Ascents in Valley Farm

LED with Ant, Mark 1980

Quite worthwhile, and general good quality rock once the initial crack is dispensed with. Sustained, with no real defined crux, but a few unlikely sequences, and a potentially heartbreaker finish.

Broke about 6 holds.

more like russian roulette...

Thought this was one of the old lines but it isn't. Rapped down and cleaned out some good placements, though more cleaning needed at the bottom. Funny how the view going down is brighter, and the warm Sunday wall becomes a friend. Got to the bottom late and flew up like a rat on two ropes. Back from retirement, back from the plague, back from obscurity, back from the dead: who said resurrection was supposed to be easy?

Hard to fathom why this was done from a modern perspective ... easily up past good breaks, a more recent gal carrot, then two more past the M0 move - pull on a bolt to surmount a largely blind bulge, or your no-hands friction mantle. Then run it out like crazy toward the arete with a few poxy wires in a bit of incipient crack and the odd modern cam, if you dare. And who does these days, with the "1 bolt-per-metre" rule apparently now mandatory on the upper cliff.

As for the DS visible from below, yes there are cam breaks below but the twin holes are blind, so no banana for the trad direttissima. And no reason to belay half-way on a single rusty 51 year old bolt when the modern rope will reach all the way.

As for the "attempt": part rap inspection, part old biner retrieval, part rope solo doggy-dog, part jug and part Sunday afternoon excursion. But hey, the sun on those distant cliffs, and the Megalong so lushly green.

Bouldered the start to reinforce the recovered memories ... what's that, loud grunting sounds dimly emanating from 43 years ago? Ah yes, it was hard then, and who knows harder now. Must borrow some medium hexes and get back onto it.

Route is unsatisfatorily vegetated for the modern ascentionist. Ground up the lower gritty slab then jugged the rest. Corner crack is fused, next crack clean apart from lots of ferns, and left crack choked with dirt & ferns. Whole thing could be freed after cleaning but better to leave it and attack Running Gun Blues.

Draw hanging lap, still confounded by 3 crux sequences up high on the arete. Matt then figured out some hectic beta for all three! Stoked to see all the moves go!

Linked to the main crux. Managed to get close to something on that move, but will need to keep working it. The higher two crux sequences really don't feel so bad! So stoked on this line!

Beta sussing for Luke. All the moves go

One sit at the crux, plus reinventing lower beta due to a couple of footers disappearing. Keen to work it again once it's open

Awesome variety of face moves. Couldn't do the crux move. Scabbed matt's beta for the top cruxes and they are really fun. Crux felt way too hard for me atm. Will eventually come back when it's open and I can crimp harder. Keen to see Lukey send!

Awesome variety of face moves. Couldn't do the crux move. Scabbed matt's beta for the top cruxes and they are really fun. Crux felt way too hard for me atm. Will eventually come back when it's open and I can crimp harder. Keen to see Lukey send!

Finally managed to get back between all the wet weather, injuries and being distracted with other projects. Scarier than I remembered lol

Finally managed to link the whole crux sequence from pockets to jug. Colour me psyched! Route done in 2 overlapping sections.

Made it up to crux crimp, but right hand didn't feel strong in the 2 finger pocket. I've decided now to 3 finger crimp the front of the pocket. Did crux sequence again then lowered.

Made it up to crux crimp again but didn't have it well enough to properly start the foot sequence. Oh well! Getting the top section after the crux consistently now. Great progress today, can smell a send in the near future!

Got a new highpoint while hanging the draws. The heel of the Iati was too stiff and the heel ended up slipping on the crux. Went back to the Oasi for the next go. I was even carrying a shifter and rings for the anchors lol

Felt soooo good! Thanks heaps to Matt for the beta on the headwall, would have been much harder without your help! Ended up hanging a 120cm sling from the bolt below the crux and could clip it from the slab rest.

Sent hanging draws. Totally forgot what I was doing from the 2nd last bolt onwards and got serious Redpoint jitters but managed to keep it together. Very memorable moves throughout. Would be 3 stars if the rock was a liiiitle more bomber.

Great line filled with interesting climbing. The crux is confounding, but there are ways for the short and the tall.

Warm up to the crux.

Somehow angled to convince ourselves this should be a 22 due to poor research… it wasn’t … in fact quite tricky and somewhat hard,… Dogged bits towards the top..

Little bit crunchy down low but once you've past that it's great.

Warm-up, sat at a few bolts.

Red-pointsight after Dave broke the crux crimp. Desperate arete hug and throw for a jug. Might be the way it was originally done anyway??

Broke a potentially crucial crimp and tore myself a flapper. Luke proved the line still goes if you hug the arete a bit, no idea if it changes the grade.

Dyno crux for all but the tall!

Was seconding after Dalnevo, couldn't make the Dyno so jimmied the section using rope. Rock quality was poor at start but improves on way up.

No idea what this was at the time and unable to dyno but ascended above cave with alternate gumby-style neck-high mantle. De-clipped several lower bolts en passant to prevent rope drag. Acolyte forced to send up carrot plates on a string as assumed the anchors on this all-ring number would be rings.

Strange slopey bulges and a dyno. Don't forget a few bolt plates. Could do with a ringbolt anchor, or continue up Virgins with Rifles.

Pleasant climbing all the way until a crux that is very height specific. Good luck shorties.

First Climb in Australia! (19)

Great arete climb, bolted, good exposure.

Lichenous on the slabby bits. Needs ascents to clean up, but a nice lead at the grade. Exposed!

The climb is ordinary. The position is great. Sport. With Gus.

quite worthwhile

Great climb, Great exposure, but bolts are all over the place.

The climbing is easy, but the view is unbelievable. Worth it just to be out there.

incredible Megalong Valley view, sent at sunset w clouds n fire red sun, rays of red-gold in blue-lavender :3 Bit rope grindy.