The upside of not having gone over east is that I got to head out with Mikey and Howsie, on their last climb before Mikey and his family were to head back. You may be forgiven in thinking that we had camped out at Wilyabrup to get a truly early start, but that was not the case. While there were no climbers about at our relatively tardy arrival time of 6:30, a full hour after the sun had come up, a couple were camping at the base of the crag. Smack bang in the middle of the path making it hard to avoid walking right past as they lay in slumber:
Today we were joined by Peter. Peter who, you may ask and for good reason as he hasn’t copped a mention in my posts until now. March last year was when I last managed to get Sam from work out for a climb, and another trip out with him is long overdue. I digress but before I continue and just to encourage Sam back out he may want to revisit that day https://sandbagged.blog/2023/03/25/hidden-delights/. In the linked post I mentioned a couple of climbers who were ascending Hope, while I was belaying Sam who was leading the second pitch of Sirius:
And as I do, and with such a good vantage point I took a few images of them and then offered to send them a copy. Well that was Peter, who was climbing with a mate over on holiday from the UK called Fred. Both of them had an additional decade or more of climbing under their belt than I do; a love for traditional climbing; and knowledge of some of the crags I used to visit back in the homelands. As such we had a good ole yarn. This week Peter happened to be back in the area, escaping the hustle and bustle of Perth, and had reached out to see if I was keen to get out:
Today offered the ideal opportunity, although when I told Peter our arrival time he remarked that it was an early start. Which I had to have a laugh about. When I finally get my car sorted and I can be the lift giver, the start times may well resume back to earlier starts. As it was I had scrounged a lift off Howsie and Mikey today, and during the drive down they said they had already talked about going a bit harder today. Making me doubly happy to have arranged for Peter to join us, which I thought may have allowed me to enjoy a few more mellow lines:
It certainly started that way and after I had worked my marketing skills, as Mikey described them, he started on Golden Buttress. A very exposed climb with a couple of very out there positions, as shown in the second image. This probably makes it a mean one to get someone to lead to kick the morning off. It is however one of the best here. Something he agreed with after climbing it. Peter and I climbed the more relaxed Road Trip and then Hitching. The latter giving Peter some delicate and exposed climbing shown in the third image:
While Peter has climbed here a heap of times, he had not been on the first two lines we hit so it was great to allow him to jump on something new. When we were coming down off our second route we found Howsie was starting up one of lines he had been really keen to complete last year, being 2023. It was his third attempt on Washed up Punks, and as he crept up the wall Peter mentioned he was keen to jump on Mobjob. While three grades easier than what Howsie was tackling, this route has a bit of a reputation and is in fact quite physical. Especially at the start as shown two images above. I’m not one to dissuade people, so went along with it:
Wondering however if I may be being a bit silly. We left Howsie to it and as luck had it Mick arrived at the crag to prepare for a pretty big day with four consecutive groups booked in. He had allowed plenty of time to set up, so sat and watched Howsie get a magnificent clean ascent. As such the picture with the backdrop of the calm ocean two images back is courtesy of Mick. Meanwhile, Peter managed the first pitch clean and on second I found it quite reasonable. And to boot not even a hint of a twinge from my shoulder. Although, it has to be said having a rope above does help to make you more relaxed even when it gets tough:
I topped out on the second pitch of Mobjob, up the fine and much easier corner. Again two images up. Peter followed up just as Mikey and Howsie appeared at the base ready to start the first pitch. In all the years I have climbed here I have never seen a queue for this route, and probably won’t again. And while they jumped on the route we had just climbed, Peter then said he would be keen to give Washed up Punks a go. Any thoughts I had of a more mellow day becoming an even more distant memory, but I was more than happy to climb it with the rope above me. Peter’s idea was however put to bed, as the abseil lines Mick had now set up crossed over the line at several points:
Instead he plumped for Stainless Steel, another route that commands respect. And one that only required us to navigate the two abseil lines for a short period at the start of the climb as shown above. Something we chatted to Mick about so he was aware and comfortable with what we were doing. By the time I got to the roof my forearms were feeling it, making me grunt up the last physical move much to Mick’s entertainment. Meanwhile, Howsie and Mikey had only just finished the first pitch and were now getting ready but not for the easier corner I had climbed. They had their sights set on the face to the left, being Howsie’s first 24 for 2024:
While they took turns at taking whippers and eventually climbing out up the corner, I went up the Unbolted and the Beautiful. Another line that Peter was not familiar with. And one that made him think, along with his experiences at Smiths Beach, that routes I had establish and graded may have a greater tendency to be sandbags. Not that this line presented him with any problems. During our chats I found out he was one of Mario’s ‘partners in climb’. Then later that day when I told Mario I had been out with Peter, and his first response was that he was a strong climber. And hopefully one that I get the chance to climb with again:
Sandbagged 