Alan, Steve, Rongy and then Leanne all hinted at wanting to get out for a session, so we headed down to Wilyabrup on Sunday morning. It was hard to read the forecast but we thought it would be OK. I did second guess the decision when five minutes before I was meant to meet the crew in Capel, I received a text from Alan. He had stayed in Margaret River on Saturday night and said it was “pissing down”, my three word response was simple “it will pass”. And we drove down to see if it would. On arrival it was dry, but still hard to read. Shouldering our packs we walked in:
Despite it seeming like we had all left the carpark at the same time, we couldn’t hear any chattering behind us and when we got the sty and looked back there was still no one in sight. We assumed they would be OK and soldiered on. Rongy wasn’t sure what to climb today, and not sure how the day would go he decided to start on an old faithful to warm up on. I did however tell him he could only take a single set of wires up for this one, not that the limited gear on his rack would pose any issues. It was not until he was off the deck that the others caught up with us, also unsure what they would start on:
After enjoying the familiar holds and sequences of Hope I discovered that despite the on and off again rain over the last few days the rock felt good. So I decided to test myself with the nervous direct start for Waterfall Second Folly. It is a steep wall with rounded holds, so friction and dry rock is important. The first gear is also tricky to place so you have to hold the positions with arms slowly pumping out. Today however it all clicked into place and I felt good, hanging there comfortably placing gear and even taking my time. I enjoyed the feeling, which is rare thing on the start of this climb:
Half way up I could hear the cowbell sound of a hex being placed. Sure enough as I peeked through a horizontal break I could make out the hex as it was slotted in by Alan (above). He happened to be climbing up the other side of the huge hanging flake. Eager for a few reasonable climbs to lead and place some gear he had opted for Tom Thumb, a great choice in my opinion. A nervous start with limited protection and a traverse over some high ground, followed by fine varied climbing with lots of gear options. To round it off some would even regard exiting the crack as a steep and exposed finish:
We topped out at the same time and busily got our belays set up. He was facing north and I was looking out west, and across the ocean all I could focus on was a big bank of rain. It was predicted to be fresh westerlies with a 6m swell. The wind was not that strong and seemed to be more of a south westerly, which was good as all the northerly faces were protected but this also indicated that the rain bank would head our way. The ocean also certainly didn’t give the impression of having a 6m swell, which was a shame as I was looking forward to huge crashing waves:
Rongy followed up, and I could feel by the rate of his progress that he was finding the start a little tougher than I had. Despite indicating that being the case he still managed a clean ascent. Finally making it to final head wall of the Inner Space Wall, which provides a steep headwall where you need to trust smears and high feet to top out well above your gear. When he took the last piece of gear out I suggested he now had the option of shuffling right to take on the harder top out if he wanted, but he decided again that:
Watching the movement of the clouds it looked like the high clouds might be taking a different path to what the winds across the water and land would indicate they should. It looked to be shifting more west with a slight southerly slant. Time to coil the rope and head back down, for another route in the hope that what we had seen was right. The last thing you want is to be half way up a route when the rain hits. We left Alan belaying Leanne and then Steve up his route, as rain was also falling north of us:
While Rongy hadn’t sneaked right for the harder finish up the headwall on my route, it must have appealed to him as he plumped for the line that lead there. I’d climbed the big flake to the left of him, and was taking image of him while sat atop the boulder that can be seen at the top of the crag. Total Awesome was in Rongy’s sights, a fine direct line up the wall in-between two equally fine flake systems. While we got a few drops of rain as he led this climb, we had seen it as it was and the rain bank that looked to threaten us earlier had passed south of us:
As I followed him up, working my way through the crux it was my turn to feel like I was tiring. It is probably more that when you are on lead you are very focused and put thoughts of tiring arms, not quite feeling it and anything else negative aside. The last thing you need to be thinking about while on the pointy end is reasons that you may not make it up leading to a slip and fall. On second with the rope above you I guess you let your guard down and those thoughts can creep to the fore a bit easier. Before walking back down we took advantage of the height to watch Steve start up Orryjohn:
