Chased away

For some reason this weekend felt more welcome than usual.  I can’t quite put my finger on why but it may be related to still feeling a bit low on energy, and having just endured a full week back in the office.  Better still there were people keen to get out for a climb, which based on my almost weekly adventures may sound like a weird thing to say.  However, the local crew of active climbers has been dwindling over the last year or two and we are down to just a handful of people who actually get outdoors now:

My plans were to head out with Josh, and help him get some more trad leads under his belt.  Rongy and Howsie were also keen and available to get out, and with Rongy’s absence from rock he was more than happy with a low key morning at Driftwood Bay.  While it only offers lower grade routes they are fun and long, for this area.  He was also happy to drive down, and being the first people to arrive at the carpark he got to use my normal parking spot.  This seemed appropriate seeing he, like me, now also drives an Amarok:

I gave him a bit of a ribbing and told him that his new vehicle had resulted in him driving like a grandad, which he didn’t deny.  Previously, when he drove in his far more sporty Subaru the journey would have been a tad quicker, today however he was happy to tootle along and at times not even worry about getting up to the speed limit.  The morning was glorious and once at Driftwood Bay we set up the rap line.  It was only an afterthought that Howsie casually asked Josh if he had ever abseiled before, which he hadn’t:

So while Josh plucked up the courage to have his first abseil experience, down a 20m cliff, I watched a carpet python very slowly work its way back into the undergrowth at the base of the crag.  Howsie, was at the bottom of the rope as Josh made his way down, ready to pull the rope tight and act like a break should Josh show any signs of getting into trouble.  But all was well, other than the carpet python having slithered away by the time everyone had got down.  We plumped for a couple of lesser climbed routes just to ease back into it, and it was not until Rongy and I set up our anchors that we looked out to sea:

When we first saw the above rainbow it looked to be almost at the horizon, and with practically no wind we thought we would have a long time to wait for the cloud to hit land.  But the storm cell moved uncannily fast in the still air, with the rainbow at its fore.  As Howsie and Josh got close to the top of the crag the rainbow seemed to be coming right out of where the wave were hitting the shoreline.  Then the first drops started to fall, big “I’m going to drench you” type drops, and they came down heavier and heavier:

And heavier and heavier.  Eventually we seemed to be completely surrounded by low clouds and the light of the bright sunny morning turned into what looked like an evening dusky light.  Needless to say we packed up and walked out.  Driftwood Bay with its more adventurous routes, which are a bit runout and at times having loose rock would be no fun in these conditions nor for some time after.  So instead we moved across the main crag of Wilyabrup, where the rock was solid and gear generally being more plentiful:

Others might have taken their heavy wet ropes and soaked gear back to the car and driven off.  But not us.  The weather patterns here will often comprise storm cells or fronts that are very localised.  By the time we had made it to the top of the main cliffs we could see clearer skies coming in behind.  The storm cell was leaving us and making its way northwards along the coast.  The rock was still wet when we racked up for our second route, so Howsie and I jumped on the pointy end up some long, fun and easy slabs:

While technically it was Josh’s lead, with the conditions as they were I suggested he wait.  My rationale being also that while the slabs were easy the gear was spaced and that might feel disconcerting so early on in his trad leading career.  Half way up my route I found this beautiful gecko tucked at the back of a crack, somehow managing to stay out of the water puddling all round it.  This was sadly the best image I could get but had to include it, just to show the ghostly figure it created and also it’s striking golden eye:

Howsie felt it might be a velvet gecko, but with such poor image quality I’ve not been able to verify if it was.  I was however pleased that Josh, after following me up the 25m route on three pieces of protection had agreed with my thoughts.  The rock was however now starting to dry nicely, so it was time to send him up a route.  He and Rongy set off up lines next to each other, which worked out well allowing Rongy to give Josh a bit of advice when the climbing got a bit trickier.  He also helped Josh set up the anchors at the top, another skill that Josh will over time build his knowledge and more importantly confidence in:

Despite the trials and tribulations of the morning, that had eaten into the time we had available, we were able to squeeze one more route in.  We again picked two lines next to each other, and Josh was happy for me to lead indicating he had used up his excitement quota on the last lead.  So Howsie and I set off, with me getting a head start so I could get a few action shots.  We belayed the other two up our respective lines, as we basked in the sunlight and were amazed at how we seemed to have dried out from our earlier drenching:

I couldn’t resist sneaking in one more climb so rapped down and Howsie gave me a belay on the route he had climbed.  Meanwhile Rongy and Josh kindly walked down to get the bags and bring them up.  Josh was a bit slower coming back due to going for a quick dip in the ocean, which must have been cold.  This resulted in him missing out on the next great natural spectacle of today, a Wedge-tailed Eagle being chased away by a couple of gulls.  The morning had turned out to be great due to the sights we had seen, the vastly contrasting conditions we had experienced, and also of course the fun routes we had climbed.  As such we were all glad that unlike the eagle, we hadn’t been chased away earlier by the rain: