Ascents by Matthew Robbins having Trad CPR

First trad onsight of the grade 🎉

Comes to Nowra, goes trad climbing 😂

Several more crux moves linked and a clean link post crux to nearly the end. Relaxed briefly to rest on a flared jam at the top and popped out… A good lesson to learn.

I didn't manage any progression on the single move blocking this route from being doable. First time being frustrated by a climb in a very, very long time.

Going to ignore the results this session as it was the third day of projecting and body was fatigued. Will come back when well rested and with a clear head.

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.

The big question... Does it earn its one star?

Well, it's a rock climb and I do like the rock climbs. So yeah, I guess so!

Absolutely mega route, exceeded my expectations even with the retreat.

I had a growing scepticism of the route as we did the approach solo (a little faffy and spicey) but as soon as I pulled into the 22 pitch I was rewarded with Arapilian trad. Did not expect that first pitch to be so fine! 😚 👌

Got half way through the roof pitch before whipping when a fist jam exploded out. Rather than aiding and fighting through, decided to just back clean and retreat to come back another day.

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.

1 top rope lap + 2 tie ins. Even after 6 days on felt really good on the send. Thanks for the belay and encouragement TiniestFury and hipyhop

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!

Movement and gear reminder runs. Clean to crux, fell once and then climbed through.

Edging was trickier and less sensitive using the Air Tommies, Miura's definitely the beta.

Time to tie in!

Really enjoyed the exploratory laps on this one but have mixed feels. With my span, sticking to just the Carrion Comfort crack feels forced/contrived. I can just stem between it and LLL which must drop the grade down a notch or two?

Maybe the top 3rd is 25 (couldn't climb as a wasp nest had moved in) but the lower parts didn't feel it for this +16 long boi. Morpho specific 25?

Played with the moves and gear in my approachies while rapping in to set up a TR solo line. All seems hard but doable (easily said when not on lead 😅).

It was insanely hot for early morning and I was cooked out of Frog by 7am so didn't have time for a proper lap.

All gear and beta sorted. Clean link from ground into the top crux setup and then 3 clean repeats of top crux to dial in the moves.

Will do another top rope session to dial it all in and then time to wait for some good Connie’s to start tying in.

Scratching an itch that’s been with me since ticking Worrying Heights last year. This thing is absolutely fantastic!

Top rope solo’d to check it out and managed to free all moves; even in summer conditions and a tweaky finger.

No linked sequences yet but this session confirmed that the strength is already there and it’ll be a matter of putting the work in. Really stoked and psyched for coming season.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeew!

First of the grade on gear; was close to ticking on third red-point tie in but ended up taking 6 red-point attempts in total.

Beta spoiler alert: The drop knee, toe-hand match beta during the peak of the runout might just be my favourite single climbing move! 😍

Thanks for being part of the journey TiniestFury Anthony Cuskelly Cameron Hickling Liamtemp Tyler

One of the final stages of my quest to send everything on the Infinity wall.

I think it’s actually a damn good route! Sure it’s committing and hecking runout but the fall, while mega, would be totally safe. Pack your pilots license before you tie in.

If the bolt was easily visible and/or a ring, it would fast be a bit of a classic. It doesn’t need to change though as it would detract from Infinity’s mightiness.

Lap to get Troy to afterlife.

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

Mwwwhhaaa! What a route! Chefs kiss 😚👌

A two year project finally put to bed. 👌👌

Everyone, say hello to Savage Sunday, Queenslands trashy cousin to Arapiles Glory Rodent.

I’m very satisfied to put this down and a little surprised that it hasn’t had an ascent before? In any case, heck, I’ll take the FFA.

When I first started this in mid-2021, I was convinced this was going to be 24ish. But with a few more trad routes under my belt and a 5 grade jump since then, 22/23 seems more on point. The send took some effort, but it went pretty easily once the beta was solved.

If you love trad climbing, roof cracks, rock rash, dirt and have a slight disdain for your belayers, then this is the route for you!

Named to continue the area's theme and after a Henry Barber route, Savage Journey, at Lost World in Tassie.

Ran out of draws so clipped a cam to a wire as a makeshift quickdraw. Thats some big brain shit I tell you!

Had gear beta from Cam a while ago so, alas, can’t claim the onsight. Such a good climb!

Flash pumped during the crux setup but somehow managed to squeak out a down-climb to the fingerlocks/jam rest.

4th tie in (2 for beta, 2 red point attempts) and first of the grade 🎉

In my head this was going to be a project for a few weeks, not for two mornings… guess it’s time to start another proj!😁

Thanks for the belay and for the coaching Anthony Cuskelly

Another surprise FA! A beautiful little 2m splitter hand crack right through a roof.

Ended up being surprisingly bouldery and technical. Thought it was going to be an easy flash but spat me off several times before I managed to stick the crux.

FYI… Might be a sandbag given that I onsighted a 23 earlier this week 😅

Got me some serious leg pump but it get away it did not! 😚👌

Another excellent Simon suggestion.

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 🎉

Sublime, frog-esque crack climbing.

A fantastic line that is definitely in the shadow of its big brother around the corner, The Janicepts.

Usually I'm a jamming fiend but I power lay-backed the heck out of this! Beautiful, steep, corner crack goodness.

Thanks for the gear and crux beta Jack Seawright!

2nd lap to clean. Probably on the soft end of the grade, maybe style/strength dependant?

Big gear would have been nice but honestly fine without it. Two #4’s made it tame.

Much better than expected!

Fantastic! Keen for the lead burn 😍

Low crux felt fine but was fighting entire body flash pump the whole way! Maybe not the right choice as a warm up 😂

Very close now, all moves free/one sit and doing red point attempts. Just need to stick one move and it’s over. Out of skin again, time to wait another week.

Clean link from finger crack all the way to the end so some decent progression. Rib barely gave any trouble as well! Absolutely zero skin for a Red-Point shot but feels to be closing in.

Tried some suggested beta and immediately freed the section that was blocking the route from being doable! 😍

Happy to get the send on this! One of my favourite routes I've done at Frog so far.

Very close to piking off the final hard move but nothing a good old PSAAAT couldn't fix.

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.

🤞 🤞

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!

Lessons learnt: Figure out key movement rather than throwing oneself at it hoping it’ll just work out. Sat on rope, worked out crux beta and then sent!

Thanks for the send belay Nut Busting Unicorn 🥳

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!

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! 😂

Mega day with Cameron Hickling. 19 stars between us and all climbs onsight. Doesn’t get any better than that!

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 🙏

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.

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.

Nice climbing a bit of history! Offwidth form could use some improvement but got it done 🙂

Thanks for the suggestion Simon!