Ascents in Gardens of Stone National Park as Pink point

Brilliant, so satisfying to get off a climb absolutely exhausted. Even managed to squeek out a few Matthew Robbins inspired power screams. Would love to get back out there for a crack at Beyond!

Cruise.

Repeat on Fanny's gear to clean the climb for his redpoint.

Getting cleaner and cleaner.

1 lap for a warmup and then a comfy pink point. Trying to link Disbelief into Birth Canal turns out to be fiercely pumpy.

Stoked to put down one of my dream lines. What an absolute masterpiece of a crack!

The send is a little bittersweet as I came off right at the chains on the onsight when going to the final hand jam… I gave it my all (zero warmup) but didn’t quite nail it 🤷‍♂️

I was so flash pumped from jamming I couldn’t open or close my hands for 5 minutes.

The pink point burn was absolute flow and went down quickly. It sounds a little silly but a pink point doesn’t quite feel respectful to the climb, will need to come back for a redpoint 😅

First Free Ascent. Few years in the making, still have to come back to redpoint

Waited 4 months for the road to be graded.

Had a ambitious red point attempt which lead to a respectable whip at the first crux then.

Second lap went for the pink point and got it done! Nearly lost it on the outro of the top crux.

This line is proper.

Clean repeat, gear was in. This time kept going.

Last time I thought Supercrack was better and wasn't in a hurry to return. Happy I did - this actually ROCKS!!

Once you climb crack, you never go back!

FFA. Exceptional climb, hard to put a grade on this but it really doesn't matter, def felt harder than 25. The FFA was pink point. Zac Vertees subsequently sent it placing gear

2nd shot. Didnt lock in the crux dyno on the flash. A punchy first half (22) and a gnarly 2nd half with a crazy dyno off rather tiny holds, and a tough pocketed finish. Crumbly rock, but brilliant powerful climbing.

3rd shot. On both my onsight and 2nd shot I blew the main crux boulder just below gaining the roof traverse. I enjoyed the moves up to the roof immensely (though only briefly tough), but the traverse is just sharp and chossy and doesnt add difficulty. As Ro said, this COULD be extended to the lip of the roof for another grade or two, which would also then justify the current part of the traverse.

2nd ahot. Bungled a move at the 2nd last bolt tackling this as a warmup today. Cruised it 2nd shot. Great pumpy, traddy climbing, though rather sharp.

Had an absolute ball on this. How completely ridiculous. Never before have i been so terrified despite having clipped so many bolts. Took two shots and even then i was battling for sure.

Epic route. Ended up doing 3 laps all up, as did Paul, linking it all bottom to top clean on the 3rd push. I pink point the 1 & 2 pitch after a lap working out the beta, then Paul got the red point and I followed it up clean on my 3rd lap, then continued on to onsight the final pitch, parched and glycogen depleted. Good solid day out.

P1 - Onsight (low angle slab following an incipient seam with lots of wires, but not so good rock); P2 (Linked with P1) - Pink Point (2nd shot - Gnarly steep crack that overhangs 8m to the pea pod. The crux section is devious and intimidating and super old-school. I had a loooong onsight attempt with probably 20min in the crux steepness before bungling it (the credit goes to Steve for unlocking the beta, after I whipped and came down). The send (with gear in situ) was solid and fun); P3 - 2nd Clean (17ish? Mixed rock quality but fun and continuous wide climbing).

3rd shot. Had a silly foot slip in the exact same spot twice in a row. Amazing line. Never climbed anything like it. Classic!!

Boy, I got strong off this one. Fourth shot. First half of the climb follows this odd flake system, with some funky, technical moves, really awesome. It's hard to remember your sequence through this section. Then a pumper to the end! Awesome climbing! Fought so hard to get this one, super stoked I got it!

Ticked 2nd Shot today, 5th or 6th shot overall over about 2 years. Still tough, but worth it. As per my description below, this climb doesn't let up until the anchors, but is probably the most straightforward climb here (except for perhaps the desparate mantle). I really enjoyed it.

Ticked 2nd Shot today, 7th shot overall over about 2 years. FINALLY! Amazingly weird climbing, with some interesting technical moves to a cruxy move, to a pumpy finale, all following a bizarre iron-stone seam protruding from the wall and running right up to the roof of the cave.

2nd shot. Hard-to-read crux sequence, and a spicy finish. Nothing like launching onto a semi-jug one handed, while both feet are bicycling in the air, above the bolt. Fun.

a brutal warm up (2)

fantastic route. (2)

For those who are chasing the grade, a must do !

Flows nicely and goes easily enough (2nd shot) unless your a bear!

One powerful move then a heel hooking pumpfest. (2nd shot today but a couple of goes years ago)

Great steep line up the side of the cave - hard crux sequence and the rest is fun jug pulling

One of the funnest climbs I have ever done - the last 5 meters is heel hooking along a lip - you can even hang hands free from the roof. The rest of the climb is great too

First 22 redpoint!

Really good unusual climbing. Soft for 23. (2nd shot).