Ascents in Southern Tablelands by Paul Frothy Thomson

Sent in fading light, at the end of a massive weekend. Super steep, traversey, traddy, a bit bold, and rather gymnastic. Classic for me but objectively only 2 stars, really.

A 3-hour approach (much easier now!), and originally attempted ground-up as a free climb (with points of aid through blank sections until the sporty moves to link features could be solved). Day 2 was properly cleaning the route, sorting the moves, adding the 5 bolts to gain the crack feature, and... sending.

3 attempts -never even got close to touching the brief (but gnarly) crux sequence. Could do all the rest clean at 26/27, but wouldn't ever have a hope in hell of putting it all together for a tick.

Great rock, and awesome, steep climbing up a series of linked features. A bit more "conventionally grovelly" than most of the harder routes at Bungonia (which might explain why I could actually do most of it).

P1 only. Flashed on top-rope solo, but didn't have the time or the energy left to properly suss the gear for the true redpoint, so opted to climb it on pre-placed trad. The gear is all there, though R-rated levels of "spaced", but it could quickly work it's way towards "X" if you didn't find the placements en route (they're often kinda cryptic, fiddly, and unlikely... though generally satisfactory). I'll have to come back to tick this placing the gear, as it is a whole other world of exciting to do it in that style.

Surprisingly steep, slippery and technical in the first half, then balancy and insecure in the second half. Amazing rock and climbing, extremely sustained, and quite the sandbag at the grade. Bring extra endurance.

Thanks to the crew for working to resurrect this classic!

Didn't re-climb P3 (shared with Right in the Bunghole). P1 is a pleasant ramble with a few tricky face-moves, but P2 is an awesome, old-school wandery slab-venture with spaced gear and bolts, and some improbably steep sections at the grade. Probably one of the better routes here for getting acquainted with the Gorge.

Good to clean-up this old dog with no major issues today. An inconsequential start leads to improbably steep roof-climbing which is surprisingly easy (despite appearances), and a punchy headwall on beautiful rock. I can't wait to try the upper pitches.

A great addition in a style that is perfectly appropriate for Bungonia. P1, P3 and P4 are pleasant run-out trad slabs with the odd bolt when it gets worrysome (in a style similar to Iron Curtain), but P2 is a classic pitch of steep face climbing on gear, with two back-to-back verdon-esque technical boulder-problems. I 2nd shotted P2 after falling on the final few moves of the boulder, then did a 3rd lap on Second so Tom could tick as well.

Came back for the crux pitch. Thought I'd be able to dispatch this in a day, but it was bloody hot, I was spent from Air Malta the day before, and it's just a very power-endurancy pitch. Good improvement throughout the day, and I came close to victory, but couldn't quite fight the pump. I think fresh, with the beta, this should go down with another day of effort. The final moves to the anchor are terrifying on link (when pumped out of your mind).

3 laps. Came as close as you can come to ticking this, without actually ticking it. I slipped off halfway through the final move. Aside from the poxy second bolt (crazy corroded!), this is an awesome climb. Maybe not as much "fun" as Air Malta crux, but more of a "climber's climb" of funky steepness, demanding more than just bulky forearms to get up it.

Came back for the crux pitch. A proper mega-classic pitch in its own right, and I was psyched to dispatch this without any difficulties today (as I remember it being quite gnarly). Awesome steep jugging, with a truly radical finale pocket-and-driveby sequence with oodles of air below you.

A big day out when dealing with only 10 hours of daylight. Pitches are of mixed quality (which is to be expected), with 4 classic pitches, 3 good pitches, and 2 junk pitches. Pretty happy with my linkage despite our "onsight or bust" rule, considering no-chalk or traffic on this. Linked the crux of P5 and all of P6 for a more rational pitch (the weird boulder problem at the end of the giant traverse is strange, the belay should be at the end of the traverse). Got quite scared on this runout wandery epic. Came really close on the onsight of P7 just bungling a move right near the end when I didn't see a sneaky sidepull. The crux P8 is radical, but quite contrived (can climb direct at ~27, though you miss out on the rising traverse tufa-blob climbing). All in all, an entertaining adventure.

P6 (crux pitch) only. 1st Shot today placing all gear on lead. We chose to finish up this pitch rather than the normal jungle-dawdle exit pitch to Evolution. Psyched to punch this out clean after 240m of clean climbing on Evolution. A brilliant pitch and superior finale.

I finally got to do the 3 "classic" pitches on this route, and sure enough, they WERE bloody classic. P1-P3 - Repeat, Lead Clean (I've onsighted them previously when I climbed Aurora) - Very slabby. A Poxy start pitch, a very thin middle pitch, and a bold (but not as hard or as scary as I remember) finale pitch. Not as terrible as I remember; P4 - 2nd Clean - Probably the hardest bit of climbing on the route. I found this sustained, pumpy, technical and with terrible feet. Great!; P5 - Onsight - Great, sustained technical climbing up a vague corner-system. A proper classic. P6 - Onsight - Extremely juggy, steep-ish climbing on perfect rock. Very straightforward, but tonnes of fun in an exposed position. P7 - We chose to finish up the top (crux) pitch of Jumpmaster instead of the normal finish (which I ticked first go today placing all gear on lead).

2 x Laps of the entire top (crux) pitch on Second via TRS, taking off the gear as I climbed on every lap. On my 2nd lap I JUST managed to climb it cleanly (by the skin of my teeth). As with my laps on Jump Master, this is not a "true tick", but is still harder than seconding the pitch normally, and I'll have to be satisfied with this if I never come back for the lead. This remains my all-time favourite hard pitch of climbing at Bungonia, with only 1 no-hands rest, and continuously engaging, sustained climbing throughout. There are so many moves you could fall off on this, right up to the very top of the pitch, I'd definitely call this soft-ish 26 (feels a grade harder than Jumpmaster for sure!). I love the moves out of the pumpy jugs, across the thin face, and into the quarryman-esque hanging blade feature. A dream pitch.

3 x Laps of the entire top (crux) pitch clean on 2nd via TRS, taking off the gear as I climbed on every lap (to make up for my failure to tick the pitch yesterday). Still not a true "tick", but harder than Seconding the route normally, and if I never get back to tick this properly (which, difficulty-wise, is almost superfluous at this point), then I'll just have to be happy with lapping this thing. A great pitch and fun even after so many laps.

Absolutely brilliant. One of my favourite multis at Bungonia (possibly my favourite?) with consistently good climbing on every pitch. It took 3.5hrs for Neil and I to get from the car to the Evolution Cave, as we danced up each pitch. P1 - 2nd Clean (kinda hard at the grade, the short traverse was gripping. Great rock!); P2 - Onsight (Substantially easier than it looks. Great slabbing on improbably good holds); P3 - 2nd Clean (More great slabbing with a variety of moves and no "hideous thin moves". The traverse at the end of the pitch is engaging); P4 - Onsight (50m of continuously cool moves at about the same great, with obvious gear and no rope drag); P5 - Pink Point (Weirdly tricky steep-ish climbing. None of the moves were hard, and I wasn't pumped at all, I just totally misread the moves after the 5th bolt. Quite technical, despite its steepness. Thanks for coming back down to give me another shot for the send, Monty); P6 - Dog (Fell off on -literally- the last move to turn the top of the cliff on the Send shot. Awww. Not too hard at the grade, with 4 no-hands rests separated by harder moves. The two main cruxes are both very cool on stunning rock, but that final move could be -and was for me- a heartbreaker).

With Carlos. Audacious to attempt this after Masters of the Universe the day before (we were both pretty spent) and in the full sun, but the opportunity was just too good to pass up. Almost no chalk on the entire route. 9.5hrs car to car. My second favourite multi in Bungers (after Siblings of the Sun), and the Money Pitch on this (P7) is possibly the single best pitch of climbing I've done here (210m off the Gorge floor). P1 - Dog (didn't find the trick hold at the end of the initial pumpy section, and also slipped off the gnarly slab move). A Pitch of two halves. Very cool, but pretty sandbagged at 22. P2 - 2nd Unclean (random foot slip after sticking the challenging slab crux). Sustained 21 slab, with a single nails sequence. P3 - Onsight. Kind of a joke grade at 19 (try 21), and kinda sketchy in the pro department. A fun, tough boulder-problem for the first 5m, then easier, runout slabbing. P4 - 2nd Clean. A brilliant pitch of complex face climbing with an appropriate mix of gear and bolts. Hard at the grade. Very worthwhile. P5 - Dog (fell off the final moves of the top crux on my Onsight). Two hard sections split by easier, enjoyable climbing. The final traverse and boulder-problem crux are very cool moves. P6 - 2nd Clean. Probably more gr23. Hard start to gain a very-strange overhanging, arcing V-groove system, the interesting face climbing above. Quite a fair bit of gear, that is a bit tricky to place. P7 - Dog. A brilliant, varied pitch in an amazing location. Sections of steep jugs, with technical boulder-problems separating them. A wide-array of moves and styles, and some demanding final moves.

With Carlos. 6.5 hours from starting up to touching back down. A full Bungonia 3-star route if you stop at the end of P4. Or 2 stars if you go to the top. The top is still okay climbing, but the rock quality is generally utterly rubbish, and detracts from the experience. P1 - 2nd Clean. Essentially just a runout access pitch. Nothing special, nothing terrible. It looks like there might be the possibility for a superior (and harder) 1st pitch on better rock nearby? P2 - Red Point (fell off the cruxy roof-turn. Worked the move. Came down and went up and Sent the whole pitch without rest). A cool pitch, but extremely cruxy. The moves to get to and turn the roof, get established on the face, and the friction slab above are pure class. P3 - 2nd Unclean. Very hard. Closer to 27 than 26. Tricky 23 into hard V6 into more tricky 23. The start is engaging climbing up a steep-ish groove, leading to complex traversing on thin holds. The crux boulder-problem is insecure, demanding, and extremely powerful on hideous holds and non-existent feet. I never managed to stick the last dynamic move to gain the flake. If this boulder was at ground level it would be a mega-problem in precisely my style. After the boulder it's very pumpy steep face/crack climbing leading to the ultimate red-point killer move to get the cave belay. Awesome cave. P4 - Onsight. Runout, but brilliant sustained slabbing. Wandery, exposed, committing, airy. The epitome of a limestone slab pitch. P5 - 2nd Unclean (blew the final moves to the anchor, just too damn pumped to hang onto the jugs! Would definitely have gone with another shot. But it was dark and we were out of time). The rock is quite terrible, the bolting is annoying, but the climbing is rad. Very shoulder with complex footwork. Short but punchy. Intriguing. P6 - Onsight. The low-point of the route. 6m brilliant perfect limestone corner-climbing, and 20m of runout poxy-rock (but some okay moves). Still, if you've come this far, you might as well finish it.

Pitch 4 is a classic, the rest is mostly good/very good. P1:2nd Clean (with Neil's beta at the bouldery crux bulge); P2:Onsight (Okay slabbing to some fun steepness at the end); P3:2nd Clean (long, pleasant slabbing with crux start); P4:Dog (falls in 4 sections working it out. Would go 2nd shot if we didn't have a queue behind us); Radical steepness with amazing moves; P5:2nd Unclean (1 fall at the end. Pack and Heat contributing). Thuggish with a hard finish. P6:Dog (punted a slab move). Slabby

Climbed via the Lame Duck start. Really good (and difficult) climbing. I'm not ashamed to admit that I struggled a bit, though I got it clean.

Pretty funky climbing for a short route, with jugs where you don't expect them, and a surprising amount of steepness.

P1 only. P2 and P3 look rad, but were wet. Amazing climbing with a hideously chossy (and ridiculously bolted) slab start, leading to outrageous and improbable roof climbing, and an awesome headwall. The 1st 2 bolts in the roof are stupidly positioned (and create epic drag). I struggled with a move mid-roof on the onsight, and rope drag at the lip of the roof, but linked all the awesome steep headwall. Rebolt.... SERIOUSLY!

Had no idea what this was, but it was DRY! Climbed the first 4 bolts (10m) to the MISSING 5th bolt, then tried to do the traverse left to the 6th bolt (without the 5th bolt) before breaking a footer and whipping off. Okay technical climbing to this point... but the bolt quality is rubbish, and the missing hanger makes the traverse ridiculous. Bailed from the 4th bolt.

With Stephen. Onsight all pitches that I haven't led previously. Linked P2 and P3 to avoid the awkward trad belay. Very good climbing for ME (in a hideously awkward, funky Trad kind of way), but probably not everyone's cup of tea. P1 - Access slab as for Big Bird. P2 - Probably 21. Thrutchy and insecure corner crux. Rather goey. P3 - Easier than it looks exposed traversing up the finger crack. P4 - Very awkward and insecure, with seemingly illogical moves necessary. Hard to grade.

Repeat. Seconding Stephen on P1 only. A great little pitch with a tricky slab start, and a brief (but engaging) moment of thuggy traversing on funky rock.

Repeat. Maybe soft at the grade for the STYLE, but it still doesn't go easily. Radical slabbing which has classy footwork in all the right places. Despite this being more mossy than I've ever seen it before, it's still clean where it matters.

2nd shot. The obvious single-pitch linkup of the best parts of Slow Twitch into the best parts of Sluj Gulpa with an extra bolt and a tricky techy traverse boulder-problem to link the two. The new climbing is harder than any move on either route, and puts you in the thick of Sluj Gulpa without the stances. Some rock still to cleanup on the traverse, but all the crucial holds (that I used) won't break off, so as this climb cleans up it will just get better. Sure, I'm biased, but this line rocks!

