Seeing things were going to warm up today we got down to the crag a bit earlier than previous months. It was not quite a first light for the first climb, but that will no doubt come as summer approaches. It seems with the better weather a few more of the local climbing crew were out and about and we saw Ash and Yohan, as well as a bunch of others milling about. In addition Mikey and Howsie were planning for a Sunday foray, so it is good to see a few more of the group getting out there. Not saying it was too early a start for Dan but he opted to head out for a sail instead seeing the conditions were so good for it:
When Jaime found out that it was just going to be her and me heading out she asked if Dan would be joining. On finding out that he was not, she contacted him to see if he would. Then late Friday night Rongy’s plans for the day had changed and he said he was keen for a climb, which made it three again. Jaimie didn’t known this till we picked her up in the early morning light, and she was a little relieved. The reason being that she hasn’t been out all that much and will confess isn’t very climbing fit:
Rongy is no different, life gets in the way sometimes and for an extended period now his presence has reduced a fair bit. But he has many years of experience under his belt, and that helps no end while Jaimie is still to be fair new to the game. I had already planned the day in my mind, going at a steady pace and aiming to hit four lines of equal grade. A grade that rarely gets climbed here at Wilyabrup. The reason for that is that the lines that happen to be at this grade are all a little obscure, rambly, inconsistent and if I dare say it more traditional in style:
I gave Rongy the option of which ones he was keen to lead, and he kicked the day off on Gutted. I thought it was one of the original 70s routes here but am mistaken and it was put up in 93. That surprised me as it is nowhere near as hard as a grade 16 and I feel in 93 they would have been more aware of that. But the wet crack at the top added a bit of extra excitement. I then jumped on Hole World, which felt more like it with a few tricky sections to it. Rongy however, wasn’t watching as I climbed nor as Jaimie went up. He instead was behind the lens observing action elsewhere:
On arrival, as we stood atop the cliff Jaime had spotted dolphins. They briefly appeared and were gone heading south. Rongy saw a fin and I saw none. Then as I was heading up my route she spotted another and large pod just to the north, just off from Driftwood Bay. They looked to be congregated in a circle as if they were feeding, fins popping out with the occasional body appearing. Staying in one spot forming a cycle to trap fish inside before individually darting through the centre and grabbing a feed, while the rest kept the meal contained:
Whether they were feeding or just teaching the young tricks of the trade was unclear. But after finishing they slowly cruise south right in front of where we were. I was belaying from above by then and was conflicted with watching and helping Jaimie past the higher tricky section or, as Rongy was, watching the action out to sea. It was a lovely show of jumps, body flops and a bit of wave surfing. This was the best image captured, and both of the adults look to have young with them making me think the original exercise we saw was a training exercise:
It was a stellar day and as we wanderer back down, it was unclear as to why no one else would have thought to come down. Each time we walked past the Inner Space Wall my eyes were drawn to English Ethics, but at four grades harder that was not on the agenda for today. Plus it was looking once more a bit damp with water seeping right down the line. Instead we headed to the opposite end of the crag to the Stormcock Area. Here Rongy jumped on a route that he didn’t even know existed and I can only recall leading once:
Jaime was happy to assume belay position again. Rongy and I asked each time she assume position if that was OK and she rightly pointed out later that we had all belayed the same amount just from different ends of the rope. I was really unsure of two things for this line, firstly if Rongy would like it, as not only had he not climbed it before but he didn’t know it existed. And secondly how Jaimie would find it. It was wet in this area being trapped away from sunlight or drying winds, and with overlaps and rooves above and the huge leaning block that forms the Stormcock to the side:
It is fair to say Rongy really, really liked the not so aptly named Consolation Prize . More three dimensional and traditional than many routes here with lots of variety of movement and climbing styles required. He was buzzing as he went up the route and even rated it highly, wondering how he had overlooked it for all these years. Then it was Jaimie turn and she too relishes these more traditional “all of body” type routes, and while she seemed to get into some interesting contorted positions she managed the climb and thoroughly enjoyed it:
This time as we wandered down a couple had set up a top rope on Unclaimed in the Fat Chance Area. This route, which Dan, Jaimie and I climbed on the last trip here, happens to be right next to Setting Sun and can be seen in the very first image of this post. Jaimie’s eyes were sharp today and not only had she spotted the dolphins, but as we climbed the first route she also spotted that there were draws on the three bolts of Setting Sun. The evidence being in the very first image. Rongy nor I were particular bothered in draws, as crag booty, and we never retrieved them:
We headed to our next climb, Rhys’s Rapid Retreat. The last 16 at Wilyabrup, if I exclude all the smaller buttresses that are a bit of a walk to the north of the Stormcock Area. I was a little surprised when I read we had given this route 16, I thought it was more feisty. It felt a bit harder on lead and as Jaimie came up she too struggled. Then when Rongy followed up he found a hold at the crux sequence that I have never noticed in the many times I have been on the route. With that beta I feel the route can be claimed to be only 16. This time as we walked down Yohan was back with a group of friends setting up a top rope next to English Ethics:
It was a bit of a Deja-vu from two weeks back, and put paid to any notion of me attempting English Ethics this time. Not that I was particularly motivated for it today. The couple were still on Unclaimed and seeing the draws on Setting Sun hadn’t belonged to anyone at the crag we let them know in case they wanted to grab them. Walking out Jaimie’s eyes again were on point, as she spied a Southern Heath Monitor ambling up the path ahead of us. It was 11 and the sun was hot, which is when we found Ash walking towards the crag to meet another Perth crew that had not yet arrived, I was personally happy to leave them to bake in the sun as it continued tracking to the west:
Sandbagged 