So this was an adventure. A mega classic line marred by the rampant retrobolting that has cut across it at several points
P1 - Ramble up to the base of the chimney behind the big old pillar. A couple of moves till you can get inside the chimney proper then gorgeous squirming and kneebarring up the back. No gear but no need. Goodfun and surprisingly clean.
P2 - Effectively pull onto the wall and hook up and R to the crack/gully feature of Blabbermouth's P3. Attempt to follow the best rock and pro. My partner was short changed in both regards. Light misting rain added to the ambience (for me on belay).
P3 - Up the white marbley crack system R of Blabbermouth's bolts. Apparently some people climb Blabbermouth this way, but was new terrain for me. I ran into a microbat and fornicating locusts. Rain started properly in the second half of this pitch. Made things a little unpleasant, but gear and rock quality were pretty reasonable (Thanks for gifting me both nice pitches Ryan).
P4 - It's now properly raining, water running down the wall and leaking out of my helmet. Arctic alpine conditions for SEQ.. But my well traveled and long suffering alpinist partner assures me things will dry up. They didn't.
The first half of P4 puts the 'garden' in 'Rock Garden'. Loose, steep and vegetated. Found a few treasures that must have fallen from Blabber/SB over the years. Second half of the pitch was a disintegrating blunt arete with no gear. A bold and composed piece of climbing by Comrade Siacci on terrible lichen covered rock. In the rain.
P5 - Cursing the weather bureau (a waste of taxpayer money in the view of the one of us who pays taxes) we were a little amazed to check the topo and realise we were still bang on route. Only 40m of sopping wet slabbing on the lichenous equivalent of lubricated teflon to go. Despite a nearby quarry detonation inducing traumatic avalanche flashbacks to his recent Patagonian adventures Ryan was ready to go and he somehow ice skated up the pitch.
All in all a solid contender for the once and never again pile, but still a fun, wet day out. Route was much as we expected for something which gets 0 traffic.
P1 - Ramble up to the base of the chimney behind the big old pillar. A couple of moves till you can get inside the chimney proper then gorgeous squirming and kneebarring up the back. No gear but no need. Good fun and surprisingly clean.
P2 - Effectively pull onto the wall and hook up and R to the crack/gully feature of Blabbermouth's P3. Attempt to follow the best rock and pro. My partner was short changed in both regards. Light misting rain added to the ambience (for me on belay).
P3 - Up the white marbley crack system R of Blabbermouth's bolts. Apparently some people climb Blabbermouth this way, but was new terrain for me. I ran into a microbat and fornicating locusts. Rain started properly in the second half of this pitch. Made things a little unpleasant, but gear and rock quality were pretty reasonable (Thanks for gifting me both nice pitches Ryan).
P4 - It's now properly raining, water running down the wall and leaking out of my helmet. Arctic alpine conditions for SEQ.. But my well traveled and long suffering alpinist partner assures me things will dry up. They didn't. The first half of P4 puts the 'garden' in 'Rock Garden'. Loose, steep and vegetated. Found a few treasures that must have fallen from Blabber/SB over the years. Second half of the pitch was a disintegrating blunt arete with no gear. A bold and composed piece of climbing by Comrade Siacci on terrible lichen covered rock. In the rain.
P5 - Cursing the weather bureau (a waste of taxpayer money in the view of the one of us who pays taxes) we were a little amazed to check the topo and realise we were still bang on route. Only 40m of sopping wet slabbing on the lichenous equivalent of lubricated teflon to go. Despite a nearby quarry detonation inducing traumatic avalanche flashbacks to his recent Patagonian adventures Ryan was ready to go and he somehow ice skated up the pitch.
All in all a solid contender for the once and never again pile, but still a fun, wet day out. Route was much as we expected for something which gets 0 traffic.