Tourist attraction

On a lazy Sunday morning at 7:15, while most would be tucked up in bed, Howsie and Rongy had both followed me up Hope.  The forecast during the week had indicated that Sunday would be the better day to head out.  As it was Saturday was glorious and Lisa and I went for a long beach walk with the pooches, followed by lunch on the deck of the Parade Hotel in Bunbury overlooking the inlet all in sunshine.  In contrast as we drove down to Wilyabrup this morning it rained, and we were starting to wonder how we would fare:

As the abseil rope shows below there was a stiff wind cutting across the crag, it came from the south west and brought a chill with it.  The gneiss of Wilyabrup is quick to dry and Hope was in near perfect condition for me despite the early rain.  So Howsie decided the conditions were good enough to tick one more of the grade 20s on his list.  Progress on his challenge has been pretty slow over winter, but there is still another four months left in 2020 and hopefully he can bag all of them before the turn of the year.  The line he jumped on was Mid-Wall Crisis one that until recent times none of us had attempted:

It is a link up route between two other lines, and this results in the need to traverse between the two lines half way up the wall.  The start is reasonable with good trad, but it soon steepens up and while the first bolt seems tantalisingly close it is just out of reach until you leave the safety of the better holds.  This results in needing to hang of marginal holds to sort the gear, before a long reach out left to get the first, and best, hold of the traverse.  It’s a big reach and you have to fully load the left hand and tentatively move under it all the time trying to avoid from barn-dooring:

All the while on slopey feet to add to the excitement.  He made it to the narrow shelf, wide enough to get your hands on but not sporting any super positive holds.  The wall is overhung and that plus the marginal footholds, makes it a tough proposition.  It was plain to see in Howsie’s face that he was getting pumped.  The intended warmup route of Hope wasn’t really enough to get the blood flowing and body ready to jump on a strenuous line like this.  Eventually he fell off, about half way along the traverse.  Failing to get any gear in before his hands could take no more.  So back down he went to pull the rope, recover and have a second bash:

Take two was better he managed to get a piece of gear in along the traverse and didn’t hang about quite as much, conserving some strength.  But it wasn’t enough and he was soon straining in the face as he attempted to find the next piece of gear.  Sure enough he popped off again.  Both Rongy belaying, and me hanging off the face, were getting cold as Howsie sat in the harness mustering up the energy and confidence to jump back on.  This time he didn’t start from below, the opportunity to tick this line was gone but in the process he did work the moves and made a mental note of what gear goes where for next time:

Finally on top he was able to relax, and it was only then that he noticed what looked to be coming our way.  I was certainly aware of it, but I’m not sure if Rongy had cottoned on to it.  Belaying below he looked to be almost shivering, despite his down jacket.  If there is one thing sure to slow Rongy down and that is the cold.  I’ve had it before when it had been bitterly cold, and he was just not able to focus and get his body to work like it would normally when we are out climbing.  As he followed up he wasn’t looking too bad, but once we were all up he said he felt the need to dial it back for his lead:

So after making sure that the threat of rain had passed us by, which somehow it had.  That protective bubble we so often manage to luck was over us again today, diverting the rain both south and north of us.  Off he set up Inner Space, setting a much more relaxed pace.  But you get some days when you are just not feeling it, and his body movements and the way he was fiddling with the gear showed that today was one of those days.  The wind continued to cut across the face of the cliff, and the cold was seeping into his core.  The tired lethargic movements were all the tale tell signs Howsie and I needed to be on extra guard:

That said Rongy continued with the lead and while he may not have enjoyed it as much as he would normally, he did manage a clean and safe ascent.  I certainly enjoyed following up second and just before starting up was chatting to Howsie about how I might bump it up a notch for my second lead.  He too was eyeing up and pointing me towards Total Awesome just next to Inner Space.  While Howsie also managed to get up cleanly by the top headwall the tiredness from his first route was showing.  So I’m guessing that he may have been a bit relieved when he found out what my next lead would be:

