Begehungen in Eastern Bluff

Absolutely terrible pitch. Third carrot is about 15m off the deck, and 2nd is about 6m. The decking certainty made the (in hindsight easy) delicate slab moves absolutely treacherous. If I had the option to down climb and bail I probably would’ve taken it, but by this point (~12m) the only option was to take a winger that would’ve almost certainly resulted in broken ankles.

Also the most sandbagged pitch I’ve ever seen. I wouldn’t argue if someone gave it 24.

When Samantha dropped her grigri after clipping into the anchors I was half sad it didn’t fall all the way down so we had a reason to get the fuck off the mountain. Oh and also full sun in the tropics, with an inadequate amount of water.

With absolute zero psyche left after the shitfest that was the preceding pitch, I sulkingly departed the chains.

This mood spiralled even more upon arriving at the first FH, which was so rusty it was basically black and bubbling. Unsure if clipping was even worth it, I was greeted by yet another FH with the structural integrity of one of the blocks of chalk in my bag. And another. And another. Now about 15 meters above the belay and faced with a factor two onto poor Sam, it’s safe to say falling wasn’t an option.

Finally, the mythical black totem fulfilled its prophecy and sunk its voluptuous lobes into the first crack present on this route.

I was at home.

Suddenly my psyche was reinvigorated, and I avoided all of the obvious face jugs to stick to my happy place; crumbly, flaring, thin cracks. I rocketed up and was almost disappointed to see chains, ending the greatest comeback story since Stanley Yelnats in the hit 2003 film Holes.

Even more crack goodness. Life was good, and even the belay spot being showered in broken glass from scumbags at the lookout platform wouldn’t spoil my day.

Not sure whether to give this route Crap or Mega Classic. I truly hated the first pitch, and in a vacuum the remaining pitches would be decidedly 1 star. Going through hell to be rewarded with a little bit of crack climbing and a top out with gorgeous views does hit slightly different. I’ll conservatively give it a firm Don’t Bother, until it gets rebolted and upgraded.