Ascents by Lee Cujes

Less sustained than This Sporting Life, might be easier for some?

FFA. Has all those ingredients you want in a Pierces Pass multipitch. Some adventure, some easier climbing, some harder climbing, all well-protected on U-bolts but with a feeling of growing intensity as you get higher. If you've not been to this wall before, it's around 25 mins walk-in from the carpark to the base of the route, mostly on an excellent track (see Bladderhozen approach notes in guide). Climb, rap back down, walk out. Or combine with The Iron Throne or Bladderhozen for more sport pitch fun in the same zone.

Awesome one to do as a sport-multi summer afternoon combined with Bladderhozen as they are virtually side by side.

Great! Super variety of holds and rock shapes. Steepish, and mostly jugs.

This was not the "climb with a pack on shortcut to the car" route I was hoping for. What was probably a fun jaunt in the 60s is just too dangerous by modern standards. And oddly, because of the few bolts, their positions and hugely weaving nature of the climbing, it's probably just as dangerous for the second as the leader.

Oddly sustained.

Blazing sun; bit of a battle.

Interesting in part because you cannot see the business from the ground. The hidden offwidth was actually hard! If I was doing it again I'd wear socks and maybe an approach shoe on my left foot. Thank god for the #5 camalot I've been holding onto for 20 years and never using until now. The novel cord-slung chockstone belay could do with an upgrade to chain as it's only a matter of time before abrasion or sun gets the better of it.

Gearing up

Skin wasn't really up to the task, but will be keen to go back. Did all moves except what I presume is the crux to the blobby section. Didn't seem easy!

Second go. 20 degrees, 20% humidity, gale force westerlies. With a wing suit I could have soloed it.

Down jacket, sneakers and gardening gloves. Proper alpine.

Curious.

Down jacket, sneakers and gardening gloves. Proper alpine.

The first pitch is a great arete feature. Tons of trad and 2 carrots. Crux bulge is tricky and pumpy. For the second pitch, the direct certainly seemed the more sensible option and I'm glad we took it. I wonder if many people hit the ledge falling off the start of p2 (especially on second with rope stretch)? Take a panic draw if you have one. I reckon you'd want to be confident climbing 22 on trad to jump on this one. We walked off (staying roped up for the first 30m) which was fine to get back to the Cave Climb abseil, or back to the car if this is your last climb of the day.

Fantastic and unique cave pitch, crawling into the depths of the earth. You can happily take and use all your large protection. Big cams #3 → #5, big hexes etc. Access is rap in (50m should be fine), climb out, so very convenient. Stay safe getting to the exposed abseil point.

What's a better single pitch sport 16 in the Mtns?

Rooflet move is hard. I wonder how many ascents of this have skirted around to the right?

Hard, and harder still if you don't spot the grips. Climbs more like a boulder problem.

Right on golden hour with live music pumping from the valley. Lockdown party?

#11 hex, y'all!

Quite good, interesting, weird, and hard - especially up top. Solid 23.

Failed on low crux.

Really pleased to have got this one in the bag. Hats off to Mikl clawing his way up this in biblical times. [3]

16 surely?

Nice one

Retreat! Retreat! Climbed in 1966 in concrete boots and wooden rope. In 2021 with modern gear, I backed off. And I'm alright with that.

I was quietly proud to onsight the first 20m with no feeling in my fingers. I'd done the hard climbing, but fingies ceased to open or close, making climbing difficult. Warmed up and went to top. Will go back for it.

Man, that was great. Intimidating, glad to have finally done it. Filmed the POV, it's on YouTube. Onsight spolier.

Really cool, with the wide section being pretty heady (for those of us without #7 cams!). Calves were burning. There may have even been #calfspooge.

Yeah I'd give this 22 at least. A bit awkward and oozey but worth doing (moreso if there was an easy lower-off). Easy to run out of plates with both bottom and top belays requiring them. No top lower-off (2BRs). I walked climbers L 50m to a perma-slung tree, rapped from here to vegetated halfway ledge, located the bolted lower-off above the Carthegenian and rapped here to the floor. Apparently you can also go climbers R to rap down The Plunge.

Nice interesting jaunt. Second pitch arete was pretty cool with a few airy delicate moves.

A cool varied wandering adventure. The low mantle is quite tricky I thought! Don't land on the tree spike of death!

I'm surprised there's not more prangs on this. The layback is pretty slip-off-able and big cams aren't always the best things in the world. Having a couple of #4 camalots for the flake would be prudent rather than relying on one.

Can't claim the onsight. Seconded this 19 years ago

First lap in 17 years. Fell off the final hold

Great fun.

Continually interesting and enjoyable from bottom to top.

This is the best easy pitch I've done in the Blue Mountains.

Classic! Just two cams (#1.5 and #2 friend).

Lots of little wires. I tried to avoid stickclipping the only very high first carrot, but then backed off and stickclipped. Which was a bit of a mission in and of itself.

Interesting moves for a slab.

5th shot. Yup! Slabs!

Sort of a 1 legged ascent type of thing.

Something I could do after the MCL tear. Such nice gritstone on this wall.

Things were coming along nicely until my knee went POP. Serves me right for dropkneeing though.

Yowza. Bolt to bolt first run.