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12-Feb-2006 10:37:36 PM
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Not so much a trip report as a quick update on the amazing corner crack Silk and Satin (near WIlkinson's Lookout). The tireless John Schwerdfegger has clearly marked the way in with cairns (at the T-junction in the track 100m past young galaxians and 50m before wilkinsons, go straight ahead into the bush and they'll lead you straight there). More importantly he spent about an hour and a half giving the corner a somewhat overdue scrubbing, with the result that it is now beautifully clean....

Other news from the weekend included:
* one-handed ascents of Peroxide Blonde were in vogue. HB's efforts on second (shown here mid-crux) were upstaged by a later clean one-handed redpoint...

* Jackie proved dreadlocks and haggis do mix:

* Mark proved poms can, in fact, clip bolts ... during a good onsight of They Dance Alone

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13-Feb-2006 9:38:28 AM
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[cross post from Chockstone News page]
A very strong team from Canberra has blitzed the North Wall over the past weekend.
Using a rap in and climb out approach (sport aiding?) they managed to climb several of the hardest aid routes in Australia.
On saturday the 11th of February they casually warmed up on Holden Caulfield (M6) then moved onto the infamous HB testpiece Copperhead Road (M9).
Chris Fitzgerald spent more than seven hours inching his way up this frightening 50m long pitch which involves serious copperheading
miles above good gear. He finished the lead well after dark.
Not content with doing Australias hardest they returned the next day and spent another full day leading the second hardest aid pitch, Clouded Queen (M8). This route involves 20 bodyweight only bathook moves straight off the belay, a potential
40m fall onto the slabby Ozymandias corner far below.
The rest of Buffalo was in a similar frenzy of activity. Malcolm Matheson and Adam Demmert were working a new 27 face project on the South Side of the gorge, Neil Monteith and Hannah Lockie were freeing Defender of the Faith and a swarm of others spent the weekend at The Hump and The Horn.
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13-Feb-2006 10:48:22 AM
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On 13/02/2006 nmonteith wrote:
>[cross post from Chockstone News page]
>A very strong team from Canberra has blitzed the North Wall over the past
>weekend. Using a rap in
>and climb out approach (sport aiding?) they managed to climb several of
>the hardest aid routes in
>Australia. On saturday the 11th of February they casually warmed up on
>Holden Caulfield (M6) then
>moved onto the infamous HB testpiece Copperhead Road (M9). Chris Fitzgerald
>spent more than
>seven hours inching his way up this frightening 50m long pitch which involves
>serious copperheading
>miles above good gear.
Just to add to that, in November last year Chris and 2 others aided 'Clouded Queen' from the ground up (with some variation on the lower section), Chris leading the crux pitch of 20 hook moves. Then on 26-28 Jan, Chris attempted to solo-aid (from the ground up over 3 days) 'Clouded Queen', linking into the crux pitch of 'Copperhead Road' . On the crux copperhead pitch, Chris dislodged a huge flake which would have previously been used for gear placements. Faced with the lateness of the day, a new blank section which he didn't want to resort to drilling, and other factors, Chris retreated at this point vowing to return.
On 11 Feb, Chris managed to get through the new blank section on the crux pitch of 'Copperhead Road' by hooking.
A fantastic effort from Chris and co. Well done!!!
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13-Feb-2006 10:57:57 AM
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Thanks for the update Gemma!
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13-Feb-2006 12:41:28 PM
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nice Will!
what's the gear on Silk & Satin? ie fingers / hands / fists? is the belay trad? sounds like a good route to go & do!
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13-Feb-2006 12:52:02 PM
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Some ok pics of Defender of the Faith are here.
http://neilshaulbag.smugmug.com/gallery/1199119
We left the camera at the bottom of the route on the first day (and had to rap three pitches down to get it
on sunday!) so we din't get many action shots. Apparently Maxots got some wicked absiel photos of
Copperhead Road.
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13-Feb-2006 1:23:43 PM
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>what's the gear on Silk & Satin?
lots of great wires (no RPs needed), plus single set of cams #0.5 - 3.5Fr
>is the belay trad?
top anchor is a big tree, you don't need an anchor at the bottom
>sounds like a good route to go & do!
Definitely.
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13-Feb-2006 5:58:49 PM
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in penitence for all his sandbags at Buffalo, I reckon John should clean out Status Quo as well!
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14-Feb-2006 1:12:23 PM
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>* one-handed ascents of Peroxide Blonde were in vogue. HB's efforts on second (shown here mid-crux) were upstaged by a later clean one-handed redpoint...
Awesome stuff and good (now historical) pic WM.
BTW; What grade is Silk and Satin?
On 13/02/2006 James wrote:
>in penitence for all his sandbags at Buffalo, I reckon John should clean
>out Status Quo as well!
It wouldn't make up for it!, as I suspect he is confirmed in his ways.
gemmaw wrote;
>A fantastic effort from Chris and co. Well done!!!
Yes indeed.
Great stuff !
It is excellent to see ongoing interest and success on these lines, & I look forward to hearing of more success in the future (both local and o'seas?), from these hard-men climbers.
Any thoughts from the participants re the grading nuances in respect of the crux's involved?
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22-Mar-2006 11:17:36 AM
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Silk and satin so deserves at least two stars!!
M9 its goes at 21, simular vein to Blimp (20) at Bundaleer. Gaaargh the granite on this route is soo
smooth too
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