Vertical Life #31

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#31

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AU/NZ

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SUMMER 2019

RRP AU$15

LIFE SUMMER 2019 #31 • AU/NZ

VERTICAL LIFE

VERTICAL

DEFY THE PAST WEAR THE FUTURE

HILAREE NELSON, LHOTSE

PHOTO: KALISZ

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VERTICAL LIFE

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SUMMER 2019 VERTICAL LIFE IS PUBLISHED QUARTERLY Winter / Spring / Summer / Autumn Editors Simon Madden - simon@adventuretypes.com Ross Taylor - ross@adventuretypes.com Associate Editor - Chris Ord Design - Jess van de Vlierd - jess.vlierd@gmail.com Advertising - Paul Segneri - paul@adventureentertainment.com +61 (0)407 715 173 Subscriptions - www.wildtrail.shop - 0458 296 916 Senior Contributors - Duncan Brown, Amanda Watts, Kamil Sustiak, Denby Weller Contributing Writers - Keith Bell, Andy Boorman, Ian Boorman, Simon Bischoff, George Broadfoot, Ian Brown, Vicky Chen, Charlie Creese, Chris Dewhirst, Campbell Harrison, Emma Horan, Judy Law, Matt Ray, Zalika Rizmal, Glenn Robbins, Dick Smith, Lee Smith, Chris Zaia Photography - Simon Shim Sham Bischelboff, Lusse Cloutier, Lee Cossey, Tara Davidson, Jack Folkes, Jose Matute Hernรกndez, Kim Carrigan Collection, Lucas De Jesus Martin, Simon Madden, Nathan George Creative, Nowra Crag Care collection, Matt Ray, Reg Williams collection, Glenn Robbins, Gary Steer, Katherine Tattersall, Denby Weller Publisher - Adventure Entertainment Cover Image - Alex Hartshorne on The Hour Glass (30), The Gonk, Freycinet. Simon Bischoff Credits Image - George Broadfoot biting down on Wheel of Cheese (30), Cheesedale, Nowra. Jack Folkes Contents image - Lee Cossey fit to burst attempting one of his projects on the Newnes Plateau, Blue Mountains. Kamil Sustiak

Disclaimer Rockclimbing and other activities described in this magazine can carry significant risk of injury or death. Undertake outdoor activity only with proper instruction, supervision, equipment and training. The publisher and its servants and agents have taken all reasonable care to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication and the expertise of its writers. Any reader attempting any of the activities described in this publication does so at their own risk. The publisher nor its servants or agents will be held liable for any loss, injury or damage resulting from any attempt to perform any of the activities described in this publication. All descriptive and visual directions are a general guide only and not to be used as a sole source of information. Climb safe

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CONTENTS 10. EDITORIAL HIJACKED 12. PREFERRED STOCKISTS WE LOVE YOUSE ALL 16. FEATURE SIMON BISCHOFF ON TASMANIAN PILLARS 28. FEATURE MATT RAY ON RYAN SKLENICA 38. PHOTOGRAPHY KAMIL SUSTIAK SHOOTS LEE AND ANGIE 42. FEATURE ROSS TAYLOR ON GRADE 31 52. FEATURE SIMON MADDEN ON FUTURE HOPE 58. CRAG PROFILE GEORGE BROADFOOT ON CHEESEDALE 62. FEATURE GEORGE BROADFOOT ON STEWARDSHIP 64. FEATURE VICKY CHEN ON CLIMBAID 72. FEATURE EMMA HORAN ON SETTING BUSINESS 78. NUTRITION AMANDA WATTS ON BODY IMAGE 80. COLUMN DENBY WELLER ON UNITY 82. ROAD TO TOKYO CAMPBELL HARRISON 84. GYM RATS CHRIS ZAIA 86. TRAINING DUNCAN BROWN ON STRONG VS GOOD 88. GEAR TEST LOVE IT OR SHOVE IT 90. NEW GEAR WORSHIP THE GODS OF CONSUMPTION 92. OBITUARY ANDY POLLITT 94. OBITUARY JOHN MOORE 96. OBITUARY JOHN WORRALL 98. PRECIOUS OBJECT ZALIKA RIZMAL’S GRAMPS GUIDE

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E D I T O R S ’

N O T E

HIJACKED

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The Victorian Climbing Discussion Forum – the main hub of online discussion of Grampians/Gariwerd access – has been subject to hijacking.

There has been a lot of heat on the forum recently, not only due to the playing out of internal ructions in the newly-formed Australian Climbing Association Victoria (ACAV), with the committee attempting to remove the president in a move that is, depending on your perspective, either totally justified or totally unjustified.

The Victorian Climbing Discussion Forum, formerly the ‘ACAV Discussion Forum’ (its name was changed as some within the ACAV thought the conversation there might reflect badly on the ACAV), has at times seemed to have been manipulated by those more interested in waging culture wars than speaking about climbing access.

Amongst the worst posts was one about a controversial book, Bitter Harvest, an attempted rebuttal of Bruce Pascoe’s book of the moment, Dark Emu, which itself outlines previously unrecognised evidence of sophisticated Indigneous agriculture and aquaculture. This post generated hundreds of comments, though it has since been deleted. Amongst the wider Australian community the usual-culture-warrior-suspects such as Andrew Bolt have rushed to try to discredit Dark Emu. Back in the Victorian Climbing Discussion Forum some of the replies to the original post took a free-speech standpoint that both sides of the argument needed to be listened to, others called it out as racist drivel, some voiced concerns about the relationship that commenters had to the climbing community, and some even tried to engage with the post in good faith as if it were a legitimate discussion prompt.

What happened was that anti–Dark Emu post set the forum’s agenda for several days, legitimate responses to it feted the topic as one that was worthy of discussion and its ideas led the conversation.

Well may you ask what this has to do with climbing, is this the kind of discussion the forum should be hosting? Does this provide the framework required for the nurturing of a productive and trusting relationship with Traditional Owners? Is the original poster a rock climber? None of it seems particularly helpful.

Though the most egregious, this is not the only post that appears to have been made by people trying to hijack the climbing conversation to push a wider agenda. Groups opposed to any national parks at all have been active in the forum, trolling, searching for the like-minded and stirring the pot.

Social media is an odd space, often not at all representative in terms of participation despite its early promises of delivering a Habermasian paradise, especially when it comes to contentious or difficult ideas and topics where the loud and the lurid often dominate. Moderate people can be wary of participating for fear of having the legitimate process of them working through their position visible to the public eye, others are jaded by the dominance of extreme opinions and drop out, some fear standing against the ‘majority’ but the result is that there can often be a dearth of moderate or contrary voices in a conversation.

The cultural warriors and trolls seem to have received a backlash that has brought more climbers into the conversation. Who gets to speak for, and in, a community is always fraught. It is possible that climbing would benefit from the perspectives of outsiders who might interject with new ideas, fresh ways of seeing, and who could potentially derail circular arguments. That said, there are legitimate questions to be asked of who is commenting on climbing fora and what their agenda is. We’re by no means at a point where things are sorted out, but perhaps they are sorting out; it’s just a messy business when you’re attempting to make a sausage with so many ingredients and everyone can see the sausage being made.

We’ve said this before, but we’ll say it again, it’s important to remember that most of us who are actually climbers want the same thing: to climb in the place we love in a way that respects the environmental and cultural values of the Grampians/ Gariwerd. There are different strategies to make this a reality, and the differences in those strategies do matter, but it’s important to be patient, to listen, to not get too hot-headed, and to remember this may take some time. Don’t be goaded by trolls and fools.

Speak up respectfully if you have an opinion or a question.

One of our all-time favourite quotes about Australian climbing is from Ben Sandilands (and, coincidentally, comes from the back of the first edition of Grampians Selected Climbing), ‘Australian climbing always seems delightfully unserious, except for those moments when I think I’m about to fall off.’ Australian climbing has pretty much always been ‘delightfully unserious’, in part because it’s easy to be cohesive when you’re able to quietly go about your sport untroubled by bureaucracy and rules, when friendships and associations cost you nothing to maintain. At this moment we are collectively ‘about to fall off’ and it’s all become deadly serious, but let’s not take the plummet because we’re distracted by the hecklers.

Simon Madden & Ross Taylor 11

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THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE SIMON BISCHOFF GOES TO SEA AND HOPES IT DOESN’T GO TO SHIT

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Danger Darren had bought another boat. His previous one sank off a lonely beach on the northern tip of Flinders Island. Danger, Dave Globull and Duncan Meerding had made a dash across the strait under a full moon that illuminated a chaotic sea. The three Ds made it through the night, but all the rattlesnake charm in the universe couldn’t save the boat. Battered and bruised it began taking on water just past Killiecrankie Bay. Fortunately for them, unlike Captain Hamilton and his crew of Bengali sailors who in the 18th century were shipwrecked nearby on Preservation Island, the three Ds did not have to row to the coast of Victoria and walk 800km to what would become Sydney in order to survive.

In terms of Tassie’s pillars, climbers had been picking the low hanging fruit. But there was a pillar off Bruny Island that I knew was unclimbed, the Fickle Finger. It lacked the majesty of the well known pillars of Tasmania, but it wasn’t majesty that we were after. I’d seen the Fickle Finger on a Pennicott boat tours promotional video on the giant screen at Hobart International Airport. It’s hard to not watch the ad endlessly repeating whilst you’re waiting for your luggage to be spat out. The whole scene made me misanthropic enough to want to jump off a bridge, or scale a crumbling sea stack.

Left: Paddle for your lives! Seaman Danger on the oar. Simon Bischoff

We put Danger's boat in from Kettering and headed off in the early morning light, speeding across the bay, passing small fishing boats and the early birds. After 45 minutes or so we came around the cove and spied the pillar live for the first time. The climbing looked quite good, but as far as pillars go, it was definitely the last slice of the loaf. The seaward side of the finger’s base had been eaten away by the ocean, leaving the finger of rock teetering precariously. I remembered Darren’s sales pitch words from years before, ‘Adventures in a teacup’, and thought we had better climb it before the thing falls over.

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Simon stands atop the Fickle Finger, which fortunately did not fall down. Katherine Tattersall

‘THE WHOLE SCENE MADE ME MISANTHROPIC ENOUGH TO WANT TO JUMP OFF A BRIDGE, OR SCALE A CRUMBLING SEA STACK.’

Daz killed the engine and a calm fell over the amphitheatre.

I felt satisfied but nervous, like a kangaroo in a crowd of pickpockets. We pumped up the Zodiac and threw it in the water. It was all happening fast. Fast is good. Fast so you don’t think about the stupid thing that you’re about to do. We left Daz’s lady-friend Kat to mind the boat and paddled towards the pillar.

