Ascents in Central climbing areas by Brendan Heywood

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.

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

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.

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

Glad to finally get on this and send after its long incubation period, got it 3rd go

Scrubbing, worked out all the moves

Really dogged this and had to aid to the last bolt. Surely something has ripped off, the start is great but then getting to the sloper ledge is either a big dyno, or a massive ape span, or off super minging sharp crimps. Second bolt isn't in the best position.

Toyed with a direct start, should scrub up into something

First go today

This thing is cool and hard. Also would have some variant finishes out left which look cooler and harder

Got the sit start, keen to tick this fresh and with a pad

Nice little layback. Used the big foot out right, should eliminate that next time. Might also be a caving squeeze under the whole boulder to check out after cleaning out the dead black berries

Had a good working go, and then I was pretty confidant I could get it, then had 3 frustrating burns all getting through the crux statically and then messing up the last move to the glory jug. Next time when I'm fresh

Fresh body, turned up late when Michael had just sent and did it clean first go

First go wasn't sure where to pop to the letter box, got it second go. A mist of fine bugs

Great rock, cool features down low. Did all the moves and the dyno side jump finish is cool and works for over the minging off balance crimps

Super stoked with how this route turned out! It's what gara has been missing: easy sport with good clip stances on great water worn rock, interesting features with a crux at the finish and with a clean top out and top rope access.

Really cool rock features

Surprisingly balancy slab moves

Climbs quite well, technical slab crux at the end

First time I've been on the 'real' inertia, always been confused by the bolts. This route is quality. Take care to extend gear over the sharper lips to save your rope. Was lightly raining, the cross through move at the lip shut me down and was a bit rushed to spend time working it.

Steeper than it looks, no jambs just laybacking. Flash pumped and hung, but once you figure out the sweet spots the crux is over way too soon. I got onto the top of the roof after some gardening and there is a big dead tree before you can get to savage amusement. SA needs some big cleanup to finish. Ended up back climbing and I think I did it in better style than the ascent

Glad Michael made me get back on this, super stoked to get the 3rd bolt on the first go. Worked the top a bit and got the second crux, didn't do the top slab.

Broke in the new purple

A sneaky 3 hour gorge trip before school pickup. Slowly chipped away over ~5 attempts. Benji worked it and sent it quite smoothly. I butchered it, did the crux and then fell off and got rope burn on my elbow. Next go I sent it despite butchering it even more. I didn't have a single solid jam just pure desperate levitation grovel. Grade is definitely harder than Savage Amusement (supposedly 22), Prime Cut 20, Luce 21. It's not 23, but I think 22 isn't unreasonable. Feels maybe on par with Pub Grubs at 3rd breakaway.

Naively was psyching myself up for an onsight, totally shut down. Had maybe half a dozen goes, high point was left cup after the constriction, high right fist after that

So good have such a long and varied sequence

Nice start but a little gravelly and grassy topout

Was getting pretty juiced by this stage on dusk

I was pretty cooked and couldn't hold the thing crimp so I worked dynoing to the jug and was about an inch away. I might be able to stick the less good lip just under the jug