Ascents as trad by Matthew Robbins

Well, that was unexpected. 🤷‍♂️

Having barely climbed in Europe was aiming just to reacquaint with gear and beta with the hope of a decent link. Ended up accidentally sending it on top rope solo.

Cutting laps.

Heart break. Fell 1.5 metres from the end 😭

On the final tie in, the roof felt smooth and full flow. A small power scream came out when getting into the chimney but otherwise felt very tight.

Milked the rest then cleanly climbed remaining cruxes only to dry fire out of a sandy fist jam. I should have brushed all of those cracks earlier in the week and I probably would have sent.

Looking forward to session 8 (hopefully the last one) in a few months.

Rest day side quest. Last on this 6+ years ago? Good ramble 😍

Session 6:

Tie in 1: jumared up to work final sequences and then linked end of birth canal to end of route using beta from Saturday. Proper crux for me is the moves past the 180 cut loose + double knee bar.

Tie in 2: first proper send attempt. Disbelief was very straightforward and then punched through first crux into the roof. From there, dumped the whole tank and pushed to the birth canal. Fell out doing the sequence setup to get into the chimney but honestly, another 5 seconds on the wall and I would have vomited. Hardest I’ve tried in a very very very long time.

🤞 🤞

Cruise.

All sequences now solved and final moves through the birth canal till end done free. One more sesh to link together last section and then red point attempts. Would be great to close this out before Europe!

Warm up dog to get to the business of the day.

Scratching an itch that’s been with me since late last year. Glad to say this thing is bloody brilliant!

Text book example of why I think the mid-20s grades at Frog are where some of its best climbing is: sustained, graceful and technical climbing where the crack is only really there for pro.

All moves -2 free and linked from ground to halfway. Maybe 75% of the gear sorted? Probably need another two size-1 ball nuts to make it sane. Will be a pink point route for me, gear finicky af to place on lead.

Punted at the last move before the mantle to the chains. 🤷‍♂️

Well done to Troy McAndrew and Liamtemp for their sends though!

Sandy and humid.

Physically shattered but super stoked to be able to log a hang dog 🎉

A few huge wins today:

• Got a 1 sit from ground to the end of the birth canal.
• Figured out beta for entering birth canal chimney that makes it way way easier.
• Aided through the last few metres, got a beta spray from Jacques and familiarised myself with final holds and sequence.
• Touched the opposite wall of the cave!

Wasn’t sure if the route was actually doable with the last few metres being a giant question mark. Relieved to find out it’s absolutely doable with current strength/skillset and it just needs beta refined.

Psyched to come back in a few months in cooler temps and start going for the send!

Getting cleaner and cleaner.

Failed to get my goal of a ground to birth canal link today. 🤷‍♂️

All sections are fine in isolation but to actually join them is mega all body pump. Dialed in more beta, climbed sections with far less effort and made it into birth canal. Keeeeeeeeeeeen!

1 lap for a warmup and then a comfy pink point. Trying to link Disbelief into Birth Canal turns out to be fiercely pumpy.

Day 2:

Tie in 1: A little sketched out by disbelief as the crack was full seeping and I wasn’t 100% ok with cams in potentially wet sandstone. Turned out to be ok and just needed to get the head on straight. 5 sits to get up to the roof and then work a bit more of the beta.

Tie in 2: Tried for a full link from ground to the double knee bar. Cruised up Disbelief until a hand jam popped out of a wet piece of the crack at the anchors… Ahh well!

Climbed from the fall through the roof to the double knee bar, sat, and then solved the final sequence (mini crux?) that entered the birth canal. Goal for today was to get to birth canal, so that’s a success ✅

Aiming for a clean link from ground into birth canal next session. Beta is all there, climbed all current sequences clean… the final piece might just be a dry crack! 😂

Yep, its pretty damn good!

Came off between 1/3rd to halfway on the flash go and then threw a toppie down it. Most moves free (pulled through one) plus mostly all linked on toppie.

