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Chockstone Forum - Trip Reports

Tells Us About Your Latest Trip!

Author
Grampians 23-26th Jan 2004

nmonteith
28-Jan-2004
12:26:27 PM
PART 1

Kent and myself joined the convoy of climbers and ravers exiting the city heading towards the Western Highway for the long weekend. The Ararat supermarket was a hive of climber activity, the reduced to clear was literally walking off the shelves. I could have spent all night chatting away to friends and friend’s friends but the cliffs were waiting for me. Kent came out of the supermarket with a big grin and a big carton of Woodstock cans. A quick call was made to Jaq to remind her to bring the esky. We arrived at the dust bowl carpark of Bundaleer to prepare for our early morning attack on re-bolting at this popular cliff. As I sorted gear I came to the conclusion that perhaps it would be better to do the ‘dirty work’ at night. Kent grabbed a few cans and stumbled up the hill behind me as I made a mad dash for the rocks. I had a head torch but, as usual, Kent had left his behind. He doesn’t bring one as it ‘encourages epics’. Well it certainly was an epic journey for him when he couldn’t see anything and was trying to scramble up a rocky gully with a rope and two cans of bourbon.

I left Kent at the base of Enter Sandman and made my way to the top of the cliff. There is something a little scary about stumbling around big gullies by yourself at night with a rack of gear. The echoes ring out around you - and I had to keep myself from imagining some deranged serial killer lurking in the depths of a chimney clanging a rack of old hexes. Kent of course got left at the bottom of the route in the pitch blankness. His only consolation – another can of Bourbon. Hours of frigging in the rigging with my new headtorch and Enter Sandman was re-bolted. I was covered in dust, glue and sweat but at least I was happy that another one of Brooksy’s finest hours was fixed for the consumer crowds to repeat. Stumbling back to the car at 1.30am was another amusing adventure and Kent’s drunken rambling’s and falling over really added a special touch to the whole night.

Next morning I was up and running to the crag by 8am. I needed to clean and strip the evidence of our nights work before any enemy combatants arrived. By the time I had the ropes down Kent had ambled into the crag and we could start a normal days climbing. First up I regained my honour with a clean ascent of the very fine Dagons Temple (22), which I consider to be the benchmark of its grade in the Grampians. I had pumped off the top about 4 years ago on the onsight so was keen to get the record straight. The start is awesome thin bridging, crimping and laybacking up a subtle seam. The rock is of the finest quality with a feel similar to Mt Rosea. When this ‘slab’ finishes the route swings 30 degrees into an overhung crack. This was my downfall last time but with the new found knee bar technique I managed to recover my shattered arms enough to pull through to the top. Kent’s failure to bring a nut-tool and my habit of yanking hard on each piece proved to another example of Kent’s tantrum entertainment.

nmonteith
28-Jan-2004
12:29:28 PM
Some pretty pics are here...
http://www.mrppp.com.au/nhb/reports/24012004/index.htm

Rupert
28-Jan-2004
2:12:11 PM
Bring on PART 2!

nmonteith
28-Jan-2004
4:28:34 PM
PART 2

Did I mention the hammer that Kent had to eventually use to get my wire out? Thank goodness I had the bolting kit with me! Next up Kent ticked the onsight of the newly ringbolted Enter Sandman (22) with apparent ease. Like me he was mystified by its grade 22 rating - for jugaholics like myself it feels like soft 20. Get out there gym bunnies and get this soft tick whilst it still lasts. I polished off the extension to this route I had bolted the night before on my first go. From the old chain it heads slightly right and through a moderate rooflet to finish on a ledge. It is a much more obvious finish to this route and adds about 6m of new climbing. It even has a big glue re-enforced jug at the lip to make the Bluies climbers feel at home. The grade stays the same.

To continue our tour of ‘soft rock classics’ we took the bait and decided on an ascent of the dubious ‘Masters of Pox’ (24). This sport route resides on a black wall just right of Dagons Temple. Apparently the first carrot bolt fell out on a hapless Steve Hamilton whilst trying the first ascent. He walked away and it was up to Ant Prehn and Robby Lebreton to take the honours – sans first bolt. Since then someone has relaced the missing bolt with an good expansion bolt but the other four bolts are still very suss looking carrots. Kent was up for the lead. If the idea of hard to clip bolts, mossy holds, no anchor don’t excite you then perhaps the mention of a soft tick for the grade might! Twisting his arms in a high level karma sutra style move he managed to somehow stick the jug at the crux. Kent was pumping like a fiend at the end and managed to throw for the rail after the last bolt. He missed and slumped onto a badly deformed looking bolt specimen. Kent decided a hasty lower-off was called for and I obliged. A few quick winks between friends and it was decided he had got the onsight as he was above the last bolt. I got the tick on my second shot after becoming lost in the sea of mossy slopers at the end. It was decided that a real anchor needed to be installed so I added a quick ring next to the last bolt. The light sound of the drill attracted the local species known as ‘euro sport climber’ who quizzed us in stilted english about the new route. Apparently Blimp is really not that exciting compared to a crappy black slab with a line of bolts up it. Oh well.

Wonderdog
29-Jan-2004
2:37:53 PM
Very nice...

manacubus
29-Jan-2004
3:32:14 PM
A most enjoyable read =)

Roberto
3-Feb-2004
8:18:24 PM
It looks like you're begging to develope those "pretty" lats kent. The photo shoot turned out well, though i must say to be completely "pretty" a black hair rinse and a trip to the solarium wouldn't go astray (oh yeah, a nose ring too). You can fill in his place while he's os. Nice report, thanks for all the hard work neil.

phil_nev
3-Feb-2004
8:40:02 PM
Dont blaspheme bobby, the pretty one shall make his triumphant return in no time to reclaim his throne as th prettiest climber lad in the land....

Kent, as attractive as he is, is a mere stallion compared to your much older and wiser sibling.

Regards,
The Forman

There are 8 messages in this topic.

 

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