Ascents in Australia by Macciza a.k.a. Macca

A couple of toprope plays on bottom half… middle bit is kinda doable… My route to right is maybe as hard but worse gear … still need to improve feet, maybe need to do some more standboarding…?

But the start is absolutely nails… really difficult somewhat tenuous slightly highballish boulder problem before things settle down a bit… top is easier but still able to fall off I guess …

Toproped the hard bottom half from good gear in middle of climb before the easier top part… Did all the moves with a few falls, except initial boulder to get established… Great progress but shredded tips for the effort…

Got it pretty much all worked out… except initial moves off ground to first decent hold, my legs don’t work like they used to … Amazing thin technical climbing that only gets easier via good technique.. Definitely need tougher tips as they aren’t handling it too well currently…

Strange how a big break can change one’s opinion of spicy routes.. where previously the lack of bolts was of some concern, looking at it today it seems they may not even be necessary and it could go just on gear instead… still have to work out the moves but this makes it all the better…

Can now hold the holds and climb through low crux though protection still an issue… still fine tuning exactly which hand holds to use and footwork to match… definitely full value route and seeing some progress…

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…

Re found most of the holds and gear.. and thanks to old video could work out most of the sequences… Still a bit to piece together…

This came up in recent discussions so I figured I should have a re-look at … hmmm, ok …. Might need to look again to find the rest of the holds and gear… whatever was I thinking??? All that said, it’s an interesting proposition…

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…

Hmmm, my last recorded tick of this route was in approach shoes, with 1 fall… not quite back to that even in my current technical shoes…

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...

Not too bad... bit of tape might have helped ...

Maybe La Petite Course would be more appropriate… though it is grand with a little bit of almost every crack size in its short length… Stout start that quickly eases, good fun …

Didn’t spot it …?? Definitely licheny and somewhat hard at the grade because of that … quite the task for my feet… bit of rope weirdness saw me not wanting to take a pendulum fall at the crux after cleaning final gear … Almost pitched off but managed to grab rope and use a 2 second tension move to avoid catastrophe before thrutching to glory … Would be quite different if you could see more of the rock when necessary…

Probably not the best for people with dodgy ankles or feet.. but really quite challenging fun… still a bit put off by potential pendulum falls but managed to avoid it …. Really lichened top out …

Bit of a battle due to sore legs and feet… also tend to forget this is 18 not 15… had to fight for it, but at least didn’t give up…

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 …

Seconding Zac, taped first two fingers and climes better, more linkage, then on previous top rope solo attempts… Might be possible on lead with practice and gear placements sorted…

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

Hmm, fingers and hands still kinda work but my footwork sucks on account of my feet… Maybe, maybe.. but wouldn’t be able to stand around placing too much gear, so maybe maybe not…. See what happens…

Trying to get back into it before have to back out due to upcoming operation....

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…

Pretty sure it was this one … not really paying attention just bludged a belay whilst passing by on a walk… First completed route in quite some time … in approach shoes too…

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 ...

Well obviously I’ve done it before, in many different styles, but it’s seems this is the first time I’ve recorded it... Seemed hard for 10 in my current condition... though trying to climb it technically probably didn’t help... First time trying actual climbing shoes in a very long time, approach shoes would have been better ... Felt like 15 but would only have been 12 in approach shoes... definitely felt less than 10 last time I soloed it ...

Well considering the last few times on this I soloed it... today was somewhat humbling... Felt somewhat difficult.. more difficult than an 18 slab at Shipley .... but I got there ... even if I was totally outclimbed by a 10 yo kid and a BTK amputee... well done by them ... Feet were having quite the party afterwards and the walkout was somewhat hellish... But I did it ...

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