Running low on fuel

Just over a year ago Kym and his family moved to Albany and I’ve said several times that I’ll pop down to visit, with the intention to get out for a climb (of course).  Each time our plans have been thwarted, whether due to work, injuries and this time the weather.  I was supposed to head down this weekend just gone and earlier in the week the weather was looking great and everywhere was open for business including the mighty West Cape Howe.  However, as the weekend drew closer a front began to develop so we decided to can the idea.  The weather also closed in on the SW and we had on and off rain from Friday night onwards.  That did not however put me off, so at 5am Sunday I drove into Bunbury to pick Eric up:

I’d been watching the bureau of meteorology interactive maps and I took a punt that on the Sunday morning Pinjarra would be just far enough north to avoid the rain and sure enough when we got there it was a glorious start to the day.  To boot the rock, ground and vegetation was all dry so it seemed it had avoided rain all weekend.  I had been pondering whether to aim for Boobyer Boulders, on the north side of Boomer Hill, but Eric had not been here before and Boomer Crag has the area classic on it plus morning shade.  While I’ve been to this crag a few times it was still great to get back here, in part due to the very different feeling and setting:

Eric has mostly climbed sport, and while he has dabbled with trad the last time was when he came out with us down Willies, which would have been many years back.  So it was with some trepidation that he kicked off the day’s climbing on a fine fully traditional, and one of the easiest routes, on the crag.  For such a small place with only a few routes many of them are quality being interesting and sustained at their grades.  I’m particularly fond of this route, it has a certain style about it and a starts with a cruxy start that keep you honest:

Slow and steady was the order of the day.  We intended to have a relaxed climb but being on a different rock to what we are used to and noting that the grades would bump up quickly that plan was not guaranteed.  Whether it was the flash pump or just not being very climbing fit, Eric’s calves were complaining almost from the start and by the end of the route so were his forearms.  It was also no doubt due to the different psychological approach required for trad climbing, unlike sport it was not a case of clipping and going:

I then plumped for the only route in the old Perth guide that had an X rating.  Maybe at the time it was put up, in 2001, the gear was not as small at is gets now.  With micro-wires this slab provided just enough protection without taking away the spicy feeling.  While I had felt a little woolly and light headed seconding Eric up the first line, on this one I was feeling comfortable and confident.  Several micro-wires and several number one nuts later I set myself up to belay Eric up:

The only issue with the granite boulders/crags of the area is that the tops usually round off and if you belay from the top you don’t get the best view.  So I decided today that I would set myself up hanging belays part way down the crag, so I could watch all the action.  This also, of course, allowed for some better angles for the images.  Eric didn’t seem to struggle on this line and even managed to fiddle out a tri-cam while smearing on his feet, so it looked like it was just a flash pump on the first route and it was over and done with:

So seeing he was getting into it and feeling good, and to avoid burning out too soon that is something Wiggins did when we came here, Eric set his sights on the classic of the crag.  As we were driving up I got him to scan the guide and this route was one of the reasons he preferred the idea of this crag over the boulders.  While they are called Boobyer Boulders they offer routes of equal height and technical range to Boomer Crag.  He set off confidently and soon had his feet on the horizontal and hands in the crack, but was yet to place any gear:

The crack proved a tad trick to place gear, and being that much steeper he got pretty pumped.  Fortunately, as you go higher the holds do improve and he managed to focus and work his way up to the good holds taking his time to place three good pieces along the way.  Then with more secure hand and footholds he set about loosening up a bit before pushing through the next stages, which for me provides the hardest move:

He was just about to start working through the next hard part when there was a mix between a squeal and a squawk.  This is when I found out that Eric is not keen on spiders.  Nestled in the crack which you have to make use of was a hairy 10cm eight legged fella (including legs), which unnerved Eric.  He didn’t fall or rest on gear but had to do some extra composing, and with some calm encouraging chat from myself he worked a way round the crack and avoided disturbing the little fella:

I was taking my time to check out the gear and provide constructive feedback to Eric, but there was very little he placed that didn’t inspire confidence.  It was a top lead!  So as I seconded up stopping to check the gear rather than just pulling it out I could feel that I was pulling that bit harder than I really should have been.  I even spent a bit longer to say hello to the little fella, who was tucked away in the far recess of the crack.  No doubt he was way more scared of us than us of he, so I climbed by and left him in peace:

Last time I came here was with Craig in 2016 and on that trip I attempted a line that looks soooo  good, managing to get most of it clean but bottling on the crux sequence and taking a rest.  So today I thought I’d give it another bash.  My slightly tired feeling on the crag classic, should have given me forewarning of what was to come.  I didn’t start too badly but as soon as I got to the harder moves I could feel my arms, fingers and general whole body start to wane.  I thrutched my way up with absolutely no style, resting several times and whimpering most of the way.  Eventually I topped out having left a bit of a blood trail:

Keen to watch Eric climb this one I set myself up halfway down our rap rope to get a good view.  There were a few of the moves that are pretty reachy for me, so I thought he would do better with his go go gadget arms.  He certainly started strong and was looking good, right up to the midway where you make use of a rounded arête.  This threatens of barn door you off at every move, so you desperately look for anything on the face to help keep you in balance.  There really isn’t much:

Eric certainly climbed it with more grace and composure than I did!  That said I was still glad to have given it a crack, and would not be afraid to do so again.  We were both pretty pooped after that route, so we decided that any thoughts of attempting one of the two new routes was completely insane.  Craig and I saw a line of new bolts in 2016, it looked hard and we played on it briefly to confirm that is was hard… too hard.  That route is now written up as a couple of grades more than my last lead, and the other new route was on par and probably harder as well as full trad:

We left the new routes for another day, but I managed to encourage Eric into taking on the next lead.  After all it was his turn.  He had looked at one line when we first got here and something about it attracted his attention.  So he decided to give it a go, encouraged by the fact that it is supposed to be fully equipped.  The original description of this route is a classic “use the cairn to clip the first BR. Then launch from the deck on small holds until you gain the Thank God jug and second BR”.  Step one was easy, but step two proved far from it:

With much grunting and a bit of pulling on the first clip the “Thank God” hold was reached, but not without some potentially tendon ripping moves to reach and use the sharp and small crimps that you can’t avoid if you want to get over the initial bulge.  Once the second clip was made, and after looking above him it was Eric’s fingers, arms and body’s turn to disobey his mind.  He sat there for some time trying to work out how to make it to the third clip.  After a few less than committing attempts he slumped back in his harness and suggested maybe I would like to try:

It was horrendous, and as I looked back to my last trip report from this place that is how we felt about it last time.  In fact Craig was me grunt up this line and decided not to even bother!  This time I managed to get off the deck, but the next move which is where Eric also struggled, was just too powerful.  After adjusting my position, something I simple couldn’t do without resting on the clip, I carried on pulling like crazy on small sharp holds for what felt like way too long.  Eric managed to work his way up and I could see he too was pulling hard and feeling his fingertips burning:

For some strange reason I thought that the last line was a few grades easier than what it actually was, and even at the grade it actually is we both felt it was a sand bag.  Feeling pretty trashed we rapped down and forgot we still had to get the rap rope down.  Rather than walk up we decided to do one last route, this one was now fully in the sun but it was not too hot.  The pleasant crack and slabby arête provided a welcome relief from the last three steep climbs.  This one was about putting our trust back into our feet rather than cranking down on fingertips:

The arête provides just enough to feel like you can work your way up, needing to trust smears and small crystals in-between the more pronounced features.  Footwork is everything and this kind of climbing was a great way to let the muscles relax and brain slow down.  It is the only way to climb slabs, otherwise you are likely to slip and on this route that would have meant shredding your skin as you skid down the grainy slab.  We both managed a clean ascent and thoroughly enjoyed the route, a good way to finish the day:

So another successful day was had to Boomer Crag, but next time I reckon I might need to make sure the tank is full on the way up here.  This little crag certainly packs a punch with its small but impressive collection of quality routes, and Eric tells me that today he feels like he’s been in a boxing match (one he didn’t win).  While I’d love to come back to Boomer Hill, maybe next time I’ll be venturing to the Boobyer Boulders.  Eric and I packed up our gear and headed to a bakery in Pinjarra before getting onto the highway home, just to make sure we had enough fuel in the tank to get back safely.  Within 10km of being on the highway the rain hit: