It seems to be becoming a bit of a broken record when I say I headed out with Mario during his road to recovery. With a succession of injuries having plagued him during 2021, his New Year wish should be pretty obvious. Today was his first roped climb since we headed out to Mount Cuthbert, just shy of six month back. As such the session was always intended to be a chilled, slow paced outing, with nothing too serious. We pondered whether the low grade trad lines of the Organ Pipes or Driftwood Bay were calling us:
We opted for the shorter lines at the Organ Pipes, and as I looked across I was amazed at how low the tide was. The namesake bay of Driftwood Bay no longer looking like a bay, more of a rock pool. The last time I climbed at Driftwood, with Andrew, this rock pool was completely immersed and waves crashed right into the bay: https://sandbagged.blog/2021/07/11/taking-a-break/. For both locations we had pondered, the best access is to rap in and as I went down I got a second shock. It seemed, on first inspection, that someone has been working my age old project, Reaper Man. Chalk was plastered on the familiar slopey holds:
After seven plus years I still haven’t led it, and in truth today would have been a good day to do it. The friction needs to be good, and as the morning wore on it was getting better. But I didn’t and it is possible that I may have missed my chance before someone comes along and places a line of bolts. It reminds me a bit when Mark and I put up a new route in Alice Springs days before the bolts were going to be placed. We led it on trad and called it the Fight to be Free https://sandbagged.blog/2017/11/03/part-11-alice-springs-rock-rock-and-more-rock/. Admittedly this time the bolt positions, as indicated by the tell-tale crosses, follow the arête, not the face that Reaper Man follows. But, the way the two lines climb only the middle section differs:
I ticked off the first easy lead on Dry Reach, and then Mario picked Heaven Calling. This route spooked him a bit because of the last piece of protection. The same last piece that Reaper Man uses, which was when he began to understand why I had not yet led it. While taking the above image of him on this route I thought the camera lens needed a clean, but sadly not. Neither of us could figure out when it had happened, but after years and years of swinging off my harness and being bashed around the lens of the camera had taken a fatal knock. It is finally time to put my trusty camera to rest:
It was a good job I had my phone allowing me to capture some of the fun of the morning. While the camera is damaged beyond (worthwhile) repair, Mario was going well and may be salvageable. We knocked up line after a line alternating leads and not really going slow, as intended. But the lines were never too hard, picking off lines that will bring good memories to others. Such as Knocking on Heavens Door that Wiggins and I put up https://sandbagged.blog/2018/08/26/the-new-kid-on-the-block/. It felt as nervous as it has the last two times I’ve led it, but based on the technical moves Mario reckoned the grade was fair. It’s just the sparse protection that makes it a heady lead, so he was glad to have the rope above him:
Mario then enjoyed running up Spraying. Following him up I spied, and put into my memory bank, another possible line to squeeze into this crag. It’s amazing how many lines I have managed to find at this little overlooked crag, which I have never seen anyone else climb at. This is another reason I was a little surprised to see someone looking at bolting here. The last trip here was with Rongy and even then we put up three new routes, and my next lead was one that Rongy bagged after I failed on it https://sandbagged.blog/2020/05/14/stretching-the-vocal-cords/. I got a clean lead of The Honest Box, and no I didn’t use the side walls or arêtes:
It may be a contrived line by saying you can’t use the features that are so close. Still despite that stipulation Mario rated it as the best line of the day. The next few lines might bring back some memories for Glen and Lou, https://sandbagged.blog/2016/08/21/breaking-in/. When I sent Glen up English Summer, many years back, I was a little scared he would come a cropper, and in his usual fashion injure himself. But he thankfully got up it and placed bomber gear, which he did test. Mario really enjoyed the initial feisty crack, which had forced Glen to test his gear, and this made my mind up as to where I would send him next:
But before that it was my lead, which Lou may remember. The New Kid on the Block is in my mind Lou’s crowning glory of the times I’ve climbed with her. An on-sight first ascent of an unknown line, something I think she doubts she will ever do again. That said she told me she has a six months break for study so was keen to get out on rock again, so you never know what might happen. During this ascent I somehow managed to allow my wires to cascade down the line, as I was placing a piece of gear. While they scattered about we fortunately found all of them, and I also fortunately had plenty of gear to get me up the rest of the line:
For Mario’s’ last lead I was keen to send him up Short and Sharp, the only other route on this wall. Since Steve and I put this up in 2014, the same time I attempted Reaper Man for the first time, I only know of one person who has climbed it. That was Mikey during his 10km challenge, https://sandbagged.blog/2017/12/21/sprint-finish/. I have always thought it was a pretty solid line, and like Mikey back then it took Mario a while to find some gear to trust and get going. This time however, in addition to the loose blocks at the top there was also a loose flake half way up. And there was no other option but to use it, very gingerly. Despite the loose rock Mario thoroughly enjoyed himself on what may be just the third ascent of this one:
To round the morning off we set up a top rope to try the Reaper Man and also the new line that is yet to be bolted. I calmly climbed the first, and based on the way I climbed it I’m again kicking myself I didn’t lead it. And the new line had me foxed in the upper section until I realised that based on the chalked up holds they had moved back onto the face, away from the arête. Maybe on my next trip here the bolts will be in place and I can led the new route, my project finally and maybe the other new line I spotted today. I know Howsie has yet to climb here, which is quite surprising, so I might try and convince about a trip here soon:
Sandbagged 