Peer pressure

Having recently finished his business course Steve was keen to get out, and when he posted about it Alan and I jumped at the chance to assist Steve in achieve that goal.  Then during our weekly plastic pulling session on my boulder wall I thought I had managed to convince Geoff to also venture out to real rock.  So it was that the four of us were to head out to somewhere with a good variety of low to mid-grade routes to ease Steve and Geoff back into it.  Moses was talked about, as was Lost Buttress but with another 4m swell forecast for today the risk of wet rock was too high:

That along with the fact that Geoff and then Steve pulled out, due to in-laws arriving and a suspected gum infection rearing its ugly head respectively, we changed our plans.  Alan picked me up in darkness from my home.  As we drove out debating whether roo bars were worthwhile a car came at us with its high beams blinding us… just as a roo jumped out.  We are still not sure how we managed to avoid the roo but we did.  Alan’s senses were immediately heightened, and I’m not sure they ever truly settled down. Eventually we pulled into the Wilyabrup carpark and I’d already decided on what to start with, even though Alan didn’t think I was being Sirius:

He peered up to check out the second pitch of the route that I had suggested he take on, and I was expecting he would lead both pitches of course.  He has never been on the second pitch, and I believe he has only ever been on the first pitch once and I’m not sure if all those seven or eight years back that he had led it.  The second pitch is out of sight from below, so he just had to trust me and so it was that he set off up the first pitch, asking what I believed to be some strangely obvious questions.  This included do I follow the crack, which is the only place with gear of which he placed abundant amounts:

It was slightly greasy but we were hopeful it would dry off as the morning wore on.  This did means the start was that bit more intense, holding onto greasy holds placing gear and as I alluded to above more gear than usual.  Within five meters he was shaking out, the flash pump had hit him.  It took him ages to get up the crack and then to tetter across into the first move of the traverse.  I didn’t mention anything, but knew that the traverse was the crux and with the way he was climbing at such a slow pace, with pumped arms and Elvis legs, there was every chance he would fall:

The camera was put down and I focused on him, even moving closer the wall in view of Alan carrying close to 15kg more than me.  He inched his way across the traverse, placing gear where he could, while trying to steady his dancing legs and shake out the pump in his arms that never seemed to relent.  That plus the greasy rock making him want to, but not necessarily need to, hold on that bit harder.  It was a nervous belay and no doubt even more nervous lead, eventually reached the crux moves at the end of the traverse.  He went up once and back down and then again and somehow managed to pull it off!  It was an impressive lead, even more so considering it had taken close to 45min:

The first pitch doesn’t have any real rests, so it is fair to say that I found Alan at the belay ledge looking on edge.  His arms were tired but he was mentally shattered, was it the near miss during the drive or the near fall on the lead, or just an accumulation of it all.  Regardless of the reason it was time to sit back and enjoy the above view to calm down and prepare himself.  After all the whole reason for this route was so he could on-sight the second pitch.  But before he set off he had a go at getting some crag booty out, and the small black diamond nut popped out with minimal effort.  It was then put back in where it came from as his fits piece before he set off again:

The second pitch is much more relaxed, more of a slab so there is not the need to hang off your arms as much.  It does however require you to step round the arête into the abyss with a straight 30m drop below your feet all the way to the deck.  In his current mental state I thought that might make him freak out, but he took it in his stride and made much shorter work of this pitch and confessed to have stopped at a few places to enjoy the exposure and scenery.  He still however felt tired and so I offered to take the third lead putting forward a couple of suggestions:

Now while he was tried, for those that know Alan, that doesn’t stop him, as such I led up the pumpy direct start of Waterfall Second Folly.  The rounded holds on the overhung part were not as inspiring as they can be, the rock was still greasy and the humidity felt like it was hanging heavy in the air.  He came up after me and his arms were showing signs of still being very tired, but he also said that this is exactly what he needs to be doing.  Climbing steeper and pumpier routes to get used to it and build his stamina:

I think anyone else would have bailed after that route, but seeing he was still keen despite feeling weary I offered to take on a second lead.  Again I offered a few options and he plumped for, and I was glad that he did, The Unbolted and the Beautiful.  Above, despite the rock starting to dry up, the crux moves gave him some grief,.  He was trying to work out where to go as his arms refused to pull the moves over the steep bulge.  After a rest on the ledge below he cranked over the bulge and continued upwards, his face contorted at the tricky sections as he dug deeper and deeper into his reserves:

To be honest I was already prepared to pack up and head out, he was weary but his determined nature got the better of him and he decided that he should jump on Glory next.  So off he set up the start, avoiding placing any gear in the start of Hope before traversing across to the roof.  With one piece of gear under the roof he started to pull up and then came back down, second shot he managed to get over the roof and I knew from here easier ground awaited.  I was really pleased he did jump on this line as when he got to the first flake he shouted down that the carpet python was back:

Progress was slow and getting slower, there were frequent times where he didn’t move and he was placing lots of gear.  Doubling up at places where I’m sure he wouldn’t normally need to, so I waited patiently feeding the rope out watching him second guess himself at numerous times.  Eventually he pulled over the top and started to set up the belay, again taking it slow.  The idea was for me to follow up with a pack and then we would come back down and I’d lead up a final route so he could carry the second pack up.  As I followed up I was already thinking about how this would now pan out:

As always the gear was solid, and maybe the ten or was it more pieces was overkill but when the mind needs reassurance that’s what you do.  I stopped at the snake buried deep behind the first flake (above), and could just make out it’s centimetre long head.  Then at the second flake there was a much larger python, too big to get its whole body in the crack but with both its head and tail protected by being buried deep in the crevice out of sight.  It’s been a while since I’ve seen a snake on the line and I can’t recall ever seeing two, needless to say I was very happy:

When I got to him Alan was looking worn out.  He confessed that he hadn’t enjoyed the lead as much, almost as if he regretted not stopping after the fourth route.  No matter I had already formulated my plan, and offered to rap back down so he could belay me up as I carried the second pack up Hope.  I could see him seriously think about it for a moment, but then opting to come down as well.  Later he confessed that if had taken up my offer he knew I would have written about it so everyone would know, and he simply couldn’t allow that.  So we set up the anchors and rapped down, and at the base I decided it would be best for me to take the pack on lead so I headed up one last time:

As Alan topped out he flopped on the ledge and finally said he was done, he was mentally and physically exhausted.  I was a little surprise to hear that in the last month he has packed in more consecutive leading than he has ever done.  But that wasn’t the only reason for being exhausted, work being one and he is also getting back into shape.  For Alan that means ridiculous amounts of running, cycling, bouldering, etc. every day.  We talked about how he has maybe been overdoing it just a touch, and then in the next breathe he tells me of his plan to try and bag the six main peaks of the Stirling Ranges in one day.  Well I’ve put it out there now so Alan you are going to have to do it, or fess up to everyone why you won’t: