This weekend the weather was not working in our favour.  Wiggins and I had set our sights on Driftwood Bay at Willyabrup, but being on the west coast we decided to abort those plans when the forecast predicted 40km/hr westerlies combined with a rough sea.  Instead we headed for the more sheltered Castle Rock, on the east side of the capes.  It was a mixed morning of sunlight and loaming rain clouds, most of which passed us by:

I started proceedings with the fine slab of Stepping Up.  Thinking that it would be a nice warmup, but forgetting the small sharp holds.  Without having got our blood flowing yet our finger tips not only felt sore from the holds but also a tad cold.  The combined sensation being enough to make me pike out right at the top of the route so avoiding the second crux sequence.  Wiggins made his way up more directly but not without a rest half way during which is attempted to warm his fingers up:

Steve followed last, with the sun on his back he donned a t-short and made short work of the whole route.  Dancing his way up in style, without a hesitation and with a big grin across his face.  More impressively he had less than two weeks back had his right wrist fully opened up during an operation to sort out his abused and aging joints and ligaments:

Next I was keen to throw Wiggins on my recently creation, which Craig and I called Smear to Glory.  He hung about a while looking tempted to go through the crux moves without placing any extra gear.  Eventually his brain got the better of him and two more pieces later he pulled out of the sentry box and up the wall.  It was however a little disappointing that his style didn’t match the name of the climb, working his way up in more a face climbing fashion:

Steve however did not disappoint and he lay-backed the flake putting all his trust into the smeary footholds.  We had a bit of a chat about the grade and am happy to report that it is not a sandbag.  It would seem that Craig and I guessed the right grade for it.  Hopefully it will get a few more ascents as the weather improves, I can think of a few candidates I would like to throw at this one:

Steve was understandable not leading today, so it was up to me to choose the next line.  I really like the one I chose but always find it bit of a challenge.  I can safely say that there was nothing fresh about my style on Minty Freshness today.  I placed the first two pieces but with each foot and hand hold and each gear placement we were showered with flakes peeling off the rock.  It made for a very intimidating situation and again I piked out bypassing the crux sequence:

As I set up the belay a bank of clouds were drifting over and we had our first shower of the day.  It didn’t look like it was going to last long so I stayed atop and got myself comfy with a good view below me.  Wiggins seemed a little reluctant due to the weather closing in but did eventually jump on to follow me up.  He made short work on the flaky bottom section and was soon ambling up the much easier finish:

Steve didn’t fancy this one, his wrist could only cope with certain movements and this route would push the friendship.  Atop the climb Wiggins admitting due to the conditions he had put trust in holds that he may not have trusted had he been on lead.  The route certainly could do with a good clean up, which will only come when people start to jump on it again.  Not sure I should admit it but we may have under graded this one by a grade or two, oh well at least one of my routes here isn’t a sandbag:

Feeling just a tad weary Wiggins then opted for the very relaxed Corn Flakes, a pleasant flake which doesn’t hide any secrets or try to deceive you.  While it had just lightly rained on us the rock was quick to dry, and this route was in perfect condition.  You may also have noticed that other than for the first line Steve has subsequently been dressed in slightly warmer attire, the wind had picked up and was a tad chilly:

So with me piking out of cruxes, Wiggins opting for soft lines and Steve need to rug up I did start to wonder if we were all going just a little bit soft.  It wasn’t for that reason but more because I knew just how much Steve liked this route, that I jumped onto Well Rounded.  This meant a scary start with a high bolt and horrible landing if I failed to clip it, and bumping up the grade a few notches… what was I thinking:

After clipping the first bolt I managed to kick Steve in the head, hence why he is ducking in the image above.  A quick apology and then it was back to business, I vocally assisted myself up this climb which Steve found thoroughly entertaining.  He also tried to put me off at one point offering advice on the best holds to go for.  Despite all the shenanigans on this route I pulled off my first clean ascent of the day.  Steve was back to how he started stripping off for the camera, and romping up the route:

Wiggins then followed showing signs of fatigue that hinted at it being the end of the session.  I almost managed to get them to follow me up one more line, but with the weather closing in we decided I needed to can my enthusiasm and keep it for another day.  Now I haven’t mentioned it yet but we were very pleased to have chosen this place as we got to see several whales and a seal, curtesy of Steve’s watchful eyes.  The eagle eyed amongst you may spot them in the image below:

It was a short walk back to the car, and then we drove out as the rain started to fall again.  Were we going soft, maybe just a little and I feel like I was the biggest culprit today.  But you have to have days when you’re not playing your A game and things don’t go to plan.  It’s more about how you change your attitude on those days that count.  As proven today they can be just as much fun:

Thanks Castle Rock.

The Frenchman got back in town a few days back after having had a bit of a sware across a few continents.  On his return he was greeted by what some may hope to be the last of the coldness of winter.  The cold didn’t put us off and with today being the first day of spring we made our way down to Wilyabrup, with a bit of that in our step.  It was the earliest start for a long time, but not that early.  As Denis was leaving home Tom had a good old laugh at just how “late” a start is was in comparison to my usual expectations:

We met at 7am at the carpark and wandered down in the fresh morning air, there were puddles as we had driven in but the sky on the most part was clear and bright.  We plumped for a relaxed start, or at least that was my intention when I jumped on “The Unbolted and the Beautiful”.  I’m not sure if it was a flash pump thing or whether it was because the rock felt cold to touch meaning our fingertips became numb, but the first route felt hard and there were several times I almost took a fall:

I did remark to Denis when he topped out that I had vague recollections of previously finding this route that bit more pumpy than expected.  It was however a great one to kick start us into action.  While I was belaying Denis I heard a hello from behind to find Mick draped in ropes and gear.  We had a bit of a chat before he headed off to the usual suspects on which we was going to setup top ropes for the crew he had coming down.  What I do like and appreciate is that every time we see him here he checks out our plans for the day to avoid getting in the way:

He told us that he’d been down at Wilyabrup every day last week and on Tuesday and Wednesday it had bucketed down.  It was so hard that he had got soaked before the crews had made it down and claimed that there were waterfalls coming down some of the faces.  It was not hard to visualise this, as only last weekend the majority of lines were dry and in perfect condition.  Today water was still running down heaps of them, but that didn’t worry us as there were plenty of other options to keep us busy today:

Denis was not warmed up enough and was still feeling a bit weary, so I jumped on lead again and did another old favourite.  The image below should be familiar enough to most for me not to need to spell it out.  After the first lead I was surprised at how good I felt on this one and ambled up not needing to second guess any of the holds.  Denis too made short work of it even lay-backing up the main flake in true traditional style.  He did have to stop and think about the top headwall but with his lanky reach was able to get the best holds that bit easier than most of us:

Mick had set up all the lines and I was surprised to see he had even set one up on Fat Chance.  It made more sense when we found him climbing that one himself; before the crew had arrived.  It’s a line I was encouraging Denis to thinking about when we first came down.  He hasn’t placed much trad gear, but this one only requires a couple of easy to place pieces in-between the bolts so I reckon he’d be fine.  Today however was not the day and we’ll save it for another time when he has more of the climbing fitness back:

Instead we aimed for Steel Wall, but keeping things reasonable I took the first pitch of “Sirius”.  Steve, I hate to say it but the pin on your tricam is starting to rust, so while I still clipped in I had two pieces relatively close either side.  It’s difficult to find routes that are harder for tall people, but this line does have somewhat of a compression move.  It was pretty good watch Denis struggle just a little bit at the tricky move at the end of the traverse, where you have to mantle onto the ledge.  There was no reaching past that with his go-go-gadget arms:

The aim today was not to complete pitch two of the line I started but for Denis to finally get on the floppy end.  For this to occur we needed a sport route.  There are not too many fully sport routes at Wilyabrup, which were at a grade that suited the mood of the day but “Unclaimed” was a good choice.  Denis thoroughly enjoyed this fine flaky wall, as did I with a rope finally above me.  We had a bit of a chat and decided that we need to get back to Steel Wall when things warm up and repeat some of the other great, but harder, lines:

Mick was still waiting for his crew to turn up, so had been sat atop “Hope” like a garden gnome watching the shenanigans on Steel Wall.  He had managed to help me encourage Denis to have a crack at this line and I reckon that Denis was very pleased we had.  He was also pleased to hand the lead rope back to me.  Not wanting to clip any bolts myself today I plumped for what I reckon is the true classic mid-grade trad line of Wilyabrup:

I have not been on this line for some time.  “Golden Buttress” is one of the true greats with variety and exposure by the bucketful.  I have to admit to having been a tad nervous at the start,  as the traverse into the corner felt pumpy and I knew what lay ahead.  Denis hadn’t been on this one before and seemed to be going great guns until he got to the airy and scary bottomless blunt arête.  It took a few goes for him to commit to the flat slopey holds and then above he grimaced hard while trying to avoid barn dooring, which for the leader is high above the last runner:

He finally managed the tricky sequence and then romped up the last face on flakes that can only be described as suspect looking.  They are pretty well all there is and you have to fully commit to them… fortunately they are good.  As we climbed this lien a few drops of rain had fallen but the sky was mostly blue and we knew it would pass over.  However, from the way Denis had struggled at the crux section I kinda guessed this would be the last route of the day.  No matter, and as he reached the final holds we were both chuffed with having had a grand morning out:

As we walked back up the crag with our packs Mick was busy with his crew, so we waved at them as we passed and left him to it.

This morning we managed a quick trip out to a place that, rather surprisingly, Wiggins had not been to before.  There are a number of crags in-between the mighty Wilyabrup and Northern Crags that rarely get visited, and it would seem that some local climbers are also guilty of having ignored them.  So with another day of clear sunny skies and clean barrelling waves we graced the Organ Pipes with our presence:

Seeing Wiggins had not been here before I was more than happy for him to lead on.  With a rap rope to get down and no mucking about of changing gear over we managed to get a fair few lines in quick succession.  These “in-between” crags offer true old style traditional climbing, you have to watch the rock at times and the gear can be spaced, but with no bolts the lines need to be and are well defined:

We did consider whether the face immediately to the right of Crab Arête would go as an independent line.  Unfortunately two thirds of the way up the face got smeary and felt that bit slippery, just as the gear started to dry up.  So we stuck to the arête, and left the idea of bagging a potential variant FA for another day:

The crag classic also runs dry of gear, with nothing to be found up the fine rounded and flared flake.  So as you climb the last four meters you might fiddle something in, but it will never be that good.  The route also makes you work hard to find the best piece to protect the flake.  It took Wiggins a while before he was able to sus out where to place a solid cam, before effectively soloing out:

For such a small crag it has a great array of cracks, faces, arêtes, corners and other features; each line requiring a different set of climbing styles and skills.  That may be why I have never got bored of the place, despite having done the routes a bucket full of times.  My last visit being with Mikey when he was on his 10km challenge, when he bagged all the easy chimneys that had failed to be previously written up:

As Wiggins belayed me up curving capped roof of Spraying I was contemplating a possible new line that we had spied.   The damp feel of the smeary holds on the first few lines were putting me off a bit, and I was feeling a bit weary from a boulder at home the day before but the line was calling out to be done.  This may seem a random image for what I am talking about, but I thought I would include it to see if anyone could spot Wiggins:

I decided to go for it, as due to having seen the holds on the upper headwall as we rapped down so I was comforted that there was something there.  Some looked a bit blocky and flaky so they required a bit of inspection as I climbed it ground-up, as I hadn’t tested any or tried any of the moves.  Like the crag classic the last piece of gear is some four meters below the top, so it was a nervous finale but also very good.  So became Knocking on Heaven’s Door:

This got Wiggins all fired up and so he decided that, after checking the moves while rapping down, he would give The Reaper Man a go.  I didn’t have the nerve to finish the lead off when I tried it a way back in 2014 but it still made it into the guide as a top-rope problem.  He ambled left and right as he made his way up the first two thirds and then the top headwall that he previously thought would be OK gave him a bit of grief:

He won’t mind me saying that while he never rested it wasn’t a true ascent due to making use of the flake on the crag classic to get a bit of height.  That said he did top out online which was very impressive.  He had gone for it as he had in his mind that it was grade 17, where as in the guide we gave it 19.  After playing on it again today I reckon it is a solid 20.  Of course made all the more impressive by needing to finish the last four meters with no more gear (which is also the crux sequence):

The sun was swinging round and it was getting close to the time we were due to head out.  But we had time to sneak one last lead in, and Lou you’ll be very happy to hear Wiggins plumped for your route New Kids on the Block.  I didn’t tell him the grade and when I followed him up he said that he reckoned it was a solid 14, which was what we gave it.  Still reckon it was an awesome on-sight FA when Lou bagged this one:

Next time I head out with Wiggins we might drift a bit closer to the Northern Crags and visit Driftwood Bay for some more traditional fun…

It is customary for both Craig and I to provide each other with a birthday present of a day out on rock.  Craig can’t claim old man status just yet but is now only one year away.  So on this trip in preparation for that lofty age we had already decided to head somewhere to enjoy the simple classics.  The aim being to keep the grades low and enjoy a relaxed pace.  When that is the mood of the day the best place to go is definitely Wilyabrup with its longer lines:

We had considered starting on Sirius.  However, our unusually leisurely arrival time of 10’ish was not late enough to allow the warmth sun to weave it’s magic on that face, so we decided to head up Glory.  This is an often overlooked climb, while it was in glorious sunshine today it is hidden in the shadows of the neighbouring classic of Hope.  In the image above you may notice that I was belaying someway from the top of the crag.  Now I do usually like to have a good view of the second coming up but this time I went that bit lower for a different reason:

The season must be turning as today a small, maybe foot and a half long, Carpet Python lay basking on a flake.  It looked like skin and bones after having slept through what has been a wet and at times cold winter.  Despite both of us having a very close up and personal look and taking our time to marvel at the snake, it didn’t move once; other than the slight signs to show us it was breathing and alive.  We left it to enjoy the sun and carried on to finish the line:

On top of the route there was another surprise waiting for us, half a skull.  After our snake encounter I jumped to the conclusion that is was from a snake.  Elseya rightly pointed out to me when I got home that it couldn’t be due to the teeth, and it is in fact a bobtails skull now sitting on a shelf at home.  You’ll notice Craig’s was all rugged up in his Buffalo.  Despite being in the sun it was a little cool still.  The car thermometer at just after 8am, when I left home, had indicated it was only 5 degrees.  So while the snake indicated seasons are turning it may be a little while more before we start our climbing days at first light:

Not surprisingly we were not the first people at the crag, it was in fact quite a busy day down here.  Several crew from Perth were down, and below Pete is sampling the delights of Wilyabrup and what the SW has to offer for the first time.  With a traditional climbing background from Scotland it was not surprising to see him cruise up One for the Road without any hesitation.  Being was a tad too quick on the route I didn’t have the time to ensure that I didn’t include my shadow in the image.  We had a chat and he picked up on Craig and my Buffalo’s stating he used to sell them back in the homelands:

Craig had eyed up Hope from the moment we got down, which is why I climbed Glory.  That in was a great thing as we wouldn’t have seen the snake if I hadn’t.  Unfortunately another crew had jumped on it as we were walking down, so he had to wait before he could climb it.  The guys who had taken the images of us on Glory were on hope, so it only felt right to take a few images of them on Hope while I belayed Craig on another line:

This time we plumped for Sirius, still in the shade but after a climb we had both warmed up enough to venture out of the sun.  Craig was hesitant offering me both pitches, but I encouraged him to have a bash at the first one.  It didn’t offer him any issues and he cruised his way along the traverse line methodically not even stopping at the tricky mantle.  Steve you’ll be very happy to know that despite having lost your tricam it is still is great shape and no doubt others as well as we have been using it:

Photos were being taken all round so we were lucky once again to get a few images of us on the second pitch.  While the gear is round the corner the climbing on the arête and outer face is just too good to not make use of.  A bit easier to do on second as you can pull each piece out without needing to look too closely at it.  I however still managed on lead to stick to the arête and face for half of the route before popping round every few meters to place gear felt to be breaking up the flow of the route too much:

Before heading back down we watched Pete have a crack at Stainless Steel, not only his first encounter with Wilyabrup but he was also relatively new to the delights of bolt plates.  The second plate for some reason was causing him troubles so he placed a wire over the carrot bolt.  Despite managing to establish his feet on the ledge he is hanging onto, he couldn’t get in a comfy position to compose himself to go for the next bolt.  Yo-yoing this move several times proved too much, I suspect the main reason being due to be wary about the wire on the bolt a foot or more below his feet:

Hope was free so Craig set off up this fine line, and decided only to use wires.  We didn’t wander off to see the snake again, despite being tempted we thought it was best to leave him alone.  When Craig and I originally met and did Hope for the first time together I forget who was leading, but I do remember the opposing wires on the big hanging flake.  It’s something we both do every time we climbing it, instead of placing the obvious cam.  I reckon there is something strangely satisfying with just using passive gear:

On the way down Mick was heading out with his group.  We had a chat with him and in-between him bagging me out about the state of my previous harness and the state of my current shoes, he did say he was very happy that I had started the online conversation that had led to the recently placed line of bolts being removed from Inner Space Wall.  He had heard of someone considering a new line there and had told them not too, so was pretty mad when they were placed.  They walked out as we walked back down, we were not sure what was next on the list so we had a cuppa and pondered our next move:

Despite having decided to keep things relaxed, and in my head that meant nothing more than 14, something drew me to Rhys’s Rapid Retreat.  I haven’t been on it for a while and was feeling OK so we agreed to do that one.  It certainly is a good climb, but if truth be told having just talked about removing bolts this is a line that would benefit from a couple of bolts high up on the face.  This would create a more direct and much steeper finish, instead of sneaking round the corner to finish up the slab.  That said I can’t see myself ever placing the bolts:

It just so happened that wherever we climbed we did not seem to be too far from Pete trying yet another line.  That said this time it was the guy Pete had come down with, whose name I forget as I type away (sorry).  I watched as he tapped and tested the flaky holds of Unclaimed, as I named it when writing the guide.  It is not surprising that on someone’s first use of these holds that they may seem suspect, but chatting to them afterwards they were raving about the face saying how great it was, and it really is:

We had time for one last route before we had to make a move.  Craig didn’t take long to decide and went for Hitching, the route he was self-belaying himself up on my first trip to Wilyabrup twelve years back.  He went for the direct start, as usual without me belaying until the first piece of gear was placed.  He had in his mind the route was 16, but the guide say 14 plus an extra grade on the direct start.  That said we both found the mid-section, which is both thin on holds and gear, to be more spicy than we remembered.  It really is a true Wilyabrup sandbag, but also so very good:

As we walked back down we caught Pete at the headwall of Totally Awesome.  He was wandering left and right at the big break and couldn’t figure out which way to go.  It made us stop and think about these lines and the improbable headwall.  While the topo in the guide shows the lines, as you approach the headwall on lead and then attempt it there are no clear features to follow so it is understandable that people would get confused.  So due to the gear below we gave him a hint and he topped out on the holds of Inner Space with somewhat of a sigh of relief:

After another great day at Wilyabrup it was finally time to wave goodbye.  The clean waves had given us a great show and the slightly off-shore wind had meant the rock was in great condition, warmed up to perfection by the afternoon sun.  As we walked out we were already making plans for the next birthday present:

Happy birthday (nearly) old man.

Steve may be upset with me by sending this email so promptly, as he captured some images that show just how far I am prepared to go to get that perfect picture.  Maybe I can send a few of those round another time…

We’ve been back in the country for a few days now after a three and half week stint in Europe.  So what better way to get over jet lag than to get up at 5:30 to go climbing, and where better to go than the place I seem to have been drawn to for the last few trips out.  Last night was the longest full moon eclipse for 100 years, but it was mostly cloudy this morning so we only saw glimpses of the moon as we drove in and then walked to the crag:

As we got closer it started raining and continued as we walked in.  The ocean looked angry.  Big messy waves were tumbling over each other to get to the shore, creating a single blinding mass of white water.  The usual track across a small beach before the rocks was blocked by a high tide combined with the big waves.  The bay shown above would normally be a clean sandy beach, but was today exposed bed rock:

When we got to Moses we ducked down to look at the line Craig and I had put up on my last trip here, Nothing too Serious.  Today would have been a very exciting time to climb this one, and a wetsuit may have been advisable.  Much as I tried to gently direct Howsie to have a bash at this fine line we didn’t get back to it, heading instead onwards to the main areas which we were hoping would be a bit safer:

Hand’s Up Wall was of course high and “dry”, safe from the angry white water but not the drizzle, that was easing up, nor the recent rain.  The good news was that there was a slight off-shore breeze so we were not being coated with sea spray, well not as much as we might have been in different conditions.  Before we decided where to climb we dumped the packs and spent some time watching the waves and checking the different areas:

Rumpole’s Rocks were on the tick list, but today while the large boulders provided a level of protection the base was sopping wet and the occasional bigger wave would have dampened the spirits of any belayer. So we wandered along, and for those that know the area we stopped at Tweddle Dee and Tweddle Dum.  Even at this location some big waves managed to spray the base of the lines:

Next we checked the Zawn, not expecting to go in there but just to witness what it was like.  These are by far the most extreme conditions I’ve ever seen.  The boulder strewn base was visible between waves, but was swamped with every wave that came in.  During the big sets the place got smashed.  We saw several waves impressively crash all the way up the wall at the back of the zawn:

Back at Hand’s Up Wall we decided it was time to do what we came to do, the harness were pulled tight and Steve was first up for a lead.  I don’t edit any images I provide in these emails, and today was particularly challenging with the contrast.  The blinding white water making it hard to get good clean shots, but it also offered a few opportunity to capture the amazing atmosphere we lucky to have experienced:

The first line chosen, was in Howsie and my minds the worse possible choice.  Gothic Streak is aptly named for its black look, which is created due to being the line where water runs down most frequently.  We didn’t say anything and left Steve to it.  He climbed slow and steady, looking solid and not grumbling once.  As we followed up we were both glad he and neither of us had led that line:

The sun finally poked through the breaking clouds when we were all on top.  Looking north and south it was bleak, but the window above us allowed the sun’s warmth through.  The only problem was that it made looking at the ocean even more difficult than before.  It was a slow exchange of gear and wander back to the base, Howsie in deep thought about what he would lead:

He plumped for Many Hands, and made short work of it.  While this wall was still dripping wet this climb didn’t have the algae that Steve’s line had growing on it.  I still felt nervous on second, but the friction of Moses pulled through despite the wet conditions.  Trusting your footwork in these conditions made the lines even more of a mind game than usual:

I was, like the last time the three of us ventured here, happy to offer up the leads.  So next up Steve picked an unexpected line.  Maybe it was the draw of the bolts that made this feel a safe proposition, but Twist Till You Lock while a safe line still has some tricky moments.  It took several attempts to get the plate and draw onto the first bolt, and then after trying the first hard move several times Steve realised that maybe he had bitten off more than he could chew:

So Howsie stood up the plate and made short work of the first crux before enjoying the much more relaxed mid-section.  The top and harder crux proved a little trickier but soon he flopped over the horrible rounded top out.  Steve and then I followed him up surprised at how good the rock had felt on this line, was it dry or did we imagine that?  We dashed down for one last climb.  I led the crag classic, Wheely Things, a route that just like Moses never disappoints:

As soon as we had stuffed our gear in the packs the clouds rolled in and it started to drizzle once again.  We scooted back to the main beach, which like the small bay has also been smashed.  The waves at times reaching close the base of the dunes.  Large outcrops of rock, which we have not seen before, have been exposed where usually surfers, sun worshippers and the occasional person fishing would be lounging about on a sandy beach:

Moses, like the sound of the ocean today, was once again a roaring success.

After this weekend I’ll not be out on rock until August, and it felt like way too long a time without one final trip out.  After our recent very enjoyable afternoon jaunt to Moses, a few weeks back, I suggested to Craig that a similarly timed trip would probably be good.  So with nothing too serious in mind we agreed on Moses.  Despite what some other people may think, we still regard as a very friendly crag that would offer us the opportunity for nothing too serious:

Our intention today was fun, and as we walked in there were a few lines that we always look at, but then as you approach them the angle looks a bit easy and the lines don’t look that sustained.  One of them we walked by but this one took Craig’s fancy.  He was also able to extend the route significantly by traversing in from where he was tying in in the first image.  It was fun and as intended nothing too serious, that said the final moves could make many people stop and think:

Most of what we did was pretty easy and we struggled with grading.  We kept other lines here in mind but our fitness on real rock and more importantly our general state of mind, which for some reason wasn’t quite as sharp as it usual is, did make it hard.  So we decided not to write up the new routes we discovered as first ascents on the WA climbers forum.  However, we decided that we would let you know about them… so Craig’s line above we called Elephants Arse (10).  BTW we didn’t discuss names for all the lines so I have taken the liberty to do that… sorry Craig.  Also all the routes were less than 10m so no lengths have been included.  Then it was onto my first lead, a line I have long looked at:

The right conditions were needed, being dry rock and water below your feet, or very close to being so.  A combination not that common at Moses.  It proved harder than I had anticipated, the slopey hand traverse offered great protection but then at the nose it was time to leave the gear behind and head up the slab.  It’s a pearler of a line, if only it was longer it may even gain a reputation.  We struggled with what grade we would give it, on lead it was a bit of a puzzle but Craig managed it with relative ease so we plumped for Nothing too Serious (14).  Sorry Craig this name seems more appropriate, than short and sweet.  I highly recommend the locals give it a go, but be warned it may be a sandbag:

We’ve had a run of some wild weather of late but the weather gods were smiling on us today, a blue sky, light seaward breeze and a nice mid/late-teens temperature.  The waves were barrelling in beautifully, with the trailing mist being blown behind them.  I’ve said it before and will no doubt say it countless times again, but this trip reaffirmed to us that Moses is one of the most atmospheric crags in our neck of the woods.  The swell was not too high and as the afternoon wore on the tide was heading out, which became a consideration for the last climb.  We were however a tad surprised at just how hot it felt and the sweat was certainly dripping off my brow as I topped out on my first lead:

In the spirit of doing new stuff we decided after two very fun lines to attempt to only climb unrecorded lines.  No doubt some if not all of the routes we climbed had been attempted or done by others but just not written up.  Regardless of that it did mean that every time we were climbing into unknown territory.  Craig’s next line may however have been our downfall, I couldn’t recall it being in the guide, which we didn’t bring with us.  However, looking at the guide it is possible that this was in fact Hungry Fish (10).  So digging a bit deeper… the topo in the old 96’ guide indicates that the recorded line may be the chimney to the right, but there is no description.  The next recorded climb to the left is Pathetic Shark (10) which goes up the wall to the left… so I think we can claim this one that tackles the arête and call it Fish Food (10):

Looking for new lines that would be worth playing on was surprisingly easy, keeping in mind we were looking for fun stuff and the grade was not a consideration.  So next up we went into the darkest recesses of Moses Rocks, from where I climbed up the initially damp rock out of the pit and into the sun.  I could have stopped at the ledge below but the next wall looked and was fun, as did the next wall so I strung three good walls together.  The longest route of the day and probably longer than 10m, at more like 15m.  So came to be The Pit (10):

Craig had spied his next challenge and it was again a line I had considered many times before.  Aesthetically the rock looks very cool, and we both agreed that this was a worthy photo opportunity.  So I sat on a platform off to the side, and with a solid directionally piece of gear at the base of the route Craig began.  The time between sets of swell was quite long and as such I asked him to climb slowly to get the best backdrop.  He didn’t mind and soaked up the great holds and moves smiling the whole way.  We have no doubt that someone must have bouldered this route as a sort of high ball problem so it seemed apt to call this No Balls (12):

I then scooted up a fun looking arête at the left end of Red Wall.  An obvious line that had gone unnoticed until now.  Nothing to serious, in keeping with the spirit of the day, but in a good position and sufficiently entertaining to keep me focused.  Read into that lacking in gear in the upper half, but why should that hold you back?  My imagination is letting me down so it is simply going to be called The Arête (11).  For those keeping count, this was route number 6 of the afternoon:

We had at the start of the day looked at a wall to the left of the first route listed in the guide.  There are a number of lines via cracks and flakes meaning this wall could be littered with a number of easy routes, if you considered it worthy of the time.  Craig decided to start at the left end and I half expected a similar approach to his first route, a long extended route maximising the entire crag.  Instead he went more direct stating that the holds simply looked too good not to be used. So with that Too Good to Miss (8) seems an apt, and possibly deceptive, name for the first recorded route on this wall:

Now I mentioned about the tide going out being a consideration, another being the timing between sets of swell.  We considered this carefully, and decided it was worth a pop.  This line, again one I have looked at before, is one where you are more than likely to get a little damp.  I had always envisaged starting lower down than I did, but todays conditions would not have permitted that.  Or was it that Craig would not have been happy belaying while being intermittently under water.  We were a bit sensible and Craig tied in before I set off, just after a big set had just smashed the base of the route:

It wasn’t timed completely perfectly, although I have to confess I really did take my time for no other reason than to experience the water lapping at my feet.  The rope in the following image belies where I climbed as I traversed into the blocks quite low down.  I got a wee bit wet but it wasn’t too bad, as I was only hit by the spray and not the full wave.  From the angle we had seen the route the arête could have thrown anything at us, so I was a little nervous to start with, but needn’t have been, after all didn’t I say Moses was a friendly place:

Craig came up and like me strolled along at a relaxed pace taking in the atmosphere of the waves crashing in below the line.  Before I started on the route we talk about whether the blocks in the bottom half of the route would be loose, I told you we had some sense.  In view of the pounding they were getting from the ocean we felt that any loose stuff would be long gone.  True enough everything was rock solid.  There are so many names we could give this line but I think I will plump for Timing is Everything (9), another one that people really should jump on (when the conditions are like yesterday):

As Craig topped out the sun was on the way down, and with 8 new lines under our belt we were very satisfied with our afternoons little jaunt.  The seaward breeze helped keep the rock in condition the whole time.  Although the gear and certainly rope had their fair share of salt spray, with part of the rope getting a drenching on the last line.  So for those who put their life in the hands of my gear, you will be very pleased to know the rope and gear has all being thoroughly rinsed (back at home not in some salty rock pool at Moses) and is currently drying outside in the shade:

Tradition has it that climbing with Craig includes a cuppa.  So with the sun going down, the moon already high in the sky, and the glowing colours that only the start or in this case end of the day can give us… the tea was poured.  The gear was then stuffed in the bags with less sorting than would normally occur, knowing that it would need a wash.  We then wandered down to find a good perch to watch the sun set with a very welcome cuppa:

A cloud bank stole from us the glory of seeing the sun dip below the horizon, no matter it was still a glorious sight.  Moses Rocks once again delivered in bucketfuls.  Eventually we did need to make a move so after the fun rock hop and a walk along the beach past a lonely fisherman we jumped in the car for a drive home in darkness, keeping a watchful eye out for any roo’s:

I’ve occasional seen cars parked on top of the hill just above Moses Rocks and thought it’s be great to drive in one day and save the walk in.  So on Saturday we tried to get in that way but it wasn’t quite as straight forward as Google Maps indicated.  We had to traverse a paddock and find a gate that would take us onto the track in the national park.  We were just about to turn onto the track when a ranger came along from where we intended to go.  He politely advised that it was a restricted area and that we had just driven over private land to get to where we shouldn’t be, oops.  So we followed his advice and followed him back the main drag from where we went to the usual car park:

I’ve already let slip that Moses was our destination.  We had decided to head there in the afternoon so we would have the sun on our backs.  Normally the wind changes in the afternoon and turns towards the land, resulting in Moses being shrouded in a slippery salty residue.  However, today I checked the forecast and despite high tide coinciding with our arrival time along with a 3m swell the wind was due to remain offshore.  While it looks gloomy in the image below the sun was out and for most of our time here we were kept warm:

You may have noticed in the first image Howsie and Steve putting something on their shoes.  One of the positives about not having parked at the top of the crag was that we then had to walk in along the beach.  That then allowed the two of them to test out Steve’s invention of the beach shoe, a bit like a snow show and intended to make walking on the soft sand that bit easier.  I’m pleased to say they both found them comfortable, easy to use and effective:

Once we hit the rocks and then the top of the crag the sand shoes came off.  The wind was light and offshore and better still the rock was looking dry.  We bypassed the main area, where we usually go, and headed along to Rumpole’s Rocks at the far southern end.  As we passed the Zawn we did have a quick look in as it is such a great and atmospheric place to climb.  We only gave it a cursory glance, as the high tide and medium swell resulted in the bottom being constantly awash with white water:

Rumpole’s Rocks starts at the waterline, which may seem like a ludicrous choice of crag on such a day.  However, there are two good reasons we chose this place.  Firstly, Howsie had never been here plus Steve (the gate crasher of this trip) had only ever been here once and on that occasion only did one climb.  Secondly, while it seemed like wild ocean conditions the base of the crag is protected by a large rocky ridge.  So while the spray of the waves do occasionally crash over this ridge, the crag itself is protected from the full impact of the rolling waves:

The old guidebook from the 90’s had indicated this was a 25m crag and when I read about it on arrival in WA some 13 years back that I was pretty excited.  It’s only really 15m tops and that may be a bit generous.  In addition it could be regarded as a bit broken and some lines a bit scrambly.  What the place lacks in height and consistency it however more than makes up for in quality of rock, position and atmosphere.  Having lead every climb here (several times) and needing to be sensible with my shoulder that is mending nicely I allowed the boys to lead away while I was on photo duty:

Howsie kicked things off and cruised up Finger Licking looking like a pro.  Unlike the rock we had seen on the way in and due to being so close to the ocean the rock was a little damp, but not ridiculously so.  The awesome friction this fine grained granite crag offers was not affected and the lines felt in surprisingly good condition.  The calm rock pool below Howsie in this image belies the true setting, and the whole time here all we could hear was pounding waves, smashing into the rocky ridge protecting the belayer:

Steve was a tad nervous after seconding up the first route, so he picked the easiest line on the crag.  This image really shows why this part of Moses is in such a wicked position.  The waves roll into the bay the south and the rock ridge provides just enough protection.  The wet and dry boulders behind the boys show just how close the waves get and maybe one day we’ll have a huge wave swamp us here.  On this trip they were OK but while running round to get the good angles I did get hit by a couple of waves:

While Steve had started up Hot and Spicy, he soon lost any nervousness he had at the base and halfway up, where there is a choice of two lines, he chose Yogurt.  I personally reckon this is one of the primo lines here, and not because Wiggins and I put it up.  The side pull flakes offer great gear and solids moves, while in a great exposed position.  Steve loved it and looked solid and strong:

Now some may know Steve recently said he wouldn’t be climbing for some time due to wrist issues.  He’s been working on them and today was keen to get out not only to test his sand shoes but also his personally modified splint.  One of the issues he has is with the thumb movements and so to keep his thumb in the optimal position he modified the inner part of this splint to create a cast.  Just like his sand shoes it worked a treat and there was no discomfort and it didn’t look like it was holding him back:

Howsie then picked Chillies and Garlic and made short work of the line.  I have seen it baffle a few people, but not Howsie.  We only had limited time at the crag today and they were a bit surprised when I told them that we only had an hour left , which may have also contributed to his sped ascent of the line.  Steve belayed cool as a cucumber as the waves continued to smash the rocky ridge, with a couple of them breaking over in spectacular style:

Just to even things up Steve hit Jugs Galore.  It took him a couple of starts to figure out the lower crux, and once past that he motored up even neglecting to place gear in the upper section.  There was a bit of contemplation as to whether another route could be squeezed in but that was short lived and we were soon walking back out, this time without the sand shoes.  Once again Moses provide us with a great session, and better still there are plenty of good lines at Rumpole’s rocks to bring the boys back for another session:

Late last night I got a text from Craig asking if I was out climbing this weekend, seeing he had just missed out on the trip to Moses we went for a family trip to Castle Rock on Sunday.  I allowed Craig the first two leads up the relatively easy cracks on the north face, seeing it was a another short trip we decided on easy lines just for fun.  Then I showed him a line that I had been eyeing up for a few years, which had no recorded ascents.  Despite me offering it to him he instead persuaded me to jump on lead and now we have another route at Castle Rock call Smear to Glory: