Urban Crag

Gilligan and I setup our top ropes over Chip A Hold Away (23) and Anonymous (14). It was a perfect day for climbing despite the chilly start. No wind, not a cloud in the sky. At the base, a young family were doing a photo shoot with the cliffs as their backdrop.

Unfortunately for them the timing was bad, the long shadows of the city were casting themselves on the cliffs as the sun was setting. The air was getting cooler and slowly more activity was moving around and up the cliffs.

I lost the flip to see who would go up Chippa’s first. Its one of those climbs where you want to watch someone else in the hope you repeat the same successful moves or in my case do not repeat.

The start of Chippa’s is a V3 boulder problem. Its a good hint to how the rest of the climb will be: sequencey. Chippa’s is a gym climbers delight. Most of the moves are performed in a set sequence and order. You could replicate this climb on a gym wall.

I nailed the start, but struggled past the first two bolts to the "platform". My second climb I slipped at the start and my painful shoes was killing my big toe. The start involves a toe down hold which carries a lot of your weight and the hand holds are crimpers on an otherwise smooth wall. Gilligan also nailed the start but in both climbs he resorted to a dyno to reach the thank god ledge. Red nailed the start on his first climb without little effort. However, his second attempt was dismal and like me felt the pain of the big toe.

From the platform of Chippa’s the face climbing starts. A small boulder problem to reach the first chipped hold. Here the sequence must be remembered to reach the other holds. The wrong sequence and you’ll find it even more difficult to proceed. Gilligans height seemed to help reach the holds where I needed an extra step up. Red blazed his way up to the crux and did very well to work things out. Unfortunately for the three of us we could only get past two or three moves on the face until we peeled off. Sometimes the falls were spectacular with the spectators belows cheering and jeering.

Today my left hand is crippled. It hurts to bend and straighten it. My big toe was thumping all night with pain – damn crimpers, damn tight shoes and damn tiny toe holds. Damn it all  

Nicey’s first time on Anonymous saw her battle with the awkward start. Frustration set in, as did Gilligan, Red and I on Chippa’s. However, we encouraged her on and she eventually traversed her way to the ledge adjacent to Chippa’s. Here you must bridge and pop the feet up one by one to gain height to the thank god holds on the next ledge. At first, without even attempting it Nicey wanted to come down. Nicey did finally commit and her new found confidence was enabling her to bridge up the arete.

We have all done this (even at the high grades). You are in the best position for the next move, you think about it for ages but then you are reluctant to move and call it quits. Without committing to the move you cannot say you gave it a proper go. Most of the time you will find by committing to the move, you will pull it off.

Its a mind game up there.

Guess what we are setting up on next week!
Continue reading Chip A Toe Away

An early afternoon session at Kanagaroo Point cliffs meant we had a good chance of getting the climbs we wanted. I had setup Top Rope on Squawk (20) and Gobble (23) and the Duke on By Ignorance (13). Gilligan decided to lead Adams Rib (19).

Squawk has a crux 4m from the start (at the first bolt). The grade should be a little higher since a crucial hold broke off in 2002. Now a pinch and layback is required to pull through and reach a thank god hold. Near the top another difficult section is encountered where crimpers are on the face.

I literally fell up the climb falling at both the crux and face. The Teacher did a bit better by falling less times on the hard bits. Gilligan cleaned it and celebrated at the top by cheering himself on with expletives! The Duke gave it a go towards the end of the night but his 5 weeks absence from climbing took its toll. Red also had the same problems.

Gobble is an even harder climb where the crux is on the face and again crimpers must somehow be used to overcome it. I somehow managed to reach the crux with much grunting and moaning, but the crux was not beaten. Gilligan and the Duke had difficulties on the smooth arete.

Adams Rib is a nice climb along an arete and a face leading to a headwall. Gilligan lead this with some ease to setup a top rope. My effort on TR was dismal. No falls but I felt my moves to be taxing and thus wasted energy. The Duke, The Teacher, Red and Irish all cleaned the climb.

By Ignorance is one of the best newbie climbs and also a good warm up and down. It follows a series of big ledges until a headwall is reached. Here the best option is to climb the smallest face to an overhang. The face can be climbed directly and this is the hardest option. To the right, the corner can be used to gain height before finally traversing across on the climb proper. Nicey climbed very well to the face where she took the corner option. Only a couple of metres from the top, she came unstuck. The Teachers’ brother Dan Fazbrother stopped by on his regular run home. He gave BI a go and despite using knees and elbows found himself at the face too.

We finished climbing at 8pm and a few of us headed to the Story Bridge hotel for dinner and a drink. The meals at the Story were huge in size and we found the beers so good to drink after a hard night of climbing.
Continue reading Hens squawk loudly. Geese gobble louder.