The bushfire warnings were all out with a hot weekend in the south west of Western Australia forecast. With our coastal climbing spots threatening to get up to the mid-thirties it was time to be sensible and have a proper early start to get out and back before the heat really hit. With that in mind I was heading out to the usual meeting place, in Capel, just after 4am and it was already chasing 18 degrees. Our destination was a bit more of a trek today, so we needed to allow two hours to get to the crag, making the early start even more sensible:
Steve was keen to take his sister on a real adventure. So we had decided on Bob’s Hollow, as it has a proper 4WD access track that is just the sort of thing that he had bought his car for. With a week since his chemo pump was taken out, Steve’s energy level were up and he was all revved up for this one. As we made the rocky journey, in the last few kilometres, I took got out of the car to take some footage of the worse sections. This ploy allowed me to walk these sections rather than be shaken about as the car tackled the tire ripping limestone rocks:
The journey, while being the longest for our local crags, is worth the effort as the place really is spectacular. Steve opted to “sort some stuff out” back at the car before joining us, so Rongy, Jules and I set off on the short walk track to the main cliffs. As we walked past the increasingly taller and steeper limestone walls it became evident that we would not have the place to ourselves. One, two three, four, five… no six routes had draws hanging from them, we had either found the largest crag booty ever or another group would be returning:
All of the equipped routes were at the far left of the crag, and we had already decided that we would be climbing at the right hand end. The reason being that the grades were more forgiving and the routes less steep. Rongy and I were convinced that Jules should lead the obvious warm-up. As she stared at the steep towering walls it was evident that we had more confidence in her ability than she did. So instead we warmed up on some of the other lines with Rongy taking the sharp end first on Stalagasaurus, which despite the runout finish never fazed him:
Jules was next up and took her time to figure out the rock and get her head into gear. In part I think she was wondering what Steve was up to, so I had wandered back to check and found him still pottering round in his car saying he would be with us in a few minutes. From what I can gather he has been overdoing things a tad of late, very unlike him… not. So we needed to keep an eye on how we was tracking today. When I go back Jules was struggling to get into this cave, but once she had a rest in there she made the final push up the steep finale without a hitch:
Steve was still not in sight so Jules wandered off to check on him, leaving Rongy and me wondering what to climb next. We investigated a route that he had talked about, as we were walking in, and one I had no idea about. Of course the route existed making me wander if I had missed it in the guide, but I’m glad to say that I hadn’t (nor the route that goes straight up on trad gear) and as such for my first lead I jumped on a climb I had not been on before. Escalade De Rasior was a great line and I’m a bit gob smacked that I hadn’t noticed it before:
As I was belaying Rongy up the route the Sterling clan was finally wandering back. It was obvious that while Steve’s energy levels were up he was still a little addled, a sure sign that he had indeed being over doing things just recently. In his defence there is a lot of research out there to show that being physically active helps during chemo, both assisting with improving your ability to cope with it and speeding up your recovery time. It’s just a question of getting the balance right, something he has not quite mastered yet:
Steve was OK for belaying so we encouraged Jules to jump on the route we had just finished. We both felt it was a good climb for her, being less steep and more technical climbing. Rongy meanwhile picked off the obvious route for the day, going in search of snakes. I was pleased to see he was starting to feel it, as he rested on the bigger holds to shake out to get rid of the pump that the lower section of this route is sure to provide most climbers. The route didn’t disappoint on the snake front with a baby Carpet Python in a pocket near the belay anchors:
It’s always a bit intimidating climbing with Rongy as he has such good stamina. Shaved Cats has some great sequences low down and I too was looking forward to the bigger holds to shake out. I had already been feeling that forearm burn on the first two routes, so had wondered if I’d manage a clean ascent. With a bit of focus and some good footwork things slipped into place and I was soon staring at a small python head sticking out of a pocket. It was quick to pull itself back into the safety of the pocket, so I cleaned the anchors while Jules did the same:
Once we were all back on the deck there was no getting out of it and it was time for Jules to jump on the obvious warmup climb of Lovers Nuts. The most protected route here, which makes it a great one to try as a first lead not having such a spook factor. I think it is fair to say that she loved it, there were certainly a couple of moments in which she had to work on the moves and her head. Rongy however is an unforgiving belayer and wouldn’t let her rest on the rope unless she fell. Said enjoyed it as she had a very big grin on her face at the top:
Steve was finally starting to feel right enough to climb so he set off up Lovers Nuts while I decided on Juggernaut. With two ropes on the go there were not as many images being taken and I didn’t get Steve on rock, but I heard he did OK and only had one rest. I did however have to take the following image, as it is the only time the No.11 hex (which you may recall from last week’s climbing) got used. Not that it was really needed with all the rope slings on this line. I do like this climb as it is long and exposed, but in truth I had another reason to jump on it:
My main reason for choosing this line was to avoid the gnarly finish of the other possible line of Unknown, as my arms were getting tired. But also I wanted a second chance to see our scaly friend. Sure enough as I was traversing to the same belay anchors of Shaved Cats, which this line shares, he came into view and was on the move. In fact he was moving in a direction right across the path I had to take to get to the anchors, perfect! I slowed down and took my time making Rongy wonder if I was stuck, but he soon figured out what I was up to:
I spent a long time hanging about watching the snake weave about in the small bush, trying not to be to invasive and scare him. Eventually I left him alone and pulled up to the anchors and came back down. Steve had also finished his line by then, so we swapped over. Rongy not having climbed Juggernaut before pulled the rope and led it, while I led and then decided I should down climb Lovers Nuts. We knew that we were coming to the end of the climbing, so I wanted to make the most of the opportunity to work myself:
Once we were both back down we left Jules to climb Juggernaut with Steve belaying, he was being sensible and decided that one route was enough for him today. So as Jules seconded up and cleaned the line, Rongy and I went to the left end of the crag and joined the throngs. There were lots of people, ropes everywhere and I counted some seven or eight routes being worked at the same time. So with the gear preplaced, Rongy started up Dependence Day. The last time I did this line was with Kym I found it desperate, so I was a bit nervous:
Having watched Rongy take a couple of falls, one very spectacularly, my misgivings only grew stronger. No pressure though as it was not our gear so I could come down at any time… until the owner asked if we could clean the route for him, as they were done on that line. So I set off and with the rope above me didn’t need to expend as much energy as Rongy did. I surprised myself and made it all the way to the last move before being spat off, completely and utterly gassed. It does however give me confidence to have another bash sometime, maybe on lead:
As the image above shows the flies were out (in force), it was also hotting up and time for us to make a move. Good timing as when I came down Steve and Jules had just walked over. We sorted the gear, had a bit of a gas bag with some of the other people there and then left them to it. Looking back at the crag, as we walked out, we reckoned they maybe had half an hour of shade left before the place became an oven. It was a hot walk out and on the drive out I stayed in the air conditioned car, which Rongy drove this time to allow Steve a well-deserved rest:
Just in case anyone was counting we mostly managed to get an even number of routes in, although Steve was the odd one out (for which he is forgiven). So on the way back it felt like we deserved a bit of self-indulgence, and we stopped in the Carbunup roadhouse and got ice cream and chips! I questioned the combination but it worked well and went down a treat, even though we had to have our dessert before the main meal. Now Rongy was a bit surprised we managed to get six lines in with the time we had available, and you may wonder why:
Having left home at 4am and noting we left the crag at 11’ish we should have had ample time to get six lines in. Well… unfortunately while Steve’s energy levels, post his chemo, are undoubtedly not going bad the chemicals seemed to still be impacting his brain, and he had changed the plans with all but me… and I was left hanging in Capel for an hour before they rocked up. So as I listen to Depeche Mode as I type this, it is A Question of Time.
Sandbagged 