Ascents in Oceania by Will Grant

beautiful climbing through the bulges, just enough holds just where you need them.

Nice to get this done. Not sure if it's 23 or 24. I'm erring on the side of soft 24, but maybe I just want to get some more 24s on the board. It took me a few sessions though.

Red numbers my boy, red numbers!

Probably the worst route I have ever climbed, certainly at Araps. Between the garden of the first pitch, the poor rock of the second pitch (which makes for poor gear) and the overall poor quality of movement, I can't stress how much you should avoid this route. Generally I'm I think any climbing is good climbing, but I was really questioning that here. Sure there was some nice chimeny moves on the top pitch, but 5m of alright climbing can't make up for the remaining 95m of garbage.

What a silly climb. Really is the epitome of a silly hobby though. The rock is silly, the holds are silly, the anchor is silly. Even the descent is silly. Just to top it off, I climbed it in a silly way: I watched POV gopro footage of Cam sending it. Lots of fun. Not very hard though.

Nearly got the trash. Got the fist jam sequence all wrong at the top. Definitely going to come back for this one

Couldn't work this one out, not even on the top rope. Going to do the classic thing and blame conditions, but I was just slipping out of those jams. Not sure if I will return.

wowee, that second pitch. So clean and classy. Loved how open you feel charging up the middle of the wall.

Such impeccable movent all the way. The ledge just before the top detracts slightly, but oh such nice climbing. Really, really quality. Went direct through the bum crack rather than around.

Bit heady, nice climbing. The fossilised bird poo in the cave is pretty interesting

Feels a bit cheap and degrading to work out all the gear for a route, rack all your nuts on draws ready to place. Sort of turns the route into a sport climb. Guess that's how you climb hard though. Certainly harder than Straw Dogs so I reckon it goes at 23. Powered out on the last move of the crux on the previous attempt, and took a nice old lob. Managed to bring it together for the send, even if I did forget to organise gear for the top out and nearly blow it clipping a nut with a cam biner.

really should have onsighted this one. Didn't work out the sequence very well. On the second shot it felt positively easy

some nice airy traversing.

nice climbing to warm down

Wowee, didn't really think I'd climb a 22 this trip. Thanks Chris for making me get on it. Wouldn't have tried otherwise. Not sure I got the best beta for the top move, but got something that worked. Nice nut only ascent as well (they're just so bomber).

Should have got on this sooner. I got Alex to lead the second pitch so I can't really say, but I didn't think the second pitch was as intimidating as I had heard. Pretty soft for 18 as well. Just about pumped out on the last pitch so reckon that's pretty accurate 19.

From the minute you leave the ground, the moves are on. Guess they have to be for such a short route. Nice rock

felt nervous tying in for this one. Pretty intimidating overhang. The minute I pulled up high for the first jam I knew I was committed. So many good jugs and jams though.

Lovely moves on lovely rock. Beautiful climbing.

I had forgotten how wild some of the overhangs are at Araps, even on the lower grade climbs. Good battle from Lawrence to get the onsight.

Really nice climbing. Set off feeling hot, bothered, and about to head off to Mitre Rock to get away from the crowds,finished really loving everything. Good recommendation from Chris.

I should be able to do 17 right? Did not want to commit above the not totally inspiring gear, so after half a dozen goes of climbing up a bit then down climbing, I down climbed to the ground.

such a classic

After enjoying seconding Chris up it 2 years prior, thought I should give it a lead to ease in to the trip. Feels a lot more intimidating on lead.

Jeepers, good old fashion grade 18 this one- very modern style though. Can't say I was convincing, but managed to get through the rooflet, but that's not the end of it though. Fantastic, about time I got on it.

Finally worked out that top offwidth, still a darn hard workout. Guess if I can do it with the weight of my and Claire's shoes, I can probably do it with a trad rack. Things to think about.

Scrambled up the left side to reach the start rather than the right. Substantially harder, longer and more exposed than the correct scramble. Adequate, but not quite as much gear as I was expecting on the first pitch.

substantially easier than 19 if you have big hands, just hand jams the whole way.

Not quite an onsight as I had a go on the first couple of moves a few years ago, but the rest was new. Super cool moves, great.

Only took one ground fall from 3m, but the is route is now sent. Really useful having the alpine draw on the 2nd last bolt, makes the clip a heap easier. Nice fingerlocks at the top.

Onsight led the first and second pitch. Seconded the third pitch cleanly. Every pitch has something: from the from riding the flake like a bull on the first pitch to interesting crack and the mad flake on the second then strange shallow chimney stuff and finger jams on the third. Thanks Ewan for geeing me up to lead out across the flake on the second, if it weren't for you I certainly would have had a rest on the gear before finishing the pitch.

Sent this last trip but forgot to log it. Interesting face climbing initially with some interesting (and bad) gear placements. Nice crack at the top.

Real battle. Got 1 of my crucial big cams stuck low down on the flash go and had to bail. Second go, I thought I really wanted it and got within a metre from the top and ran out of juice. It was the most disappointing fall ever. Even though in truth, I really was just worn out and unable to climb further, it felt like I just gave up and didn't try hard enough. What a failure I was, a beautiful route and I couldn't be bothered to just keep shuffling for another few moves. Call myself a climber? I knew I had unfinished business and had to get vengeance. Not vengeance at the route, it had done no wrong, it had simply been the scene of my demise as a climber. Vengeance against myself. But then, I couldn't get back on it the next day because of the rain, and then it rained again the next day. As I sat there in camp, watching the mizzle come through hour after hour, Juggernaut was sitting there with me, filling my thoughts with hand-fist stacks and bumping sixes. Juggernaut is so dominant in my mind I struggle to see the appeal of climbing any other route. "what's the point, the're just pieces of rock?" Juggernaut is my only desire in life. Then, on the last morning of the trip, the sun was out, a cool breeze was blowing and the rock dry, and I had my chance. Half past six in the morning, I went down the cliff, a quick warmup and it was go time. Shirt cuffs taped down, trousers tucked into my socks and then also taped, a dash on my hands as well, and it was into battle with the old girl again. It was feeling good, the fist jams felt as secure as they ever had. Upward I went, even the arm bars felt good. Then at last, the last few metres of hand-fist. Ever upward I journeyed, my faithful #6 cam guiding the way. As the fatigue set in, the heel-toe cams started thrashing, and the knee-locks were slipping. I was suddenly greeted by the marginal face holds and I ventured out to say hello. Mistake, my knee-lock all but slipped out and I was left trying to drag myself back into the crack with my stack. "Do you really want this? Do you?" my brain starts nagging at me to succumb to gravity. "Do you want this?" "YES I DO!!!." BNAG!, I'm back on the charge, desperately shuffling to victory. I'm finally there, dragging myself up the top out. Clip the chains and collapse. I'm free from my burden.

gee, those jams are a bit tight for my meaty paws.

wowee,what a position to be in. Didn't quite dawn on me until later just how crazy bonkers it is to climb inside the cliff.

Fine climbing

Bit of a naughty route. Pulling through the chock stones, it felt a bit like someone had sold their soul to the Devil in return for jugs. And then that top, never climbed anything like it. I could just hide away in there for hours, all the troubles of the outside world just passing by. Just the cool embrace of the chimney.

What absolute class. What's some lowly climber like me doing hanging out on routes like that. Have I earnt my spot up there? Maybe I have now. What as stellar crux. Just when I was at my limit, the jug. I was able to latch on with my last bit of energy. I will now refer to this as the greatest jug on earth.

Lovely route, don't even need much off-width technique.