Ascents as Red point or Ground up red point as trad by Anton Korsun

yay

Laps. This time placing the crux gear, which I somehow haven’t done yet despite being up it so many times.

Never in doubt, but it was wetter than last time so I had a moment or two on the layback. Henry onsighted P4 without much rest after P3 - top work!

Absolutely emptied the tank on this one. Last shot of the day, climbing into wild pump followed by foot slip after foot slip. Haven’t tried that hard in a while, and it’s the longest I’ve taken to do a 24 this year, but happy to get it done.

Also got to watch Pat double-icecream in much better style, which was rad.

49 minutes car 2 car 🚗

This one felt fast, but we got pretty awful conditions so moved conservatively and placed more pro than usual

Happy to get this done. Lead/seconded the same pitches as last time, but ticked P2 with more rest and less panic.

Helped by a big effort from Jacques, who put up with my stuck cams and slow progress (and even seconded p2 clean while dragging up a tree stuck in the haul line...) thanks mate!

Simul in just a hair over 1h car2car for a warm up. Beautiful day until lightning and hail hit as I topped out.

boom

Aaand... pitch 12! Squeezed one more in after the rope was packed up. Thought we did 13 but looking back I miscounted.

About 60% through the full PIAD, but ticked most of the harder ones today (other than maybe Solomon).

Pitch 11 today - ok now I'm feeling it. Almost slipped out of the first few moves and took more rests than on Psychopath (pitch 9).

Pitch 10 of PIAD

Pitch 9 today. Getting faster now.

Pitch 8 today. Just the first to the thread.

Pitch 7. In hiking boots to give my toes a break.

Pitch 6 of PIAD. Got to onsight the top crack as I've only ever done the flake. Chill.

Pitch 5 of PIAD

Pitch 4 of PIAD. Too much rest, Jacques fell asleep. Difficulty was on par with the Eternity today because I left that one for pitch 11 lol

Pitch 3 of PIAD. Probably not fully warmed up, as this felt the hardest of any climb today, certainly harder than Jammycepts.

Pitch 2 of PIAD

First little run of piddo-in-a-day. Ended up leading 12 pitches in about 5 hours, making up 280-ish meters of climbing - not bad!

Started with Hope to warm up, then ticked the harder ones (Kraken/Jammycepts) before making our way back towards the eternity. Felt 100% fresh until around pitch 11.

The full 20-22 pitches is reasonable, adding only about 220-230 meters to the day, but might be better if partners swing lead-toppie laps to save time.

Repeat. Still my favourite climb at piddo - wins a full star over Eternity imo, but I haven't met anyone yet who shares that view.

Good to be back! Used totally wack beta leaving the chimney (almost laybacked it, like I'm becoming a sport climber or something!)

12 days after MCL sprain. The walk in was today's main goal, which went mostly ok - so I got to climb this again.

Third lap! 5.5 hours car to car, which is cool considering we pitched everything out and climbed at a pretty relaxed rate of speed.

Yay!

All things considered I must be the weakest climber to have done this. When I first had a look last year it was a solid 2 grades above my limit, and although I'm stronger now and can crawl up a 25 or two, the mental aspect remains.

All in one pitch, naturally (shit pitch included 🙂). On that note, there are enough ways to bail from the mid anchor that I'd support it being removed.

repeat

Probably my longest standing project, mostly because finding a belayer for "desperate ringlocks with nothing else to do at the crag" has proved difficult... maybe I should change my marketing strategy?

Another lap straight after the pink placing all the traddy stuff - not that 4 cams is much to place...

While I've only sampled a wee fraction of Araps, this takes the cake of the best crack I've been on anywhere! The wild sideways gymnastics just left me sad it wasn't longer.

SPG assessment

Team sends with Zac

FA. Hard to call this onsight as we split it into 2 pitches for gear and drag, thus lowering to the ledge.

Largely average, but the way you move between the arete and corner is unique I guess.

2nd shot after sussing out the (quite thin and particular) gear on the first. Favourite 19 at any crag so far!

Getting smoother. 1h 14m c2c

Supertrad! We split it up in a funky way, but it all works out (including rapping on a 60m if you're clever and careful)

P0: soloed up corner ramp to tree. Easily linked P1 + P2 from there with no drag or drama.

Repeat, but technically I've never led this before. Downclimbing is a solid alternative to walking off lol.

With uni late the night before, and work that arvo, we set out for a speedy smash 'n grab. Rapped in. Sent. Walked out via lower track. Didn't get fired.

If I say nothing of getting Pat's ropes hopelessly stuck, the day was almost perfect! Lovely views of climbers enjoying Telstar too 😉

Yeww! Repeat. Just like interstate, this only gets better each time

Repeat. 5th lap I think.

Six Steps to a Successful Send

(a.k.a. A battle between Murphy's law and myself)

1. Crack gloves work best when you wear them.

   This is why we downclimb at the Ledge right?

2. Kneebars are kool.

   Realising at the glory jug that my left shoe was untied and falling off, I downclimbed (now to the kneebar) for some hands-free nodeology. I never got my knot badge in Scouts, but I'll take this as redemption...

3. When in doubt, run it out!

   The memory of yesterday's misadventure put me so in the zone over the last rooflet that I missed the key 0.75 slot. Nothing gets the guns blazing more than the beautiful and terrifying rope swinging freely, with your last piece too small too see.

4. The secret ming saves everything.

   Having addressed the previous point with a think-twice blue totem, I recalled Will's recount here; found the nonexistent crimp, minged, and all was good!

5. You get bonus points...

   ...if your belayer thinks you're topping out! The best victory whip is the one you don't expect.

Yea there's only five steps... but assonance, y'know?

Repeat