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Crag & Route Beta

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Tasmania , federation peak , looking for rack beta 15-Dec-2012 At 12:23:32 AM jrc

Message

So, the memory - 35 years ago, now, was:
6am leave Thwaites Plateau. Down the forest chute. Wander across to the vague area on the opposite side, through primal plants not seen since the late Cretaceous.
7am At the bottom of the forest chute. One of these pieces of near vertical jungle above us is Blade Ridge. Lets try this one. Blunder up the virgin jungle.
8am. About 100m up the jungle. Discover anaconda skeleton. (not quite but it wouldn't have surprised us).
9am 100m higher. Jungle bash continues.
11am. Good grief this is rock, Lets have a rest and get roped up.
Noon. Keith leads first pitch, about 40m up steep face, statafied about 10 degrees off vertical. Reg & I lead various pitches thereafter. About 250m all up to the top of the first blade. actually very interesting and intense climbing on strangely angled quartzite. Consistently 16-17.
7pm Starts to drizzle. 8pm sight small overhang on RHS of blade with ledge and 'seat., In we go for the night. A cool night in a duvet, feet in pack. not too damp. Reg lights lightstick to keep us cheered up. Tells silly jokes. we reciprocate.
7am Foggy dawn , but not raining. Climb to top of first blade, then quickly up second. Third blade is about 100m long and a real knife edge!
1pm on the NW face itself. Nice quartzite 1 long pitch to the 'bus stop' where we shelter behind a large pinnacle. We take one look at the traverse to the chimney of the original roiute and decide to try the crack instead. Keith goes up to the roof, pulls on a big flake above it witch comes out and he takes a 30 footer! Bit bloody. Keith hauls the pack. It was a grunty, if juggy, second. My lead - the pitch after the roof is a classic gr 15 quartzite crack ladder, 50m of sheer fun. Final pitch a bit of a scramble. Walking off in gathering darkness we hardly noticed the scary dropoff to Lake Geeves. Great team, great 2 days. Simon, go do it.
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