The water was calm, Daz had picked the best day. It was no drama getting out of the inflatable and onto the rock platform below the pillar. There we were. Feeling smug, I racked up.

In the meantime, Kat was in the tinny, which was slowly drifting towards the rocky shore. Darren yelled, ‘Turn the engine back on! Turn the boat away from the cliffs!’ Like anyone actually knew how to turn Daz’s jury-rigged motor on.

The swell picked up and within moments the boat was perilously close to the rocks. Things were escalating.

‘Turn the fucking engine on!’ Daz was now shrieking.

Poor Kat. She looked like someone who had suddenly simultaneously realised they were somehow following Sanni McCandless on Instagram at the same time as a planet-killing meteor was bearing down on them.

‘Throw the anchor in!’ Daz was now frantic.

Daz grabbed the inflatable, tossed it off the two-metre rock platform into the ocean and threw his body after it. It was the

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most surprisingly and majestic thing I’d ever seen; a donkey shot out of a cannon, landing on all hoofs and casually pouring itself a martini. Daz reached the tinny, turned it on, steered away from the rocks and dropped the anchor – like he should have done in the first place.

Back on the rock platform the lower half of the pillar was wonderful, water-washed, shapely dolerite. My smugness, however, melted like a Weetbix in warm milk as halfway up the rock turned into the worst kind of rubble. Trying impossibly to not pull on anything, I leaned in, standing light-but-hard on my feet with my arms outstretched, cheek pressed against the wall, tossing huge blocks into the swell below. By the time I reached the summit of uninspiring, expanding blocks, I’d run out of superlatives to describe the choss. I plugged some utterly worthless cams in and body-belayed Daz to the summit, hoping that he didn’t pull me off or that we didn’t pull the whole thing over.

‘This is fucking suicide,' said Daz, awkwardly trying to keep his centre of gravity low.

Oddly it didn’t seem that bad to me, though with us now both weighting the tip of this cracked finger I started wondering how many times it had been struck by lightning.

‘Yeah… you’re right actually, this is fucking dodgy.’ We simulrapped off, paddled back to the boat, named the route after a friend, and were on our way back to Kettering before lunch.

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‘IT WAS SIMILAR TO A NINJA WARRIOR COURSE, EXCEPT THAT IF YOU MESSED UP THE TIMING YOU DIDN’T GET A POOL-SIDE INTERVIEW WITH FREDDIE FLINTOFF YOU GOT DRAGGED ACROSS BARNACLE-COVERED ROCKS AND WASHED INTO THE SOUTHERN OCEAN TO BE EATEN BY SHARKS OR STRANGLED BY KELP.’ ‘Black care rarely sits behind a rider whose pace is fast enough,’ said Teddy Roosevelt. Teddy was describing the condition in which some people keep busy to stay out of their heads, and finding the last unclimbed pillars, no matter how worthless they might prove, is a great occupation. Although a couple of the ones Darren went on to find were borderline chodes, Google Earth did reveal one hot lead; a stumpy shadow cast across turbulent whitewater on the southern tip of Tasman Island.

Before long we were back in Darren’s boat. This time with Liz Oh, Dean Rollins and Squib Cubbon, we motored out to Tasman Island in the standard big chop. Our objective – another pathetically small pillar perched flaccidly on a detached sea-stack called The Monkeys.

The southern swell barrelled in, breaking heavily over the stack, washing away any hopes we had of ascending it. On our way to the more-sheltered eastern cliffs we scouted where we had seen the shadow pillar on Google but found nothing; nothing freestanding anyway. Just a fortress of austere dolerite. Disappointed, we motored on, rising and falling with the swell and looking back at the cliffs, when suddenly, revealed by parallax, a chasm between the main cliff and what really was a massive free-standing pillar, parted from Tasman Island by only a few metres. Something to come back for on a calmer day! We landed on the sheltered northern side where Liz, Darren and Squib climbed a beautiful sandy corner. I stayed in the boat taking photos and coughing up an expensive curry pasty.

On the following trip the goal was our Shadowy Pillar, which Darren had dubbed The Needle because of the obvious thread that went through the entire top half. We headed out from Fortescue Bay and somewhere between Cape Hauy and Cape Pillar the engine died.

‘Has anyone got a paper clip?’ asked Darren as we bobbed about in the open water.

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Someone did. A few pokes of the paperclip later and the engine was again putting away happily. We motored past Cathedral Rock and Cape Pillar and eventually pulled into the zawn on the southside of Tasman Island. The zawn is capped by a 200m cliff that forms a great crown around the Island, and in that place everything was in flux, even the rock seemed to be moving.

Before we began preparations to land we paused in reverence.

The wintery sun had long fallen behind the Island. Looking at the cliffline where we were to land and farther on out to sea, you could see the sets looming on the horizon. They swept along our landing platform and terminated in a boiling mess at the zawn.

Daz and I inflated the Zodiac. He’d found it one day on the side of the road in Canada and at four feet long it was just big enough for two. It was awkward in the tinny, so we threw the Zodiac overboard and climbed in timorously, paddles in hand, ignoring the shrieking voices of reason inside our heads.

Wearing life jackets and under heavy backpacks we began paddling towards our landing point 60m away. The only problem was that when the sets came in the water level could drop five metres in an instant. And then every few sets an enormous wave would come through and wipe out the entire platform altogether. It felt extremely naughty. Like a bank robbery.

Using a lot of energy to keep the Zodiac orientated in the right direction, we stopped 20m off the rocks. We missed a couple of lulls, getting pushed around like a rudderless bath apple.

Finally we seized a break and paddled hard into the shelf. Darren, always surprisingly nimble, jumped out of the boat and mantled onto the slippery ledge. Now alone in the inflatable I got sucked down in the wash of a passing surge and as the Zodiac came back up I stood and grabbed the wet jug below the shelf, tossed the paddles up to Darren and, as the Zodiac dropped out beneath me, dragged myself onto the ledge, using more knees than class.

Liz Oh, clapped on by the smashing sea, climbs an unnamed new route on Tasman Island. Simon Bischoff

Danger Darren; a sound captain is the backbone any good vessal. Simon Bischoff

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‘SUDDENLY DARREN WAS HANGING IN HIS UNDERPANTS, FIVE METRES ABOVE THE WATER WHEN THE TAG LINE WENT TIGHT.'

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We had to get off this ledge to higher ground straight away.

Together we hauled the Zodiac up by the tagline and legged it up to a small ledge where an aggressive seal was brooding. He turned out to be all teeth and let us share the ledge just as the mother of all waves came down upon us, engulfing the platform. My heart was beating through my chest.

We still had to traverse 50m of rock shelf that was being overrun by water every few minutes. It was similar to a Ninja Warrior course, except that if you messed up the timing you didn’t get a pool-side interview with Freddie Flintoff, you got dragged across barnacle-covered rocks and washed into the Southern Ocean to be eaten by sharks or strangled by kelp. Still catching my breath I watched another huge set come through and wipe out the rock shelf yet again. It wasn’t as warm under the wing of this dragon as I’d hoped.

We might have been able to traverse over to our pillar, but if the swell kept picking up, we may never have been able to make it off this platform. This was definitely the most unnecessarily dangerous thing I’d ever done.

‘Sorry dude, but we gotta go. We can’t stay here,’ said Daz. Mate, I couldn’t agree more. It often strikes me that Danger Darren is a total misnomer. Risk-averse Darren is more accurate but far less catchy.

We dragged the Zodiac down to the shelf and reversed our landing.

Both jumping in the water. Time to go home.

On our next attempt the swell was looking good. The kind of calm that comes once or twice a year, but we didn’t even make it out of Hobart. Before dawn we went to pick up our driver but he wasn’t in his bed. He’d been partying the night before and ended up in some poor girl’s bed. Driverless, we went to the bakery and picked up a couple of almond croissants, smoked a rollie and sat in the gutter as the sun came up over North Hobart.

It was the middle of winter when we found ourselves in the rubber ducky below those bleak cliffs again. Awkwardly paddling to the side of the rock shelf, the ocean pulling us every way we didn’t want to go. The shelf was too high to climb so we waited for a wave to come through and push us up. Looking down the cliffs and watching the rolling ocean build again, I wanted to be anywhere else. But on cue the swell lifted us up with nauseating power and 26

Darren jumped out carrying the tag line. Both hands holding the lip of the shelf. The swell thundered past and sucked the boat back down. ‘Oh fuck.’ Suddenly Darren was hanging in his underpants, five metres above the water when the tag line went tight. So exhausted from the paddling and weighed down not only by pack and life jacket but by his proclivity for snacking, he couldn't mantle onto the shelf, proving that Yuval Noah Harari is right and in the 21st century sugar truly is more dangerous than gunpowder. With a big set coming in and no time to waste, his only option was to let go and drop into the black water. Daz peeled off and plunged in the water as I thrashed the Zodiac over to him. He beached his arms over the side but without the strength to pull himself in, I had to haul him up and into the boat, now with half a foot of water in it.

I handed the bedrizzled Daz his paddle. ‘Lets get the fuck out of here!’ I couldn’t wipe the grin off my face.

We dried off in the tinny and decided to have another go before I started to get queasy again. By now we were getting the knack of it and somehow Darren having a dip and not dying had taken the edge off it all. This time we flawlessly executed the landing and were standing on the rock shelf again. We tied the boat off as high as we could next to Mr Angry Seal, but before we could run the gauntlet to the pillar Daz noticed a faint hissing sound coming from the Zodiac. A barnacle shard had punctured one side. ‘Don’t pull it out!’ said Daz. Clearly this was not ideal but perhaps if we climbed the pinnacle fast enough we’d have enough air to make it back to the tinny.

The traverse proved to have a few tricky sections, which resulted in us running back to safer ground and regrouping a couple of times, though we got further across on each attempt until we were at the base of pillar. The climbing looked straight forward and the crux was well behind us now.

I had led off on the Fickle Finger so this was Daz’s lead. Damp and salty, still pumping with adrenaline, I huddled in a sheltered corner, cross-eyed from keeping one eye on the thumping ocean and one eye on Daz. He picked his way skillfully up the line of least resistance, stemming through the eye of the needle to a ledge below the summit, I followed and we swung leads. I topped out and what a fantastic feeling it was, looking down to the water 35m below, rumbling and boiling, patiently eating its way into the island.