The best pitch on Limestone I've climbed in Australia, and comparable in quality with even some overseas A-grade limestone climbs. Stemming, Tufas, Chandeliers, Roofs, Pockets, Weirdo blobs... MEGA! Just the one EOD shot (after 5 pitches of climbing, a 30m Jumaar, and a scary barely protected unnecessary traverse pitch). 2 falls on the Onsight attempt. A sneaky mid-height crux, and a tough bouldery top crux before the anchors. Pumpy. Will probably go in another shot or two. And WORTH the effort.

Probably 21. Quite sustained and enjoyable (though SHARP!). The mid-height crux move is great, but quite tricky. Very funky slabbing.

Hard moves between the 1st and 2nd bolt, then getting progressively easier as you go. Enjoyable slabbing, and the rock isn't as sharp as its neighbours. Quite long.

One of the best easier-grade pitches of climbing I've ever done in Bungonia. Immaculate rock for the 1st half, then deteriorating afterwards. Fortunately the whole climb has consistently GREAT climbing with a huge variety of engaging moves. Thoroughly recommended.

Tough at the grade. Originally given 22? Felt at least solid 21 to me. Sustained, but with a definate (and rather hard) crux. Thin and facey the whole way, but still enjoyable. NOT a good warmup.

Quite enjoyable. A lot of climbing and moves for a short climb. Funky (mud) tufas with a tricky last move. The rock quality is actually pretty reasonable for Bungonia. Might be soft-ish at the grade? Definitely worth a lap.

With JengA. As part of Iron Curtain and Screaming Tribesman for 350+m of climbing! A GREAT mixed bag of climbing. P1 - 2nd with rests (nails first 2 bolts, then pumpy tufa awesomeness); P2 - Onsight (Bushwalking); P3 - 2nd Clean (Hard, technical slab climbing. Very sustained. Really good.); P4 - Dog (Sustained face climbing. Mostly great); P5 - 2nd Clean (Ho Hum climbing. Unmemorable); P6 - Onsight (Fun steepish jugging, with a boulder problem at the top). A great adventure of high quality.

Repeat. With JengA. Pitch 6 (trad 23) ONLY. A true trad gem! Great rock and climbing the whole way. I've done this clean on 2nd before, and was REALLY looking forward to leading it today. I got flustered when I couldn't find a crucial gear placement, took a whipper back to the no-hands stance before the hard climbing. Started off again and CRUISED to the top. (Damn, I really should've lowered the 6m back to the ground). Disheartening, not to tick, BUT I still did all the REAL climbing clean...

Repeat. With JengA (again). This time we swapped our lead pitches from last time, and I led the 2nd pitch. All pitches clean. All pitches still felt hard for the grade, but much easier than last time. To be honest, I kind of cruised up this and just enjoyed it. Nice, cruxy, low-angle technical slabbing with some very spaced bolts (but lots of optional gear). A really good and clean route. JengA linked pitches 3 & 4 to make a MEGAPITCH (again).

Mixed feelings. 3 shots. Never found any of the hard moves (up to where the rock deteriorates) hard at all, including doing the "throw" move like an eliminate (avoiding the juggy flake of California Sunshine, and going straight up the face). It would be ALMOST a classic to here. But on link, with the super-fragile holds of the top disintegrating everywhere, and one rather illogical bolt placement fucking up my clip, it all went to hell, despite the climbing not being THAT hard up there. Hmmm...

One of the best "soft sandstone" routes of its type I've ever done... A shame that the rock deteriorates towards the top (and that it isn't longer). Didn't feel too hard for a 23. Awesomely polished compact slopers, that ALMOST climbs like a Taipan-esque "water groove" route, completely with stemming and rad body positions. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Still took me two shots today. Never found the crucial hold on the "top crux" and pumped out on the warmup. Went easy enough 2nd shot, but still feels quite 23. A real pumper with pretty good rock and a wide variety of moves. Rather sustained.

2 shots. The 2nd shot was in the bag until I suffered a silly footslip off a good footer. Pulled back on below where I fell off and made it to the top no worries. Frustrating, but good to know it's there for the taking next time. Short, but quite intense and with interesting moves the whole way. The rock quality and climbing degrades once you get into the seams, but the moves to GET there are stellar, technical weirdness. Too dark and WET for a 3rd shot today.

2nd shot. Went quite easily one the second go. The flash ended on the last move to the end. An action packed, intense 6m of climbing with 2 trickly sequences requiring some interesting footwork (and super-secret JengA beta). Better than I expected considering its contrivitae.

Thought I'd done this before, maybe not? A one-sequence-wonder, though that particular sequence is quite enjoyable. Went direct and didn't find it too hard. Work those feet!

Repeat. Broke a (non-crucial) hold off on the chossy section and fell off. Then just got pissed off. It's actually a pretty good climb, and genuinely enjoyable aside from the BRIEF mega-choss band.

Repeat. A really nice mixed climb with some tricky moves at the grade. Good warm-up.