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David Mason

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comPiler:
Desert Island Climbs: Part One
11 August 2015, 4:00 pm

Inspired by UKC I thought I would have a crack at writing my own Desert Island Climbs; after all who doesn’t want to be whisked away to a desert island with eight of their favourite climbs?! Although I don’t have a vast breadth of ascents (obviously why I haven’t heard from them), I think describing my experiences on the climbs that are most significant to me would make for an interesting read. If you disagree then I would advise you stop reading right about…now!

So why do these stand out from others? And what makes them special enough to make the process or moment important to me?

I think the clichéd answer is to say that it is about more than just the climb. It’s about the people one shares the experience with, the history that envelops a certain piece of rock and the trials and tribulations the climber goes through to make an ascent possible. The fact of the matter is that the cliché is true. It’s about all that and more. Each climb has it’s own unique story and what contributes to that story can be a hundred tiny moments or just one moment of inspiration, luck or fight.

Over the next few months I am going to try and put down in words what each ‘desert island climb’ means to me and how it got to be on my list.


* Gaia E8 6C; Flash. Thanks to the Slackjaw film Hard Grit, I think this must be the most infamous grit route in the world. The film starts with Frenchman Jean-Minh Trin-Thieu attempting to climb Gaia. Gasps of exertion and the sound of a beating heart interspersed with instrumental music build the tension to a nail biting crescendo. His twinkle toe movement, ballerina-like, is a pleasure to watch and can surely only result in success. One movement away from triumph and it all goes wrong resulting in an almighty whipper leaving him, luckily, with just a nasty gash on his leg thanks to some top notch belaying.

I would imagine most gritstone aficionados have seen this and recall the scene and the feeling it leaves in the pit of the stomach as he plummets towards the ground. The capturing of this footage almost makes Gaia more infamous, more scary and more of an undertaking to those intrepid few. There is a slight thought of impending doom before you even get on the route.

Luckily it didn’t seem to be like that for me. I have been to Black Rocks twice: on the first visit Katy (Whittaker) made mincemeat of Gaia and realised her childhood dream of climbing this beauty and the second time to belay a friend, Nige, on the route. The day was a warm one, t-shirts and sweat are my most vivid memories, and watching Nige practise the route on a top rope lulled me into a false sense of security. He just made it look so goddamn easy! I had been having a good gritstone season and I was feeling confident. Probably, looking back, a little too confident but that’s how it works. Success breeds success and before you know it you feel like an untouchable entity, riding the send train, non-stop to Sendsville. Ever since seeing Gaia in the flesh and watching Katy cruise her way to the top I had entertained this tiny idea of having a flash attempt. This idea was so tiny that I hadn’t told anyone and this meant that it wasn’t really entering into my conscious thought too much either. Nige’s silky skills, a French blow on every move, compounded the feeling that was welling up inside. I think Nige could see what was occurring as if my thought process, the ticking cogs, were audible to him too.

To cut an already long story short I decided to take the plunge, I climbed up, placed the gear and down climbed. Was this a good idea? It was hot and humid, I was sweating before I even left the ground, but once the gear was in place my ego wouldn’t let me back down. The next minute or two was a complete blur coupled with a few really vivid moments; getting into the groove, rocking over and realising my left hand was too high, reverse the move, carry on. Bridged in the groove, I can hear Niges voice telling me to chalk up, no French nonchalance here, I hadn’t even chalked up! Quick chalk. I am tall so reaching the sloper is easy (thanks Mr Dawes), no ladybirds to be seen. Sketchy foot swap and after that the arms are in complete control. Sitting a top of Gaia was not what I would call a euphoric feeling; more a realisation of what a plonker I had been, how poorly I had climbed this wonderful route and how happy I was to be okay.

I am not known for my fine footwork, so flashing Gaia felt pretty rewarding. All the other grit routes I had done that year had involved pulling with my arms, not exactly what grit is known for. This ascent proved to me that I could be technical in an exposed position when required. It also proved to me that my ego could sometimes override my brain!!

Thanks Nige and Katy for making it look so easy and giving me the inspiration to drag my boulderer’s torso up that lovely piece of rock. Flashing Gaia is an achievement that I am immensely proud of but having this climb on my desert island would allow me to hone my skills of French nonchalance!

Katy Whittaker on her successful lead of the infamous Gaia at Black Rocks.

Source: David Mason

comPiler:
Albarracin
3 January 2016, 7:59 am

After coming back from South Africa in early July I had a few weeks off from climbing; I had trained hard for King of Limbs and thought my body deserved a rest! Now resting is something I very rarely do but (I think) I managed to have two weeks completely off! I visited my Dad in France for a week and Mina took me to Legoland in Denmark for a late birthday present. Legoland might sound like a strange choice for a 30 year old but I had always wanted to visit after spending so much time playing with Lego as a child.

My theory was that after this break my body would be ready for another period of training and I wanted to get out on the limestone and try Bewilderness at Badger Cove. Sadly this was not to be the case; whilst doing no climbing I managed to pick up a couple of finger injuries, one in either middle finger to be precise. Now I realise that I didn’t actually injure them whilst resting, what is more likely is that all the niggles and micro trauma from training and climbing started to form scar tissue and my fingers began to seize up.

So, when I started back they ached around the knuckles and A4 pulley, especially when crimping. To cut a long story short I couldn’t climb on a board or anything too steep, or campus, or fingerboard so I just ended up doing a lot of climbing. Although I didn’t realise it I really used the time to improve my technique; I climbed on the grit when it was too hot to and I started climbing all the slabs and vertical problems at the Climbing Works, something I hardly ever did before.

Other than improving my technique I discovered the Five Ten Anasazi; I have been sponsored by 5.10 since 2009 but have never got on with the Anasazi, in fact until this year I had only ever owned one pair of them and they had only been used on very specific problems. For some reason I started to wear them more and more, and wouldn’t you believe it, they are way better for techy climbing than down turned shoes! So not only did injury improve my technique and enjoyment for all things slabby but it also allowed me to discover a much more versatile and comfortable shoe!

Apart from running laps on slabs and pottering on the grit I also joined in with a 10-week strength and conditioning group organised by the Inspector (Neil Mawson) and Sam Whittaker. Tom, Harry and Jordan  put a group of us through our paces every Thursday evening; squats, presses, thrusters, pulls, planks, rows and just about anything else you can think of was on the agenda. The boys did a great job of thoroughly destroying us and yet giving us all a great base to work from. I really enjoyed this time spent in a small gym at the Sheffield Hallam campus; the camaraderie, the competition and the feeling of pain was something I hadn’t experienced in other sessions before. I think most climbers are in pretty terrible condition to be honest and have become over-specialised leading to injuries and reducing the effectiveness of their personal training. Doing these sessions was a refreshing change at a time when I couldn’t train in my normal way but I also think I have become a much stronger and more functional athlete along the way. Hopefully with the combination of this and more specific climbing training I will be to push my level up a notch.

Anyway back to the title of the blog! I wanted to go away on a short trip somewhere in November. I wanted to go somewhere I hadn’t been before so that I had no expectations and I wanted good weather so that I could climb as much as possible. I want doesn’t normally get, but in this case it did and in the end I chose Albarracin. I love sandstone and climbing amongst the trees (sound like anywhere familiar?) and this coupled with the fact that rainfall is pretty minimal there made it seem like an obvious choice.

Un Bocadito Si Le Daria (7B+). Photo Andy Jennings. Three of us ended up going for 10 days and another friend joined us for a few days whilst we were. We are all different climbers who operate at differing grades but I think it’s fair to say we were all suitably impressed. The setting is beautiful; red sandstone boulders strewn amongst the pine tree forest makes for a boulderer’s wonderland. The rock has great texture; grippier than Fontainebleau but still very kind to the skin and there are some lovely shapes and features on display. The one downfall was that the holds on the more popular boulders are getting caked in chalk. Whether this is due to the amount of rain the area gets or the lack of brushing by climbers it is definitely something that needs to change in order to maintain these classic climbs. I spent a lot of time whilst there brushing tick marks and excess chalk off holds, and the rock really benefited from this.

Esperanza (8A+). Photo Andy Jennings. However, to me, this was the only down side of Albarracin. I had heard that the forest was littered with poo and toilet paper, and although we did see some it seemed no worse than other climbing areas I have visited.

Rocio (7B). Photo Nick Bradley. The climbing itself is great fun; often pretty physical with just enough subtlety to make it interesting. There are a lot of roof climbs and a lot of mantels, most of which are high in quality and offer something different to a lot of other destinations. There was so much to do that I ended up running around like a child in a sweet shop; I wanted to climb everything and luckily the blue sky and temperature highs of 5 degrees allowed this. I am not sure if I would return as I climbed pretty much everything that I wanted to and nothing else really caught my eye, however if you climb mid 6’s to mid 7’s I think you would have great fun returning here time after time.

Zarzamora (7C). Screenshot. If you do visit make sure to check out the bakery in the centre of town; it does incredible chocolate croissants that even rival the French Pain au Chocolat!

Check out the video from the trip 

Dr. Zoiberg (7B). Photo Nick Bradley. Pinturas Buldestres (8A). Photo Andy Jennings.

Source: David Mason

comPiler:
58 Days in the Forest of Fontainebleau.
2 April 2016, 9:13 am

My time in Fontainebleau has come to an end and as I sit on the ferry back to England I am left to contemplate the last two months and what it has meant to me.

I have experienced some immense lows in my own personal climbing and battled through mind games to come out a stronger, more mature person; I have reacquainted with old friends, got to know newer friends in more depth and met many others for the first time; I have tried, failed and climbed some of the best boulder problems in the world, and after not visiting the forest properly since 2010 I have rediscovered the magic that lingers between the trees.

There is so much I could write about, that actually picking something is proving quite difficult but I have settled on narrating the trips highs and lows in the context of six boulder problems. Picking just six was hard but each of these boulders represents something more than just a climb.

Rencontre du Troisième Type Assis at Rocher Saint-Germain. Video still from Neil Hart. Atresie – 8A

This was the last of the BIG 5 at Cuvier Rempart for me, and much harder than any of the others in my opinion. I have always found myself at this boulder on slightly damp days, those days when you think it’s dry but in reality it’s probably a mixture of desperation and optimism telling you that. This boulder represented much, much more than just another tick; it was a change in the wind for me on this trip.

I had trained hard, I was going to come to the forest, dispatch a few boulders that I had unfinished business with and then get stuck into the really hard stuff! How wrong I was, in reality, I had over-trained, which had effected me physically and mentally and I hadn’t climbed enough, leaving my movement far off the pace required in the forest of Fontainebleau. This, coupled with poor weather over the first few weeks, and I was really struggling to get into the groove of climbing here, putting me on a downward spiral.

In fact, thinking back I was probably the most effected I had ever been by my climbing performance, as ridiculous as it sounds for someone on a two-month long trip in one of the best bouldering destinations in the world, I was in a dark place and I just wanted to go home.

Topping out Atresie was the beginning of the light for me, the reward from three days of hard work on my mental game, countless discussions with friends and frantic reading of ‘The Inner Game of Tennis’ by Timothy Gallwey. Yes the send itself was great but it was how I carried myself during the session and how I felt and reacted on the failed attempts that really meant something to me. The morning of the send was preceded by three days of rain, and in this time I flipped my trip upside down. I knew that I had to do something about my mentality, I was acting like an ungrateful idiot and that was effecting my enjoyment but more importantly others enjoyment of the trip. Over these rainy days I had countless discussions with friends on how they deal with these feelings in their climbing or life, because at the end of the day, we all go through them. My sounding boards for these discussions were Mina, via text, as she was in India, and Jimmy, Rob and Rhys. Each of them played a crucial role, from listening to me moan to directing and stimulating my thoughts in a more positive direction.

At the end of the three days I felt ready to embrace the challenge of possible disappointment and to not let it affect mine, or others, trip. I wish I could tell you it was plain sailing after those three days, but it wasn’t, I had to work hard and I still got frustrated, and annoyed, and disappointed but I think, and I hope others would agree, that on the whole I dealt with these feelings in a more mature, progressive manner that allowed me to get enjoyment even when the outcome wasn’t to my liking.

Yes it was great to send Atresie, and standing on top of the boulder felt tremendous but the reason this climb sticks out in my mind is because of the mental change that I had made.

Atresie at Cuvier Rempart. Video still. Partage – 8A+

I am not sure that this climb needs much introduction; it’s one of the best lines in the forest and probably the world. A tall, proud arête with moves that require a fine balance of power, precision and position. This was another climb that I had tried on previous occasions, both times happened to be at the start of snow fall and so keeping shoes dry was almost impossible leading to slipping and sliding, fumbling and falling and a hastened retreat back to the gite.

A good spell of weather had arrived, in fact there were almost too many good days in a row and in fear of missing out and with the ever-encroaching wetness on the horizon I ended up climbing on all five glorious days! On the fourth day of the five, with already oozing skin, I went to try Partage. After an hour or so I had it all sussed and managed a few good goes from the bottom but my skin was dangerously close to the line of no return, using my new found woosa and self-control I called it a day.

The next day was a funny one, it was our last day before more rain was forecast but I didn’t really know what to do with myself. As the light started to fade I got a sudden itch and with about an hour of daylight left I was back standing beneath Partage. This seemed just about enough time for more carefully spaced attempts or maybe it would just go first time.

I have to say that first go joke almost became reality but mid way through the last hard move my left hand blew off and I hurtled backwards, bound for the only boulder nearby, cat like reflects from my spotter took much of the impact from the fall but I definitely felt it the next day. As the light faded, along with my skin and my muscles, I refined some foot beta and just as the golden evening sun was saying it’s farewell I managed to execute everything as close to perfection as I could and let out a raucous yell of excitation, relief and pure ecstasy at standing on top of that beautiful feature. It was one of those rare goes that from the first move I knew it would end in success!

It was the perfect ending to five days of glorious weather in which I had turned my trip around; day one had been Atresie and day five had been Partage with other great climbs in between. The next few rain days would be a lot different to the previous weekend and that turnaround felt good, I was proud of the work I had put in and this had culminated in climbing a truly wonderful problem that I had struggled with on previous occasions; time for a few beers and an extra burrito at tea!

Partage at Buthiers. Video still. Gecko Assis – 8B/+

This was the one; this was the boulder that I wanted to do more than anything else this trip but I knew very quickly that I wasn’t in the right shape, or at least I thought I knew. These feelings meant that I actually didn’t try the problem until four weeks into my trip; the session, however, ended up being a pleasant surprise. I managed the stand in a few attempts and had quickly done the sit into the stand but with thinning skin and not the best conditions I called it a day; after all I had a month left and if I put all my “eggs” into this boulder I knew I could do it.

Sitting here at home I still know I can do it but this trip just wasn’t the trip for it. I actually only tried it on one other occasion with a similar outcome to the first, I could do the stand and I could climb into the stand from the sit, still positive but not much progress. Then other things got in the way; weather, split tips and a dislocated ankle meant that this would have to wait for my next trip.

I am disappointed to not have done it but I am happy to know that I can do it, and this change in my headspace is really refreshing and actually pretty uplifting. I know I’ll return to Fontainebleau as many times as it takes to climb the Geck as, in my opinion, it’s one of the best problems in the world; a perfect egg shaped boulder, situated in a beautiful part of the forest with a mixture of strength, technique and subtlety required in order to climb it. The holds are non-holds, you can’t brute yourself through, the positions are there but barely and when that all comes together it will be a special feeling!

Snak – 7B/C+

How many of you have heard of this boulder? Even the Font connoisseurs out there, it’s a 7B nestled away between Cuvier and Cuvier Est, probably two minutes walk from the most climbed boulder in the forest, Marie Rose. It’s a perfect example of Fontainebleau bubbles, made for squeezing and mauling and whaling our way up! The reason perhaps why you haven’t heard of it, and the reason I have this boulder in my list, is that it’s a huge sandbag! I have climbed 8B in Fontainebleau faster than this one and for me that is a huge part of what climbing in the forest is all about, getting shut down on stuff you assume you can do. After you get over the initial ego bashing it feels great to get stuck in and suss it all out.

Tom Williams on Snack at Cuvier. Photo by Andy Jennings. Ma Que Bella – 6B+

Another major part of my trip was seeking out hidden gems and areas that were seldom visited by other climbers. For me this solitude in an area is really refreshing, especially when compared to a Saturday at Cuvier, and it makes you realise how much incredible rock there is in the forest. With just a bit of research and work you can spend whole days climbing on wonderful boulders and not see another sole.

Ma Que Bella could be one of the best problems I have ever done and it’s 6B+, making it very accessible to a large number of people and this makes it even cooler in my opinion. The fact that it’s an 8 metre high slab with the crux at the top may reduce it’s appeal but if you like techy slabs and a bit of spice then this should definitely be on your list.

It was a sunny Saturday and I was climbing with a bit of a Fontainebleau mentor to me. I first met him at Isatis about 8 years ago and we have been friends ever since. His climbing style is the complete opposite to mine and over the years I have learnt a lot from him both in Font and on the gritstone. His knowledge of the forest is immense and his patience, support and enthusiasm for others climbing makes days out a real joy.

On this day our roles were slightly reversed as I managed to tech my way to the top first and he had backed off at the point of commitment a few times. I like to think my encouragement, belief, and berating if he hadn’t done it, helped him push on and do the business a few tries later. It was great to see his joy at topping out and his enthusiasm, which has waivered over the past few years, return and with this I hope we will go on to have many more days out on the rock together.

Ma Que Bella at Videlles L’Abbatoir. Video still. Respire – 7C+

I tried this boulder on my first day in Fontainebleau this trip, thinking it would be a nice quick send, maybe even a flash, to get into the swing of things. I then proceeded to try it on my second day, and my sixth day and then again on my last day. Each session was at least an hour long, some closer to two and with that it became the problem I had put the most effort into, not only on this trip, but also on all my trips to Font.

It all revolved around a left heel hook that isn’t that tricky but for some reason I just wouldn’t trust it, and time after time I would back splat onto the mat. I thought that by the last day my movement would be improved and I might just go and wallop it but once again, this wasn’t to be the case.

L’Angle Parfait (7B) at Dame Jouanne had previously been my longest siege in the forest but now Respire takes that title until I discover something else that thwarts my efforts. This boulder really illustrated to me how personal grades can be. When I actually climbed it, it didn’t feel that hard and none of the moves were individually that difficult and yet it took me a long time to put together. Does this mean that it was the hardest problem I did all trip? No, I don’t think it does, at least physically, but maybe because I saw it as something that I should do quickly, I didn’t pay it enough respect and therefore sub-consciously I wasn’t trying as hard as I should. There is a lot to think about there but whatever the case it’s a great problem that I found mentally pretty taxing and finishing it on my last day was a nice cherry on the top!

So there you have it, six boulders that sum up my trip; from hidden gems to sandbags, mental battles to realisation but at the end of the day it’s just another climbing trip and I will go through these trials and tribulations many times more I am sure. Hopefully though I have learnt a little and next time I will be more prepared.

Respire at Cuvier Rempart. Photo Jimmy Webb. On another note I wanted to say something about the forest and the way we climbers behave when we are there. This trip reminded me how good it is to climb in Fontainebleau; the woodland setting, the immaculate rock, the subtle yet powerful climbing and the great patisserie all adds up to make it a very special place and we must remember and treasure this.

My two bugbears from this trip were litter and tick marks.

To be honest I think the litter at most areas is not actually climbers but discarded by the general public but I did pick up a lot of finger tape when walking around, and the number of cigarette butts/ends strewn around is definitely on the increase, these don’t biodegrade so please take them home with you. The most surprising and disappointing things I saw were the number and size of tick marks/donkey lines! I am not saying we shouldn’t use them, I think they are very useful but we must remember to brush them off, rain doesn’t do this for us. Also think about the length required for your tick marks, I saw ones over 2 feet long to a tiny foothold that probably required a cm at the most or a bit of verbal guidance from a friend. Many classic boulders are starting to look like The Dagger in Switzerland and this is not good, both visually but also for climbers reputation. It takes a minute to brush off your ticks so next time you’re at a boulder or even an area, take a look when you leave and if there are some ticks, then brush them off, even if they aren’t yours.

I want to finish by saying a huge thank you to Neil Hart at Maison Bleau for the copious amounts of good food, the beers, the stories, the knowledge and of course a great place to stay. Thanks a lot mate!

Free Hug Assis at Rocher Canon. Photo by Jimmy Webb. Le Passeur Bas at Mont Pivot. Photo by Andy Jennings. L’Angle Imparfait at Le Patouillat. Photo by Andy Jennings. Megaliths at Rocher Saint-Germain. Photo by Jimmy Webb. Vive le Surf at Moulin de Roisneau. Photo by Jimmy Webb.

Source: David Mason

comPiler:
Down Under – The Grampians 2016
2 October 2016, 4:54 pm

We are sat in the van at Castle Hill; it’s raining, and the cloud is low, enveloping the surrounding snow-capped peaks. It’s a spectacular setting to go bouldering, people told us this, but it’s something I would strongly advise seeing yourself; no words, or pictures can do it justice.

So whilst I sip on my tea and listen to the pitter-patter of rain I have time to contemplate the last two months that Mina and I have spent ‘Down Under’. We have wanted to do a trip to Australia and New Zealand for the last 3 years but never quite got round to it but finally July 12th 2016 arrived and we were off. This would be the second longest trip that we had been on together, just surpassed by a 3-month road trip around the States in 2012. This length of trip sounds great, and it is, but there are definitely positives and negatives to being away from home for this long. On the positive side it gives you time; time to explore, time to really get to know an area and the people that call it home and enough time to not get too stressed about climbing those all important rock climbs. On the down side I think that after 4-6 weeks we/I start to lose our/my edge, not only physically but also mentally. On paper going climbing everyday sounds brilliant but it’s hard to maintain motivation to push yourself all the time. I have found this more on this trip than ever before; at first I tried to fight it, to push through but this lead to frustration and disappointment, in the end I just accepted this fluctuating motivation and did what made me happy on a day-to-day basis.

Red Mist (V12), The Bleachers. So, lets start at the beginning, after all is there a better place to begin?! The Grampians have always been on my list of places to visit, mainly due to the fact that it is home to Klem Loskot’s Ammagamma (V13); since the first time I saw footage of it I knew I wanted to, no, had to climb it at some point in my life. I have this lifetime tick list of boulders in my head, that obviously gets added to but Ammagamma was one of the original problems on the list, along with others like Karma, The Ace, Black Lung and Vecchia Leone. So, on our second day in the Grampians, Mina and I traipsed up the steep hill into the low lying cloud and howling wind to get a glimpse of the Holy Grail of Northern Grampians bouldering. Sadly it was wet but my taste buds had been tantalised; it was lower than I had expected but much steeper, the holds were bigger but so were the moves, I was excited with anticipation of getting to try it at some point within our trip.

Unfortunately it was another two weeks before I managed to get back up there as the low cloud clung to the hillside and left Ammagamma invisible to the eye. Instead I proceeded to do some mileage and get used to the rock and style of climbing in the area. The rock in the Grampians is incredibly diverse; from the spider web rock at Mount Fox, to the almost grit-like areas around Halls Gap to the Rocklands style quartzite of the Northern areas. And then there is the smooth, bullet hard rock of Araplies too! I was blown away by the variety and I really think it is the area’s biggest boast. On the down side I was slightly disappointed with the depth in quality across the grades in most areas, for me personally I saw very few boulders below V10/7C+, not including the Halls Gap areas, that I wanted to climb. This meant that the mileage part of the trip was over pretty quickly, not a bad thing as it forced me to get involved with projecting, which is something that I often struggle with when visiting a new area.

Parallel Lines (V11), Project Wall. The Outsider (V11), Mount Fox. Photo: Mina Leslie-Wujastyk. So what was on the list project wise? Well there was a lot but the big three boulders I wanted to climb were, as mentioned above, Ammagamma, Cherry Picking (V13) and On the Beach (V13). Each problem, in my eyes, is world class: the history of Ammagamma, the situation of Cherry Picking and the movement of On the Beach.

Due to the poor weather during the first two weeks On the Beach was the first to be erased from my list; it pretty much stays dry in all conditions meaning I could try it when everything else was piss wet. The movement on this problem really is very good, maybe even the full package and it sits in pride of place amongst the Trackside boulders and below the mighty Taipan Wall. The day I topped out I didn’t think it was possible; after being at Araplies all morning and into the early afternoon we arrived at the problem only to find it damper than I had seen it before. A temperature spike and no wind had meant condensation had formed on the rock overnight and not really shifted. I was frustrated as two days earlier I had done the climb in two halves and knew I just needed some good conditions. Sadly today wasn’t to be the day but I pushed on regardless and I am glad I did. After an hour or two of frustration and poor attempts I figured out some crucial beta; a way of holding the crux hold and the body position required to release my toe hooks from the back and campus in to match. A little later just before the sun disappeared for the day I topped out this brilliant boulder with a smile on my face and an apology to Mina for being a grump earlier in the session.

On the Beach (V13), Trackside Boulders. Screen shot: Ed Giles. July moved into August and with this the weather took a turn for the better; the cloud I had come to associate with the Grampians had lifted and I don’t think we saw a drop of rain for at least a week! It was time to commence the slog up to Citadel to try Ammagamma. This problem really comes down to one move: a big throw off a painful pocket to a glorious right hand slopey rail. The two start moves make the throw a little trickier and the end is V8, so if you know what you’re doing you probably should be ok. Famous last words! I managed to drop after the big move three times!! Frustrated? Yes but also pleased that I knew I could do this fabled boulder problem. And sure enough on my second go next session I managed to stick the big move, and this time not mess about. I had imagined climbing this problem so many times over the years that standing atop felt quite surreal. I didn’t whoop or yell to begin with, I just enjoyed silent contemplation whilst a grin spread, slowly, across my face and then I whooped, I think!

Ammagamma (V13), Citadel. Screen shot: Ed Giles. And so there was one, probably the finest one to be honest. Situated at Buandik overlooking a beautiful waterfall Cherry Picking is about as perfect as a boulder problem can be. Six moves in total, well actually more but after those six dropping it would be almost impossible, a perfect starting jug at head height and a last move crux followed by a juggy romp to the top of this huge lump of rock. The climbing is powerful and dynamic and I knew it would suit me well. I actually had a brief play on it in my first week with an American friend but I could barely hold on, as my skin was so sore and sweaty. Two weeks later I slogged up the steep hill hoping that it would be ok to try on my own. After a tentative first go I got through to last move seven times in that session, never quite managing to latch the final hold. A few days later and this time with Mina in tow I was back under the boulder. Conditions were nowhere near what they had been on my last session but I still felt positive I’d get it done. I had watched a few videos and noticed that most people were jumping off a different foothold for the crux move. I had lay in bed at night going over and over this move and I knew that I could latch it, in fact I had visualised it so many times that I felt I had practically done it! However I managed to get to the last move a further three times with still no success, it felt closer with this different foothold but my falls were wilder, and my left heel was starting to hurt from hitting the slab as I landed. It then decided to rain! Luckily not for long but the water started to make it’s way down the crack lines and onto the face of the problem. The jug romp being wet would be fine but not the section below. I impatiently decided to have a go before it got any wetter, and once again I was at the final move preparing to plummet down onto the slab, only this time I managed to stick the move with my front two fingers and control a vicious swing with a good donkey kick of the wall, readjust the hold and enjoy a wet jug romp to the top!

Cherry Picking (V13), Buandik. The big three were done! And all in a two-week period!

After completing my main objectives for the trip I definitely started to struggle with motivation to try hard boulders. I had fallen off the last move of Mana (V13) twice but couldn’t summon the umph to go and try it again, as it hurt my skin and the wall basks in the sun all day long. One problem that I did manage to try just hard enough on was The Last Resort at Mount Fox. This was originally given V12 and I thought it looked like it would suit my style of climbing; I managed to fall off the last move on my flash and proceeded to fall there for another 4 sessions, can you see a pattern occurring here?! When I did finally stick the move from the bottom it was relief rather than elation that coursed through me; it was definitely time to leave the harder climbing and just enjoy myself for the last two weeks. The Last Resort was by far the hardest boulder I climbed whilst in Australia and after speaking to others I think V13 is probably more realistic.

The Last Resort (V13), Mount Fox. So the last few weeks turned into just going out and doing as much or as little as I wished to each day. The areas around Halls Gap are perfect for this and I think they contain the better easier problems in the Grampians. The rock has similar features to Fontainebleau or the South East in the States but with a bit more texture, almost like gritstone. We’d meet up for coffee in the morning and then head out to play on the boulders, in fact it was probably the most relaxed few weeks I have ever had on a climbing trip and I really enjoyed it.

I also reacquainted myself with going high on the brilliant Eagles Nest (V8), Obelisk (V6) and White Shadow (E6 6B). The latter of these is probably one of the best lines in the Grampians; a perfect 12 metre arête that sits above Bellfield Lake near Halls Gap. For those gritstone aficionados amongst you imagine End of the Affair but much better!

Korean Jesus (V5), The Bleachers. Obelisk (V6), Halls Gap. Photo: Mina Leslie-Wujastyk. White Shadow (E6 6B), The Bleachers. Photo: Simon Weill. Eagles Nest (V8), Northern Grampians. Photo: Mina Leslie-Wujastyk. And that brings the Australia part of our trip to an end, except for a few days spent in Melbourne and on the Peninsula indulging in food, food and more food!

I know over the last few years there has been some mixed reviews on the bouldering in the Grampians and I can see why. My first impressions actually weren’t great; yes there are some world-class boulder problems but I think overall there is a lack of quality throughout the grade range making it not nearly as good for those climbers who operate below V10. However the longer I spent there and the more exploring I did I started to see many more positives. The variety of rock in such a small area makes for interesting and varied climbing and there is potential for so much more to be developed but most of all the people we met and the enthusiasm they had for the area and showing you what it had to offer was motivating and infectious. A big thanks to Damo, Simon, Cliff, Chook and Nat.

Source: David Mason

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