Ascents as sport by Macciza a.k.a. Macca having Distinct route

Hmm, it seems one’s warmup and grade progression doesn’t really carry over from the previous evenings climbing… bugger ….

Oh well put in a reasonable effort before getting a bit boxed one move from a better hold but couldn’t sort lower body out in order to bump right hand a few inches to a better hold… Flash pump saw me digging the final few moves..

Redeemed myself somewhat with a single fall on this .. Did all the moves but similar lower body/ legs issues… Have done this before BITD…

Ooops, logged the wrong climb , was actually Creep Show… Will leave this up as I would have done thus 20 years ago…

Toproped this after Zac’s barefoot ascent to finish the day not expecting much… But then I don’t like to just give up so found myself fighting hard to find body position off the slopes pocket before spitting off… Looked at the sequence, pulled back on instead threw past the poor pocket to the jug ledge then on to the top… I guess I could be up to leading it sometime soon hopefully…

Not having bolt plates with us we rigged this for toproping and I went for it and went fine… Although more technical my guess at grade was 18/19 so pleasantly surprised when told its 21 …

Little bit more engaged on this one mainly working out where to go and whether I should choose easier or direct options? Not as comfortable but got there in the end without too much difficulty…

Well I guess it’s good that this one of my first getting back to leading climbs given it was the first climb I got on post accident in moon boots… Felt comfortable, no big deal really…

1 fall when glasses got messed u and couldn’t see hold…

Finally a clean ascent as the final, and easiest, route of the day… Warmdown with rain coming…

Warmup..?? Got through the start, settled a bit, but gassed out just before chains… Tried, tired…

Second pitch only after trad first pitch. Not too bad...

Probably did this back in the day as well, so Alzheimers flash… bit of fight but stuck at it and got there in the end… Starting to feel a bit more comfortable with technical footwork but lacking strength… The return continues…

May have/probably done it back in the day… but it was pretty much my first lead in a few years… Ridiculously great climb to do it on climbing in to clear and present danger around the arete rather than the contrived thinner face… pulled back onto main face for the end… Hopefully more lead to come…

Middle a bit thin for me, and misremembered Zac’s sequence… but soldiered on to the top in the end … probably could have done them in approach shoes like Zac did, back in the day… maybe again someday…

Chewed a bit much gas having to create solutions at the start so didn’t quite have enough in the tank at the end … not the best warmup…

Hmm, so this was supposed to somehow be 18 at the bottom an 23 at the top by our reckoning even though it hardly looked it … it wasn’t… but I still put in a reasonable effort at points though ultimately my feet failed me …

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..

Had to try hard on the warmup but did pretty well.. misread a sequence or two trying to work out my feet… but sorted it out easy enough.. probably did this back in the day …

Just some top rope fun on the easier bit at start so I could try hard …

Seems I can still kinda climb.. when I need to… Climbing fast due to setting sun and using unchalked crimps for a revised sequence at the crux due to feet not working… Amazing how needing to get something done makes it more possible… Thanks for the support folks

First time on rock in my new shoes...

Actually wore climbing shoes and even used some normal technique… and got to the top despite using some poor holds…

Yep, the answer is obvious.... I’m not quite recovered... But still a climber...The most painfully difficult fun I’ve had in a while ... Have always been good at adapting my style to my injuries but this is next level...

Just missed the final move, but I was wearing approach shoes... anyway did it a quarter century ago and my kids did it 20 years ago... will come back when I can wear climbing shoes for the send ...

2nd route back on rock after a years break... slightly challenging in boots ... bailed on final move, but close enough...

Hmmm not bad... bit of a ‘weird scenes inside the goldmine’ type day ... Route is a bit over bolted imho but most probably like it like that. Swung pitches...

Pretty much did all the moves with only some minor bogging down at the crux ... linked a bunch more, then bogged down a bit with the pump ... regathered a bit and trucked to the top ... end of day cleaning mission ... Probably a good side project for stamina training for some harder objectives ... hoping for a fairly quick tick ...