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OUT OF HADES MATT RAY ON TASSIE'S RYAN SKLENICA

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Ryan is climbing into the national spotlight, here he shines on Astro Boy (30), the Star Factory, Tasmania. All photos by Matt Ray 29

Summer in Tasmania – a place for those of us from the mainland who aren’t too keen on slapping sweaty slopers on Taipan Wall. Me and a ragtag group of Geelong bums hit the high seas to venture south. Our first stop was Fortescue Bay and the Totem Pole, but not before a quick trip out to the Paradiso. Along with being amazed by the punchy swell, the crew started flapping around on some of the crag classics. We kept on doodling when in walked some locals. I spotted a familiar face, Roxy Perry, I knew of her from the Lead Nationals a few years back. She knew some of the Geelong crew and joined the conversation. There was a kid behind her, a thin kid who looked a bit distant, like he didn’t care for the crag-side conversation. I just thought he was along for the ride while Roxy sent something crazy-hard. I forgot this kid was Tasmanian.

It was a funny moment when I turned to one of my mates as he said, ‘Oi, you should get a shot of this, this guy is about to go for an onsight of Total Recall.’ Total Recall is a steep sort of rooflet thing, graded 27. Everyone at the crag stopped to watch and I was happy snapping away. He moved from ‘draw to ‘draw, confidently placing his hands on some not-so-great-looking features. Before we knew it, he was at the second last draw and then had sent the route.

Not one peep the entire climb, not one Ondra scream, squeak, groan or grunt. I felt like my own climbing had improved just from witnessing his ascent. The kid’s name was Ryan Sklenica and at the ripe age of 18, he is one strong youth.

Born in December of 2000 and totally focused on climbing, it’s sometimes hard to tell If he is young and shy or just lost in thoughts about his climbing beta. We travelled together a few times whilst I was in Tassie and sometimes our car rides could be a bit quiet, however, at the end of the day he and his family would always invite me into their home and feed me a heart-warming meal as we evaluated that day’s photographs and watched some climbing on YouTube before I slinked off back to my van.

Despite his success on Total Recall, Ryan claims his biggest challenge is onsighting. ‘I tend to get anxious, nervous, if I know I want to onsight a hard climb.’ The Free Route (25) on the Totem Pole is one example of a mental battle Ryan faced. Having onsighted many other grade-25 routes, he knew he was capable of getting it done, however, The Free Route, brought a higher level of onsight angst. He managed the onsight but later realised his beta was a bit off, making the route a lot harder than it had to be. Another route just as famous but perhaps a much greater challenge was Serpentine (2) on Taipan Wall in the Grampians/ Gariwerd. ‘I was on the wall for over an hour on my onsight attempt. I made it up to the final section before I crashed mentally.

I finally committed, got past the move I was hesitating on, only to fall off going to the victory jug.’ No one likes punting, but I think this would sting a bit more than your average fluffed grade-19 onsight at The Ravine or Shipley Upper.

Something that struck me about Ryan is his adaptability and love for outdoor adventure. I see a bunch of young climbers on Instagram doing a lot of really hard stuff in gyms, the very cool aesthetic, dynamic and gymnastic style that comes with competition bouldering, but it would be rare to see those same

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climbers doing anything too exciting outdoors.

It almost feels as though climbing is splitting into two different sports; rugged outdoor climbers and Olympic prospects.

After Tasmania I thought Ryan fitted into the first category. While I was there he was on a round trip of Tasmania working on hard routes at the Star Factory and then down at the Totem Pole and there was even talk of him bolting a new area near the Paradiso.

Something we can all agree on is that the climbing in Tasmania can be a touch more adventurous than most other places in Australia, and with spots like Cape Raoul at his doorstep, the allure of adventure seems paramount to Ryan's drive.

I hit up Ryan a couple months later about doing some photos in the Grampians/Gariwerd after noticing he was coming over to the mainland. He was on an extended climbing trip after he had finished year 12.

Going to meet him I stumbled into a classic early-morning Camp Sandy scene: a few vans and some porridge and coffee on the stove ready for a mid-morning send. Ryan seemed to blend into the outdoors as well as the elusive Moyston puma. It had honestly never crossed my mind that Ryan had ever seen a plastic hold or the inside of a gym. After watching him do all the moves on Snakes On a Train (32), take a few whippers on Groovy (28) and effortlessly send and then down climb Venom (28) so I could ‘get the shot’, he headed up north to climb some more really hard routes in Nowra and… win Youth Nationals?

There I was sitting at home editing, still unaware this kid knows what it’s like to climb in a controlled environment when the news came through. After the initial surprise though, my first thought was, ‘Ah yeah, that makes sense.’ I wasn’t surprised that he was strong enough, I just didn’t know he cared about indoor climbing at all. It’s good to see someone that will embrace all aspects of climbing, not just as an unconventional form of exercise or as a new Olympic fad.

The trip over to the mainland was a successful one for Ryan.

Driven to challenge himself on difficult routes and going to wild places, his success was not that of your average punter, ticking two of his hardest routes to date, the very different Snakes on a Train (32) in the Grampians and Attack Mode (32) in Nowra.

I’ve always been interested in the tiny intricacies, the slight

'WHAT I GET FROM WATCHING HIM ON HARD ROUTES IS HIS ABSOLUTE COMMITMENT; NO MATTER HOW BAD THE HOLD HE IS GOING FOR IS HE WILL GRAB IT WITH FULL CONFIDENCE THAT HE WILL HANG ONTO IT.'

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changes in body position or footwork that separate failure from success in climbing but, to be honest, it annoys me when I’m struggling to find a hold and my belayer yells out, ‘Put your right foot on the small crystal and rotate your ankle 23 degrees downwards and, do you see the small crease to your left? Nah, your left, left, LEFT! Nah, too far!’

However, back at Camp Sandy watching Stuart Simons and Ryan discuss the beta on the final section of Snakes on a Train was something to behold. ‘The headwall adds an extra V6(ish) boulder to gain the rest jug before heading up into the sustained, crimpy, headwall. The sequence here is; left, right, small tick-tack crimp moves punctuated by good rests.' They continued to discuss weight-distribution techniques and different finger creams to toughen the skin. At this point I zoned out, looked at the stars and wondered about doing a night time-lapse.

Climbing such demanding routes got me intrigued about Ryan’s approach to training. Since he only started climbing in 2015 I was sure there must have been some sports science training and diet regime, but to my surprise his approach to training has never been too serious.

‘I’ve always enjoyed just going out and getting on rock.’ Ryan explained his approach, ‘My training becomes a bit more specific when I find a project that I’m psyched on and I need to get stronger, mentally and physically for.’

If training is not a core focus, I think what makes Ryan so strong must be a combination of natural ability and unparalleled psych.

What I get from watching him on hard routes is his absolute commitment; no matter how bad the hold he is going for is he will grab it with full confidence that he will hang onto it. Sure, using this method you are still going to fall off a fair bit, but if you have that level of confidence backed up with technical proficiency you will also send some hard routes.

After winning Youth Nationals, Ryan’s training has apparently ramped up, so who knows what he will be capable of considering his preparation for Nationals was an unstructured two-month trip across the mainland climbing anything hard that got in his way. I’m still convinced there is something in the water in Tasmania. Maybe they’ll test for that in the Olympic selections.

‘I’ve never been much of a competition climber in that I’ve never actually had the desire to compete so much as to get out on actual rock.’ Ryan told me.

I’ve heard the myth that if you want to get strong just climb outdoors, but I was never fully convinced. Ryan says his climbing trip prior to Nationals took his fitness to a new level, and I guess that holds true as he found the qualifiers relatively easy, headed into finals equal first and, when all was said and done, ended up on top of the podium.

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A few months later I met Ryan back down in Tasmania at Rock It Climbing Gym. They had recently had a comp and naturally he wanted to have a crack at the problems. As I was setting up my lights for a photograph it was interesting watching people watch him. How they had been befuddled with the harder comp problems and then in came Ryan. I think he was just warming up but he pretty much flashed everything anyway.

A fellow noticed my camera gear and asked, ‘Taking photos of him? What makes him so special?’ Right then the entire gym stopped to watch Ryan effortlessly campus one of the problems that had been giving most people a huge amount of grief. I think that was enough of a statement.

The collector of souls surrounded by screams, the guardian of Hell precisely it seems. Consumes the bad devoured by wrath, strong vile powers don’t enter his path. Lives for the pain, embraces his crown watch out for the king that lay underground.

Hades, Jackeline Chacon.

Names of crags and climbs are often pretty creative and evocative, however, I don’t think I have ever experienced one as fitting as Hades. The dark textured dolerite, frosty from the Antarctic southerlies. The steep scramble descent convinces you that you’re close to death. The roar of the swell reminds you that you are still alive. This cave is an experiential masterpiece with some hard climbing possibilities. Crack systems run through the massive, roof and up into unknown territory. The few people who have dared venture into its grim depths describe it as a ‘miniature Flatanger’, so Adam Ondra if you’re listening, you’re welcome anytime.

The Thief Who Stole My Heart is Ryan’s closed project, reasoned to go at around grade 32. As you walk into the cave, this route is the most prominent feature. A slight step down from one rooflet to the next that runs through the middle of the cave. Past 90 degrees it requires a bit of feet-first action to get through the main roof section. The first crux is a big move pulling the roof and the second crux is pulling the lip at the end of the climb. Provided he gets out there a few more times to clean it up a bit and can convince someone to brave the treacherous approach to belay him, I’m sure he will send it without too many issues.

It’s clear that Ryan will do some pretty crazy and amazing stuff in the future, not just his Hades project. At his age, climbing hard, bolting hard projects and establishing new areas is kind of unheard of, but being a young lad he is living one climbing trip at a time. His plans are wide open though for the immediate future, Ryan is headed to Canada with a similar goal as his recent mainland trip – to climb as many hard things as he can find, with one particular goal in mind, Dreamcatcher (5.14d/34).

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It is not only devils and the damned that lurk in Hades; Ryan puts in time on his The Thief that Stole my Heart project, the Tasman Peninsula, Tasmania.

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Ryan snatching razor crimps on an open project at the Star Factory, Tasmania.

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H OW I G OT T H E S H OT

CAPTURING ENORMOUS BABY STEPS KAMIL SUSTIAK SHOOTS ANGIE SCARTH-JOHNSON LEARNING FROM LEE COSSEY WORDS & IMAGES: Kamil Sustiak

‘Could you try to hang on one arm for me, please?’ I jumped on the bar, let go with my left arm and my body started to uncontrollably rotate.

‘This is fucked.’ I thought ‘Not bad,’ Lee said, ‘we just need to make the shoulder stronger and you will be alright.’

In between exercises to rehab my injured shoulder at his clinic in the Blue Mountains, Lee mentioned that Angie ‘The Future’ Scarth-Johnson and he had bolted a few routes on the Newnes Plateau and that it would be rad to get some photos of them.

There was immediately enough psych for the job, which would be much more fun than rehab. Though, as always, the crux would be finding a time that worked for all three of us.

Almost a year later, Angie, Lee and I were on the infamous dirt roads that zigzag over the Newness Plateau, kidding ourselves that this time no huge potholes would be hit and at this early hour the craziest of the four-wheel drivers who tear up these roads would still be asleep. Half an hour and a few Mad Max–like scenes later, the driving was getting quite rough so we continued on by foot. Within minutes we could see the crag. I could recognise two static ropes hanging from the top and traversing down what looked a very steep cliff.

‘I wanted to take Angie out and teach her how to bolt before our trip to Tonga. The steep line on the left is Angie’s, the one on the right is mine,’ Lee noted.

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I looked at Angie, then at the bloody steep cliff and imagined her negotiating one of the roof traverses, with a drill, glue and all the bolting gear dangling from her harness. ‘You are such a sandbagger Lee!’ What a first route to bolt. It would have been a nightmare, even for a seasoned pro. Then I thought, ‘Well... maybe not when you are Angie, your mentor is The Lee Cossey and you are already a pro plus you have the added benefit of youth and, importantly, not knowing that bolting is not always this hard.

We got to the base of the cliff and before I even could get ready Angie had her shoes on; pros are pros for a reason. I quickly jumped on the static, which was still attached to tiny intermediate dynabolts, unclipping them as I continued up. Fortunately, Angie had a good teacher and I did not unzip the whole line.

‘Try the pocket on the right as an undercling. Yeah, that should work’. While I was trying to figure out the best angles to capture the beautiful shapes and colours of the cliff, Angie was exchanging beta with Lee about possible sequences. This was her first time on the route with climbing shoes on and I could hear the excitement in their voices. Will it go? Is it all too easy or way too hard? She was enjoying the beauty of the unknown and unlocking the sequences for the first time. And what unique sequences they were; this cliff was not full of typical Blue Mountains’ edges and instead was peppered with Frankenjura-like pockets that demanded crazy moves to link them all together.

I guess this is where I can shut up and – being a photographer – let the pictures talk.

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LORD OF THE RINGS STARTING WITH THIS ISSUE (NO 31) WE’RE PROFILING ONE AUSTRALIAN ROUTE AT THE CORRESPONDING GRADE (UNTIL WE RUN OUT OF GRADES). WE KICK OFF WITH ROSS TAYLOR’S BIOGRAPHY OF LORD OF THE RINGS, OZ’S FIRST GRADE 31, AT MT ARAPILES

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If the ring fits; Jimmy 'The Big Bang' Allen, on Lord of the Rings (31). Simon Madden 43

For a long time Lord of the Rings was ‘Serious Young Lizards’, the working name given to a project bolted by Kim Carrigan. This project was located on Henry Bolte Wall, better known as ‘Dogger’s Gully’; a most salubrious venue, being home to a bunch of excellent, hard routes to dog, all-day shade, a delightful outlook over the patchwork of paddocks and bumblies toddling up Watchtower Face, not to mention a tiered viewing platform from which spectators, photogs and hecklers can hurl beta, direction and insults – and from where Kim probably first spotted the line.

‘The blank line straight up the middle was obvious just unlikely,’ Kim says, ‘I rapped it and it was obviously a project!’ He bolted the route as an independent line to the right of Slinkin’ Leopard (28), although once he started working the route he skipped the start (presumably because it was too hard) and traversed in from the left via Wackford Squeers (26). At the time Kim was sponsored by Mammut, which had given him a bunch of bolts with a free-moving ring (apparently they were designed as abseil bolts for caving).

‘These were an early Mammut product and I had a few bags of them, so I thought why not…’ Little did Kim know that the bolts would eventually give rise to the name.

The version that Kim started trying begins with a fairly easy start, maybe about grade 23, traversing in from the left and then up for a few moves to a poor rest position on positive edges below the third bolt. The main difficulty starts here on a sensational shield of perfect rock with a really classic test of anaerobic endurance.

The climbing consists of about 15 sustained moves on half-joint edges and pockets until you pull over onto the slab at the top. Once standing up here it should not be possible to fall off (although that has happened). The direct start (more on this later), adds a hard boulder problem of around maybe V6, so that you are definitely more fatigued when you start the original route.

Kim came desperately close to climbing Serious Young Lizards.

‘My best ground-up effort had me climbing on to the final slab on a rainy day, when I had no expectation of success. I just slipped off on a wet hold…’ Unfortunately, he says, ‘At the time, it was way harder than anything I’d ever tried. The thing was that every move was possible, it was just a matter of linkage. The biggest problem was that I had no other routes of similar difficulty to improve on, so I just practiced falling off this, time and time again. I had falling so practiced that I could fall off any and every move.’ Eventually Kim moved to Switzerland to work for Mammut and the route waited for a suitor.

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’Wolfgang Güllich traveled to Mt Arapiles, climbed the hardest route on Earth, wrote a story about it and published it in the most important climbing magazines around the world. One year later climbers from all over the world made the pilgrimage to Mt Arapiles,’ writes Stefan Glowacz in an email. That route was Punks in the Gym, in 1985 the world’s first grade 32. Among those to make the long pilgrimage Downunder was Stefan himself, who came to try Punks – at the height of a blistering Australian summer no less – in 1986.

Stefan says, ‘it was one of the best times in my life. I still remember the smell of the air in the campground, the noise of the birds in the trees at sunrise. The chilled international climbers community and the daily trips to Natimuk to visit the Delany’s milkshake shop [the Willows milk bar]. I remember getting up at 3am to avoid the heat and rehearse the moves on Punks over and over. I remember my solo ascent of Kachoong at 5am in the morning like it was yesterday. And, of course, swimming in the pool of dead trees nearby the camp.’

While Stefan has many vivid memories of his time at Araps, he doesn’t remember much about Lord of the Rings, ‘My focus was on Punks in the Gym... I was super fit at this time and my ascent of Lord of the Rings was not planned at all… Compared to Punks, Lord of the Rings felt much easier, even when the grade is almost the same.’

Stefan spent almost two months camping at The Pines with the photographer Uli Wiesmeier (who would eventually publish a book of climbing photos about Stefan’s travels called Rocks Around the World), and other climbers told him about Kim’s project, Serious Young Lizards. Stefan got permission from Kim to try it and ‘started working the moves in the evening after my session in Punks. Because the route was in the shade in the afternoon with a cool breeze in the gully.’

Kim Carrigan on one of his many attempts at what he dubbed ‘Serious Young Lizards’. Kim Carrigan collection

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Stefan climbed Serious Young Lizards, renaming it Lord of the Rings after the quirky appearance of the bolts, ‘I thought the name is a nice word play without any deeper meaning.’ Although it’s possible that like its neighbour, Slinkin’ Leopard (which was stolen from Lincoln Shepherd), it could be interpreted as a gentle dig. Kim Carrigan is not a fan of the name, ‘I hate plagiarising other disciplines for climb names, like books, film or music. Route names should encompass an element of creativity in much the same way as the vision inspires the line in the first place.’ His own name, Serious Young Lizards, was because that, ‘was always how I saw myself. If only we could climb as fluently as the skinks up blank walls.’

While Stefan had climbed Lord of the Rings, the direct still awaited a first ascent. Which brings us to the third character in our story, one of New Zealand’s strongest exports, Nick Sutter (aka Sick Nutter) and his ascent THE Lord of the Rings.

Nick lives in Switzerland these days, and he had this to say of the direct: The direct adds a boulder problem… about five moves of long locks on pockets and very small crimps and involves the hardest moves on the whole route. It was not common in those days to give a V-grade to cruxes and I also cannot remember the relative difficulty so well but I would guess it is about a V6 or V7 vertical problem. At the time I felt it added a grade to the original route and I half-jokingly told my friends that made it grade 30! Seriously, though, I found it easier to climb than the first time I climbed Monkey Puzzle, a 28 at the Gallery in the Grampians, which in those days was 29. Lord of the Rings suited me, being tall and good at crimping, and it didn't

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feel too hard. It was my first route of that grade and took me four days of work. I spent another two days to add the direct start and fell off the top, pulling onto the slab, several times, which hadn't happened when doing the standard route. I then was in a quandary about what, if anything, I should name it.

Not wanting to change such a great name, I had a sudden inspiration to just add the definite article as a cheeky jab that this was THE way to do the route! What the direct really adds is the pure aesthetic of climbing a wall in a straight line from bottom to top.

We also asked how it felt to add the start to such a historic route: It was fantastic, I really thought I had hit the big time doing these two routes (and others)! [Ed’s note: Nick also did the first Australasian ascent of Punks in the Gym.] You have to remember that in those days Lord of the Rings was basically the second hardest route in Australia (Rob Le Breton had done Sexy is the Word (31), in Nowra, earlier that year), so it felt like a great achievement to repeat it and then make the FA of the direct. What is most memorable is how this route existed in my imagination and dreams as a beginning climber and then became a reality. I started climbing in New Zealand in 1990 and climbing media was almost non-existent then, so photos in magazines and books had a power that is hard to appreciate now with the untold riches of the Internet – a picture was worth way more than a thousand words! Most of what I knew about climbing outside New Zealand I had learned in a book, Rocks Around the World by Stefan Glowacz and photographer Uli Wiesmeier. There are two photos of Lord of the Rings in this book and in one of them Stefan is artfully framed on the wall in a spread-eagled pose, wearing tights and a shirt of neon green and yellow. The rope, also neon green, trails in an almost straight line down to his belayer. Anyone looking at this photo who had not been to Arapiles would assume that this beautiful wall had been climbed direct. So I was astonished when I got to

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Left: Andrea Hah working Lord of the Rings. Lee Cossey 48

‘IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST TIMES IN MY LIFE. I STILL REMEMBER THE SMELL OF THE AIR IN THE CAMPGROUND, THE NOISE OF THE BIRDS IN THE TREES AT SUNRISE. THE CHILLED INTERNATIONAL CLIMBERS COMMUNITY AND THE DAILY TRIPS TO NATIMUK TO VISIT THE DELANY’S MILKSHAKE SHOP...’

STEFAN GLOWACZ

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‘ANYONE LOOKING AT THIS PHOTO WHO HAD NOT BEEN TO ARAPILES WOULD ASSUME THAT THIS BEAUTIFUL WALL HAD BEEN CLIMBED DIRECT. SO I WAS ASTONISHED WHEN I GOT TO ARAPILES IN 1992 AND FOUND OUT THAT LORD OF THE RINGS WAS NOT A DIRECT ROUTE, BUT I WAS ALSO EXCITED THAT SOMETHING NEW COULD BE ADDED TO THE GREAT HISTORY OF THIS ROUTE.’ NICK SUTTER

Arapiles in 1992 and found out that Lord of the Rings was not a direct route, but I was also excited that something new could be added to the great history of this route. Hopefully one day I will get to meet Stefan. The first thing I will ask him is, ‘Dude, why didn't you climb THE Lord of the Rings?!’

