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Sweet Dreams...Toby, Sean & Moto 18-May-2010 At 7:55:31 PM Chipbutty

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Hi All, I have never written a trip report before so here goes

After a break of over six months from climbing due to study it came time to get out to the blueys for a long awaited weekend of climbing. Met friends in Blackheath on Sat morning and decided Mt Boyce would be a good choice. First lead was Goldstar pitch one with the possibility of trying pitch two, this idea faded quickly as I reached the crux on p1, from the bottom I had been confident but now I struggled for about twenty minutes trying to drag myself up through the thinner part of the crack only making it after a small fall, disappointed in my efforts I brought my two friends up who both cruised it though no one was willing to lead the second pitch! Next up was the route next to it, I forget it's name but it is a good 19? with two pretty thin sections at least for me even though I was on second this time. after this it was up to Sean to lead Gates of Janus, this I had led about a year prior on the windiest day I have ever climbed on and nearly gotten blown off. My confidence returned when I romped up easily on second though by now my unaccustomed body was tired. Lastly Moto decided to lead Gently mine to get some more experience on trad gear and I thoroughly enjoyed seconding. The daylight faded and we headed for food and to camp at Mt York.
After a good nights sleep I was sore from Sat so I decided to take Sean up Sweet Dreams as he had not climbed it before, the journey to the base set the scene of adventure though that was yet to come... I suggested Sean lead the first short pitch, I would take the second so that he could lead the traverse and the last pitch where I would cunningly convince him to try the great 17 variant at the top by acting like that was the only way, well he figured out it wasn't when I said it was seventeen but was up for it any way. We decided that like the party before us we would haul the unnecessarily heavy pack that we had brought with us after he had set up the belay at the top and thrown the spare end of the single 60 we were climbing on down to me, what could possibly go wrong.
Sean led up and enjoyed the climb though neglected to take in the view which I thought was a great part of climbing this variant, he reached the top and looked for the bolts I pointed him in the direction of them and he looked some more declaring there to be none, at which point he set up a trad belay in a spot that I was not particularly confident in, I asked lots of questions and he convinced me that it was safe, I then suggested he throw the rope down, meaning pull up all available rope and throw what is left over down to me, there was after all more than enough, well he threw the rope down alright, the whole rope! expletives rang out from him as he realised what he had done and I think I called him a d#*k head.
The rope now hung from the quickdraws on the carrots and one small cam that had been placed right below the top and though close it was to dangerous for Sean to de-belay and reach it. All the time we had been climbing there had been a guy bolting nearby, we had chatted a little and all was pleasant, however I now felt like a right muppet and felt that he probably thought the same.
I looked at the rope and decided that if I anchored the end that went through the gear I could prussik up the free end whilst leaving the pack attached to the end to pull up afterwards, then anchor the free end on the bolts at the top abseil down retrieve the gear and get belayed back to the top, the first part, prussiking went well hauling the bag did not, as I pulled it swung out and under the end that was running through the gear (of course) and got stuck, luckily releasing some rope through the quickdraws freed the pack thank funk and from here on the plan worked, I anchored the end to the bolts rapped down got the gear and climbed back up, ate some banana bread and we both went home, ahhh. All in all it was a great weekend! If you have read this thank you and remember the moral of this story is.................(insert)