Ascents as Attempt by Kurt Doherty

Clean to shield but not enough endurance. Happy to remember all the beta though.

Flash attempt abruptly ended when the massive blob I was kneebar-ing exploded. Big, back-first whip into a small tree Was maybe 1.5m off the deck and only just to the side of the slab you belay from. Too close, not fun.

Fell moving to the good kneebar at the last bolt. Was a bit scrappy through the crux too.

Clean to fifth bolt but forgot one move so missed the jugs. Pulled back on and went to the dead point; missed it and took the full exciting whip. Clipped it before doing the move and managed to latch it this time. Couldn't do the last hard move on the head wall so came down. Think I'll extend the last bolt heaps so I can clip it early; falling on the last hard move before you can clip the last bolt brings you scarily close to the ledge. I never hit it, but it was certainly making me less confident about committing to the move

Fell mid crux. Had a short sit, pulled crux and clipped. Took another sit, then went to anchors.

Fell in the same spot. Lowered off. Sigh.

Fell on last move of crux. Tried using lower right foot and it felt better. Lowered off for a short rest then went again.

Was going to do Screaming but felt pretty good where these split off and decided to give this one a burl. Got through the spoon/bowl but fell on the bigger move out left. Pull up and tried again, this time falling on the next move. Lowered off to not hold up the growing queue. Cool to feel like this isn’t as far from me as I had expected.

Went to try Sneaky Side Boob, but could barely pull on the starting jugs...must have gotten much more flash pumped than I thought on Jigsaw and was still zeroed out. So I untied and rested more, then finished the day off with another go on this. Was blowing up at the second (lol!) but managed to pull into the crux before falling; pulled back on, and made it through to the dead-point but came up short. Disappointing result for the day, but it was great to be out at the cave again, and with glorious weather too.

Short rest after Pepperoni then jumped on this to finish the day. Fell on the dead-point and lowered off.

Given we were on a tight timeframe, I got back on this again. Had cooled down a bit much and got a touch flash pumped on the head wall; also felt like I was lacking a bit of power still, so maybe I wasn't fully recovered from Friday. Anyway, held the cut-loose, but dropped the next move. Bummer!

Was basically out of time, but went for another go. Again, held the cut-loose, but dropped the next move. Bah! Still, it's all training, and it's a crazy fun route.

EOD destruction. Totally pumped out on this, sitting a few times on the way to the final kneebar. Couldn't pull the final boulder so lowered off. Great climbing and reminds me of The Way of All Flesh for its relentlessness. Not much sendage today, but had heaps of fun. Keen to get out more!

After surprising myself on the first shot, I wanted to give it another crack. Climbed to the final kneebar perfectly, felt good in the crux, but relaxed my core too soon and cut loose on the final cross, pinging off with a big sense of deja vu. Stoked to almost nab the "re-send" of this in a day; seems like I've only lost some endurance the past few months, not all my ability

Warm up burn and highpoint. Punted moving to the ring jug on the arete below the second last bolt...so bummed. Had skipped the clip after the traverse, so it was a big whip down to below the third! Just didn't quite put enough behind it.

After a decent break, I tied back in hopeful I'd get to that ring jug, but was pumping hard on the first half, and only just made it to the last jug on the traverse before taking another whip. Since I was powered out and losing skin, I decided to leave it for another day. There's still plenty of time to get back on before I leave, so fingers crossed I can pull it together.

Went for a proper send attempt but fell in the Spoonman crux again. Weakest I've ever felt on that crux, so just not a high performance day for me. Managed to link from that crux to moving above the third last bolt, but powered out. Then climbed from below the third last bolt to just before the big cross at the last and took the big whip. It's getting there! Would have LOVED to do my first 29 on Dec 29 while I'm still 29 with a max temp forecast of 29...but it wasn't to be.

Through Spoonman's crux clean, then had a quick sit to brush holds. From there to the third last where it definitely turns on. Didn't have the juice to get through the triple bump, so lowered off to rest.

Climbed well, but left foot pinged off post crux and I couldn't recover. Lowered off.

Warm up shot. Felt really good at the final kneebar, so punched onwards only to fall on the cut-loose two moves from the jugs.

Was hopeful it would go this shot but I dropped it at the cut-loose again. Footwork moving in to the drop-knee was a bit sloppy. Lowered off for an extended break.

Climbed fast and efficient to the final kneebar, rested well, then punched into the crux...but dropped it on the very same cut-loose again. This is becoming quite frustrating; the conditions certainly weren't terrible, but I did notice both hands spooging off the holds more than normal at the cut-loose, so maybe that's all it is...I can't think of anything I'm doing wrong at that point, just not getting my feet back on the wall once I cut.

Tied straight back in after the previous attempt to go again. Climbed really fast and efficiently to the crux, but this time my left hand spooged out of the left pocket/jug while setting up for the drop-knee. Seems I missed my opportunity to tick this today.

