Ascents in Eureka Wall by Paul Frothy Thomson

Wow, KP, this is up there with THE BEST. Technical, pumpy, immaculate and intense for 40-odd metres. There is 1 Jug on the entire pitch. 3 laps on Top Rope Solo putting it all together, with surprisi gly good linkage on the 2nd lap (but utterly worn-out by the 3rd lap). Dialled all 5-6 cruxes, but really struggled on the hardest Flake Crux with a blind footer. The top headwall is beautiful steep thinness and nails when pumped. With more endurance I could do this... This is a route to aspire to!

The 2013 edition Gramps guide has this as a Sport Climb... this is NOT a sport climb (this has been rectified in the newest edition). I got a bit crunched falling off trying to gain the 3rd bolt, with no gear to protect the tricky move, and unable to reverse it. After skimming the ground, torrential rain put an end to my attempt. The traverse in was tricky but interesting (felt gr25 in itself - though it was damp so I might be wrong). Looks stunning. Next time, perhaps, but with GEAR.

Pitch 1 Only as a warmup. I had gear in Pythagoras Theorum so I lowered off to the ground, then had funky self-belay/aid/free fun seconding myself to get my own gear back. An awesome warmup if you're doing Pythagoras, though potentially a nuisence to clean. I got surprisingly pumped towards the end heel-hooking along the slopey break. P2 looks radical and obvious... intriguing.

Utterly stoked! 2nd shot today, 6th lap total (incl. top rope laps). On the 1st shot I had a random foot slip on the last hard move of the crux, but on the Send it went flawlessly. 13min from setoff to topout according to my phone. So much extreme, tenuous stemming and tiny movements relying on friction and tension to stay on the wall. Stressful and intimidating, but very rewarding. This was the 4th (and last) of my big adventure goals to be knocked off in the past year.

TRS as a warmup to re-equip the route and refine beta on the lower crux. Struggled in the sweaty sun, but got the gear on (placing it all while leading) and came up with a new sequence for the lower crux that made it more strenuous, but more solid.

2 laps top rope. Finally figured out the crux move on the 1st lap. Good linkage on the 2nd lap, but a footslip on the lower crux and another at the main crux before I fixed up my sequence... Then linked from below main crux to the top. Still feels bloody insecure... but possible? Stripped most of my gear but left a fixed rope in situ for easy re-equiping when I come back in a few days.

Wow. Committing to the start fall-across from the fin took a while. Onsight to the undercling lower crux, then foot slip, then clean to 2m from the traverse jug placing gear before the wheels fell off. After a lot of falls I still haven't worked out 1.5m of extreme stemming to gain the traverse jug. Once on jug, clean to top. Amazing technical climb with slightly fiddly gear, and an utterly desperate crux. I need KP to resurrect the Gerbil to get through this clean. Back tomorrow.

Repeat. A great warmup. Long, varied climbing. Good but spaced gear, and a punchy finale. The end section might be 21ish.

Dream send! Is this the best climb I've ever done? On JengA's gear (all placed on his onsight attempt, and left quite runout). Ticked 2nd shot after 2 big falls on the flash attempt. Consistantly thin (though with an obvious crux sequence), the sideways slopey crimps are draining on the arms, and make for tricky, slippery footwork. I fought tooth and nail for the tick. The juggy traverse to the arete caught me off-guard for the last super-runout techy move to gain the arete. Exhilerated!

On JengA's gear. 2 laps (the flash, and another on second to get the gear back). The start is tricky and technical (an ongoing theme for this crag), but the traverse is just fun. Gets you warmed up for what's to come...

Awesome! Bullet-hard rock and spaced bolts compliment the delicate, reachy and technical climbing. If this is Taipan-style climbing, then sign me up for the proper-thing. The steep headwall at the top is deceptively tricky, though grades easier. I had to give it quite a bit to stick the flash.

P1 only, placing some of the gear, and finishing via the Diminishing Returns top headwall to anchors (at about Grade 20, or so). Goey start for the grade, weird traverse, then easy chossy Hueco/Groove features to the headwall. The rest of the climb looks stellar... Next time, gadget.

Short but damned pumpy for a warm-up. All gear (#2 cam and a rack of wires). Harder than it looks due to slight steepness, and the tricky angled "fins" you use as holds. Definately deserves a star.