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DogFace December Decathalon |
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3-Dec-2009 5:52:15 PM
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Any Melbs crew wanna share drive for the weekend?
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9-Dec-2009 10:14:56 PM
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I missed the spell-check error . .
It's supposed to read ' DogFace December Deckathon ' . . . sorry
Further plans include ;Re-bonging Gigantor to make it a safer free option, 'Safe Landslides' approved . .
Forecast is hopefully calm and fine, but if pressure builds it could easily turn tense and sandy with a
chance of pain, not sure what the weather is doing . . .
More again tomorrow . . .
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11-Dec-2009 3:52:18 PM
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Headed there now after a late alpine start and some sports wall chilli carnage; but more on that later , , ,
The Dog got a wash and blow dry last night and they used climber edition V 15 so its's in good condition , , .
Come have pat, , ,
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11-Dec-2009 4:12:58 PM
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I'll be there, as for anything further than that...
On 6/12/2009 hero wrote:
>Perhaps a reiteration of the first law of frisbees is in order.
>
>"Never precede any action by a statement more predicative than watch this."
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11-Dec-2009 4:27:00 PM
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Just don't forgot the big cam and the skateboard Josh. 8am sharp.
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11-Dec-2009 4:27:22 PM
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Well you can always belay me on something if you feel tired, maybe 21st Century Aid or Collossus . .
See ya there , , ,
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11-Dec-2009 4:45:33 PM
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And if someone can bring a large SD card that would help too , , ,
Ropes will be fixed on Main Face and special secret challenge access info will be posted in the Cave, 1
O'Sullivans Rd, for easy access . . .
Meet you at the top maybe or come down tp the ledge for coffee and cones . .
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11-Dec-2009 4:57:23 PM
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Is there a fixed rap rope already down the cliff? I was going to fix my 100m static - but if one is already
there i won't bother...
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12-Dec-2009 3:47:07 PM
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If it's macca's rope monty, I'd bother....
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12-Dec-2009 9:27:36 PM
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On 12/12/2009 Fish Boy wrote:
>If it's macca's rope monty, I'd bother....
It should be OK. He probably borrowed one off Zac.
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13-Dec-2009 12:14:11 AM
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Heh....
Enjoy the wall folks, I wish I was there....
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13-Dec-2009 9:28:44 AM
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I met Macca in a sea of gear and stimulants at the top of the wall. Josh arrived shortly after with the required enthusiasm for 100m of choss climbing. Gigantor was the route of choice, the apparent trade route of the wall. I'm not sure what sort of trade it was - but it must be something a little bit illegal and a little bit obscure. At a guess it might get 3 ascents a year max. If it got any more it would be a sandy trench all the way to the top requiring 30 x #6 cams. I quickly learnt that if a piece of gear doesn't quite fit, just wiggle it around and it will hollow out a larger placement. If it really doesn't fit then just smack it with a hammer a few times and it will carve a nice solid placement (I did this with a size 10 Hex at one point - it took Josh about 15 minutes to remove). The climbing was incredibly sustained, mostly because you don't really trust that anything will actually hold a fall. All the aiding I've done in the past has been on quality granite or bomber sandstone - this stuff was a whole new chosstastic ballgame. Macca perched himself on a portaledge within earshot and proceeded to describe how he and Zac freed the route whilst I was cringing on a tiny nut slowing rattling down a sandy slot. I can't fathom the desire to try and free this sort of nonsense, every hold is covered in sand, 50% of the them are attached to the wall with mud and the gear fits in the only worthwhile handholds. The couple of times I was forced to free a few moves I quickly got out of my depth, tangled up in a mess of etriers, big cams and exploding holds. When all else fails just place birdpeak against random bit of rock and hammer it in. Some how it held. Bolt belays consisted of an assortment of random historical carrots, the third belay had 12 bolts. I was tempted to add my own. Apparently Ewbank led the first ascent (1967) in one giant 100m pitch, using only pitons and rope tied around his waist. Hats off to that achievement!! With all the modern gear I could muster I was packing shite the whole way up. It's graded M5 (A2+) but I think it's considerably harder than Ozymandias, mostly because nothing really feels bomber in the poor rock. By the end of pitch 3 my adrenaline glands had worn out.
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13-Dec-2009 10:07:30 AM
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Some photos here:
http://neilshaulbag.smugmug.com/Sports/Climbing/Gigantor-Dogface-aid-chossfest/10625856_LySaf#739024817_ZPjFr
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13-Dec-2009 1:38:13 PM
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Nice Neil! It's a funny feeling when you're looking at a big cam or hex which is usually bomber just slidding down a crack with half body weight, eh!
How many times did you hammer on that thing? What the spiciest part for you (apart from that farked belay)...last pitch near the broken angle below the bolt ladder?
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13-Dec-2009 1:45:19 PM
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That was very entertaining reading, but I don't know that I'll be rushing out to repeat it.
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13-Dec-2009 5:15:19 PM
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On 13/12/2009 Fish Boy wrote:
>How many times did you hammer on that thing?
I didn't bring a hammer on the first pitch - but did manage to bash in an angle piton into a hole with a
hex. Second pitch i hammered a hex into place and I think a knifeblade. 3rd pitch I hammered a
knifeblade and a birdbeak into the pox above the belay. I only brought 3 pitons as an afterthought - i'm
glad i did to be honest! Clean aid is an impossible dream on that wall. Every placement no matter how
'hammerless' it is scars the rock to some degree.
> What the spiciest part for
>you (apart from that farked belay)...last pitch near the broken angle below
>the bolt ladder?
The scariest bit for me was about 4m above the belay on the third pitch. Everything was marginal and
I certainly didn't want to take a lead fall onto it. I felt the itchy feeling of panic beginning...
I actually tried to free that move below the broken angle near the end of pitch 3! I ended up crimping
down the remains of an old rusty bolt that was rusted 2/3 through and reaching up to the good first bolt
of the ladder.
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13-Dec-2009 7:44:43 PM
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How much sun does The Dogface get, Neil?
widewetandslippery and I were planning on heading up but he had to work on Saturday. I'm still keen to do a route there but I don't want to bake and shake at the same time, if you know what I mean.
When I do, I'll be taking a few pins and a hammer for sure.
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14-Dec-2009 7:04:45 AM
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You might want to take some star pickets to enhance the belays too. ;))
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14-Dec-2009 8:11:34 AM
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Sun from about 1pm? We got blasted - the rock is practically white so it's like standing on the beach for 6 hours.
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14-Dec-2009 9:32:00 AM
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Jump on gigantor, its got no (or 1 or 2 moves) of freeing, which is good as you DO NOT want to be freeing on dogface (disregard last sentence if your whacked in the head)...
WARNING BETA ALERT!!!
On 13/12/2009 wallwombat wrote:
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>When I do, I'll be taking a few pins and a hammer for sure.
Dont need Pins or hammer on Gigantor, take some tricams! small ones (pink, black red) fit in old boxed out pin scars like a glove, especially on 3rd pitch! bigger ones will prob hold in soft rock better, as the point will dig in to the rock.
Big cam BD#5 is good for somewhere along the way, and we used lots both our #4's heaps. Lots of big nuts (metal and flesh) needed too.
other mandatories include bosuns chair, goggles (stop lots of sand getting in your eyes) and book/ipod-speaker combo, and if its sunny a brolly is awesome!
have fun! and dont ruin any natural placements whackin ya bits in!
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