The moon was bright at 3:30 when I stepped outside, the car indicated a lowly 4 degrees but where we were heading was forecast to be 0 degrees at sunrise. We hoped to get to the crag before the sun poked its head out so we could watch the world wake up with a second cup of tea. After a short thirty minute drive Howsie was with me in the car and we headed north, Google maps suggested the 270km should take 3hrs:
We had initially intended to visit one of the tallest crags in the Perth area, Mount Cuthbert. There were two options, park on the Albany Highway and risk the car being broken into or drive in on the forest tracks which required approval. We got the approval but for it to valid there needed to be a three day dry spell before entry due to the increased risk of spreading dieback when it was damp, and it had rained every day that week. So instead we headed a bit further inland to a crag on the edge of the wool belt. Dreaming Frog crag was found by someone who was driving past for work, and the landholder was happy for him to establish routes there:
We arrived soon after 7 in time for the sunrise, but…. the last 100km of the journey and the crag was enveloped in mist. Moisture hung in the air and everything was damp making for some amazing sights created by mother nature with assistance from spiders. First things first we texted our families to say we got here safely, roos were a risk due to the time of day and the countryside we had driven through but we fortunately didn’t see any:
Second thing to do was make a brew, in my usual fastidious manner I organised the back of the car for later food breaks and more importantly making hot drinks. You can tell it was cold as the pistons on the canopy door would not stay open, but it was not the big fat 0 we thought it may have been. The mist had helped keep it to a balmy 5.5 degrees which didn’t feel that bad:
We didn’t stop to drink the brew, seeing there was no sunrise to watch and instead not feeling hungry got stuck in. The place has heaps of bouldering and a number of routes, we started sensibly but that also mean the first few routes were not climbed as much a bit more mossy. The moisture had brought the lichen and moss to life and it made picking our way through these miniature jungles tricky:
If anything the mist seemed to come in, making the place seem eerie. We couldn’t see the countryside round us but there was hoe pint he shy as it was brightening up. We had definitely made the right choice to not head into Mount Cuthbert today, it included a decent walk in and we would have got soaked going in, had to leave the car on the Albany highway at the mercy of the undesirables and could possibly be in poor condition:
Couldn’t resist showing you this butterfly, it was alive but had gone into a dormant state due to the cold with water droplets forming all over it. Normally in the sheep belt you’ll get annoyed by the flies, but today while we saw a couple flying in a drunken state there we surprisingly absent. Howsie then explained that they only become lively when it hits 14 degrees and above, so in a way we visited this place at the perfect time:
The routes were surprisingly fun and tricky, different to the Avon Valley and Threeways that we had visited on our last foray to new places. The slabs were slick and delicate making for tense moves and a need for a very calm head. This was increased by needing to find the clean rock, which despite the mist was dry and had awesome friction:
Some routes were cleaner and this was the first line that Howsie and I spotted when we did a recon of the area on first arrival. It was the fourth lead and mine, we were both nervous about it as the first bolt looked high and the move to get to it was far from obvious. After a few dud attempts, I dyno’d to a sloped hold and with nothing but friction to keep my feet on clipped the bolt, while it eased up the higher it got it stayed interesting:
The mist was finally fliting and we could see the ploughed fields around the crag, the sheep could be heard as could red tailed cockatoos. The place soon felt warmer and drier but it didn’t get above that magically 14 degree all day, which was a good thing. I’ve worked in the wheat and wool belt and when the flies come in it can be unpleasant:
We decided to get a few more climbs in before we got a bite to eat, but it was not to be this boulder which is the tallest here at some 15m. We proposed to save this one for later, it was some drone footage of mostly this boulder that made us decided it would be worth coming here. We didn’t expect the rocks to be as big as this and with routes ranging from 10 to 15m thought it was worth the trip:
We instead went for the second highest boulder, picking two mixed lines that went up similar slanting cracks to the ledge on the left and then had a tricky face move to top out. As Howsie placed his first piece of gear I thought it was time to stop taking images and do some belaying. The crack had painful jams that you had no choice but to use, adding even more variety to the style of climbing here:
After I led the other route we decided we would have a look at this feisty number. We had rapped down this line to check the gear in the thin vertical cracks above but we didn’t have small enough cams and in truth the placements and then moves above them looked sketchy. So this is where the bad ethics started and we top roped it, not only that we both bottled the direct line and went the variant finish up the flake and then traversing back in. We agreed that both options would be a very hairy lead:
With seven fun lines completed it was time for food, not that our stomachs were telling us we were hungry but our minds were telling us to be sensible. So a wrap and cup of tea was on the cards, and it went down a treat. It was also sensible because we had bagged the easy lines and were moving up through the grades:
Howsie decided on one of the harder lines as his next lead, but for very good reason. This line looked amazing and he did a stellar job of the bottom half. Unexpected positive crimpy holds, lots of friction foot work and some acrobatic moves saw him pull over the lip onto the slab with the biggest smile possible:
Then came the roof, and this was a challenge. Couldn’t resists two image of this climb as it was the one we spent the longest on and. The final roof had him foxed and he kept trying and trying eventually sussing out a way through. Atop this route we were both feeling happy but a bit stuffed, no matter for Howsie as it was my lead next. I knew where I was going I’d seen the line earlier and was raving about it:
So the other obvious route to jump on after our lunch break was this trad crack line, while the upper holds look ok there were some spicy moments low down and the need for pushing the toe of the boot into a small rounded blank crack and trusting them to get up to find gear. We both agreed this was a wicked line and lie Sundance Crack at Avon Valley I was the lucky one to bag it, but only because Howsie left it for me:
The bolting at this place has seen some heavy discussion, they had use bolts of a smaller diameter than recommend. This made pulling big moves on just one bolt nervous at times and as we were pushing the grades this played with our minds even more. It didn’t stop us but focused us more, and the landings on the next few lines onto angular blocks provided that extra encouragement not to fall off:
That said many of the lines were really good, exciting sustained and surprisingly different. The route in the previous image had weird small nodule holds that just didn’t give you total confidence, and the one I lead after had great positive features but they were small and on very steep territory. I even stick clipped the first bolt on that route, having contemplated the start moves and landing we decided to follow the guides advice. Next up more bad ethics when we extended the bolt on this line. It was worth doing as the moves to get to the bolt that was higher than the second bolt on the route next to it required to use of a loose flake and were balancey and nervous:
For the last lead of the day we jumped onto the big chimney on the tallest boulder, of which there was an image given earlier. Well in truth we jumped into it as this was a solo through the narrow crack that split the boulder. It widened up at the top but the lower section was a tight squeeze requiring some interesting worm like movement to get through, lots of fun:
We then decided to rap back down it rather than down the outside. Definitely the way to go to maximise the fun factor and wrap up the days climbing. We bagged a baker’s dozen and along the way managed extend gear, dyno, stick clip, top rope and solo routes so it was a day of letting our standard slip but all in the name of fun:
We had another wrap and brew but Howsie was keen for more. We had overlooked two routes but both agreed that they didn’t look inspiring and we wanted to end on a fun note. That was from a leading point of view so next we went to investigate all the bouldering here. We struggled to find clean lines so it seems they don’t get many repeats, but we found this one which was a lot of fun. It also told us that our toes and fingers were sore and we should really give up:
But Howsie was determined so instead we found some problems of our own which wouldn’t rate as V0 or probably even a minus V5 (if such a thing even exists). Eventually the mind won and our fingers and toes were given the relief of knowing their job was done:
With the sun setting one last image of one of the impressive boulders at Dreaming Frog Crag, with a solitary trees growing atop. It was a good choice and the perfect day for it, within an hour of driving it was getting dark and it took another three and half hours to get home. If the bouldering was cleaner we may have considered revisiting this place, as it would be a great place to camp out at but they were not so while we had a brilliant day here we are not likely to go back:
So some sixteen and half hours after leaving I rocked up back home and received a lovely welcome from my girls and then enjoyed a well-deserved beer.
Sandbagged 
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