Ice creams all round

I am not the best in social situations, especially where there is small talk.  That said I have tried to encourage the social aspects of our local crew.  Back some years there was pretty good social element going and we’d meet up at crag, to watch climbing films or flick fests, or at someone’s house.  I could usually revert any conversation I had to climbing, snorkelling or orchids so it was all good.  However, I feel that I may bow out of endeavouring to keep such events going.  The group is changing and so are people’s lives, that said today we had a big mob out:

But before I get to that.  Lisa said to me the other day that when she had headed down to the beach with the poodles the colours and feel of the beach felt autumny.  I also felt that last weekend at Beginners Wall, when the ocean had that slightly more tumulus feel to it.  And you may have noticed that I have not been in the water for an age.  I did pop down to check the conditions at the local beach yesterday but the water was a bit choppy.  Maybe I’m being a bit too fussy but it really didn’t entice me, and I do wonder if I will go back in this season:

Back to today’s trip, which was going to be a gathering at Craig’s house to play on his recently completed boulder wall, have a feed, and catch up.  Instead this ended into a catch-up outside, and seeing there would be a fair few kids in two the decision was made to head to The Playground.  Being kid free, Rongy and I headed out a bit earlier to hit a climb or two before the mob turned up.  And as I drove out to meet him in Capel, the autumn colours filled the sky with just the tiniest slither of the waning moon visible:

Sarah and her friend Sophia met us at the Wilyabrup carpark, after having had a camp out.  Sophia said it had been a cold night, and it was still too cold for the above Wolf Spider (Lycosidae).  Rongy pointed it out after I had nearly stepped on it.  And despite its near death experience it was happy to sit there and allow me to then get some close up images.  There are approx. 2,400 species worldwide, and one Australian pest controller reckons there are only two species in Australia, but I have found a 2018 paper that claims we have 34 species:

The route we took to get to The Playground was to walk in by rock hopping along the coast, which in my mind is the best way.  This also allowed us to pass The Bookshelf, and as we were going to have an hour or so before anyone else would turn up I was keen to check out some possible first ascents.  Many years back Lou had a bad climbing accident that resulted in her needing to wear a spinal brace, which looked a bit like white body armour.  And at the shops one day a kid whispered to his mum that there was a Stormtrooper in their midst:

So it was that while I have known about this route for many years I have been waiting for Lou to grace rock again, so we could climb it together and name it after her guise from back then.  But that isn’t likely to happen, so today I led the climb and as you may have guessed I called it The Stormtrooper.  While the face and rock looked, in Rongy’s words, a little scrappy it was a fun line.  So much so he then put up a second first ascent just to the right, from which Sarah promptly knocked off quite a number of large blocks.  So that got called Demolition Girl:

After we had completed the two new routes, Glen rocked up with Jason and we moved round to the shorter walls of the Bookshelf.  Glen has not been out for quite a long time, but jumped straight into leading a route.  Jason was having his first taste of roped climbing, as such there was a bit of tuition going on about the art of belaying while Glen started to get disco legs above us.  Fortunately, Glen avoided becoming a causality again, and if you want to understand why I say that check out https://sandbagged.blog/2020/04/21/glen-the-casualty/:

The first of the family crew to arrive was Craig’s mob.  They had like Glen and Jason had driven to the top of Lost Buttress, walking in from the north.  A much shorter distance, but nowhere near as much fun.  This did however signal it was time to move again.  At The Playground the ropes and gear were packed away and it was time to boulder.  And shortly after Howsie, Josh and Kellie also appeared.  They like us had walked in, and enjoyed checking out the rock pools along the way.  Howsie had even been lucky to spot a snake, making Sarah a little jealous:

By then we had eight kids running amuck checking out the ocean and playing on the rocks.  And The Playground became, well, a playground.  The numbers didn’t stop the fun, and while at times it felt like we may have lost a kid or two they were generally all within earshot.  Allowing the grownups to also make use of the delights of the area.  Sandy landings making it a perfect place to boulder, with some fun problems many of which I help establish ten years back with Kym.  Problems many people have played on and questioned the grades we assigned them:

A number of them certainly did feel a little tricky for the grade Kym and I had given them back then, but that was also true of the lines we had jumped on at The Bookshelf.  My reputation of sandbagging people may, as such, have some merit.  Although when bouldering, failing is as much a part of the fun as succeeding.  By 11’ish our arms were feeling weary and the bite of the sun was telling us it may be wise to head out.  So Rongy, Sarah, Sophia and I walked out, which included the dreaded stairs, which for some reason always make my legs burn:

As we drove out Southern Heath Monitor (Varanus rosenbergi) ran across our path and I had to brake pretty hard to avoid it.  It was definitely much warmer now and, unlike the Wolf Spider, the monitor made a dash for it but only into the bush by the side of the road.  Allowing us to get a great view of it, before it then showed off its tree climbing ability so it could really get away from us.  The rest of the mob only started to walk out from The Playground at 2:30, which would have been very toasty.  And I feel that the kids will have well and truly earnt an ice cream on the way home:

New routes record (https://www.climberswa.asn.au/topic/bookshelf-wilyabrup/):

The Stormtrooper (13, 8m)
A steep start up and over an overlap at half height before entering the sentry box that protects the headwall.  Consistent and fun climbing.
Krish Seewraj, Sarah Hutt & Ryan Doe 19/02/23

Demolition Girl (13, 8m)
The right facing corner, to the right of The Stormtrooper.  Up the corner until the arête to the left can be accessed, proving some great exposure at the grade.  Straight up from here being careful of the loose rock just below the top.
Ryan Doe, Sarah Hutt & Krish Seewraj 19/02/23