Back down and I had two routes in mind. I wasn’t however sure if the dry feeling rock might have been making me think a little silly. So I put them both to Rongy and let him decided, and that he did we me then tackling the nice long 30m pitch of Simple Suicide on the mighty Steel Wall. With only two bolts protecting the upper wall, this route always feels very run out and is aptly named. To put things into perspective, all the other routes up this wall have anywhere from three to six bolts. Putting that to the back of my mind I relished the dry grippy rock, small crimpy holds and got down to business:
Rongy followed me batman style with his cape flying behind him. The wind was picking up again and you could feel the temperature drop, but looking out we were pretty sure we were once again in a safe bubble that would force the rain either north or south of us. Coming out in these conditions of uncertainty, add an extra element to the whole experience. More often than not we find that we still end up climbing heaps and the rain somehow manages to pass us by, but on occasion we do get it wrong. Wandering down we found Steve sitting out looking at the waves, having conquered Orryjohn:
Leanne had given it a go but found the first wall, which Steve was shown climbing up a couple of images above, too difficult. It has been a several years since Leanne has climbed, and her arms and muscles just were not accustomed enough to this vertical activity. That said I also feel that when this route was originally climbed, back in the early seventies, they would not have climbed the initial wall. Instead going up the gully to the right to get established in the crack system. Back on the deck we found Alan well and truly getting stuck into the crack which turns into a fun wide chimney at mid-height:
Once again I think I must have got into Rongy’s head, as he decided that he was going to jump on the other line that I had suggested as one of my possible leads. Personally I always feel a little intimidated by Fat Chance, but Rongy doesn’t and seemed to make short work of it… until the top wall when he noticed a hold was missing. This made the move long and balancy. With less secure holds and I could see him stutter for a bit and then slap for the next hold, only just sticking the sequence. I followed up and sure enough the right hand hold that would normally unlock the last slab was missing:
The move was now that bit more tenuous but we found another way to unlock a different sequence and make it work. The last time I was on this route was in November last year, when Craig led it during a trip with Rongy and I. I had a sneaky feeling that the hold was gone back then, but it was not until I typed this post and checked my past images that I could confirm this. Sure enough there is an image of the very move Rongy almost slipped off, which Craig with his lanky reach made look so much easier:
Wandering along the top of the crag we found Alan tied in and ready for his next lead, Fairy Floss. We had a quick chat and then kept moving, back towards the taller walls to be found on the northern cliffs of Wilyabrup. Despite it being a bolt clipping exercise I went up Fishing with Dynamite, as it’s a nice sustained long pitch with some good positions and moves. Plus it was keeping the grade at a consistent level to the last three climbs. The perfect rock made it all the more delightful and it was a good way to wrap up another great the session:
Alan was sat on his perch belaying Steve up Fairy Floss as we wandered back, as Leanne could be seen wandering along the nearby beach looking for intriguing images to snap. We checked in with them and it seemed that Alan was easy with whatever and Steve was just about ready to head out, decision made and we went down to sort the gear one last time. Rongy was having a chat with a group who had only recently wandered down, and were setting up a rope on Hope as we polished off our last route. Finally it was time to take on the last climb, back up the walking track:
Other than the small group we were the only climbers out today, but we once again was plenty of people walking. The trudge up the crag with full packs usually makes the legs ache, and it sure did today. So it is best to find a pace that works and just stick at it, which is exactly what Rongy, Alan and I did. Despite all leaving the base of the crag at the same time we somehow had managed to get back to the cars, and a full carpark, a good five plus minutes ahead of Steve and Leanne. They brought up the rear as this time the rain didn’t pass us by, and we (briefly) thought about the poor people who had only just set up at the crag:
Sandbagged 