Ascents in Mt Coolum by Lee Cujes

Warm up.

Getting the gear on, and remembering Spoonman again.

Definitely a way to make Spoonman much harder. Props to Gareth, Antoine and Jimmy. Handful of tries over three days, one a few years ago.

I might have done one move, maybe?

Ye olde warm up.

Through the start, and up to the layoff tricky bit.

Made the velcro clip, held the powerful gaston and came off the move to the knife hold.

Warm up

Basically couldn't get off the ground, until I found some bizarre beta for wrapping my R toe under the roof.

Worked out my own thing and climbed the start, worked the link section into Spoonman. Then Antoine nearly sent!

warm up

Utterly spanked, couldn't get off the ground. Beta on offer wasn't my cup of tea.

Swore I'd never go back to it. Well, never say never. This is Coolum's biggest rig.

As part of the send of Powderkeg.

With no quickdraws clipped = extreme toproping.

Getting the gear on and removing some aid bolts.

Getting mucho quickdraws on this and the extension.

Gear on lap.

Fell a couple of bolts shy of the top. Low energy day.

First day back, feeling crap. Extensioning.

Extensioning.

Probably Frey's best route at Coolum. Second ascent. [2]

Desperate backpack ascent

End of day nemesis this is becoming. Had a bunch of shots. Thankfully JJ was there to get my gear back

Hey JJ this kneebar is hands free, look! ARGH!

All good. Lots of chalk, it's getting love.

Working.

Botched the OS.

Saved the onsight of this for years. Failed on last move. Bleh. Second go. [2]

Fell at second bolt on OS attempt, totally gassed. High grav day.

Matt okay'd having a burn. Super difficult transition from roof to wall. Too much for me.

Another route trying to muscle in on Evil's popularity. Interesting, but not sustained. [4]

Gear off.

WD-40 lap, fixing the seized biners. Might make it a grade easier

Beta gathering for Sam

All moves done, and some nice links this try. Skin not in Coolum condition, yet.

It's been a while.

All moves except the weird slab one up high.

Day 2. Solo. It was all downhill from here.

Extensioning x2

Extensioning x1

Protection bolts went in today, edge smoothing, perma's. One more session of work and it'll be ready for climbing.

Ground-up bolting, about 8 bolts in. Not yet to the finishing point.

Day 1. Solo aid ground up.

Felt really good. Avoided the sit-down rest. There are some very sharp kneebars to be had, wear your thickest pads. [2]

End of day.

Sussing for Sam. Verdict? Not suitable.

Getting gear on, scraping my back.

This will eventually be freed by someone, but it won't be me. You'll need to enjoy pulling and campussing on quite small, sharp-ish holds through a more than horizontal roof.

Fell in the crux sidepull section.

Fell off the anchor clipping hold. Argh!

Second ascent, thanks SMatt. Bouldery top section. Felt hard for me today, although I could be jetlagged. Might be 7c+? (Don't victory jump from above the anchors, bad whip-in) [4]

First climb back from Kaly 2011.

Only to the rooflet on the OS attempt.

Strange route which feels easy bolt to bolt, but becomes a beast to link. Last climb before Kaly 2011 [12]

All through Evil, through the traverse and the tank went from full to empty in like 2 moves.

Getting E's gear off. Only the second time done this. I literally kneebarred the entire route.

Just second half to warm up and get gear on. Everything feels so easy the first time. Deceptive.

With Erik.

In socks. Socks are easier than shoes.