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Chockstone Forum - Find Climbers

Find Climbers In Your Area

 Page 1 of 2. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 39
Author
Mount Buffalo NP - Big wall/Aid Fest Nov 2019 ?
Davedave
22-Oct-2019
10:56:11 AM
Not sure if I've missed it, but is there a plan for the usual bigwall/aid festival this year ? Or sufficient interest in the same ? I believe there were some survivors from last year.





IdratherbeclimbingM9
22-Oct-2019
11:13:14 AM
On 22-Oct-2019 Davedave wrote:
>Not sure if I've missed it, but is there a plan for the usual bigwall/aid
>festival this year ? Or sufficient interest in the same ? I believe there
>were some survivors from last year.

You haven’t missed it.
The numbers have been diminishing in recent years, so much so that last year the Aidfest was comprised of more slack-liners involved than dedicated aiders, though they were interested in the aiding too.

Some of the keen types are still coming back from various injuries which also adds to the lack of promotion of interest.

This year I’m open to suggestions for something low key by comparison.
I’m hoping to get up to Buffalo with PeterW and TimP for a bit of ‘refinement’ prior to doing Ozy with them late summer when the weather cools again.

It hasn’t been discussed between us, but the refinery might also happen down Castlemaine way as well as up Buffalo...

I’m happy for others to participate in both the above possibilities when dates firm up.
gfdonc
23-Oct-2019
6:18:48 AM
VCC Buffalo trip happens to be the weekend of 23/24 November. I believe campsites are booked through to Monday.
I'll be there.

Duang Daunk
23-Oct-2019
8:24:57 AM
On 23-Oct-2019 gfdonc wrote:
>VCC Buffalo trip happens to be the weekend of 23/24 November. I believe
>campsites are booked through to Monday.
>I'll be there.
>
There you go bro M9. VCC and gfdonc will rescue your diminishing numbers.

As for low key, how much lower key can you get than when talking minor fringe numbers involved of a small percent subset group of a sub-sect of society?

Talk about random climbing in sects, it's no wonder bro hpt has recently taken to solo aiding. It's because the chance of bumping into another aid climber is minimal!
gfdonc
23-Oct-2019
12:01:28 PM
On 23-Oct-2019 Duang Daunk wrote:
>As for low key, how much lower key can you get than when talking minor
>fringe numbers involved of a small percent subset group of a sub-sect of
>society?

Gee I dunno, last time I was up at the Bluies it looked to me like mosta them were using aid =:o
White Trash
23-Oct-2019
2:08:44 PM
On 23-Oct-2019 Duang Daunk wrote:
>Talk about random climbing in sects, it's no wonder bro hpt has recently
>taken to solo aiding. It's because the chance of bumping into another aid
>climber is minimal!

@ random climbing insects
Some might argue the pace of climbing by aiders is insect like, but I disagree.
I'd say its more sloth like.

Eh 'bro' DD, have you ever partaken in the aid thing?
TimP
24-Oct-2019
5:58:03 AM

>You haven’t missed it.
>The numbers have been diminishing in recent years, so much so that last
>year the Aidfest was comprised of more slack-liners involved than dedicated
>aiders, though they were interested in the aiding too.
>
>Some of the keen types are still coming back from various injuries which
>also adds to the lack of promotion of interest.
>
>This year I’m open to suggestions for something low key by comparison.
>
>I’m hoping to get up to Buffalo with PeterW and TimP for a bit of ‘refinement’
>prior to doing Ozy with them late summer when the weather cools again.
>
>It hasn’t been discussed between us, but the refinery might also happen
>down Castlemaine way as well as up Buffalo...
>
>I’m happy for others to participate in both the above possibilities when
>dates firm up.

I'd be up for Buffalo Aidfest late Nov — refinement much needed on my part!
Mt Alexander Castlemaine way as well, any dates as that's my local
Widewetandslippery
25-Oct-2019
7:14:20 AM
On 23-Oct-2019 White Trash wrote:
>On 23-Oct-2019 Duang Daunk wrote:
>>Talk about random climbing in sects, it's no wonder bro hpt has recently
>>taken to solo aiding. It's because the chance of bumping into another
>aid
>>climber is minimal!
>
>@ random climbing insects
>Some might argue the pace of climbing by aiders is insect like, but I
>disagree.
>I'd say its more sloth like.
>
>Eh 'bro' DD, have you ever partaken in the aid thing?

My limited experience of aid found it very involving. Big whippets, broken cams, broken nose X2, covered in blood, back to car well after dark, questioned at pub about fitness to serve, drive to hospital, plastics surgeon sticking sticks up nostrils to straighten nose (this may hurt). Time flew, wasn't slow at all.
davedave
25-Oct-2019
11:37:08 AM
@Duang Daunk - interesting you suggest HTP was forced into solo aiding "because the chance of bumping into another aid climber is minimial!", given he ran into Scott and Andrew on Ozymandias direct this year.

As for total numbers, I certainly don't know anyone going aid-cragging for the fun of it, but I've seen a quite a few aussie bigwall teams in Yosemite valley over the last year and didn't run into any of them doing all-free bigwall climbing (though i'm sure they're around).

@White trash - RE: the pace of aid climbing, I suspect the average time on-wall time of a competent mixed aid/free teams is less then those attempting all-free bigwall ascents (especially those doing rappel-in rehearsals). Those not quite competent probably spend even less time as they tend to bail to the pub/pizza deck.

