Ascents of Where Angels Fear to Tread having Beta

Another lap on this sweet line. Team of 3 this time. Great birthday lap and got to watch the hang gliders launch with a beer in hand up top. So good.

It was one of those days, not like other ones- days that hurry all too fast along, this day holds firm, steeped in the memories and emotion on Angels. Like a deep spring, it is an adventure to nourish a climber's soul, to draw from for many seasons and sessions to come. One of the most satisfying days I've had in years.

Classic. All the best parts of buffalo on one climb

Another great day on granite.

Good to come back 5 years after I got dragged up it and drag cam up it instead, hopefully he'll come back sometime too.

Awesome day out. 6 hours car to car with a 30min detour of misdirection on the top out. I'd leave the #5 at home next time and have triple #2, #3, #4's. Had wires and micros but didn't need them.

Also on the 70m rope running the 1st pitch to the start of the leftward slab traverse would mean two pitches to the top of the off width. That's the plan next time.

Absolute quality crack climbing but sure is a massive sandbag for the grade. French freed the hard stuff and did the easy stuff. My favourite parts were the chimney sections. Climbing in full sun with too little water not recommended. Dry tears were cried. The exit was cool, used the drawing that’s posted on the crag which helped a lot. Most painful feet I’ve had on a route. Even the last pitch has proper crack climbing moves.

Oops I did it again, still on second but no pulling on gear this time and no feet stuck badly anymore. Still hard and still the best multi at this grade in Australia.

Ouch…

Climbing: 1.30pm start to 7.30pm finish. Could've took less in backpack.

What a unique experience! Lots of fun and pain to be taken here in what is possibly a once in a life time thing to do.

The first two pitches were pure joy of climbing and jamming, at the end of the third the pain was starting to build up and the battle had on pitch 4th and it's offwidth made me almost faint when I got to the top with my TC pro torn apart with a whole in the sole. The exit makes and adventure in itself too.

To exit: climb/downclimb the boulder on the left from the end of the last pitch. The on the next ledge climb the slabby boulder on your right. Next use the flake to get on top of the next boulder. After that go deep on the right through the tunnel and keep going upward.

Thanks to out gardian angel Greg Blachon for watching from the top when and help us figure out the exit.

Class route 100% did a FA on the final pitch needed to have a chainsaw to send haha

All in all went pretty smooth till the last pitch easy best 17 I've done swimming up the crack Offwidth on pitch 4 wish it stayed hand size

For 180m I was utterly captivated by this amazing line until Dan sent it up a visionary death gully ("no man's land" 18R FA:Dan Razzino 2023) because he was chasing a 4 star FA for the final pitch.

FA aside, this climb is the best trad multi in Australia for sure. Would not feel out of place as a 3 star classic at Tahoe or Yosemite. Don't think I placed a single thumbs down jamb the entire time, total cruise control.

Just another classic Angels epic.

Started off mid-morning, this would be my first dose of quality granite crack climbing and I was bloody excited.

First and second pitch were incredible. Until I whipped near the top of the second pitch. Clean fall but caught my foot/ankle real bad on the wall. After bringing up my second, I got up to lead pitch 3 and nopeee. Unable to weight my foot much, I mix freed and aided. By pitch 4 I could no longer weight or move my left foot at all. With my partner having never lead on trad before, I had to keep pushing, 1-footed aid-climbing. No layers and just a single headlamp meant we were well into epic territory by the last pitch at 11pm.

The slightest pressure on my foot was excruciating, nevertheless, found myself on the last move of the entire climb, mantling a ledge while levering on one foot against a cam, as I stepped up the cam blew out the top of the crack and (Having bumped cams the entire way up) I took the biggest whip I've ever taken and landed back at the belay gently on top of my partner. This was no good for my already sub-par ankle.

Managed to get up the top eventually and drag myself around a rock to belay.

Rescue entailed with thanks to Josh Street. 3am back to car after many hours of hauling, crawling and piggy backs.

Glad I cut my teeth solo on Ozy a couple weeks ago for some Aid training haha.

Overall, Had a great time and can't wait to get back.

An epic day out and very special to have climbed it with Geoff Gledhill. Low 20s temp with a light breeze and just over 6 hours car to car. Gear: singles .3-.75, doubles 1-2, four 3s, two 4s, one 5 and a few larger nuts. Only used one of the 4s and didn't use the 5, but nice to have.

A rite of passage for all Victorian climbers. The most sandbagged 17 going around (pitches 3 and 4 specifically). Old school dudes were seriously tough. Quite a lot of type 2 fun though.

Impossible without vast amounts of jamming. Wear long pants and use crack gloves. Ohhh, and try to get someone else to lead pitch 4.

7 hours car to car, got sunburned and massively dehydrated despite taking 6 litres between us. 33 degrees.

Gear 0.4 - 5. If you had 10 #3's you could use them all on each of pitches 1, 2 and 3 ... Triple up on 1-3 at a minimum, the rest is luxury. Wires are optional.

21° day predicted 24hrs before, turned out 27°🥵 Still heaps of fun thrashing through the granite

The day I learned to crack climb.

450am alarm goes off. I spring out of bed. After 5 hrs gear preparation the day before, we were about to embark on our biggest climbing mission yet! 530 just as we pulled bags over shoulders, a dirtbag mobile rolls up with 2 dirtbags in it. Even before they stop, we see haul bags through the window. An awkward discussion ensued between the 4 of us and we realised once they mentioned their bags were at the bottom that we would not be climbing ozymandias today. Instead we accepted a bribe of 4 mountain goat tinnies and lugged our stuff to the start of angels. Yim walked the haul bag down the gully like it was a toy poodle. I went to fill the water from the creek and dropped the cap into the stream. Fuckn day is cursed. We climbed angels in 4 long pitches which worked quite well. The finger crack finish before the first big ledge gave me the most curry. But plenty of moments provoking some thought. Skipped caligula instead opting to nap in prep for attempt 2 at ozy tomorrow.

Wow. Seriously walks the line between type 2 and type 3 fun. Was feeling super into it until entering the marathon that was pitch 3. About 50 metres into the pitch I was feeling some pretty horrendous pain in my feet. The crack thins out and I couldn’t take the pain so I placed a nut and pulled through onto the mantle. It sucked to fail at the very last move but that’s how it goes sometimes haha. Feeling defeated I pulled on a few cams in the off width too. A mega classic. Will no doubt make the journey back to hopefully finish off pitch 3 in proper style

This route has everything! Hand jams thin and loose, fists, hand/fist, off width, tight worm chimney, strange 3D stemming, scary slab traverse, tight finger jams with a crux so tight I could only fit in a pinky.

Most pitches felt much harder than the grade listed. If you can't jam, you won't make it 😂

Next time, bring a #5 (and/or more than two #4's) and more than three #3's. We took five #2, five #1, four green, four purple plus doubles down to .2 and we used it all! Really no need for wires.

Incredible adventure in the gorge, wonderful jamming everywhere.

Great day out , a must do for sure

I lead aid pitch 2 and 4. Start 11.50am. Finish 11pm.

Sick and painful line

Quotes from Rachael which really sum up her experience:

• “that was the most sandbagged route I’ve done, and I’ve climbed 5.9 in Yosemite”
• “That’s not a f*ing 10!”
• “if I never do this climb again, it will be too soon”

Would definitely recommend tape - from someone who’s done 2 weeks straight here without tap - it’s worth it!

Didn’t live up to the hype for me, but I guess if you’re into that style… (masochists)

Best and worst climb I’ve ever done. 10/10 would not recommend.