Where do I even start with this? It was an unforgettable climb. 😅
After 3 days on, Em and I scrambled our way down to the base of the pinnacle full of froth and stoke. After a short hiatus to fend off a green ant attack (little bastards!), we found the base and roped up. I immediately felt the fatigue when I pulled on and realised I was a little short on cams; double #4s would have made the starting 6-8 metres much nicer. After bumping/shuffling a 3+4, I flopped onto the first rest ledge!
The next 10 metres of laybackflake was absolutely divine. Superenjoyable climbing on good gear with beautiful lay-backing and jamming up the flake. I had a small lead fall when a footer blew; footers did seem to be constantly popping, and Em later noted she was getting sprayed with rocks while I was climbing.
So here I am, end of the flake, stoked as heck, surrounded by small wire placements, analysing how to tackle the roof when I slipped (or a footer blew, who even knows!) and I take the biggest god damn trad whip of my life.


The universe switches into slow mo so I can see my self yeeting down the cliff towards the ledge, hear my two nuts and a cam pop and so I can watch Ems shocked expression as I plummet. I stop roughly a metre above her, close enough that we could fist bump, maybe 2 metres from the deck. The grand whipping total is 15 meters, almost half the route! 🎉
Somehow I am completely unscathed. If the 4th piece had blown or Em hadn’t done a ground anchor or if I tapped the ledge or if I’d been slightly higher up, I’d at the very least have two broken legs and more likely have been much worse.
I think I’m going to have to think a lot about the circumstances around the fall and figure out what factors led into such a big whip. I definitely was very lucky today and am going to take away a few life lessons thats for sure!
Horrible time for me as a leader, didn't have enough gear, route wasn't obvious, had to borrow bolts on the climb to the left, the move through the roof is horribly difficult for a "19", apparently my second thought it was pretty good though so I don't know.
Would be good if there was something more descriptive about it or notes of some kind
- with
Nut Busting Unicorn
After 3 days on, Em and I scrambled our way down to the base of the pinnacle full of froth and stoke. After a short hiatus to fend off a green ant attack (little bastards!), we found the base and roped up. I immediately felt the fatigue when I pulled on and realised I was a little short on cams; double #4s would have made the starting 6-8 metres much nicer. After bumping/shuffling a 3+4, I flopped onto the first rest ledge!
The next 10 metres of layback flake was absolutely divine. Super enjoyable climbing on good gear with beautiful lay-backing and jamming up the flake. I had a small lead fall when a footer blew; footers did seem to be constantly popping, and Em later noted she was getting sprayed with rocks while I was climbing.
So here I am, end of the flake, stoked as heck, surrounded by small wire placements, analysing how to tackle the roof when I slipped (or a footer blew, who even knows!) and I take the biggest god damn trad whip of my life.


The universe switches into slow mo so I can see my self yeeting down the cliff towards the ledge, hear my two nuts and a cam pop and so I can watch Ems shocked expression as I plummet. I stop roughly a metre above her, close enough that we could fist bump, maybe 2 metres from the deck. The grand whipping total is 15 meters, almost half the route! 🎉
Somehow I am completely unscathed. If the 4th piece had blown or Em hadn’t done a ground anchor or if I tapped the ledge or if I’d been slightly higher up, I’d at the very least have two broken legs and more likely have been much worse.
I think I’m going to have to think a lot about the circumstances around the fall and figure out what factors led into such a big whip. I definitely was very lucky today and am going to take away a few life lessons thats for sure!