unlikely many of
>them will be reading this forum of fogies ranting to the choir.

haha.

I think that's why there's discussion about putting it in the guidebook & the big warning sign at the start of the abseil...
THOUGH I'm pretty sure there's a big discussion in the Bell's Line of Road section of Simon's guidebook about how this is a very serious area & not uncommon to have epics - climbers should be prepared etc. etc.

I think people just ignore everything but numbers = 250m, grade 18
Damien Gildea
3-Jun-2014
1:42:02 PM

>I think people just ignore everything but numbers = 250m, grade 18

If you bolt it, they will come.
duploboy
5-Jun-2014
10:56:41 AM
>If you bolt it, they will come.

LOLZ!

(did I spell that right?)

Dr Nick
8-Jun-2014
8:45:48 PM
Thanks Mikl for the idea of laminating a card with the topo for longer climbs. A6 fits nicely into the "6x4" photo laminating sleeves from Woolies, put a topo on one side and a route description on the other. Punch a hole near the top for a bit of accessory cord, hang it from the back of your harness, and you're set.

Not really necessary for Bellbird Wall, but did make life easier trying to work out which rap station to use.

nmonteith
8-Jun-2014
9:10:22 PM
I just take a photo of the guidebook on my phone and have my phone in my pocket. It also doubles as a light, messaging service and camera.

freesolo
8-Jun-2014
10:06:36 PM
i had only one day in pierce's pass and bbb was basically all that was going to happen. met a random climber in blackheath so drove out about 7am. neither of us had been there before. didn't know about the mirrorball rappel. walked down the tourist track, then bush-bashed for an hour. found the start. here's where things got difficult. my partner had forgot his climbing shoes and bolt-plates in the car. no way i was not climbing after finding the start. i had a set of wires, prusik cords and 10 draws so i led 75% of the climb. not too bad first couple pitches, then some vege and a cave'ish thing. got to the 'headwall' as the rain started. i remember some bolts up there which sped things up considerably. tieing off to carrot bolts with cord gets monotonous. finished up about sunset. this was in september, so i guess 5pm?? would be happy to do it again with the rap in start. the headwall was pretty good climbing for about 100 meters.

nmonteith
9-Jun-2014
8:11:00 AM
Fantastic Freesolo! I like your style.
Dr Nick
9-Jun-2014
9:45:51 AM
Neil, I can check the topo without having my phone accidentally go into flight mode, which can be rather pricey. My phone is in my pocket as well.
mikllaw
9-Jun-2014
10:13:16 AM
If I take a phone I need reading glasses too.

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