Ascensiones en Australia por Scott Godwin

Repeat. With Nate. Climbed in about 6 or 7 hours as 9 (or maybe 11? We lost count.) pitches at a very casual pace. Still a great scramble with some really cool exposed climbing interspersed with a lot of scrambly bits. Would probably have worked well to simul with 30 m of rope between us, but it was nice to take our time on it.

Really good. Some tricky bridging on the first pitch, and some really annoying shrubbery in the crack on the second. Amazing weather on this trip. Absolutely still, clear skies, and mild temperatures. I don't think I've ever experienced such silence on the Ben.

More bolted crack.

Great finger locking and face climbing up the crack, which has abundant excellent wire placements for the entire length. Another one that could have been a two star trad route.

Nice climbing. Easy jamming up the crack, then a fiery crux, then eases off again. I found this harder than the crack to the right. Could be a two star trad route, but it gets zero stars for having a bolt every 1.5 metres.

Really nice. Consistently interesting the whole way. Draws already on.

Nice climbing, but very wandering. Watch out for drag.

Plus about ten other easy pitches that have already merged in my memory. Mostly cleaning gear for Kristin on her 32 pitch birthday mission.

Did I miss something?

Apparently I'd been on this before. It seemed vaguely familiar but I wasn't sure. Great climbing. Solid for the grade, especially in the hot sun. Putting draws up for Kristin so she could climb this as the last of her 32 birthday pitches. Was only about pitch 15 for me and I was feeling a bit weary. Great effort by Kristin to do 32 routes in a day!

The first of the Trinity for me. Great adventure. Somehow felt much bigger than the 4 pitches that it is. An excellent route for connoisseurs of thrutch. Bloody hard work for those like us who are not well schooled in the art of the wide stuff. We brought two #4 and two #5 camalots, and used them a lot. Pulled on the gear a couple of times to get through some wet slimy sections. Started climbing around lunchtime after walking up but all the slow shuffling and some shenanigans with belays in the wrong spots ate up a lot of time. Got to enjoy an awesome light show while I was sitting at the belay at the top of the third pitch. There was a bit of smoke in the air over the central plateau and the distant peaks showing through the haze in the late afternoon light were amazing. When the sun dropped a bit lower the Fingal valley gradually filled with cloud and the shadow of the mountain was cast against it. We topped out just on dark, just in time to see an incredible orange full moon rising through the smoke haze above a sea of cloud. Wandered around the scree in the moonlight for a while before eventually finding the bivi spot at Tranquil tarn. Very happy to have scored dead calm, clear, warm conditions in late March.

P1-Cam, P2-me. Both pitches were good. Nice consistent slabbing on the first and cool funky bridging corner with great gear for the second. Skipped the DBB at the ledge near the end and kept going straight up the nice hand crack for another 5m or so. Good trad belay at the top.

Spanked on a 17. Oh the shame. Cool line though. Steep finish!

Really good. Burly moves on mostly big jugs.

P1-me, P2-Cam. Nice slabbing at the bottom and cool position pulling through the overhang at the top.

Really good. Got a bit sketched clipping the bolt at the crux and held the draw momentarily, otherwise clean. Pretty intense moves at the crux. Could have been trad in the bottom half.

Nice steep climbing on good holds. Wasn't fully recovered from force 10 and had to move quickly to avoid pumping off.

Awesome. Followed Cam on the first pitch. Way more pumpy than it looks. Had to work hard, and shredded my hands in the painful jams.

Second shot. Missed the sneaky jug on the first go.

Nice slabbing, with a surprise finish.

Steep jugginess down low, with a tricky crux that seemed pretty stiff for 19.

Draws on. Funky bridging moves.

Good fun.

First 'real' trad pitch post surgery. Ankle felt pretty good on the walk in and out. No problem with the climbing. Great looking crag. The approach is pretty long for a day trip. I'll be back to stay for a couple of days next time. Note. Bring a spare 3m tape or cord for a rap anchor.

Got a bit pumped on the flash attempt and jumped off just above 2nd bolt. Sussed it out after but no time to try again before the rain started.

Blackwood rocks answer to Watchtower crack?

Really nice

A couple of laps on top rope first to scrub the moss off.

Had top roped a couple of weeks previously. Seems more like 22 if you start underneath the first bolt.

First proper jamming test post surgery. Ankle felt stiff but ok.

Sean sent me up this one for my first climb outside post surgery. I got to the same place he'd bailed from, realised that I didn't have it in me and bailed as well. Maybe next time.

Really good, albeit a bit sandy. First time back on real rock in 5 months.