After an extended break, I went again. Was sloppy on the headwall, cutting loose a few too many times such that I fell off two moves from the jugs! Bah! So close.

Final shot of the day. Was super tight on the headwall, improvising a better sequence out of the toe-jam that will make a big difference next session. Just didn't quite have enough to stick the left hand bump and came off. Dogged up and back cleaned the draws. I don't seem to pump out on this route, just power out. Still, was an encouraging session—fingers crossed I can wrap it up next session.

Belayer's attempt after Kenny's first go of the day. Actually climbed pretty well, but right foot slipped a bit while clipping the last bolt. Managed to get it in, but had lost a lot of body tension and had a sit. Pulled back on and did the moves to the jug round the lip but didn't stick it and lowered off.

End of day attempt. Spooged off the last crux move. Great first day out for the year, despite the gross conditions.

Thought I'd test my finger on this to see how soon I'll be able to get back on Event Horizon. Did better than I expected. Heel-toe slipped out as I approached the crux and I pumped out. Had a quick sit, then pulled the crux moves, but spooged off the jugs. Have lost a bit of power, but very happy with how I felt.

Onsight to the last bolt but sequenced my feet wrong and fell off. Sarah struggled to boink me back up, so I just lowered off and went again.

Foot pinged off on the start. Lowered to the ground and went again straight away.

Fell two moves from the jugs So bummed. This route is really making me earn it! Should have skipped clipping the crux bolt and burned through to the last, but I didn't and just ran out of juice on the big crossover. Sigh.

Tied back in after a short rest to try again. Was very messy moving into the crux and cut loose on the left hand crimp and again after the bump. Subsequently fell on the dropknee to the decent right hand. Felt frustrated after this poor attempt.

After an extended break belaying Alex on Desperado, I tied back in for the final shot of the day. Pinged off on the dropdown after the third when my right leg slipped...lowered off and tried again.

Warm up dog. Clean to the crux clip but fell on the left hand bump again Struggled to pull the drop-knee given I wasn't warmed up so lowered off.

Found even better beta for the dropdown sequence making it far easier—made it to the final knee bar feeling very fresh. Feet cut on the left crimp, but I managed to get feet back on and just make the bump to the left pocket, cutting feet again, then punted the drop knee. Left hand was pretty torn up and was too painful on the pocket to keep going, so lowered off to tape it up for another shot.

End of day attempt. Pretty tired, but still climbed clean to the final knee bar beneath the headwall. Got the bump without cutting loose, setup for the drop knee but just didn't have the juice. Started from below the drop knee than climbed through to the cross-over with the left hand, stuck it, but couldn't get the right foot placed and pinged off. This thing is nails—well harder than Dr Pepper for me—but I'm getting there!

Felt weak as I pulled on, but by the time I sank the kneebar in, I actually felt like I was going to send. Alas, I struggled to release the kneebar, and when it did, I came off Spent a little bit of time checking it's placement and that of the heel-toe then lowered to go again.

Warming up. Stopped twice to talk through beta for Peatey and to avoid blowing up, then lowered off just after the crux.

End of the day—putting the second last draw back on after Eric accidentally cleaned it. Didn't commit enough to the big throw and came off. Dog up, placed the draw then lowered.

So good. Clean through flake crux but tried to stop and clip the next bolt and pumped out. Should have tried to push through to the good kneebar at the next bolt instead... Still, I'm super happy to get as far as I did on my second shot. Just a matter of attempts now

Buoyed by almost sending, I went for another burn, this time falling on the last move! Bah! What a cracker of a day though...so good!

Tom was keen to try something else short and hard, so we jumped on this. Fell on the second last move! Wasn't very pretty on the first crux, but felt pretty good on the second...until I fell.

Made a mistake getting up to the shield that wasted energy, but still managed to pull through the main crux, rest, and then pull through the second crux, only to fall staring at the anchors in front of my face So, so close!

Climb to the crux but this time tried staying to the right. Misread the sequence and fell, but quickly worked it out—huge difference compared to the "original" beta. Also sussed out better beta for the second crux and that now feels way better too. Climbed above the last, noticed there were no draws on the anchors, so took a whipper and lowered off feeling much more confident with the route.

Lap to help confirm beta for Kenny. Climbs really well—some great, powerful moves broken by a good rest. Will probably be 26. Get at it Kenny! I want to tick it

Felt really tired all the way this time and pumped out at the last again. Stoked for all the moves to go so quick.

Sat before the crux again—probably gave up more than anything else.

High point. Fell going for the jug at the end of the crux.

Went for the send and had zero in the tank. Third session in a row now where I've tanked after the second climb. Very frustrating and not sure what's going on...

An hour of recovery and my forearms still didn't work very well. Made it to the last bolt onsight but got lost trying to breach the lip and fell. Hands were too shredded and bloody to keep going so cleaned gear and went to the beach. King to pauper in 2 climbs—such is the cave.