Nice photo. Point of climbing technique - it looks like you could have used each double to clip one wire without a sling. I'd only really use a sling like that for a single rope. - Olbert

Three stars for featuring this route, which is an absolute ripper. The photo itself is okay but not great: the blurring of the hand and unusual position detracts a bit. - Doug

Hmm. I disagree (sorry Doug), and think the blurred hand and unusual position help make the photo! :-) Three stars for using double rope technique and carrying a mega-rack! - IdratherbeclimbingM9

IT is a weird photo - but for a climbing pic, it's really intriguing. Which hold will he grab? Why did he clip the nuts that way (see M9's thread)? Where the hell is his right leg? Would love to see a follow up photo to see what happens next. Looks like a very fun climb too. - martym

I take your point M9 about double rope technique and the huge rack. When I climbed it I tried to strip my rack down as best I could but still had quite a lot of big stuff. And martym, it IS a great route. Yes it would have been very interesting to see the next photo! - Doug

Great route. Interesting photo. For me, the crux was overcoming rope drag up high caused by a single rope and passing showers. - cruze

That way too much crap on your harness....get yourself a bandolier! Such a long sling is prob redundant with doubles....and hexes....really in this day and age! - maxdacat

Luv it. 3 starz for attempt that short climb with all tha gear, minus 1 star for silly sling use, minus anotha star for headin off route. - gnaguts

Now thatz how2 climb a slab. StandN up in balance, smearin tha carp outa tha diem, an usin fingatipz like brail detektas 4 tha nex smear-spot. Aint no beechD whale topoutz 4 MJ wiff that styl. - gnaguts

Great photo. brings back good memories of climbing granite slabs. Those were the days.... - robbio

Yep. Like that one. - Doug

Photo - 3 stars The push to make slabs cool again - 4 stars Brushing job on that route - 5 stars Average - 4 stars - One Day Hero

I liked the last slab photo better for photographic reasons, as I prefer the horizontal format and 1/3 ~ 2/3 aspect ratio better than a 1/2 ~ 1/2 aspect. Here is that pic for easy comparison on this viewing page, as it isn't often we get two slab photos on Gallery Page, let alone in succession... Here is the large version. The colour in the current WTM photo seems less vibrant and the background more cluttered by comparison, though having said all that I have no hesitation in agreeing with the comments above mine, so give it four and a half stars, unlike five for the last one! - IdratherbeclimbingM9

Wow, I don't like to slag people off, but I find this pic really boring. The climber looks more like an electrician staring at a bunch of wires rather than someone in the middle of a crux? I generally rate these photos in two ways - one is a photo I'd hang on my wall; the other is something that makes me think I'd love to climb there... sadly this is neither. - martym

Hero you do realise it is a Black Hill "slab". Have you ever climbed there? There is no slabbing. The slabs there are mostly very low angle face climbing with holds. More often than not the holds are big (there is a reason you can't see many knuckles or slab technique in these photos) and if it wasn't for the first 2 metres it wouldn't be a climb at all and the only reason it is brushed to the top is so you can say you did a 20m grade 20. Reality is you've done one grade 20 move and then walked 19m up a steep slope to belay. - Stugang

Have I ever climbed anything between melbourne and the gramps? What sort of choss doddling, low standards bumbly do you think I am? - One Day Hero

Odius wrote above: >What sort of choss doddling, low standards bumbly do you think I am? Tha gullibird kine? - gnaguts

Stugang wrote: > Reality is you've done one grade 20 move and then walked 19m up a steep slope to belay. Err .. I did that route just before Martin. You need to know the exit moves are fairly solid, probably 18. See that little shiny thing down the bottom of the pic? That's his last runner. You're looking at a 14m+ fall off gr 18 moves. Now breathe... - gfdonc

Look if you worked on engaging your core a little more then those 18 scary moves would drop a few grades and you'd be strolling. But go ahead listen to hero and keep practicing crap technique and keep getting shit scared on easy stuff. - Stugang

Ok photo for the genre depicted. Since when was core strength ever required for climbing slabs bro stugang? In fact I doubt core is used much in most similar graded (20 and below) face climbing, which is the next level up for physical difficulty? Overhangs and bomb-bay flares on the other hand are another matter, but this pic is none of those. - Duang Daunk

Well no wunda yiz all shit at slabz. - Stugang

I did hear an anecdote over the weekend. Robin Holmes took a fall off the top moves (just about where Martin is). As he didn't have the small cams to place in the last horizontal break, his last runner was the bolt a little further down. He pulled up about 1m off the deck! - gfdonc

Wow, great shot! - shiltz

Nice pic! Good to see Black Hill make the Gallery! - shortman

Caption should read "if anybody else ever climbs on Victorian Granite these days and do they have equally attentive belayers?" - Pat

The photographer was Kai's Mum, Mandy Robertson. - Karl Bromelow

Sending a kid up without a helmet is a bit irresponsible. - tnd

I promise you Kai wasn't "sent" up. - Karl Bromelow

Love the photo. Helmet would have ruined it. - Stugang

Great shot! - pmonks

Mandy doesn't have an account on here but, on her behalf, thanks for the kind comments. Much appreciated. - Karl Bromelow

I like it a lot. Good photographic balance and symmetry, including the areas in soft focus, which serve to accentuate the crystal clear clarity of subject, and also adds (for me), a sense of dynamic to the action portrayed within a grander scale of scenery. It certainly draws me in as a viewer... Thanks for submitting it. _{An afterthought... Unintentional I know, but the photo angle almost cuts out seeing the rope if the foot sequence had've been reversed, which would make the climber look like they were free-soloing!} - IdratherbeclimbingM9

Mandy just read your comments Rod (M9....hope you don't mind first names. I find all this pseudonym stuff a bit silly). She was pleased with the your appraisal, commenting how you obviously "got it". Cheers, Karl. - Karl Bromelow

Two stars for short granite slabs, one for it being Black Hill and an extra star for Kai doing granite the way God intended it to be done... in socks. I'm lichen it! - Ben_E

4 starz 4 a good pic despite tha poor slab techniQ exhibitd. Stand up kid, kneezanelbowz R4 old tradz or bouldererz like simes wearin KT26's mantling rounded topoutz in beechD whale styl. - gnaguts

I did post myself in response to the last comment above but decided to let the 10 year old come back himself. Kai says, "I wasn't using my knees and elbows, I was using my hands and feet. What's his problem anyway?" That's you told. - Karl Bromelow

This is a link to the sun actually colliding with planet earth a few years ago. How the heck did we all survive do you reckon, Snagtug? http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=14548226331&l=19165b1f6a - Karl Bromelow

That pic iz almost az grainy as tha beach it showz , but 5 starz for bean ther an capsharin tha moment. Afta such a calamnus event itz a wonder we survivD indeed , and surely our livz have bin foreshortnD (@ leest telepictor ally) , by it. . . . bout az much az last time ed shortroped hisself ropesoloin @ tha Piles, or som kid leanin in2 a slab 2 create smeary wobblmomentz. - gnaguts

There's no beach on it, Snagtug. Nice to see you came back though to check for the reaction like I do, Snagtug. - Karl Bromelow

U were otto focussin on tha sun an not tha wavz? Wot size lenz? - gnaguts

I can't remember, Snagtug. It was 9 years ago. It looks like a cropped shot from my old 6MP Olympus with maybe a 40-150mm telephoto. Here's another with that same kid you're bagging from the same evening. How could you! Oh, and that sun looks so innocent behind. Who'd have believed what was imminent? http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=14548296331&l=76e4dfef80 And here's another from Black Hill showing Kai, sans wobbles, happy as and having fun, running TR laps on Long Sausage. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php? fbid=10154557198211332&l=90814cb6df No knees or elbows. I know you strongly approve of TR. Give the kid a break and earn 10,000 karma points for thecrag.com - Karl Bromelow

KB m8, Uneed 2 stop it or U will go blind. All this piccying of Ur apocalyptic solar catastrophe wil do it 2U ova time! Thx 4 ur reply. The croppin prolly acountz 4 tha grain wen I look @ tha 1st pic here @ my end. Good 2C tha kid Njoyin LS; tho imathinkN Ur shot looks somwot tiltD with TRcord an hair an chalkbag kinda slak in anotha directN? Anyway , @ leest heez doin it in Vic where Belay standRds R somwot betta than Kanetoad Pt. Doz he chek wiff Blayer B4 yellin Take , 4 tha lowaoff? Urs in Njoyn tha fresh Aroma of baked cybabred ova icon pic discussN wiffU. - gnaguts

Alrighty, slabs and long socks are back in style. I was wondering how long it would take for the steep sport route fad to blow over. - One Day Hero

Odius my fiend , good 2C Uv joinD tha pic cricket. Wot do U think of tha ladz style (apart from long sokz) , in tha feetcha pic? - gnaguts

The whole thing is awesome, a giant kick in the nuts to the stupid mainstream of oz climbing. This kid has no fancy climbing clothes, pulls his socks up before pulling the holds down, and someone did a top job of brushing the lichen. Half the clowns projing 26s at Bell would crap their dacks and back off this thing. - One Day Hero

I know! The sock thing. It's so cool. Very now. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/05/fashion/mens-style/black-socks- shorts-trend.html It's very Dogtown skatey. I was skating too, back then, but can't remember whether I was into long socks. Probably not. I've always been a bit of a dork. Preferring corduroy to denim and that kind of thing. Probably explains why I am a climber. Kai must've got his high fashion sense from his Mum. I'll never forget her velvet hot pants. Those were the days. Kai says, "Thanks for that, ODH. I am bit old school." Can't imagine EB's making a comeback however retro it gets. - Karl Bromelow

i agree withU Odius that tha lad climbN outside , an serios slab at that , specialy 4 a 10 yo , iz awsum. Tha sokz thing , cute tho mayB , fitz more in line wif old skool (as he sez) , fashun dont matta trad. Oddy ,U should invite him + KB (2 Blay) , an tha exclent photog (2 take pix) , 2 Broomba an get som dekorateN shotz 4 itz new guide if not done final yet. Mebe intro him to otha granit delites like trench warfarin (get som karakta memory scabz on those sokz!), an laybakN an such. - gnaguts