That said I've certainly both abused and been abused by multi-hour belay sessions, though recent innovations may improve belayer comfort ( https://www.facebook.com/highmtngearnrepair/photos/a.369893917131162/525531461567406/?type=3&theater ).

Of course if I could half decently free climb I could save on all the extra baggage fees and climb in better style, until then I'll just have to get better at cheating.

Though getting on ozy direct with no/minimal experience seems to be a right of passage for aspiring australian wall climbers I don't think it's the ideal introduction to aid/wall climbing; stories of groundfalls and minor (but potentially immobilising) injuries, or just straight up bails seem pretty common. Hence the interest in having some sort of training event.

M9, TimP, PeterW - best of luck on your Ozy trip; are you going to use Tims ledge ?
PeterW
25-Oct-2019
12:11:00 PM
On 25-Oct-2019 davedave wrote:
>Though getting on ozy direct with no/minimal experience seems to be a
>right of passage for aspiring australian wall climbers I don't think it's
>the ideal introduction to aid/wall climbing;

I don't know that I'd class it as an "introduction" in my case. I've done four other North Wall aid routes as well as a bunch of smaller stuff. (Aid climbing was more common back in the day.)

It's more like a "conclusion" to aid climbing for me. Ozy was an iconic route that somehow never happened, and I'm grateful for the chance to experience the legend. However I am most definitely out of practice (by several decades), so M9's "refinery" (LOL!) is obviously a good idea before launching onto something big.

>M9, TimP, PeterW - best of luck on your Ozy trip; are you going to use Tims ledge ?

I had visions of using my old Chouinard peapod hammock. (If it was good enough for the Gleddies...) However a ledge would clearly be A Good Thing if possible. I guess that's one of the things to be "refined"!

Duang Daunk
25-Oct-2019
12:58:41 PM
On 23-Oct-2019 White Trash wrote:
>Eh 'bro' DD, have you ever partaken in the aid thing?

I see you’re an ex pommie so you should be able to relate bro WT... What did that lame pommie polly say?
Oh yeh , now I remember , something along the lines of “I’d rather be found lying dead in a ditch”.

I think he prolly reckons it about on par with bouldering - nothing like the real exit(ing) deal experience?

@WW+S - great trip report bro!

@davedave - must’ve been the insect breeding season bro ...
@davex2 - you’re wishing M9 luck on Ozy? Apart from Fants an HB, has anyone done it more often?

IdratherbeclimbingM9
25-Oct-2019
9:52:28 PM
On 25-Oct-2019 davedave wrote:
>>Though getting on ozy direct with no/minimal experience seems to be a
>>right of passage for aspiring australian wall climbers I don't think
>>it's the ideal introduction to aid/wall climbing; stories of groundfalls and >>minor (but potentially immobilising) injuries, or just straight up bails seem >>pretty common. Hence the interest in having some sort of training event.
>
Okay, let’s make this thread a REGISTER YOUR INTEREST affair and instead of an Aidfest we will publish the dates (here) of our ‘refinery’ sessions for others to include themselves if they wish to.
~> that’ll let me gauge whatever interest in such events is still out there, and keep the networking happening.
... Let’s see if the aid game still has life left in it!

Random thoughts off the top of my head. As indicated earlier, there’s likely going to be two sessions. If VCC is occupying Buffalo around then, my preference is to make the aid thing on another weekend due it’d no longer be low key, and besides I still free climb too so may wander up for part of it.
Re down Castlemaine way - that’s a good excuse for me to get out on another motorcycle ride.
;-)

>>M9, TimP, PeterW - best of luck on your Ozy trip; are you going to use Tims ledge ?

I’m using my Black Diamond (single) portaledge.

>>Those not quite competent probably spend even less time (on-wall)
... unless they have plenty of time and dogged determination to get up their chosen route!

jkane
28-Oct-2019
9:22:59 AM
Interested but probably won't have any spare weekends before xmas

vwills
31-Oct-2019
7:27:18 PM
Dave and I are interested, though depends on dates. 23/24 might work....

IdratherbeclimbingM9
4-Nov-2019
7:05:45 AM
The interest is noted!

JK - likewise my agenda is rapidly being overtaken unless I lock some dates in... PeteW/TimP howzit going with your parts of the chicken and egg game?

VW - gfdonc informs us that VCC is up Buff then... Campsites at Catani could be scarce?
TimP
4-Nov-2019
9:16:24 AM
23rd out for me but could come 24th 25th
TimP
18-Nov-2019
7:47:30 AM
Hmm... looks like 24th 25th out for me as well — whole bunch of kids events to sort.

IdratherbeclimbingM9
19-Nov-2019
11:54:16 AM
On 18-Nov-2019 TimP wrote:
>Hmm... looks like 24th 25th out for me as well — whole bunch of kids events
>to sort.

Noted.
Peter W, are you back yet?
PeterW
19-Nov-2019
9:02:54 PM
> Peter W, are you back yet?

I'm back for certain values of "back". Sorry for the radio silence. November was always going to be chaotic for me, with plans made well before ours. I'm walking in Tasmania Friday to Monday this weekend, but after that things should be a LOT saner. (Saner apart from Christmas anyway!)

phillipivan
3-Dec-2019
6:30:41 PM
Did anything come of these plans in the end?

 Page 1 of 2. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 39
There are 39 messages in this topic.

 

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