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Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

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1-Nov-2007 At 8:31:09 AM Lyle Closs

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Don't want to sound like an arse, and Henry was and is some kind of god, but he didn't introduce 23 to Australia. The first 23 was Albatross at Lowdina in Tassie, put up by Ian Lewis. Henry did the second ascent on his quick but awesome Tassie tour, a day or so after he freed Incipience (22) at Coles bay with me ineptly following. Albatross was probably the route that gave him the most trouble in Aus - he tried it a number of times and almost gave up before giving it one more try and getting up it. Unfortunately it was on a small, relatively unknown cliff and only Stefan Karpiniec was with him on the day - but that's irrelevant because the route was already done free when he got there, and it's still graded 23. He can certainly say he was the first to climb it on the first day he saw it - Ian tried it many times on many days before getting up it - but it was Australia's first 23. As we didn't quite realise 23 was possible back then I don't know if Ian had actually graded it 23, but Henry admitted to Stefan after climbing it that it was probably 23, and it still holds the grade.
Lyle