Ascensões de Fire Bug

Reinforced wisdom for the day: Climbing the chimney not like a chimney is way easier than climbing a chimney like a chimney.

P1 start was a bit thuggy and loose. Great after that. Protectable chimney is a rare pleasure

P2 should be linked w P1.

P3 cool steep stem corner.

Top pitches ane mint. First pitch is terrible.

lead the first pitch but rested, followed the other pitches with rests

Engaging climbing in an incredible position! P1 belay was a bit crowded with 3 people, but doable. Split P3 into 2 pitches, climbing above the block and belaying from there to cut down on rope drag. Finished well in the dark due to some people abseiling in and jumping on P3 ahead of us us... Not super ideal, but thankfully we all had headlamps!

Classic corner crack. Doesn't get much better than this.

Took a rest in the chimney on P1 after taking too long to figure out the sequence.

The exam for Ben's trad lesson today. So, so classic.

Funny how fate works, lost the 'roshambo' compelling me to lead pitches 1 and 2. It was like the climbing gods wanted me to lead the chimney, the style I have a 40% love and 60% hate relationship with.

Pitch 1: Intense, bouldery and unprotected but not too hard of a first move has one questioning what will the mystified 'crux' 50m higher up behold. Thructched up the chimney, my knees and back bracing the last of self belief I had. After somehow making it out of that coffin, climbing gets easier and involves stemming to mental recovery.

Pitch 2 linked with P1: "O boy another roof"(more like bulge). One committing layback, followed by some graceful stemming(?) and the rest is history. I have never been so happy in my life after stumbling upon a pile of shit (birds'). Made a belay at the most comfy belay ledge(with a view) ever.

Pitch 3 (surely the crux): Time to watch my partner struggle and give him words of false hope and even falser wisdom. As second, it wasn't too bad; a couple of hand jams, a couple of don't jams and use those big hold moments, finger locks and a get me out of here FIST JAM. So glad I wasn't the one on the sharp end or was I? Belay is in the meditative cave.

Pitch 4: Big smiles while traversing left on even bigger ironstone bands. Belay carrots at the top.

PS This climb was first done in volleys with hemp rope tied around the waist, a few machine nuts and metal hexes as protection. After doing this climb, if you feel like you deserve an ice cream, you probably do. But remember those tough lads and this tough climb also deserves our utter respect.

Seconded this one behind Matty for my first trad multi. Linked pitches 1 & 2 and 3 & 4

YASS YASS YASS channeled the the DJ and sent this beauty on sunset linked P1 and P2. Ridiculously hard move off the ground. wish i had a #6 after the crux.

Firebug is awesome! Climbed this one as a client for Hughs multi pitch climbing guide assessment. Hugh led the entire climb whilst Marty and I chilled on the 2nd. The crux is quite tricky if you try and just use the crack. I tried this then fell off! Haha. Much easier if you get a high right hand on the flake to the right of the corner!

Classic old school crack climbing. Chimney, through to hand crack. We climbed in two pitches. Take plenty of fist sized gear. A great day

Classic old school crack climbing. Chimney, through to hand crack. We climbed in two pitches. Take plenty of fist sized gear. A great day

My partner led it in a single pitch and reached the cave just before it started pouring. Leaving me (already very worn out) to second in very wet conditions. I suffered.

Probably solid at 17, awesome climbing on bomber rock 95% of the way! Lived up to the hype for sure!

Another easy trad classic ticked off the list and one that I thought was very solid at the grade. Harry led a giant first pitch, climbing we are not sure how many actual pitches and finishing on top of a big block. This left the awesome overhanging cruxy section to the top out for me which was just fantastic. Highly recommend!!

P1,P2 - Tom P3 - Lucy

Repeat. This time 2nding Neil as a giant 65m pitch. Speed-climbing up a long crack is a great way to make an easy route very exciting. Firebug has gotten even cleaner in all the years since I last climbed it, and is an absolute Blueys Gem of continuous, varied corner-crack climbing on brilliant rock.

Great climbing! And the weather turned out stellar! P1 had some awkward offwidth chimney which had me grinding my way up the wall. P2 Dan took the lead and lead his first MP trad route with a trad belay! Then P3 had some navigation over some steep blocks to a scenic belay in a cave! Great day for it!

Lous led P1

Can get pretty windy. Great varied climbing.

Linked P1 and P2. A double set of cams would have come in handy!

P1 - hard start, used the tree. nice and narrow chimney. used knees to stem/jam (very painful). end in a trad belay. personal grade (16)

P2 - very short (~10m) but tough layback corner (BD 0.75-2). trad belay under block where all the bird shit is. would have been better to climb up left another couple meters and belay next the those block flakes. personal grade (17)

P3 - Crux pitch. climb left out from under block up and back into corner. easily up flake block steps. (crux) steep corner has poor feet up over bugle into poor hands and ok feet. be efficient placing gear or you willl get pumped out. up into cave for trad belay. personal grade 18?

P4 - 6m traverse on sketchy ironstone. be careful/delicate on feet cause some of those flakes have big cracks are could break. (BD 0.2 - 0.75)

overall an epic climb, wish there was a couple carrots at the belays. time: 2h45m

The days warm up, such a cool little jaunt. The chimney took a bit of re-orienting (probably because I suck at offwidths) but the rest of it climbed super nice. Fun moves higher up!

Night multi fun times linked pitches 2 and 3 what a fantastic route