The puzzle

Over the last few months, mostly, Elseya and I have been working on a few puzzles.  With Lisa dipping in on rare occasions.  I do love getting lost in a good puzzle, and it can be a great relaxing timewaster.  This one however was not relaxing, not in the slightest, and was frustratingly difficult.  In the end perseverance paid off, and we were rewarded with a lovely drone image of a local spot.  Having now completed all the puzzles in the house, we are hoping the big man dressed in red might bring us a few new ones to work on:

I’ve said on countless times that Welly Dam is considered a place where the grades of the climbs feel stiff.  This is in part due to the very difficult to read rock.  It takes patience to find the holds, no different in some ways to working on a puzzle, and at times the combination of holds to make the moves work.  It was an early first light climb, as I had to squeeze the session in before work.  While we both begrudged our respective 3:30 alarms.  It was in our favour today as its been heating up, and by the time we were done it was starting to get uncomfortable:

The early start meant that the Garden Orb Weavers (Eriophora transmarina) hadn’t packed away their homes.  These are one of a few spiders known to take down their web in the morning and rebuild them at night.  A form of predatory avoidance.  We also came across a few Southern Old Lady Moth (Dasypodia selenophora), so called due to the patterned wings resembling the shawl of an old lady.  These moths like to hide in nooks and crannies.  I’ve read they can stay there motionless for months on end, but find that a little incredulous:

As with so many other groups, social media abounds.  So it was we were able to read up about the experience of some recent visiting climbers from Perth.  Clearing stating that they found the grades at Welly Dam incredulous.  There was plenty of evidence of their endeavours to unlock the way up the routes, which they had moaned about online.  When on a climb with holds chalked up as much as this, it is hard to avoid the eye being drawn to wanting to try and use the same holds.  This can at times not work in your favour, but it can be hard to ignore these signs:

Howsie and I know better than to trust a path marked out by chalk.  Only because we have climbed here so much, and know most of the routes well.  There are however some that we do not get on quite so often.  Generally the harder climbs, although my body wasn’t ready for them today.  Proven when I was sore after playing on five grade 15 and lower routes at Wilyabrup last weekend.  After just two routes this morning I could feel my muscles and joints being stretched.  I even took a whipper on my first lead, but bounced back after that:

We jumped on two routes we still consider new, despite establishing them close to two years back.  My memory works a mysterious way, and I can recall the holds and sequences of most climbs I’ve been on.  Even those I have only been on once.  Howsie, does not poses this ability to the same extent.  So, having only been on them a couple of times he had to work the routes as if he hadn’t climbed them before.  There was also no chalk to mark the path, or indeed lead you astray.  Check out how many holds he has to try for just a short part of this climb.  I’m pleased to say with perseverance he managed to complete the puzzle and reach the top: