[comPiler]

China is mental...
30 January 2013, 5:14 am



After expecting to sleep on the floor of Guangzhou airport for 13hrs, my mood suddenly went from acceptance, annoyance and tiredness to disbelief and elation when I was told that the airline would be putting me up in a 4 star hotel for the night...



After abit of faf, eventually got to the hotel after dark. (Chinese driving was not as bad as expected...)

Got off the bus to be blinded by a 3 story lobby full of lights... Got to my room, quickly charged laptop to find out where I was and unfortunately was ages away from the centre of the city so didn't have the energy to trek in and check it out..

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Oh ok then...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

430am wakeup call and not as much sleep as I wanted on the harder-than-concrete bed and it was time to head back to the airport at 5am. The airline had told me that food wouldn't be included so was surprised again when about to leave on the bus and a man ran out of the hotel and gave us all a packed breakfast. Awesome!

Might have to visit China properly, I liked it more than I thought I would...

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Too bright!![/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Not bad for free![/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Big street party. Sunday night Chineeese style...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Never got to see it in the light but here is the monstrosity...[/td][/tr]

[/table]



Source: Jack Folkes Climbing

[comPiler]

New country, new climbing...
31 January 2013, 5:56 am

Getting over the jetlag now but with the temps in the 30s, already out searching for some DWS action....

With a big sea cliff trad area (Point Perpendicular if anyone cares...) a short 20min drive away with cliffs up to 80m high, I figured there had to be some DWS-able stuff there. So after much scouring of Google Earth, found a few potential cliffs and today headed out there to have a look at a couple.

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]About 10m high, will need further inspection from another direction as I couldn't get to the top....[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Now the cliffs are sandstone and abit more chossy than I would like. Really hoping its just on top and not the face... Found a possible down climb for one face but from the rain we've had over the weekend (damn cyclones...) it was covered in water so I didn't fancy a venture down the 15m face...

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Possible down climb the corner?[/td][/tr]

[/table]The water below is very very deep being only 1 of a handful of places in Australia that you can catch deep sea marlin straight off the rocks...

I also can't see the climbing being too difficult here due to the lack of overhangs and the fairly generous sea/wind worn sandstone holds but with the face going up to about 20m, its definitely enough to make you think twice...

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Left hand face didn't look too safe with a small ledge under the water but the face in the background had a nice over hang for the first few metres followed by some high face climbing...[/td][/tr]

[/table]Will be back in a few days when it's dried out to give it a proper look over from sea level and to take a look at some other cliffs I have my eye on...



Source: Jack Folkes Climbing

[comPiler]

Lot 33 Bouldering, Nowra
2 February 2013, 12:29 pm



With the storm that had come up the coast over the past few days, I wasn't too hopeful about getting to a new area today but the joys of overhangs paid off yet again...



With the wind howling across the ocean from NZ leaving it a cold 12 degrees, I went to a local bouldering venue called Lot 33, hidden in the bush with a handful of sandstone sport crags. Thankfully, the massive roof kept nearly all of it dry...

Had a good look around and worked out where everything was from the crude non-photo guide. Not much in the way of easy things, only a couple of 6s with the majority being high 7s and 5 problems in the 8s... Also included a V14 thanks to Chris Webb-Parsons...

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]BIG![/td][/tr]

[/table]

I'd had my eye on a couple of V7s and a V9 dyno and they didn't dissapoint... Made most of the moves on both V7s and they will both go without too many sessions. The dyno. Joe, Joe Dynamite... It is definitely a spotter-and-more-than-one-pad dyno. I reckon this will probably be my training wall as there isn't an indoor wall at all close...

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Joe, Joe Dynamite V9 in the foreground (2 streaky huecos).[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Problem With Big Moves In Front Of Tree V7[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Left: Scrawny & Horny V9

Right: Unnamed V7[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Also some big sports overhangs if that's your thing...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Lovely streaky sandstone...[/td][/tr]

[/table]



Source: Jack Folkes Climbing

[comPiler]

New discovery....
20 February 2013, 10:02 am

Not much new stuff has happened lately climbing-wise until today when I discovered a new potential bouldering area.

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Easy as 1min approach.[/td][/tr]

[/table]Its a spot I've known about for years but never looked at it from a climbers perspective. There are a handful of routes, both sport and trad, dating back to the early 90s as I've found but there seems to be absolutely no trace of bouldering...

Finally got to have a quick look around today and I was not dissapointed... Only looked at about half of it and I can already see loads of problems....

No info of where it is but when I get out to clean and climb some problems, I will update. Just a few pics for now...

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Nice 5-6m just off-vertical slab. Looks like it might go at about V8.[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Alleyway of highballs about 6-7m high.[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Really interesting wall with diagonal sloping grooves.[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]The occasional fallen boulder. This one looks like its yielded a nice highball on the back...

More rock in the distance yet to be looked at..[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Source: Jack Folkes Climbing

[comPiler]

First problems...
15 March 2013, 1:46 pm

So finally some new problems are going up!

No words here. Just look at the pretty pictures...

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]1: Tetris Left V1 (also the downclimb)

2: Tetrisize V3

3: Tetrisde V2[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]1: Loosidity V2

2: Loosid V1[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]1: Calculate Project ~V6

2: Calculation V3[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Not a slab like I first thought! Actually overhanging a few degrees...

You'll note my highpoint is only halfway up! Its big!![/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]New roof found.... Hopefully some hard stuff...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Nice blunt prow.. May need to remove the potentially back breaking rocks first....[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Inquisitive fucker! Slithered over, watched me climb for abit then slithered away...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Sunset slacklining...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Source: Jack Folkes Climbing

[comPiler]

First ascents, first video...
23 March 2013, 3:32 am



Just a short vid of some of the problems I've put up.

Swing V5

Tetriside V2

Loosid V1

Loosidity V2

from Jack Folkes on Vimeo.



Source: Jack Folkes Climbing

[comPiler]

Cave Hunting.
27 March 2013, 6:14 am



Being in Scouts as a kid around here was actually very useful for climbing...

Going on various hikes and camping in the bush along with my weird memory has reminded me of some potential new bouldering areas.

Went in search of a cave we used to camp in. With only a vague memory of the location and access (about 15 years ago since I was last there!), I drove about 30min away, past the routes area of New Nowra, then headed into the fire trails through the bush near Tianjara Falls.

Tianjara Falls. A few walls with routes behind me.

Having to do some decent four wheel driving through what turns out to be an ex-Army artillery range. After a few km, got to my destination: Kangaroo Hill. Left my pad and started hiking. Up. Always up...

Ok then...

About a 20min hike up to the top of the hill with the cave being on an escarpment surrounding the top.

Took a while to find the right spot, but found a few other caves with some limited potential.

Unfortunately, a lot of the sandstone is very crumbly and very soft. All the honeycomb rock just falls away in your hands. All the solid rock underneath just didn't have any holds at all...

Kind of a let down but good day bushwalking...

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]

[/td][/tr]

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[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]

[/td][/tr]

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[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]

[/td][/tr]

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[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Finally the actual cave I was after...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

200ft+ walls. Very rugged area. Very hard to get to.

I love being from a place where there can be absolutely nothing around you for miles.

Source: Jack Folkes Climbing

[comPiler]

So many projects....
28 March 2013, 5:52 am

I love discovering new lines...

But it means I have so many projects, dammit.

Found another little wall in Nowra that has a couple of routes, a warm up traverse and a V11 dyno...And 3 new lines that look fucking cool.

Stupid projects..

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Smallish wall. Semi-death fall to the left though...

No wild swinging without spotters and pads![/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]1: Start in the break, left heal on, slap out to slopey lip of roof. Swap heals, match lip, yard up through slopey dishes to top. About V6, would just prefer a cool day for pinching the lip, a spotter and another pad before I do it!

2: This thing is HARD.... Like REALLY HARD... Start in break, couple of moves through slopers, right hand to a small vertical undercut. MASSIVE move out to the lip (not a hold), bump to ultra-slopey dish (I'm face on the roof at full span here). Some trickery (toehooks under roof maybe?) to get other slopey dish, then top somehow... Seriously hard, like V12/13/14 hard...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Sit/laying start, up pinchy feature, high heal-toe cam to rollover  into slopey side-pull crimp, unwind and pop for top. Stand start alone looks like about V8. Sitter looks V8/9. V11 dyno on left edge of pic to break at top.

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Another dyno I've had my eye on. Started clearing up the loose rocky landing area...

She's a big jump off a crimpy side-pull flake to a slopey pocket/dish.[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Have another pano from the other day...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Source: Jack Folkes Climbing

[comPiler]

I'm lazy so here's some photos.
15 April 2013, 3:13 pm

Who likes photos?

Lack of internet interspersed with various bits of climbing...

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]We have some random creatures....[/td][/tr]

[/table]Projects... Always projects..

These are some of the harder (V6 and up) lines I'm working on in my area under development..

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Sit start the huecos, up some slopey crimps into a sloper nightmare of a top out...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Not quite done yet. Sit start under the prow, up through slopers to an easy-ish topout.[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Yeah yeah Duma, jungle, I know...

Stand start crimpy rail, up through gastons and pockets to another slopey hell top out...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Lowball, 45 deg... But hard!

Only 3 moves, I can do 1 of them... The top out.

Guessing around V9ish.[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Decent wall (15-20m) with some route potential.

Spotted a line I'd like to do... Only because it looks like a monster dyno in there...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Next couple are from where I stay near the new area.

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]My pool.[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Nice view from where I eat breakfast....

Point Perp hidden by weather....[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Went out to Point Perpendicular the other day for some easy soloing.

This is also around where I think there is plenty of DWS potential... Have been trying to get water access (cliffs up to 80-90m!) but the weather keeps conspiring against me whenever we put a jetski in....

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Raptures Wall, routes up to 30m.[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Bowen Island and South head of Jervis Bay. Point Perp is North head.[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Looking West through the various bays on the North Head. Jervis Bay behind.[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Big enough... Think this is about 75-80m.

Lower cliff has worse rock, less routes and much more of a mission to get to.

Upper cliff has a couple hundred routes. Mainly trad and not to high in the grades.[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Source: Jack Folkes Climbing

[comPiler]

Moment of brilliance. No wait! Utter stupidity, that's the one...
22 April 2013, 5:39 am

You know those moments in life that you think: Na, that'll never happen to me...

Well, that just DID happen to me...

Now broken heels and dynos aside, I'm generally fairly sensible when it comes to climbing... I like solos (only easy stuff over land, no death drops and definitely DWS) and highballs (only with many pads and good spotters) even if they do sometimes scare the shit out of me.

Went for a quick climb 30min drive away this afternoon to work on a V7. Chucked shoes, gear, pad etc into car and headed off. Got to the crag, warmed up in thongs on various stuff, brushed the problem... Grabbed my shoes and chalk out to get on it. Hold on a sec. I didn't... Yes dumbfuck, you did.

Dumb ass here, in my haste to grab my shoes managed to grab 2 leftys... Same shoe, same size but one pair is older and significantly more worn in (read: no toe rubber...).

Tried stuffing my other foot into one with no luck. Instant cramps. So I worked the problem for abit with only one shoe before hurriedly going home in disgust.

Dick head.

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Modern climbing shoes just aren't made with morons in mind are they...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Yeah barefoot on one side, shoe on the other working a V7.[/td][/tr]

[/table]



Source: Jack Folkes Climbing

[comPiler]

8 Bit Hero - V6
30 April 2013, 1:09 pm

Now I found this line at the end of March and actually first climbed it about 2 weeks ago. Many attempts over 4 sessions to get it. There was always the one move that scuppered me. Slopey roof lip and keeping a heel hook... Useless heel.

When I finally got it, of course it was filmed (one of these attempts had to be the one!) but looking back at the video, it was some of the worst climbing I've ever seen, let alone done.... It was just shite. Wasn't happy.

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]8 Bit Hero straight up the middle.

Lot 34 - Bomaderry Creek, Nowra[/td][/tr]

[/table]So waited for another cool day and headed back to redo and video it. Warmed up and then fired it off first go with camera going. No probs.

Ended up doing it 4 times filming from various angles but most importantly: ALOT smoother than the actual FA! So here's a vid of MANY failed attempts and then a few successes.

Don't ask what's going on with my head banging near the end... I didn't realise I did it....

8 Bit Hero - V6

Lot 34 Nowra

FA Jack Folkes 16/4/13

Enjoy.

from Jack Folkes on Vimeo.



Source: Jack Folkes Climbing

[comPiler]

New video
15 May 2013, 6:05 am

Weather here is starting to get cooler and that means more climbing...

More and more problems are being put up with my recent discovery of a new bouldering area only 30min drive away.

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Lovely wall... Except the roof of the cave is at 8ft high![/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Lovely curvature...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Not quite cold enough for slopers...[/td][/tr]

[/table]With that in mind, here's a video of some recent first ascents...

from Jack Folkes on Vimeo.



Source: Jack Folkes Climbing

[comPiler]

Hey look!
20 October 2013, 12:20 pm

Its a blog post!

Long time since the last post... So much has happened in the past few months but not really much in the way of fantastic first ascents... Annoyingly.

Just a quick run down:

First trip to the Grampians came and went. Was very close on a couple of V7s (Flash Gordon @ Kindergarten and Whipped Cream @ Cave Club) and even closer on a V9 (Bismark @ Andersens). Maybe if I took at rest day at all, I would've got it... Can't wait to go back!

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Working Flash Gordon.[/td][/tr]

[/table]

New bouldering area found about 30min away... Very jungley setting that I have named The Lost World. So far I've only put up a handful of problems but quite a few cleaned and ready to be projected. Still lots of exploring to do as well!

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Deep in the jungle!![/td][/tr]

[/table]

Went to a small crag that used to be home to Australia's first 25 (7b). Years of loose falling rock and newer bigger crags (Nowra...) being developed had turned this once thriving crag into a route-less, undeveloped quarry... Poor Bombo... Definitely potential for some stellar routes! But did put up a handful of new problems on sketchy slippery basalt... Abit of a shame there wasn't more! Really fun climbing but felt like we did every line there... And why did every problem have a committing move for the top?

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Yianni on the 2nd ascent of Right Break V3[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Have also checked out a new bush sandstone bouldering area with a few lines done so far with quite a bit of potential... Will have to head back soon!

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Josh working a new line. Felt about V5-6.[/td][/tr]

[/table]

With the weather getting warmer, the deep water solo development has been coming along slowly. Maybe if I didn't pick such a hard and nice line!

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Yianni setting up for the main event...[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]What a great little crag. Maybe 20 lines plus linkups..[/td][/tr]

[/table]

Also been getting over to Canberra for some granite action in a massive area called North Black Range. There is about 400 problems done already with at least another 600 still to go... There is a bouldering festival happening in November (16-17) with hopefully a couple hundred people coming to put up loads of new lines... Check the Facebook page for more info: www.facebook.com/northblackrangeboulderingfestival2013 Come along!

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]V4 my arse!! Neither of us could do it!![/td][/tr]

[/table]

And on the subject of North Black, here's a video of a few problems from this weekend including Marty's first V5! Nice one!

from Jack Folkes on Vimeo.

Jack out.

Source: Jack Folkes Climbing

[comPiler]

Mo crags, mo problems...
26 November 2013, 8:18 am

...Well that's the plan anyway.

Today I went trekking/hacking/slashing through some dense bush searching for some elusive climbable Nowra granite. Its out there I know it is...

Its just going to be in one of the most inhospitable areas I've ever tried to go...

4 hours in I decided to turn back after getting angry at every bush, tree, log, fly, bug, rock, the sun, the wind... Lets just say I got angry... Granite everywhere, just nothing remotely big enough to climb on...

I did, however, find yet another sandstone bouldering crag.

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]The groove on the left look amazing!

Maybe 6m at this part with the whole boulder being about 9m![/td][/tr]

[/table]Thought it was going to be more samey lines but perched on top of a hill is a big orange monster. At about 6m high and climbable on 3 sides (4th and approach side has a horrible 'landing'...), with one side overhanging at about 40 degrees, the others just overhanging slightly.

It also has some of the best lines I have ever seen.

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Climbable but horrible landing.. Lovely colour though![/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Steep and lots of holds! Will be a few lines here![/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Awesome bit of rock with 2 of the best lines I've ever seen.

The overhanging arete on the left (maybe V6ish) and in between the first set of black stripes (maybe V9ish).[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Not at the same crag but another (yeah another) area a couple of kms down the road.

Lovely highball at about 5-6m.[/td][/tr]

[/table]

This takes it to 6 new crags that I'm developing within an hours drive.... Anyone want some first ascents?

In other news, the North Black Range Festival was a success!

On the Saturday the weather was pretty rubbish with mist everywhere keeping everything damp (still quite a few sends though!) but about 40 people turned up to clean and climb.

Sunday was much better with about 70 people out amongst the rocks...

All in all, over 50 new problems were put up with many more cleaned. Nice work everyone!

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]Dan Fisher on the 2nd ascent of Single Female Lawyer sit V8

Photo: Tim @ FirstAscentPhotography.com.au[/td][/tr]

[/table]

[tr][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]I put down the beer long enough to have a few throws on Knob Jockey V8/9.

Photo: Tim @ FirstAscentPhotography.com.au[/td][/tr]

[/table]Here's a vid I did that weirdly has no first ascents... Oops.

from Jack Folkes on Vimeo.

Source: Jack Folkes Climbing