Ascensões em Blue Mountains por Jacques Beaudoin tendo trad-cpr or ascent-date

Climbed with hands and feet exclusively in the crack this time, a bit of a contrived challenge to up my game in preparation for the Creek. Felt really hard.

It was all too much, too hard, too chossy, too complex, too concerning for my belayer below. At some stage the rock is too bad to even aid. Didn't make it to the crux and stopped when I asked myself "why am I doing this???" It really made me appreciate how well-rounded is Lee's skillset.

Aptly named, I believe the "axe" the route name refers to is a 15m long and thin feature that looks like it could detach from the cliff at any moment! Definitely felt full value for the grade as I didn't trust the rock I was stepping on or pulling on. Otherwise, I think it was a great climb. Fanny followed me and and didn't pull anything off so I guess I was just being paranoid.

Repeat, this time with the rock as clean as it can get without high traffic. Unfortunately I have to take few stars off after the ecstasy of the ground up first ascent wore out. The rock is all but perfect, It's short and has a sit down rest at the middle. Also, few flakes fell down leaving alternate footwork to the feet in the crack used in the first ascent. Still think it's a great little climb.

First Free Ascent. Very inspiring line that begged to be climbed. Not strictly crack climbing as all footwork is there and the wide crack can be underclung in the same fashion as it's thinner version Gravel Rash at the Underworld. Used #3#2#0.75 for the start anchor then 5x#6 (some shuffled from the very beginning) and #0.75#2 after turning the lip.

Not every day you walk past an unclimbed classic roof crack, you've got the right gear, you've got the right partner and you onsight it ground up cleaning the loose rock on the way up, pull through perfect fists and hands with feet in the crack. Dream. I decided to continue up above the crack to top out on a scary mission on suspicious dinner plates, lose dirt, caving under boulder and emerge trough a hole. I do not recommend that bit! I will go back and clean it properly top down, this climb deserves to be one of the best cracks at the grade in the Blueys and beyond. Fanny agreed, this is an amazing find.

Epic onsight in one monster pitch. Loads of gear shuffle to avoid rope drag and avoid running out of #4s. Crux was burly fist jams that made me work real hard but I didn't think I'd fall at any moment. For me doing this climb in one pitch made it truly memorable.

Nice climb, great gear

Climbs much better than it looks, I really enjoyed it. I didn't clip the bolts, good gear all the way.

Great climb. Had to fight to onsight this one.

6 shots total, fantastic climb. Is the grade a baseline for 28? I'm asking for feedback because I have no idea and I've been FA grading a fair bit of much harder 28s in the recent years. Thanks for letting me know what you think.

Third shot on this. Sorted out the ground boulder, tried Gwen's beta with knee bar but although it makes the reach easier for pinkie lock, the footwork becomes sub optimal for the next move. Back to my original beta with low feet pinkie lock is now solid 80%. Also fell off at top crux unexpectedly. Hopefully this is going down next shot.

Top crux now sorted, not using the mono which I use for gear. Mid crux goes RH pinkie lock no tape.

Awesome crack, we did it in two monster pitches

Climbed with passive gear only, there's heaps, made the climb more interesting.

Pitch 1 only. Fantastic climb! My average sausage fingers could only juuuussst fit in the second lock at a precise angle, when I worked that out it was fairly easy to get through first crux. Second crux at exit went really well but I had to grunt.

Great crack, great gear, a bit too much undercligning to my liking but very inspiring line. All dry, great friction today!

Finally completing this long chapter placing all gear from ground to end. This climb is one of a kind.

Harder than it looks from the ground. Perhaps the moist interior of the crack made it feel a bit stiff, perhaps being belayed by my 9yo little girl made it feel even stiffer 😉. Good little crack, will be more enjoyable after few months of summer drought.

World class at the grade

Insane, I can imagine people freaking out on this one! Linked the 2-3-4 together.

Really nice, end traverse unnecessary, should have anchors straight up at the break I reckon

Repeat, just too good not to be repeated

Got advised to upgrade to 24. Although all holds are big, half the gear is tricky and suspicious and this thing is horizontal. Would be three stars at piddo.

Lost at Rock-Paper-Scissors for the onsight but the conveniently located tree combined with a sore neck preserved me from getting any info on my mate's ascent! Great climb, great moves, great rock, loved it!

Warming up, got a bit more pumped than expected

Had great aspiration of flashing this but got shut down just looking at Brendan struggling at the crux. Did boulder problem ok, lost lot of energy trying the crux with the advertised beta LH thumb down and worked out my own way with RH pinkie lock second try. The ensuing moments through the remaining parts of the crux will remained etched in my memory. Then I got totally puzzled by the other crux above, I was very far from reaching the crack above the flat hold, I had to aid this move I have no idea how to get through this one. The rest was easy.

Linked all pitches together. I had three racks with me and used just a bit more than one. I occasionally walked up gear then build anchors at strategic locations. No rope drag whatsoever. I didn't notice I was in the middle of the crux of the third pitch when I questioned myself about putting long runners to reduce rope drag for the next pitch... so I downclimbed the thing to re-evaluate the sling strategy, then I realised where I was and went for it more carefully as I didn't want to blow my onsight ;-). Then every damn time I was 2/3rd up the sun was poking a hole through the cloud cover and blind me so I probably downclimbed the crux 4 times before the sun finally moved behind the cliff top so I could see and proceed with the last move which I could have done blind anyways. I think the grades for all pitches are right on the money, the crux is fair at gr23 as it's not steep, got heaps of footwork, great fingerlocks and ok hands. I really rate this climb done in one pitch as the rope management is a great part of the adventure and all climbing is super pleasant. Just avoid doing it in summer sun when it's straight in your eyes at 10-11 ish ;-)

First Free Ascent. Two months of effort from cleaning to sending but had very bad conditions. I guess gr28 is fair. Finally a project I can tick in a matter of months rather than years...

Went on this one firstly to support Anton's Redpoint of P2 but also to redpoint P1P3P5 which I only seconded in the past. It was meant to be an easy day out on easy terrain as I'm still recovering from finger injury. I didn't realised how tired I was from the day before jumaring all day. P1 was awful, super wet and struggling with Anton's rack. P2 was a great success as Anton's marathon ascent ended up in a redpoint, not so much for me. The haul rope was stuck in bushes and pulled me down the whole way, struggling cleaning gear was hell, running on empty at crux, still managed. P3 lead layback was hard as I didn't recovered from P2. P4 seconding was relaxing finally no struggles. P5 was beautiful until the wetness. Then it was ugly in every ways, the clipping jug for the second carrot was dripping wet and I had a mental breakdown holding the draw momentarily to clip then carried on climbing swearing my head off. Then topped out climbing on my knees in the mud grasping at trampled grass tufts contemplating falling off backwards, I was broken inside out. A day to remember.

First Free Ascent without pre-placed gear (redpoint). I have no words, it has been a long journey. Well worth it. I can't thank my belayers enough. Shot #1000000

It's pretty rare to come across a climb like this. This line is obvious and screams to be climbed, it's perfectly protected with traditional gear, all the holds are great and interesting with some truely amazing features, length is good, rests are helpful but not lie down type of thing, it's steeeep as, protected from rain, drizzle, sun, wind, name it. Thanks to Anton, outstanding work. Finally something I could redpoint 😂 My ascent was with previous knowledge as I've been up it few times taking a gentleman sit before the crux, then I had the chance to snatch the second ascent with extensive description of gear placements and provided gear so in some ways I wish I would have had the chance of getting this climb onsight but supporting Anton for the first ascent was even better. Again, top work Anton!

Onsight attempt. I was really psyched to give it my best shot in one single pitch, armed with my 8.9mmx100m French weaponry. It was quite obvious that the dirty first pitch section wouldn't be the most pleasant but I managed without complaining too much. Shortly after passing the first anchor, I pulled on a crimp and I felt it moving and that was enough to disgruntle me. I sat on my gear inspecting the rock to find out that the crimp was only a part of a flush chockstone, and I didn't even have to use it. I put my shit together and although the true proper onsight was gone, I continued in an onsighting mode. I was too short to reach easily the hold before the mid anchor and really had to pull hard with foot in the crack real high and deadpoint. Went easily through the rooflet but the V hold was so greasy and my gear was so bad (crunchy Z4-0.1) I sat on it and managed to place a good DMM offset nut just before the cam set itself free, pfffff. At that point I was running out of med nuts and stripped the nut in the rooflet as I was very pleased with the DMM crux nut. I brushed a bit the V hold and gave it a better shot which didn't worked out too well, the small fall turned out a bit more epic than expected when the crux nut popped out and I travelled through space and time until the nut + long sling I placed next to the mid anchor held me. Man it was a pretty big fall. I called it a day at that point.