Tried for a redpoint attempt but with little skin left on the fists, decided to stop before I did damage. Not keen on another mega crack wound but the route is definitely doable.

Thanks for enabling me Anthony Cuskelly 🎉

Teaching. Zac picking up the trad skills very very quickly.

First sub 20 trad route I’ve punted on in a while! Tricky tricky!

In the yearly lamp lighter tradition, dropped a climbing shoe (again) and climbed it one shoe’d (again).

Shady approachies ramble, a wee broken today from The Reckoning. P2 could be a slap in the face if you’re new to jamming!

Spanked. Possibly flamed by The Reckoning but it’s also just hecking hard. Awesome work by Anthony as he absolutely glided up it.

A cheeky trad 25(?) to close the year out. 2 tie ins for beta, 3 to send (a low percentage body wiggle crux).

Feel like there isn’t really a difference in difficulty here with pre placed gear… and cleaning the roof between attempts would be a pain in the arse. Happy to walk away with a pink point and a giant crack gobie as a prize.

Very cool roof trench with minimal off widthing!

Solved all beta 2nd tie in and then climbed crux clean from bolt through to top jugs.

Day 1: Bargained, borrowed and begged for every size #4 cam between Blueies and Brisbane to tie in and scope this out.

1st tie in: Aided through about 8m of the horizontal fist crack, getting acquainted with the jams and gear. Back jumped down to anchor and lowered off to give Johnny a catch on another route.

2nd tie in: Had a decent idea of the beta for the section I played on so decided to put all my beans into it. Freed the whole section in one push at max effort, Johnny described the screams as some sort of dying dinosaur 😂

So… super happy with the day as I managed to free an entire section! Still have quite a lot left to do, and conscious the hard stuff is still to come, but it’s a good start.

A few takeaways:

• Finger isn’t a problem on this if I tape it.
• I’m definitely not at full fitness after working like a maniac for 2 months. Lots of room for improvement there.
• Miuras the shoe beta. Wide boys the jammies beta. Knee pads essential.

Chill warmup dog to get to the real business of the day.

Lap to get Troy to afterlife.

I redact my previous R rating statement. Found a bomber #3 cam so runout eliminated and all placements sorted.

Linked ground to final mantle so probably time for tie ins!

Thanks for the catches Troy McAndrew 🙏

Cruisey red point this week to get Liam up to Afterlife.

This would be a hectic onsight, the gear on this is very hard to find.

In the R rating territory with some hard moves above shallow brass wires... Definitely a head point route for me.

Somehow got crux onsight and then pumped out in a finger lock on glassy feet trying to finish traversing into the easy terrain. Completely misread it, went easily once I wasn’t gripped and had a clear head. 🤷‍♂️

Very, very Arapilian style climbing.

A stonker of a trad line!

Whipped on the crux of P1 and broke a fragile flake that was wedged into some dirt. Cleaned up the dirt and loose rock and it opened up into a small hand crack… which probably make P1s crux a bit easier?

Sent P1 comfortably on 2nd tie in with gear/beta knowledge and without the pressure of trying to onsight.

P1 only, linked into the HB variant.

Technical climbing that can be straightforward with the right beta but real punchy without. Feel like 2 of the 5 tie ins were just for rock cleaning and discovering/chalking holds.

A sport route for crack climbers! 🙈

Impressive work by Kyle onsighting the route end of the day.

Cryptic!

Beta sorted, gear sorted and crux moves all linked. The rain and time constraints cancelled any further attempts.

Found some very specific jamming beta that eliminated most of the technical laybacking… thank you Wild One for your flared jamming lessons!

Amazing fun! Done in approachies for an end of day ramble and was surprised by a few punchy moves!

Pretty much soloed P2 🙈

A flash attempt was quickly snuffed out by the starting boulder. The crux crux seems doable, just need some beta and then lead attempts!