Over the long weekend I was lucky enough to get some time away in the Grampians, this time with the family in tow. The weather forecast said 35+ for all three days so we opted to stay in the Mt Zero Log Cabins which was definitely worth the money! Aircon, cold drinks, a real bed, showers and a pool made all the difference!
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| Our humble abode for the weekend... |
Early Saturday morning Troy rocked up to my place and we set about packing the cars and organising Xavier - note to self: take the day off work before any long weekend away with 7 month old child! Baby carriers, bottles, mashed vegies, toys and nappy bag all thankfully made their way into the car and we were off, with a stop in Ararat for McDonalds breakfast, shopping and some weet-bix for Xav.
We got to Hollow Mountain Car Park about 9:30am, saddled up and headed up to Andersens - the guys were working on Minute Man (V3).. Whilst not a 'hard' problem it is high, with big long moves between jugs for 2/3rds of the problem, then a balancey top out with non-obvious holds. We had all tried the problem on previous trips, but this time we had lots of pads, lots of spotters and lots of psych!
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| Bit of weight training for the walk in... |
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| Ben going for the crux edge... |
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| Mark on Minute Man - has to dyno to each hold! |
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| Rich doing the 'Gargoyle' after sending Minute Man... |
Rich sent the problem shortly after I arrived, and I managed to send it first shot as a warm up! So stoked! New plan - do everything first shot! haha Ben and Troy also managed to tick it, with Mark giving it several good burns before admitting defeat for now...
We then headed down into the main area of Andersens where Tash got to work on ticking her project, the classic highball Sydney Highrise (V3)
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| Through the hard part.. Much easier if you are taller than Tash! |
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| Happy days! After a break, we set to working on Illiad (V4) another problem making up the Bachelor of the Grampians (Ben and Troy's goal for the trip)... Its a steep boulder with poor feet at the start and involves slapping around both sides of a prow and then climbing around the nose... I had done it before and managed to repeat it within a couple of attempts. Troy also managed to drag his ass (not very far) off the ground and do it as well! Rich was working on on a nearby V5, Master Bates, which is well hard (especially in 35 degree heat)... The crux involves a heinous match with shit feet.. I tried it a couple of times and got no where. Rich came VERY close to getting the tick, but the sun and lack of skin forced him off it. In the afternoon, we headed over to the Font Boulder where I repeated White Destiny (V5) after getting all pissed off at the start... Rich repeated it soon after, with the others giving it a few good lashes but coming off at the sloper crux top out. I almost managed Out of the Bleau (V5) but skin and heat meant no go! To finish off I ran up Pinche and the Brain, a rad V4 on the arete. It's only a couple of moves before it backs off but still awesome none the less! Troy ticked it as well as Rich, and Benny pulled off the flash! DAY 2 was up to Loopey's and Echoes Block... Ben and Troy kept talking about 'The List' and had Fashion (V3) and Old Henry's Fun Climb (V4) in their sights. Without a baby to organise, they got their first, and Troy, Ben and Rich quickly ticked off Fashion. I arrived shortly after and warmed up on Fashion and Passion (V4) before we headed down to Old Henry's Fun Climb... This is another super classic and if you have a couple of pads you should definitely try it! The first move with a dynamic move up to a ledge with pretty crappy feet, but once you are there the moves are pretty straightforward - just need some aim eh Troy and Ben? ;) Ben eventually ticked it with shouts of 'suck my dick' or something else along those lines... Rich was the first to tick it, with me doing it immediately after (noticing a trend here?) and lastly Benny - Troy was SO close as well and I know he will do it next time. |
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| Benny on Old Henry's Fun Climb (V4) |
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| Troy crushing on Fashion (V3) |
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| Troy on Dra Dri (V3) |
Jimmy S managed to send Mary, the worlds hardest V2 - that thing is nails!
Afterwards we wanted to show the guys some of the other cool boulders at Campground so we headed up to the Gourmet Cats boulder. Rich had managed to tick Connection (V6), which is a sweet little dyno/jump off some mingin' crimps. Troy managed to tick it next with possibly the worlds ugliest sequence, and I did it next shot after him with a few more style points ;) Super cool!
Doing this problem made me feel a little more confident about my chances on Gourmet Cats (V8) which is next to this problem - its just a lot more sharper and steeper!
DAY 3 saw us trek off to Trackside - this is one of those areas that I never really go to as a destination, its somewhere I kinda go on the way to somewhere else. It's a shame really because it is such a cool area.
Like everyone we started off at the Amazing Boulder, warming up on the imaginatively named V2 Sit... After that, we hit up the slopey classic Paranoic Critical Town (V3) and the burly Wiggly Boy (V3). Rich and I toyed with the idea of Sick Nutter (V5 my ass) before realising that it was definitely not going to happen today. We set to work on sorting out the sequence for Media Construct (V6) a long slopey (and somewhat contrived) traverse which finishes up Paranoic Critical Town. In the end Rich, Ben, Troy and I all managed to tick it!
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| Troy on Media Construct (V6) |
Rich also managed to scrub the sand out and send Surfing without a Mouse (V3) a route-without-a-rope which I missed seeing as I was tending to an unhappy son!
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| Xav snoozing under Cardigan Street (V7) |
After that, we had grand plans of finding other boulders but motivation and skin was running low. Rich and I scoped the Westwood Boulder and both agreed we were coming back! I was really excited to see this boulder - cool lines, in my style and weighing in at V9, V8, V4 and V8. Whilst I will need to train for these I know they are well within my abilities!
On the way out we decided to check out Epsilon Crack (V5) at Epsilon Wall.. It was wet last time we were here, but thankfully it was in prime condition! I'm so glad we stopped here as this is one of the best V5s I think I have ever done. I got it second shot and repeated it again it was so rad! Rich wouldn't let me take all the glory so kept throwing himself at it over and over until he got it as well! Troy came super close (just a timing issue!) and Benny was look solid til he did his hammy! Ouch!
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| Starting moves on Epsilon Crack - get the heel in deeeeeeep! |
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| Heel hook plus undercling crimp = solid! |
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| Alley oop! |
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| Swingin for the crowds |
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| Finising jug! |
Peace out,
Jimbo
Tick List:
Connection V6
Media Construct V6
Klapusterperle V6 (Repeat)
Epsilon Crack V5
White Destiny V5 (Repeat)
The Claw V5 (Repeat)
Old Henry's Fun Climb V4
Pinche and the Brain V4 (Repeat)
Illiad V4 (Repeat)
Passion V4 (Repeat)
Minute Man V3
Wiggly Boy V3 (Repeat)
Paranoic Critical Town V3 (Repeat)
Fashion V3 (Repeat)
Dra Dri V3 (Repeat)
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