Lovely alpine womble made all the better due to moistness.... if only I’d had my mountain boots instead of blown out approach shoes ...

Pleasant enough...

Skipped a few clips ...

If you didn’t really watch the people before you that much and find that you climb it differently to how you thought they climbed it ... is that a flash .. or a ‘pinkpoint onsight’ .... Nice climbing ...

Was on this once a while ago... so second shot tick ....

Rapped in and toproped out for fitness .... not bad, bit pumpy ...

Route is a bit 'gluey' in spots, and probably could have had less bolts ... imho ...

Only 2 stars from me due to weird bolting plus I prefer carrots in wilderness adventure settings ... I feel it's a bit overhyped but it's certainly good fun ... Only seconding as I still need to work out what my knee can actually handle ... Simul- rapped in, and climbed out, on thin'ish doubles...

Typical day really...? Walked in late enough to see canyoners exiting as we leisurely strolled in ... got off track once or twice but knew the general direction and had GPS backup... didn't see any tape but didn't really need to... navigation and trackfinding is not too bad ...

Weird start particularly if not stick clipped and belayed from the ground ... might need to look at the direct start at some point ... and further investigate some other options...

Thought the first pitch felt harder than the second... second pitch was far less pumpy .. didn't need the draw to pull on on third pitch but missed a move after that and had a rest ...

Rapped down into gully on double 60's and climbed out on Welsh Dragon due to time constraints so that we made it back to the car by dark.and without needing to find the blue barrel of destiny... a great afternoons ramble.. I'll be back ...

I think we did the direct start, which may be a tad harder than 24 and a bit reachy... Pulledbthrough s few hard bits down low but climbed the rest fairly well albeit a bit pumped ...

Fine technical slabbing... with a nice finish ... then continue up Home James...

Rope solo to suss out the gear for the proper trad ascent... similarly to the other route here I'd pegged this as a trad route the first time I saw it, although there were some definite vegetation issues that would have needed sorting...

Given that the major crag developer had walked past it for over 2 years and figured it was trad, or an unnecessary sport route (with vegetation issues) I unfortunately figured it would be 'safe' for a little while, given the overarching Blue Mountains ethics of "Don't Bolt Cracks! or potential trad lines" and "Don't Remove Vegetation!".

Fail to see why the rung is at all necessary, for a 'sport belay' a U would have sufficed, and as to it protecting from wet shoes(?) if the 'bottom of the route is running with water'...!?, well maybe one should simply deal with it being wet or wait until it is in better condition... As it is currently, it sets a pretty poor example...

Seems to have adequate gear for the length of the corner crack, and beyond, so will certainly be continuing to try it as trad route... Had to leave a small wire that was hard to get on the way back down ... and a first stick-clipped wire and liner to lower off... Please leave them alone...

Might have been on this before , not sure ... found a move or two a bit hard but dogged through and climbed the rest ... will be back at some point ....

Got to the top with a little difficulty but not in best shape today ... should go fairly quickly if I manage to get back for a few more shots ...

Not sure if I'd been on this before so could be Alzheimer's flash ... and draws were already on ... maybe only 21 as per Sesame Street but hey I'll take 22 if that's what others reckon ... will have to go back and greenpoint it and do the whole SS version ...

Much prefer 23 as grade ... as much as I don't like dyno's probably ... So I sorted a sequence of a small edge e and sidepull that makes it far more approachable ... will tick it next time...

Greenpoint with one rest to check one bit of gear ... will have to return soon to do it properly ...

The knee did quite well and climbed it pretty easily which was good .. felt fine ...

1st pitch would probably be better on gear rather than bolts ... the rest maybe not ... swung leads as a party of three on one cord, tieing in halfway... I lead 3rd pitch with a rest or two to sort out holds, sequences and runouts ... definitely an area to go back to ... other options look good ...

Belayed Zac for the send. Pitch 2 seconded in approach shoes. Great position, bit exposed but not too bad.

Alzheimers flash with sore ribs ...