Ascents in North America by Will Vidler having trad-cpr or ascent-date

My best belay tick. Also the best rock climb in the universe. Time to deaden those nerve endings and practice my mono bicep curls.

Supporting Adrian on the FFA of this 20 year old Fitz Cahall project. We climbed the first five pitches to the crux on October 5 with Adrian leading everything and both of us freeing every pitch. The climbing turned out to be way harder and more scary/dangerous/loose than either of us had expected so this took more time and energy than expected. Adrian tried the crux pitch unsuccessfully and I had a go on TR (also unsuccessful lol) and we summited then rapped. The next day (October 6) we hiked up and soloed the West Ridge to access the top crux pitch. Adrian sent second go after we jammed to Gold Lion by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs which was a pretty unreal moment in my life and climbing. Supporting your friends on things that mean a lot to them has got to be one of the coolest things you can do.

I might write something longer and more pretentious about this at some point. Gwen onsighted the route except for the jump off the rocker block which took her a go or two.

Ground up over seven days and then we camped on top and hiked down on the eighth day. We pre-hauled to Hollow Flake Ledge, took two rest days, and then went up the route. Some nice Germans fixed the lines off Heart to above the Hollow Flake for us so we didn’t climb those pitches on our pre-hauling day and preserved our ground up as much as we could. We also didn’t do the Free Blast before our ground up attempt which was cool and definitely added to the experience. I top roped the Monster because I got tired of whipping from the move into it all the way back into the Ear in the dark at 5am and then gave the reigns to Jesse who fired it and then I followed. I top roped the Enduros because we didn’t do them first go and I also took the stance at the no hands ledge on the move off heart. These are my asterisks, do with them what you will.

I will probably write something more when my brain and body decide to work again.

Best thing i’ve ever done!

It has holds, is just standing, and yet it’s still so hard. Spent two days up there belaying Victoria who came agonisingly close multiple times. Had a great day where I belayed her very almost send in the morning then ran to Cobra Crack to belay Adrian on his actual send of that. Unreal times in the Canadian Forest. My friends are so fucking cool. Walking is hard.

First proper day in the Valley and we get sandbagged on to this by Adrian. First pitch was a rough warm up and I got pretty scared. I took an exciting fall on to an abysmal flared cam that some how held and that set the tone for the pitch. Pretty amazing though. The rest of the climbing was also hard and rad and scary. We bailed from the base of the crux as Adrian and Vic were back on the ground and we were ready to come down. Worthy.

Unbelievable route. I fell off the Alien Roof pitch which is one of the coolest cracks I’ve climbed after a decent onsight effort that got me on to the face after the roof. I also had to take and lower on the offwidth pitch because I left my #5 behind like an idiot and then got too scared to run out the whole top half of the pitch. Otherwise did everything else. What an awesome collection of steep splitters.

Hard and utterly brilliant the whole way. Do this rock climb.

Well it turns out this is the most difficult. I don’t really understand. That being said I did a lot more moves than i expected to, but the ones I couldn’t do I couldn’t even conceive. Wild.

Exceptional! Pitch two really is one of the best. And that final 5.10 pitch, oh boy.

Awesome and soft.

Well it turns out this is very hard! Completely amazing steep finger crack climbing. I did all the moves bar two of the three main crux pulls (albeit probably with some rope assist. It’s probably solid 12+ with some very tricky moves to start you off. So stoked to have tried it and seen what all the fuss is about.

A grand day out in immaculate weather and with excellent company but the route itself doesn’t live up to the reputation. The first pitch is quite good, a burly warm up. Pitch two is fun but a one move wonder, I linked this into pitch three which was also fun. Pitch four was okay but not memorable, pitch five is excellent but massively over bolted and pitch six and seven have surprisingly hard climbing on ever decreasing rock quality which was uninspiring. I linked six and seven and massively ran out of quick draws which was exciting. We rapped off from here rather than face the choss above.

I really wasn’t a fan of how this route was equipped. The apparent ethic of bolt where it’s hard, not where’s it’s dangerous seemed dumb and felt really contrived, the best example of this being a fist jam from which you can clip three bolts. I still had an excellent time though and the climbing is good enough to still make it worthwhile, despite the bad equipping and the less than ideal rock quality.

Serenity Sons Link Up. First thing we did when we arrived in the Valley. Got mild heat stroke. Classic.

Marvellous stemming corner but oh my was it chilly. I ended up taking my shoe off half way up to massage my foot back to life. Very surprised I managed to not fall off.

Not very easy.

Maybe still the hardest I have ever tried. Nearly threw up. Did as one uber pitch.

Very psyched to have tried this. I did quite well up to the crux but i couldn’t figure it out as a complete sequence. Rad intricate climbing the whole way though with a sequence that starts at the ground and doesn’t end until you’re standing on top.

Successful onsight simul (for me, Sam had done it before) with Sam. We left the carpark at 5pm and were back down just after 9. Probably about 3 hours on the route including Apron Strings. Sam led the whole way and I haphazardly followed trying to remember how to climb on granite. We simuled through Apron Strings to the top of the split pillar in one pitch , pitched out the 5.11s, and then simuled to the top. Not a bad afternoon after trying Tainted Love in the morning. Shenanigans.

Went straight up it for the warm up which was encouraging. Cold cold cold conditions help.

Finally got someone to belay me and led the bloody thing. Totally sublime. I love this climb!

Accidentally fell off on the onsight when I forgot to try hard. Went fairly easily second go. Awesome rock!

Quite soft for the grade but very very fun nonetheless. If only it were longer.

We asked our friends if it was hard. They said “No, it’s just fun.” They lied. What they should have said was “Yes, very, but it’s also great fun!” We got sandbagged.

Seconding to get my gear back off Rubicon. Fun slabbing.

A brilliant piece of climbing with some mixed rock quality, and an outrageous sandbag. It’s supposed to be 10b after the initial slab moves but I definitely pulled an 11- sequence up high, miles above my last somewhat questionable piece. I was massively gripped! Very very memorable.

Doing a bit of a fitness morning and getting it fully dialled in. I think I did it twice clean placing the gear on rope solo, clearly the best style ascent.

This is really fucking cool and really fucking hard. Some heinous crack bouldering after the eponymous baby apes move makes for quite the sandbag i think. Prith added a direct start which was cool.

Arghhh! Couldn’t pull it together. Not enough skin, not enough fitness, too much drive to climb other things. I shall return for you!

Another two burns and the usual somethings feel much better, somethings feel much worse. Very frustrating. It was nice to watch Tom and Fann both float it though.

Progression and regression. This thing is properly hard! And quite sharp!!! (x2)

This thing is completely all time! One of the absolute best pitches i’ve ever tried. On my second TR lap i managed to go from below the crux to the top, pumped out of my brains. Stellar climbing up a stellar line in a stellar location. (x2)

A colossal sand bag but brilliant rock and an improbable line. I put in a fairly worthy onsight effort but was stumped by some very reachy and very very hard moves a bit above half way. Only the one go.

Brilliant climbing up the finger crack flake. Softish by J-Tree standards, but truly sublime.

Unbelievably classic.

Serenity Sons Link Up.

Second go on top rope. Cedar was on it so i thought I might as well join in as I wasn’t doing anything. Very fun, bouldery, intense crack climbing. A sandbag.

Awesome steep and varied crack climbing, probably quite hard for the grade.

I think I did this one.

Does it even get better for the grade?