Before we get to that and even before we rapped back down, here is a short interlude from climbing.  Howsie spotted and pondered on whose scat this may belong too.  At first he thought it may have been one of the king skinks that lives there.  While there were no signs of them, or sadly any carpet pythons, today that is not too say it wasn’t theirs.  However, after he starting to pull it apart, to investigate what it was made of, it became clear it was from an avian scat.  Small fragments of crab shells is what gave it away, although there was no guano which you might usually expect just this one neat little parcel:

In order to help Rongy warm up, and also give Howsie’s arms a bit more relief before his second lead we went round the corner.  The north facing wall was completely sheltered from the wind and it almost felt warm.  There isn’t anything too hard on this wall, and Rongy had suggested Tom Thumb direct finish, a climb I haven’t been on for a while.  So I was more than happy with the choice.  My memory told me that micro-wires were needed, but there were ample of small wire placements and I climbed it in probably the best fashion that I ever have.  The only issue being that it was probably a bit too short:

As I was belaying Howsie and then Rongy up my climb, Mick rocked up.  Until now we had the place all to ourselves and we thought, as had Mick, that the slightly unsettled weather would keep everyone else away.  He told us of all the crazy antics he had been witnessing here since the lock downs.  This included the tourists looking for that perfect Instagram image in precarious places and also newbie climbers fresh out of the gym and showing no signs of understanding the risks of outdoor climbing.  After a bit of banter we left him to set up his ropes for his clients and went down the far end:

After two lower grade routes, with one in more pleasant conditions out of the wind, Howsie was feeling confident again.  So he decided to have a crack at Pascals Route, sporting the new bolts placed by none other than Pascal himself.  A climb of two cruxes and several rests, it is also technical face climbing which suits Howsie’s style.  Despite looking very focused, you could tell he was in his element with this climb.  Smooth calm moves, no tension in the face and that meant no over gripping the holds:

It was a totally different Howsie.  He seemed to float up the first half of the route, and then as he moved off the jug before the crux sequence there was no hesitation in his deliberate and decisive movements.  Just a great big fat smile once he reached slabbier territory and the end was in sight.  That is now one more grade 20 in the bag.  Rongy followed up feeling much better than before.  The base of this wall was also protected from the wind, allowing him to warm up a bit more helping to improve his concentration and enjoyment of the great face climbing:

We rapped back down for one last climb, while Rongy was feeling more in-tune on the last route he stuck to his guns about which line he was going up.  It was a route that he had suggested I could have started on, which gives you a hint that it is not a silly grade.  That said it is a route that causes many people anxiety, as they battle up the first half of this very traditional style route.  Howsie and I were feeling some of that.  While we have both led the climb several times before this time we had the prospect of following up with packs:

Rongy just had his rope bag with a few bits in it, including his down jacket.  It was the first time he had taken it off today, a sure sign that he had warmed up.  The blue sky above indicates that it was a nice pleasant day, but the wind continued to whistle from the south west.  All the clouds and rain had been blown round our protective bubble, so at least the wind didn’t have that “it’s gonna rain” cold feel to it.  Rongy still didn’t look 100% on the route, as he slowly edged his way up the corner.  This was mostly due to being the first route that we encountered wet rock, water was seeping down the crack making it just that little bit uncomfortable:

Once past the corner and on the face above he was in the sun and on dry rock.  From here there was no stopping him and he made a quick beeline to the top, stopping occasionally to place some gear.  Howsie went up next and started to regret bringing his steel locking carabiners, as his bag weighed heavy on his back.  Finally I was roped up for the final leg of the morning.  Having a pack on certainly made a difference on this route and my legs were starting to burn as I held the bridging positions fiddling out the gear, and then trying to find my gear loops hidden under the waist strap of the pack:

There were no other climbers to be seen, other than Mick’s clients.  But as I started up the final route I noticed a bunch of tourists sat to my right, they must have just snuck up on us as I waited for Howie to top out.  Then when I joined the others above there were several more groups of tourists milling about snapping their Instagram images.  No doubt images that would draw even more of them to what used to be a quiet place.  I guess it is a good thing that more people are getting out and about, and we will just have to get used to the changing times: