Ascents of Blast Off having Beta

bring trad

Pumped beyond repair off the ledge! Was so dang hot I could hold onto the slab

Wild times in the heat! Will be back in winter for sure!

Incredible splitter crack, and no giveaway either. Would make a nice easy single-pitch stopping at the ledge, but the p2 finger crack is the money.

Couldn’t convince Lia to get up this so P1 only

Had a sit just after the offwith section, everything else went with mental effort...

Four sessions overall. Probably my hardest trad send to date.

Pitch one is a classic in its own right. Beautiful off finger locks, some techy feet dancing. Overall a gentle warm up for the battle that's about to come up. Leads to one of most beautiful belays.

Pitch two has it all one can ask for; boulder start for a rude howdy, an offwidth that first unnerves and then provides solace before the upcoming turmoil; place some good gear find the locks whose keys are hidden in good footwork and: crank, keep cranking, one last crank and you have made it. Not! One might classify the upcoming section as somewhat easier but let me assure you the pump in your forearms can make you muck up like Jamie Oliver trying to cook Asian cuisine. So hold it together! Your reward will be an iron stone stairway to the heavens. The ramble to top is just for you to contemplate the beauty of what you have just climbed and tame back the beast you had to channel from within. When you look back towards the valley from the rap chains, don't forget to thank the Creator.

Gear beta: Double rack with a #5 cam and additional 0.5, 0.75.

PS Post climb if you think Ikara can't get any better than this experientia, wait until you get on Jezebel P2.

Went on first go, unexpectedly. Much easier on the reptilian brain with the number 5 at hand. The hardest moves are off the deck

Fell out of the offwidth, and had a few more falls/ rests on the hard bits after that. Probably a combination of being late in the day, a scary exposed position, and just the fact that it's pretty damn hard!

Stiff. Spat out at the offwidth. Felt like a real battle for the first 15 mt of pitch too. Got spanked and loved it 😊 extremely high quality route

Finished pitch 1 and turned back to see the hailstorm hitting the valley (and my belayer). Bailed off and tried Aladinsane. If the second pitch is the money, I now understand the hype about it, cause that first pitch is already quite a classic by itself!

First pitch only, lovely little route for some gear placement practice! Second pitch looked gnarly so we ran away. Plus it was a little sleepy todayy!

Had another go at Blast off today. Didn't get it clean but excellent moves. The off width pod I thought might be harder since the block at the bottom fell out but it hasn't really changed the grade as you can get a knee bar rest. Have to come back when I'm fitter to put all the pieces together

If this is indeed 22, then all the other 22s have to be downgraded. First pitch is one of the best of not the best finger cracks at the grade in the Blueies and super fun. Starting the second pitch is head-scratching, super strenuous, insecure, in a word hard. If you’re rapping off make sure you have two ropes or a piece of cordelette to leave behind if you don’t mind rapping off very shallow bollards.

Just pitch one, pitch 2 looks haaaaard. One day... But everyone get on pitch one! Great but short pitch of finger crack!

Had a go, didn’t work out . Got through the start after a few falls and up to the off width. Tried desperately to get established without dislodging the block onto Pat and other parties but in the end it came loose and I threw it off. Will be back in slightly warmer and less windy conditions !!

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 😉

A veritable waterfall. Shhh Pat, don't tell them we left booty...🤫

What was meant to be a rest day.

Belaying Anton on his first go on Lead. Seconded my way up to the belay ledge.

Anton gave it a fair go until the weather turned from bad to worse, and soon the crack became a waterfall. Bailed on some nuts and called it a day.

All this talk about how this is really only 19 and we are all just fucking soft inspired me to come back and finish it off. Rapped in, top roped the business to warm up, then rapped to the ground and did both pitches. The weather was truly superb and it turns out it's all actually pretty easy when you know where the foot holds are (especially now that the offwidth is clean). I also did a sick layback transition to hand jam flowz move above gear which pleased me greatly. I like rock climbing.

Had a bit of a medium time in the wind and the cold. I fell off after getting really scared trying to climb the offwidth without using the hideously loose blocks wedged in the crack. I don't know how other recent ascensionists navigated them because, after getting the rope a bit higher, I lowered down and pulled them out with very very little effort. There is still one wedged in there that is quite loose but seems to pose less of a threat to the life of one's rope or belayer. After these shenanigans Harry got quite cold so I just went to the top and he came up and we walked off. Great climb that I'll finish this winter.

Froze on the ledge in the wind while will was questing and couldnt function well enough to fight through the pump

Had to french free the second pitch. I found the move out of the belay stance to be the hardest part with the rest of the climb being a mega endurofest with a couple more cruxes peppered in. Truly impressive send by Vicky!

Good condies today definitely helped. I think I can finger lock now! I got it second shot today, maybe 6th shot overall

Good to get the monkey off the back. Nick with the all-star belay.

I was happy when Zac wanted to go there; it's on my list. It was moderately cloudy, so good condies. We took turns trying P2 and Zac got the send second go! I toproped it with one rest second go, but couldn't send afterwards. Zac sent it twice more between my turns hehe. It was hard. Need to develop new skills. Looking forward to going back.

P2 second with frenching

Too hard for now, but its hard not to be inspired. Led first pitch which was lovely and chill

This is what iv been looking for.. a proper finger crack.. felt proper hard too.. stoked to get it clean it was a fight even on second. Accidentally added some bonus climbing to p1, Where the initials are I went straight up the finger crack instead of walking up the big ramp behind.

not sure which i frothed on more - this gorgeous crack or sharing the froth of it w my pals

What a reintroduction to trad! XD

Just the first pitch.

A great, moderate first pitch (probably the best warm up in the area and you can rap off from nice rings). The second pitch is the business; really good, sustained movement. Pumped out 2 moves before the route angles right. The last third of the route was a bit of a moss-fest for me but I think I mayyyyy have been off route. If the climb ended at the end of the vertical section this would be a mega classic of Blue Mountains trad. I think the finish detracts from the route as a whole.

Awesome adventure.