Begehungen in Gara Gorge von Brendan Heywood

Not the best line at the cliff but another worthy line in its own right at the grade

This is neat, deserves another star. Delicate start and the more moves you do the easier it gets so just keep shuffling! Feels pretty soft for a gara 23

Footer blew on scrittle at the start, then got up the flake and traversed to the roof crack and rested. Half did the move through the lip. Pumped silly

SEND! No big deal in the end, just take my time and keep shaking out. Good stamina route for me

The new gear beta is great walking or unclipping behind you, leaving just 2 reds at the first lip and two yellows at the second. Fell at crux again, the jams are fine I just need much more weetbix and more stamina.

Repeat for the paparazzi. Did something weird at the top and missed a hold and did a funky rockover to finish

The first third is horribly hollow and loose for gear but otherwise climbs well. Topped out on the ledge. Didn’t do the crack which needs a good clean. Not inspired to lead it

Stoked Volo got this for the 3rd ascent. Almost day flashed it, but ripped off the sweet crux undercling and was gutted. But turned out its still quite doable without it, maybe slightly harder but same grade. Got it 3rd go.

Gara delivers another classic hiding in plain sight. Felt impossible at first and slowly unlocked the micro beta. Had a bunch of 'ok one last go's, mincing up my right thumb and then stoked to send it when I was thrashed and thought I was going backwards

Top rope burn, shoulder felt great after I tweaked it a couple weeks ago here. Got to the crux clean feeling fairly solid, had a tussle with the rope stuck in the crack where I needed to be. Worked it all and did get the crux moves, but it feels like the crux isn't actually the crux and it's the thinner hands on the headwall which are doable when fresh but brutally sustained after the lip which is the extended crux. The top boulder problem I got first go last time and made a mess of it this time cause I was super cooked.

This one has been on the list for ages and I should have done it years ago, its one of the best routes in the gorge! It climbs well and it's in a top spot

Two goes on top rope and made a lot of progress. This feels very doable now compared to last time. The first roof is not too bad after all, pinch abd layback instead of jam. Second roof is perfect hands for me, the lip is just a constant grunt fest and is more of a stamina thing than pure technical difficulty. Head wall is just more constant fight and thins out and I think you’d want to just punch through it quickly up to the rest before the third little roof. Final section was surprisingly easy and flows nicely. Strained my shoulder / bicep somewhere on the first go and should have taken it easy and cooked it a bit on the second go

Didn't pull on, just cleaning and belaying. Found a perfect photo ledge level with the main roof with the water fall in the background

Had one flash pumpy burn, figured out the start which ended up being the quite straight forward and exactly how I originally thought it would go. Had a second hang at the 3rd bolt which is probably the true crux. Clean second go. The end feels spicy but you just keep moving and its totally fine.

Was totally ruined after attempting kiss me deadly. Had a few comical prawn cramps. Got all the moves except the crux at the second bolt. Recommend morning shade and not sweltering arvo direct sun. Maybe 23

Whoa! Epic, daunting, steep, tantalizing, humbling

Lead to first roof and then shut down

I remember being freaked out watching Ben on this but this time it just seemed like no big deal looking up at it. You absolutely do not want to fall but it might even be a V0.

Super happy with how I re-sent this, very smooth and controlled didn't struggle or grovel at all. All in the hips

Felt pretty hard getting back on this, took long breaks to save skin and made each go count. Got it maybe 3rd or 4th try

Second go, not sure I'll ever get sick of it

Did the traverse fine and then gassed myself on the mantle. Needed to just get much deeper and palm up and fight a bit more. Don't think my commitment level was the same with time limit and heat. I think I was expecting it to feel a lot easier the second time round.

On a tight time mission, rushed the lower crux and pulled on a draw. The top crux felt really different the second time and still a bit desperate, the karate chop jam does not feel secure but its over quick enough.

Lots of mental rehearsal. Once you commit and get into it it’s not too bad, holds are pretty juggy and the mantle is probably technically the crux.

Good go, got to end of traverse and popped and my shoulder wasn't happy so rested it the rest of the day

Send! Stoke is high. Executed the bouldery first section perfectly in 2 mins. Then took me around 6 tentative goes up and down over 25 mins to get comfortable with the 5th clip and then slapped and thrutched my way to freedom. It did not climb the way I'd visualized.

Didn't actually attempt, just belayed Simon - used to be able to log 'phantom' ticks but can't see how to do that anymore

Route was naturally a bit dirty again, takes slight bit of shine off. Progress was made. Route is in shade until 10am

Cleaned half of this and had a bit of an admittedly low commitment go

Super classic, did a few laps on it including a no feet campus lap until the last mantle. This time we just took a single mat and moved / held it in place and way easier than trying to fix them in place with gear over the water

Working and aided the moves

The boulder start to this is really cool

I was originally going to do the real easy far right zig zag but got a bit sketched by the levitating arch. It seems solid but I definitely won't be putting gear near it. The move onto the slab is interesting but it's over too quick and the grassy ledge section at the top out is not ideal.

Approach shoes with no pad. Great hands

Super easy fun, the jugs rails would be amazing if they were on a steeper angle. The little chimney finish scrubbed up nicely for something a bit different

Cruisy and flowly and a delight, just like impunity but more consistent. A #3 works in the first horizontal but a #4 is better

'Attempt' is being polite. I flailed on this hard. I've given Michael so many catches it was overdue I had a play. The first half is nice and easy but not trivial. Maybe grade 18 and I've often wondered about it being a route in its own right as the two sections are so different in style and grade. At the roof the doom music kicks in and its just ... hard. I may have done about 4 actual moves total on the head wall between sags

Pulled on and did the crux move, got to the rail and kinda lost steam. Very tired after the last 2 days in the gorge

Covered in pine needles, started to sprinkle

Man oh man what an experience! Thing thing was such a find but I wasn't sure where or how it would finish. After we all had a few goes unlocking it bit by bit I got to the far right fantastic side pinch and then prepped to grovel my way up and out of the chimney. I fought and wrestled and thrutched and thought I was off a few times and then finally back my back pressed high and dry and was basically done and then ... slid out. Gutted! Utterly exhausted and a dry mouth wreck, had a gulp of what in hindsight was waaay too much fluid and then felt much worse. Spent the next 10 mins retching. Meanwhile Ben sends it and they're egging me to get back on it while I feel like death. Then finally I have a couple vomits of red poweraid, and after a few more mins I'm good to go, shoe up and, this time actually using some technique instead of brute force, send it! Stoked with the send and feeling elated I then take 2 steps and sink to the ground retching again for good measure

A genuinely and metaphorically, categorically sick day

After a few goes it looked like this thing might be way too staunch. Micro beta sorted it out, little far right side pull, lean left to chip and very careful match, then power through the slopers and up to the easier stuff before gravity realized what you did. It's hard to judge how many goes when you get shut down on the second move, maybe 5