The first Australian ascent of Lord of the Rings was by the legendary (and under-appreciated) Wollongongian, Steve Bullen, in 1991. The first Australian ascent of THE Lord of the Rings was done by another legend, Garth Miller, in 1994. According to Nick, his ascent of Lord of the Rings was the seventh after Stefan, Tadej Slabe (Slovenia), Robin Barker (UK), Steve Bullen and Marco Lukic (Slovenia).

Nick also has some interesting thoughts on why Lord of the Rings receives so few ascents, in particular compared to Punks in the Gym: Technical face climbing is just not in vogue anymore because there is now much more choice in style if you want to climb a high-end route. It's the case everywhere around the world these days that many climbers prefer steep, gymnastic routes with big, dramatic moves. LOTR is ‘Old School’, and the skills to climb such routes have atrophied due to the indoor climbing/

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training environment not developing them. It could also just be down to visibility. Arapiles is world famous for great trad climbing and Punks in the Gym and, perhaps, top level climbers only know about and care about doing Punks. Which is a shame because LOTR is an absolute three star classic, equally as good as Punks, and should be on every aspiring climbers hit-list.

While there was quite a bit of hoopla about the first female ascent of Punks in the Gym, interestingly Lord of the Rings has yet to receive a first female ascent as far as we aware, despite Andrea Hah having put some time in to the route.

Finally, Nick has some thoughts on the bolts, ‘A note of caution, though, for anyone convinced by this and rushing out there to climb it. I have jokingly called it Lord of the Ovals, and it’s true that the rings have deformed from countless falls over the years. In my opinion they are not safe and it urgently needs to be re-bolted.

Hopefully this can be done with engineered bolts of the same style, keeping the legend of Lord of the Rings alive for years to come.’ When we spoke to Kim Carrigan this was a sentiment he shared, saying that it would be great if ‘some of the history could be maintained.’

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M AY B E I T WON’T BE T H AT B A D SIMON MADDEN ON HOPE

Right: Seeing the future through rose glasses. All images Simon Madden

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From ten metres – and 40 years – away I raised my eyebrows and moved through a few exaggerated gestures I hoped were universal enough to signal, ‘Do you want a belay?’ He shook his head at my mime and waved his hand, no. It wasn’t dismissive, it was kind and he smiled warmly. His partner was laying on their rope, eyes closed against the bright sun.

He must have been 70, an old French crusher, leathery and wirey, shod in stained and scratched Miuras that he never took off, laces wound all the way under his foot and back around again, a rope discoloured at the end from slobbering mouth and chalked hands, scratched ‘draws all of the same colour and make. Quiet and efficient, he organised their things and when I turned around again only moments later he was somehow already halfway up a 40m route. The two of them spent the day unobtrusively moving through the crowd and around the crag, speaking together in low voices, climbing three or four 7a/23 routes and a fistfull of easier lines. They looked at peace.

I saw that septuagenarian French couple on my first day in Kalymnos, and then sporadically here and there across the trip.

I was surprised that there were so many of their ilk climbing on the island; grey-haired, slack-skinned climbers with blasted hands were seemingly at every cliff. Portly Brits who looked like academics, neat Swiss who looked like bankers, dero-looking Spaniards who were likely anarchists. I was surprised by the demographic I encountered on Kalymnos, I had thought it would be much younger.

Kalymnos is popular AF and has been for ages. Access is easy, the climbing is convenient, the atmosphere is welcoming, the climate is warm, the food is simple and delicious, the small-cc motorbikes add to the air of freedom, the bolts are many and they protect routes across a wide grade spread, with tonnes of easy and moderate stuff. Upon reflection it seems obvious that there were would be old Euros on short breaks. I never had much of a desire to go there but somehow there I was.

SNATCHED MY FIRST COFFEE OUT OF MY HANDS, UNHAPPY WITH THE CREMA, HE SASHAYED BACK WITH A REPLACEMENT THEN THREW ROSE PETALS OVER ME AS I DRANK IT’

I sat on a rock in the shade at Secret Garden; not a secret, it was one of the most popular crags, and with only a single fig tree standing out against the scratchy scrub that I figured was the genesis of the 'Garden' name. The wind tugged at my hair, the boldest goats tugged at my pack closure, and I was radiating with a calm hope. I was taken by what seemed a lost idea resurfacing from the Grampians-infected shitstorm of home – that climbers are good and climbing is good and it will ever be thus. This was a very simple place, I thought. I never overheard snatches of conversation about Brexit or the bombing of the Kurds or Trump or refugees or the climate catastrophe. It felt like proper removal and in a similar way that distance meant that no one was smearing me, aside from my partners giving me shit about my weakness.

Escaping from home had scoured clean the filth and all the fretting. My mind wandered through thoughts of happiness and fulfillment, memories confused with flights of fancy, but I wasn’t thinking about clipping chains and ticking projects. I was thinking about ‘bests’.

The ‘bests’ that I had had whilst climbing.

SKINNED CLIMBERS WITH

The best wash I ever had. That was an amazing en-cleaning. It was in a knocked-together wooden sauna propped in the middle of a paddock in the property that is opposite the start of the walk to Cape Raoul in Tasmania. Climbing out there is big day on your feet that is more defined by the mountaineering sense of a thereand-back journey than it is by a normal day doing a few routes.

Climbing Pole Dancer to the jeers of barking seals, getting the ropes jammed and being at The End of the World made sitting naked and sweating with Jess in the small wooden box something else.

BLASTED HANDS’

The best coffee I had ever drunk. I have imbibed a lot of coffee, much of it very good. But the best was at Hyper Hyper in Nowra.

‘I WAS SURPRISED THAT THERE WERE SO MANY OF THEIR ILK CLIMBING ON THE ISLAND; GREY-HAIRED, SLACK-

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‘THE TRIPPED-OUT OWNER

The best night sky I ever saw.

Legendary Natimukian, Dave Jones, not yet consigned to his watery locker and instead living his own hopeful future on Priapos (7c/27), Grande Grotta, Kalmynos.

Incongruously, the day-in-day-out coffee there is outstanding, but being showered with rose petals as I sipped of paradise in the warm winter sun was otherworldly. The tripped-out owner snatched my first coffee out of my hands; unhappy with the crema, he sashayed back with a replacement then threw rose petals over me as I drank it, before moving off to bless others in the same way. I love Hyper Hyper and this particular Saturday rest day, with sore shoulders and ground-down fingertips, the coffee was so flavoursome and so invigorating as to be more than caffeine. Having gotten off the ground at PC the day before made it something else, the laughter of my mates as rose petals rained down on them made it something more.

The best feed that ever filled my belly. I was filming übermensch Simon Bischoff climbing on Flinders Island, and every day as the sun was going down he would wrap himself in a 30-yearold, floppy three-piece wetsuit and disappear under the waves, surfacing 20 minutes later with a bag of abalone and purple lips.

Cooking them up in the back of his van, drinking utterly atrocious wine, the abalone and brussel sprouts were as good as anything I have ever eaten. I didn’t even feel guilty about being the world’s worst vegan. The lonely, immaculate rock of Flinders Island made the food something else.

The best night sky I ever looked up at. When all of the darkest, cloudless nights are canvases for the brilliant Milky Way, it is the 56

set and setting that separates one night from another. To escape the suffocating significance of turning 40, I had humped into Mt Geryon and made camp by a tarn. We had done a little climbing, rigged a highline, and there was not another human soul within cooee. It is true that nothing diminishes your anxieties at aging like light from the depths of the Universe’s past. The silhouette of the DuCane Range, the remoteness of Geryon made the slowly turning stars something more.

Old French climbers dancing still with what must be creaking bodies after so many years alive, tying in with the habitual precision of a thousand climbs, searching through sequences for the first time with an uncanny familiarity, not shouting or fussing.

I didn’t speak to them and I don’t know anything about them, but they gave me hope.

Hope knows nothing. You can never know the future; chances are that it will not be what I wish for, but also that it will be different from what I fear. Watching that old French couple was as if I were watching not only other people with their own lives and dreams and pains, but equally I was seeing all of the years that are still before me distilled into a promissory human form.

It happens that sometimes you have to go far away in order to be able to see and what I saw is that maybe the future isn’t going to be so bad afterall, maybe there are some ‘bests’ yet to come.

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AS GOUDA AS IT GETS GEORGE BROADFOOT ON SOME NEW ROUTES AT CHEESEDALE, NOWRA

As far as inspirational walk-ins go, the approach to Cheesedale ranks below the hike up Flat Rock en route to Taipan Wall. The brown rock is not a magical shade of glowing red. However, it is a faster, flatter walk in, and the routes are very good and super steep. The quality lines start at around grade 22, with the classic roof Uncertainty Pleasures, and proceed all the way up to the hard hard Cheesy Afro Box (33) and The Big Cheese (34), both sustained, remarkably horizontal and (apparently) very awesome. The epic test-piece Cheesemonster (30) attracts many battlers, some of whom ask the deep question, ‘Is this rad? Or sad?’ with reference to a couple of drilled pockets on the route. The link up Dick Monster (28) avoids the chips and the burly crux of Cheesemonster, keeping the excellent technical arête finish, and is highly recommended. The history of chipping here is convoluted. Many boulder problems at the left side of the crag were chipped when they were established before being filled in, making many of the lines unclimbable.

Since then, a couple of powerful test-pieces have been re-chipped. Thankfully nowadays no one chips, but cool problems like Pearl Necklace (V7) and Turbo Guns (V10) still attract attention despite their controversial evolutionary journey.

Justin Pang soaring up Curds of Prey (28). Jack Folkes

Nowra veteran, Luke Magill, and I first noticed an unclimbed wall at Cheesedale way back in 2014. It is possible that the natural waterfall that forms here after heavy rain deterred early pioneers, who instead had eyes for the ultra-steep lines. Some concerted brushing (think archaeological dig) was needed to reveal the unique sculpted features of the cliff, giving rise to the lines described below. Bomaderry is an Aboriginal name meaning 'fighting ground' and 'running water', apt considering the geological history and our modern pastime of wrestling a muerte with tough routes.

reach the final sloper and clip the chains at the very top of the cliff.

Mantle if desired.

CURDS OF PREY (2 8 ) A wild hand-traverse across the inviting break perched atop much steepness leads into the first crux section on vanilla-streaked porcelain stone. Above this looms a bulging headwall with an involved crux sequence, improbable holds in just the right places.

One of the best lines on the cliff.

B O M A D E RRY G E O LO GY: ‘We learn geology the morning after the earthquake.’

Ralph Waldo Emerson Nowra sandstone is especially rich in quartz and limestone, which has been seeping to the outer crust of the crags since they formed approximately 272 million years ago. Routes at Rosies are a bit more sun-baked and richer in iron, although the upper bulge is full of limestone pockets – think of the great jugs near the top of Fist Full of Steel (21). The radical steepness of South Central has kept the quartz seeping through to form a bullet crust of slopey features, breaks and pockets. Cheesedale seems especially limestone-rich, with the Swiss cheese brains themselves – the first jug on Metamorphosis (29) is one – being bizarre stalactites of calcified cheddar. The upper headwall of The Wheel of Cheese (30) features some amazing pockets that seem to be 100% genuine limestone that has oozed out to form a crust over the patient Permian sandstone. If it weren’t for iron crimps and flakes slicing the Spicy Cheese (26) section of the crag, those routes would be decidedly unclimbable. Scoping out these features on a ‘fresh’ cliff allowed for contemplation of the forces that sculpted them.

The five new lines at Cheesedale all snake outwards and upwards from the same start.

S P I CY C H E ES E ( 2 6 ) The line we first rapped is featured with water-carved pockets on the top headwall, sculpted slopers and strong iron crimps connected in a long meandering line. This is a bit out of the ordinary for this area; the cliff here is gently overhanging and a bit technical, much like certain absorbing and classic routes in the Blueys.

G O R G O N ZO L A ( 2 6 ) It’s difficult to comprehend how certain lines just happen to have holds in all the right places. The midway bulge of Gorgonzola is one such section that brings the Anthropic Principle to mind, but instead of universal constants, it’s grippable holds. Add a splash of colour on the wall, a handjam over there, a little crimp rail to 60

CRACKER B ARREL (2 8 ) The striking undercut flake sitting at the lip of the Mega Roof was silently screaming to be used in an epic crux sequence. Many fruitless attempts at making a heroic lunge to a sharp pocket with the right hand eventually yielded the easier technique, a hidden flake for the right hand allowing for a huge drop knee in the giant scoopy undercut, left hand up to the pocket and BAM! The best way to enjoy the finish is to head left to the apex of the cheese wedge and mantle, topping out like a true adventure climber (bum belay your seconder at their – and your – peril).

THE W HEEL OF CHEESE (30) The eye of the pilgrim entering Cheesedale is naturally drawn to the row of quickdraws hanging through the belly of the huge roof protecting a system of flakes and huge pockets. It was recently discovered that a flowing natural line of decent holds leads from the ground to the enormous pockets of the headwall above the Swiss-cheese ceiling. The freshly climbed line of the Wheel of Cheese is an excellent excursion across the arching crest of the crag; a journey into stellar territory with a mighty sting in the tail at the lip of the roof. Back in the day, word around the crag had it that the mega roof itself wasn’t impossibly hard, about 28 or 29 with a huge juggy flake right where you need it. But accessing this via Metamorphosis (29) would require a change in the average climber comparable to that occurrence that allows a tadpole to become a frog. Now a respectable test-piece for the genetically fortunate end of the grade spectrum, The Big Cheese (34) was an impossible project until 2016 when Daniel Fisher inverted his way through the desperate roof crux above the chains of Metamorphosis to nab the first ascent. The Wheel parasitically attaches to this great line, avoiding the V12 (?) section. History, according to Nowra guru, Rob LeBreton, has it that it was Tony Barten who initiated the herculean task of putting the first dyna bolts in the roof, then horizontal aficionado Zac Vertrees added a few more. Brian Rattenbury bolted the start (Metamorphosis) ground-up, before Al Pryce finished the bolting job to the top. This mega line is a uniquely stunning feature that will continue to inspire visitors to this special place.

B E TA B E ST FO R Expert climbers, with a scattering of good routes for intermediate belay bunnies.

WA L K I N Ten minutes via South Central (which provides good options for warming up).

ST YL E Some gently overhanging but mostly very steep climbing.

D I STA N C E FR O M N E A R E ST B I G CI TY It’s right in Nowra, mate.

S L E EP I N G The Shoalhaven has camping with the speedboat wankers at the Ski Park (next to Shoalhaven Zoo) and a plethora of rental accommodation from slum-lord flop houses to beach-front mansions (nearby Shoalhaven Heads is a sleepy coastal holiday town).

G U I D EB O O K Keep up to date with thecrag.com.au N E A R E ST G O O D CO FFE E Hyper Hyper is the best coffee in NSW. DA N G E R: Drongos (lock your car and leave valuables out of sight!), giant goannas, red-bellied black snakes and blowing through your fingertip skin on the first day of your trip.

S E AS O : Winter extending into the shoulders, summer is spoogey-as but you can get good days at the right crag (South Central and Cheesedale both enjoy an easterly).

Ola Daszkowska sampling some Spicy Cheese (26). Jack Folkes

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CLEANING UP AFTER THE BOMB’ GEORGE BROADFOOT ON NOWRA STEWARDSHIP

This article was originally going to be about some new routes at the excellent Bomaderry Creek crag, Cheesedale (see Crag Profile on the previous pages), but in the writing it morphed into something else: the ongoing role of Nowra climbers in crag stewardship and the proactive preservation of access in the area. Even if we only manage to visit that now-forbidden Victorian mecca on an occasional pilgrimage, the fear of getting 'Gramped' has made some of us climbers rethink our approach at crags closer to home.

Recently I have had conversations about crag stewardship with several climbers. In these times it makes sense to create official bushcare groups for crags and meet up a few times a year to do some good. Who doesn’t like the idea of being a crag steward?

The role involves spending plenty of time at the local cliff, doing some holistic work with fellow climbers to supplement the odd cragging day, and every now and then rolling up the sleeves for some more substantial work. This really makes sense in Nowra, the Merciless Anvil of Power, because sending happens very rarely (for the average punter) and there are plenty of obvious issues; weeds are thriving, paths could be better managed and there is rubbish galore, although it should be pointed out that most of these problems are not of climbers’ making.

The ecosystems around the Shoalhaven are still teeming with lyrebirds, echidnas, formidable goannas and giant silver eucalypts. If we recall the recent history of much of the Illawarra and the South Coast, the legacy of land-clearing and the associated spread of invasive species is inviting volunteers to chip in and assist the rewilding process.

The story at many of our local areas is a familiar one; land was cleared for farming and then left to weeds after the farmers moved on to greener pastures. An example can be found along the Grotto cliffline. A former natural paradise on the banks of the Shoalhaven, this area was cleared for farmland and then returned to the council. The excellent work of local bushcare crews, such as the Grotto Walking Track Bushcare Group, is having a significant impact in restoring the once beautiful ecosystem by killing noxious weeds and replanting iconic Shoalhaven species in their stead. Climbers can follow this example, helping to regenerate damaged ecosystems around the crags. The fledgling

Nowra Crag Care team, guided by members of the established bushcare group, had a highly productive first session removing rubbish from the area around PC. Stand-out discoveries included a moped, large sections of metal fencing, three bicycles and a lawn mower, as well as heaps of gross stuff. The Council published pictures on its Facebook page and climbers looked like they were being very helpful. We didn’t quite top the work of the original Nowra crew who in the ‘90s filled skip bins full of rubbish and hauled a car out of Thompsons Point to save the route A Very Nice Piece of Cake (the local council has since installed large rocks in the Thompsons Point carpark so you can’t trundle a car).

The next planned event will be a Thompsons Point working bee, which will include weeding, cutting lantana and working on the tracks. The official Thompsons Point Crag Care group (which is run by Nowra Crag Care) is up on the Shoalhaven Council Bushcare website and any future events will have the added benefit of being good for public relations, a positive for those of us who are familiar with the many negative reactions towards climbers in the wake of the Grampians/Gariwerd media fiasco.

The best aspect, however, is that we get together more as a community and work towards restoring native species at the best crags in our region.

The recent formation of the ACANSW has successfully helped develop these ideas with the guidance of Vanessa Wills and others. Join Nowra Crag Care on Facebook to stay in the loop, and if you are interested in making a formal relationship with your local crag’s council, consider starting a Bushcare group with some mates! The benefits are multitudinous. Remember, #accessisnoaccident

Right: Scenes from the first Nowra Crag Care clean-up day at the Grotto; the highlight was pulling out a moped. Nowra Crag Care 62

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AID CLIMBING VICKY CHEN CLIMBS WITH REFUGEES

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All smiles as one of the kids eyes off the finish hold.

Lucas De Jesus Martin

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It feels strange to think that almost a year to the day I was under an unfinished overpass in Lebanon, cheering a group of Syrian and Lebanese climbers to the top of a mobile bouldering wall. It was ClimbAID’s first ever climbing competition and the crowd was getting increasingly rowdy as Sahar was getting closer and closer to sticking the sideways dyno. What most people didn’t know was that Sahar was attempting this move less than a week after getting stitches in his hand. I winced every time his hands slipped off the hold, until finally, he latched the jug and everyone erupted in cheers.

From August to October 2018, I travelled to Lebanon to teach young refugees how to climb. I went on the trip because I was curious about combining climbing with my interest in working with people seeking asylum. I wanted to see what climbing would look like for people who had been forcibly displaced. Would it be different to how we experience climbing as weekend warriors and gym rats?

Would it impact my reasons for climbing when I returned home?

After briefly Skyping with Beat Baggenstos, ClimbAID’s founder, I booked my flights to Beirut. I was slightly anxious about travelling to the Middle East as a woman, however I was assured by a friend that I would figure it out. When I arrived in Lebanon, ClimbAID’s front-end team consisted of two other volunteers and Mohammad, our resident project coordinator and Arabic speaker. Over the next two months, new volunteers arrived, and others left. Together we navigated the quirks of living in Lebanon, including braving chaotic roads, dealing with frequent power and water outages, and being careful not to offend anyone with our personal politics.

ClimbAID’s operations in Lebanon are based in the Beqaa Valley in the east of the country, where approximately 350,000 refugees currently reside. A large portion of this population are Syrian refugees who have fled the civil war in their home country. While Lebanon hosts one of the largest populations of Syrian refugees, the overwhelming feeling you get in Lebanon is that the Syrians have overstayed their welcome. Many Syrians are prohibited from working or studying and live in a state of limbo.

To dyno, or not to dyno, the eternal question. Lucas De Jesus Martin 66

VOLTAGE

‘WHILE LEBANON HOSTS ONE OF THE LARGEST POPULATIONS OF SYRIAN REFUGEES, THE OVERWHELMING FEELING YOU GET IN LEBANON IS THAT THE SYRIANS HAVE OVERSTAYED THEIR WELCOME.’

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'Most days, the children here just run around and throw rocks at each other.'

unlike Laila who could only climb when the Shawish (the head of a settlement) was not there.

This was the grim reality that Mohammad painted for us as we pulled into a settlement called 006. We drove past a long row of UNHCR-labelled tents and towards a dusty clearing at the other end of the camp. As we drove by, children started running towards the truck, seemingly awakened by the sound and colour of the Rolling Rock, our mobile bouldering wall. Some came over to say hello, while others raced ahead, eager to begin climbing.

On weekends when we weren’t working, our team often drove two hours north to Tannourine, Lebanon’s premier sport climb ing crag. There we would climb in shorts and singlets, and not worry about covering our knees and shoulders like we did when we were in the Beqaa. This was possible because of Tannourine’s majority Christian population and that community’s more liberal views about women and what we can do. In the Beqaa, which people often refer to as the 'Old Lebanon', people tend to be more conservative in their values and their dress.

For the next two hours, we ran them through different drills and boulder problems, introducing techniques like climbing with straight arms and matching feet. At 006, many of the kids were quite young (under seven years old), so our focus was on providing mental and physical stimulation rather than mastering climbing itself. Mohammad explained that most of the kids here don’t go to school, so climbing was their only chance at learning how to play in a safe and controlled environment.

Climbing is growing quickly in Lebanon and whenever we went to Tannourine, there were always other climbers. The rock at Tannourine is bulletproof limestone with enough tufas to make a Blueys’ climber nervous. Over the course of my two months in Lebanon we sampled climbs at the most popular crag, Tannourine El Tahta, and occasionally ventured up to Shawarma Cave, where some of Lebanon’s hardest climbing can be found. Many of the strongest climbers we met at Shawarma Cave were local crushers who are committed to developing new crags all across Lebanon and sharing them with the world.

‘WHEN WE ASKED LAILA WHAT SHE LIKED THE MOST ABOUT CLIMBING, SHE SAID THAT SHE ENJOYED BEING ABLE TO DO SOMETHING

BY HERSELF.’

'Yallah! Yallah!' We were at a limestone crag that ClimbAID had developed, cheering Laila, a tenacious 15-yearold, to the top of a steep problem. Laila was bearing down on a sharp crimp with one hand and wiping the sweat off her hijab with the other. Despite the 30°C temperatures, Laila cranked on the crimp and pulled herself into a comfortable mantle position. As she came over the lip, we exchanged fist bumps and she turned around to her spotters who showered her with praise.

This was one of the many moments I had in Lebanon that demonstrated the importance of climbing as an equaliser between women and men. It was one of the very few times that the men in Laila’s life looked up to her. When we asked Laila what she liked the most about climbing, she said that she enjoyed being able to do something by herself. She said it felt good to be in control of her body and to be able to try hard in order to reach the top. Hearing this made me realise that despite all our complaints about mansplaining and beta-spraying, female climbers in Australia have it pretty good. We can climb wherever and whenever we want,

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'We can’t take them because they are Syrian. They will not be able to pass.' Mohammad was explaining to us why we couldn’t take our participants to Tannourine. By now we had taken a few groups out to boulder in the Beqaa, so the obvious next step would be to put them in a harness. Taking participants outdoors was part of ClimbAID’s broader goal to make climbing permanently accessible and trips were designed to not only introduce participants to climbing outdoors but to give them the skills to do this on their own.

Supporting cheers ring out at ClimAID's climbing wall. Lusse Cloutier

Pre-climbing stretches at 006. Lucas De Jesus Martin

Mastering heel hooks at Al Caravan settlement. Lucas De Jesus Martin

Although it was not immediately apparent to us, climbing in Tannourine is a privilege for foreign and Lebanese climbers. This is because there are numerous military checkpoints leading in and out of Tannourine. During the Lebanese Civil War, checkpoints were used to capture fighters from opposing factions. Nowadays, since the Lebanese government has begun cracking down on refugees, the checkpoints scattered around the country are used to detect and detain undocumented Syrians. Some of our participants arrived in Lebanon without registering with UNHCR, so it was too risky to commit to the long drive to Tannourine.

A year after my time in Lebanon I got a call from Hamid.

Hamid was one of the participants I taught every Thursday at a community centre called Rainbow Club, and he was calling from ClimbAID’s second end-of-year bouldering competition. Like last year, it was raining, tarps were erected and competitors from Laila’s settlement were all wearing matching t-shirts. This year, the competition was being held at a permanent bouldering wall that ClimbAID had built. The wall is in the shape of a large arch that conveniently protected the climbers and boulder problems from the rain. Hamid took me around the competition site 70

and familiar faces flashed up on the screen. Sahar appeared momentarily to say hello and Beat was busily putting up the finals’ problems.

As Hamid pointed to the different boulder problems that he had tried, I couldn’t help but be transported back to ClimbAID’s first competition. My mind flicked to the moment Sahar stuck the dyno and everyone erupted in applause.

Since returning to Australia, I’ve come to realise that despite our distance and differences, climbing is much the same for ClimbAid’s participants and myself. Different events in life may lead us to a climb, but once we’re in front of it we are one and the same. In the way that it happens to most of us, I have a strong feeling that climbing has become a big part of our participants’ lives. It makes me happy to know that should ClimbAID ever leave Lebanon climbing will always remain.

All participants’ names have been changed to protect their identity.

You can find out more about ClimbAid by visiting their website; www.climbaid.org

NINA CAPREZ // Climbing these big walls is like flying up to the sky. It requires total commitment and complete control over every move. Success often depends only on my ability to let go in order to hold on. // #helmetup

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THE BUSINESS OF ROUTE-SETTING SETTERS JUST PLONK HOLDS ON A WALL, RIGHT? EMMA HORAN DIGS BEHIND THE DRILL WORDS: Emma Horan IMAGES: Tara Davidson

Setting lyfe can go by in a hurried blur for Emma Horan.

Fifteen years ago climbing gyms saw most of their revenue coming from school groups and birthday parties. To the annoyance of many regular climbers this resulted in many gyms ‘following the money’, which meant priority wasn’t given to the ten to 15 socially awkward climbers that dwelled in the dark corners of the gym four nights a week. Setting fresh routes was not a priority. If you were lucky, one of those socially awkward climbers may have spent their Saturday nights shaping wooden holds to put on a 40-degree splatter board but that was likely the extent of ‘fresh routes’ for that week. Gyms also had a more ‘natural’ aesthetic, attempting to recreate an outdoor atmosphere, with concrete walls shaped like rock and holds that impersonated rock texture. Now climbing gyms are far removed from attempts to remake the outdoors; bright colours, weights, conditioning areas, yoga studios, cafes, gear shops and they are usually located close to a purveyor of fine alcoholic beverages and vegan treats. This new climbing gym is a one-stop shop for all things climbing, you’ll never need to leave… *locks door*

In this new paradigm, top route setters can have as much notoriety as some top climbers; they steer the climbing culture, have large sponsorship deals and travel the globe on the dime of hold manufacturers or working for World Cups. Even way down below superstar setters, in most gyms setting is a full-time role. If you are in a competitive market, chances are you’re setting multiple times a week. In Sydney, between 20 and 30 new boulders are set in each bouldering gym every week, with the average gym getting a full reset every six weeks. Meaning if you don’t want to, you never have to try an old boulder.

‘IF YOU WERE LUCKY, ONE OF THOSE

The setters workload has changed. Ten years ago setters might have been expected to set five to ten lines in a day. Today on average that number is three to five lines and nowadays there is far more emphasis on ‘aesthetics’. A lot of climbers have a preconceived notion of what ‘aesthetics’ means, but when we setters talk about a boulder's aesthetic it’s not just how it looks.

‘Aesthetic’ refers to the appearance of the wall as a whole and within that whole the appearance of the individual line – we humans respond with pleasure to pattern and symmetry – it also includes whether the holds are pleasant and comfortable to use, the movement is enjoyable, or more esoterically, whether in being climbed it evokes an emotional response. ‘Aesthetic’ also refers to the social response to a boulder. Super intricate, high complexity boulders are fantastic at promoting social engagement; a climber has to break down the movement and this process is often done with the combined acumen of a group of similarly-psyched frothers.

In this context social engagement even includes social media and app use. Many gyms have beta pages where customers share their wacky sequences from whatever obscure monstrosity the setter thought up that previous Saturday night. Many gyms also use apps like TopLogger and Vertical Life that allow members to track their sends and pit themselves against their ‘friends’. All of this

BOARD BUT THAT WAS LIKELY THE

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SOCIALLY AWKWARD CLIMBERS MAY HAVE SPENT THEIR SATURDAY NIGHTS SHAPING WOODEN HOLDS TO PUT ON A 40-DEGREE SPLATTER EXTENT OF ‘FRESH ROUTES’ FOR THAT WEEK.’ influences the aesthetic response a climber gets from a boulder.

It’s nothing new to say that social media has changed climbing.

The regular punter probably spends more time watching beta videos from around the world than they spend with their families.

With our newfound ten-second attention spans, unless your content is fast and punchy, those punters will just keep scrollin’, so setting wild and explosive boulders gives your gym a wider social media reach. That is good for business, so whether you like it or not, this affects the way setters have to create their ‘product’. Sorry to say it to all you crossly climbers out there but the comp style is very marketable and it is here to stay.

All this talk about aesthetics does irk the veteran climber and begs the question, how does one reconcile the outdoor experience

Setting the scene with ladders, holds, walls and pensive stances.

Aesthete, movement generator, designer, setter – Sasha Faul.

‘IN THIS NEW PARADIGM, TOP ROUTE SETTERS CAN HAVE AS MUCH NOTORIETY AS SOME TOP CLIMBERS; THEY STEER THE CLIMBING CULTURE, HAVE LARGE SPONSORSHIP DEALS AND TRAVEL THE GLOBE ON THE DIME OF HOLD MANUFACTURERS OR WORKING FOR WORLD CUPS’

with how indoor climbing is developing? In answering it is worth thinking about what climbers want nowadays. Every climber that has ever had to make up problems using only shit holds on a steep wall will immediately respond with ‘Its not about the holds, fancy walls, fresh flowers at the front desk, it’s about the climb, nothing else’. Well, yes… and no. Only a very small segment of the climbing cohort exhibits this ‘purist’ mentality. We are in a stage of the climbing industry development when we are trying to appeal to the broadest possible demographic, to make the experience of climbing appealing to everyone because gyms that appeal solely to that small ‘it’s the climb and nothing else’ segment of the climbing population aren’t long for the current industry.

This attempt at broad appeal means that the head-setter’s main role is to make sure that across the difficulty categories there is diversity and contrast. Diversity refers to holds – brands, styles and types (crimps, slopers, pockets, etc). Contrast refers to movement and wall angles. In any given grade range, a good gym will exhibit a diversity of hold types on a diversity of wall angles that demand a diversity of climbing movements if the climber is to be successful. If that isn’t enough, there should also be a smooth transition into any grade from the grades both below and above, meaning that not every problem of a similar grade will be as difficult as all the others. This results in head setters spending more time behind an Excel spreadsheet managing hold supplies, comparing the current diversity of the gym’s problems and deciding what boulders should be set next. Time behind a drill for a head-setter decreases as the size of the facility grows and head-setters become more like managers. As a head route-setter you dictate the product that your gym produces, managing people, hold stock, problem diversity and setting philosophy.

When the big bang (of climbing gyms) took off in Australia we saw a massive shift to Euro-style boulder facilities, however, more facilities are now popping up based on the ‘training’ model.

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These gyms generally offer training boards, Moonboards, Tension Boards, Kilter and splatter boards. Most gyms currently have a ‘strength and conditioning’ area, which usually comprises a token squat rack, some free weights and therabands, but as businesses diversify in order to stay ahead of the competition these offerings are expanding. Gyms with a higher membership model have started to shift more in this direction, allowing members to have only one membership to meet all their fitness needs. We only need to look over to the Americans, (probably our closest comparison, in regards to market and competition policy) to see the ultimate fitness package that climbing gyms have become – the American gyms offer full workout spaces, with about 25% of a gym's floorspace taken up by general fitness equipment.

This growing diversity ensures that not all gyms will set with the same focus. Depending on what your local gym’s business model is, its setting style will be very different to that of its competition. Gyms that have a higher member focus will have more emphasis on its mid-range grades. A gym that focuses on single entries and first time clients will have a higher number of lower grade problems. In an increasingly competitive market a good business model is key and gyms must walk the line between setting grades that bring in the most revenue, and setting to sate their ever-hungry, increasingly-skilled members. Gyms in the same geographical location that target the same grade might set completely differently depending on their model. Some gyms want to provide a space where people can climb all day, which will result on more fun, movement-based boulders that you can try countless times without getting trashed. While other gyms want to focus on upskilling their members with more physically exhausting boulders, resulting in the creation of more of a training facility.

The regular punter is left with a diversity of choice with so many offerings being brought to the market. Not all boulder gyms are made equal, well ‘equal’ based on the punter’s values and ability.

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N U T R I T I O N

B O DY IMAGE AMANDA WATTS ON HOW WE SEE OURSELVES

‘The moment you change your perception is the moment you rewrite the chemistry of your body.’ Bruce Lipton Imagine what life would be like if the way we looked was unimportant and our food choices held no emotion.

1. Perceptual: how you see your body (which may not be how you actually look).

Like many of us, I grew up surrounded by people dieting, meal replacements, exercise fads and discussions about appearance. As a kid I was called ‘a looker’, being praised for my blonde hair and blue eyes, and having my appearance compared to my sister. Then, as a teenager, a friend told me she, ‘Would love to have my body, but not my face.’ A crappy boyfriend advised me I was too chunky to wear jeans. Every magazine I read told me how to get a flatter stomach or leaner, while the unrealistic images that accompanied these pieces brainwashed me about what I was meant to look like.

2. Affective: how you feel about your body. How satisfied or unsatisfied you are about your shape and weight.

We are not taught how to manage this constant barrage of information on looks and bodies. This failure sets us up from a young age to think that the way we look is far more important than it actually is. As a result, it is incredibly important to build resilience to negative body image.

Body image is how you see yourself, how you feel about the way you look, and how you think other people see you. Body image is made up of four aspects:

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3. Cognitive: how you think about your body. And also, how much you think about it.

4. Behavioural: how you behave because of your body image.

The impacts of poor body image can be cataclysmic. As a sports dietitian I see everything from healthy, positive body images through to mildly disordered eating, over exercising, depression and anxiety, and severe eating disorders. Working with body-image issues, the goal is to keep our self-image as healthy as possible to protect ourselves from negative eating habits – knowledge is power. The more you can understand food and nutrition and how to develop and maintain a positive body image, the better your physical and mental health will be and the better you will perform in sport and life.

Even though our body image is an internal process, it is influenced by many factors and can change over time. When we receive negative feedback from the people around us about the way we look, perform or behave, we are at risk of developing dissatisfaction with our bodies. Being teased about the way we look regardless of our actual appearance, having a perfectionist, high-achieving personality type and being exposed to role models (family and friends) who diet and worry about their weight, all increase our risk of developing a negative body image.

Social media is obviously a strong contributor to body image.

Our social media feeds, as well as more traditional media, are full of digitally-manipulated images and carefully crafted content, promoting body images that are often completely unattainable, even for those pictured in the images. If your body image and values are not well anchored, constant comparison to unattainable ideals can result in body dissatisfaction. Theodore Roosevelt said, ‘Comparison is the thief of joy,’ and he wasn’t wrong. If your self worth is too heavily influenced by negative or comparative body image, your risk of disordered eating and exercising increases.

Positive body image comes from accepting and respecting your body as it is and appreciating what it is able to do, despite what society holds up as the ideal. A positive body image helps us to have more resilient self-esteem, better self-acceptance, healthier behaviours and a healthy outlook on life. It protects us against disordered eating and allows us to make decisions that are aligned with our core values rather than external influences. When we are making choices about food, exercise and life with a positive body image, we don’t look at our food as good and bad, it’s just food. We are more objective, intuitive and curious about the food we eat, and we bring more balance to our exercise and training.

How can you build more resilient body image?

• Make a list of all the things you appreciate about your body.

What does it allow you to do?

• Start every day writing down three things you are grateful for.

• When you say something negative about yourself, stop the sentence and replace it with a more positive one. This one is so important!

• Set yourself health-related goals rather than weight loss goals. What do you want for your body? What do you enjoy about food? How can you keep it healthy and crushing climbs until you are old? For example, I want to eat three cups of veggies and/or salad each day. I want to make sure I have 25g fibre every day from high quality carbs, veggies and fruit. I want four ‘hits’ of protein every day. I want to make sure my nutrition supports by training and climbing goals. I want to understand what sugar is so I can make decisions about how much of it to eat. Anchor your health goals in the bigger vision you have for your life.

• Avoid comparing yourself to others by being clear on your core values and what you want for your own life.

• Have good social media hygiene. If someone makes you feel bad, unfollow. If you find you’re negatively triggered by something, reflect on why and then get rid of it. If something is suggesting you need to change the way you look, avoid it.

• Question what you see in the media. Remember many images are digitally altered and not real.

•

When it comes to food and drinks, arm yourself with knowledge to let you be a critical thinker. The only way to combat the barrage of fad diets and media food hype is to build a solid core of nutrition knowledge. Find a sports dietitian to work with you to learn what you need to know about nutrition and your health.

• Focus on what sparks joy in your life that is not related to the way you look.

You have the rest of your life to spend with you, so building resilience in your body image is very much worth it. The sooner you learn to love yourself for who you are, the sooner you get to love your life.

If you are worried about someone, are struggling with your body or have developed some unhealthy habits around eating or exercise, find a great professional to work with. You can contact me at amanda@nutritioncollective.com.au or alternatively The Butterfly Foundation thebutterflyfoundation. org.au and InsideOut Institute insideoutinstitute.org.au are two great places to start.

Amanda Watts is an Accredited Practicing Dietitian, Accredited Nutritionist and SDA Sports Dietitian at Thrive Nutrition & Dietetics. She is sponsored by Tenaya, Black Diamond, Chalk Cartel and Beal.

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ALONE ON T H E WA L L DENBY WELLER PICKS APART UNITY AND COMMUNITY

Matt Kirby uses the auto-belay for good, not evil. Denby Weller 80

Making headlines a couple of months ago, Uber introduced an option for passengers in the US to pay a levy to put their driver on mute.

Really, is this where we are now? We are so disdainful of our fellow humans that we’d fit them with a volume knob to save ourselves from the great inconvenience of small talk? I didn’t realise Uberese was so offensive. It wasn’t that long ago that the passengers of the world were collectively delighting in the humanity and personality of ‘ride sharing’, and dissing the bad old days and dour silence of the taxi.

While I was in the middle of pondering the intolerance of the Age of the Individual, my climbing gym installed an auto-belay.

One became two, and then three. The solo climbers multiplied.

The one dude who’d been doing traverse laps of the climbing gym for the last decade was joined by a tribe of new solo climbers. Wireless headphones in, eye contact diligently avoided, expressions zombielike, you could see a couple of them every time you hit the gym. Between laps, they’d sit, still clipped in, staking their claim. Some would fish their phones out of nearby bags and jump on the dopamine train of their favourite feed.

The vibe in the gym felt the effects of this new tribe. Unlike the bouldering rooms, where solo climbers routinely cheer each other up the wall, and the campus room, where sounds of approval, encouragement and tendon snapping are the norm, auto belays seem to engender a taxi-like moody silence. It’s as though they are surrounded by a force field that makes social interaction impossible. It got me thinking – are we trading our community for convenience? The complicated pleasure of shared experience for the simple hit of getting a session done?

It is, undoubtedly, a right pain in the arse to have to climb with another human – a partner. I’m lucky enough to have married mine, but even in this seemingly idyllic solution to the lifelong problem of Finding a Partner, our varied work and social schedules are not a recipe for the convenience a mechanical partner offers. The auto belay never cancels at the last minute, never loses its psych, never gets too busy with work and the kids.

But it also never shouts, ‘Come on!’ at the crux, never fist-bumps a send and never texts later to say ‘You climbed really well today.’

Just as I was ready to blame the auto belay for everything from Brexit to the Masked Singer, I got schooled in what a cool addition to the gym it could be. One of our friends turned up for a session with the mechanical partner. We were projecting routes immediately to the left and right of the auto belay, so for the whole session, we were forced to interact. Not only to catch up on each other’s lives, but to negotiate turns climbing and resting on

overlapping routes. We’d ‘ooh’ and ‘ahhh’ when he threw a third lap on the gnarly resistance route, and he’d intone kind words about our finger strength as we bore down on tiny holds and pulled faces. On the ground, we rested in turns, chatted amiably and forgot about our phones for a whole hour.

This chance catch up never would have happened without the auto belay – our friend would have been bouldering and our paths would have crossed briefly and unremarked like ships in the night.

Technology, from the printing press to the interwebs, has ever gotten a bad wrap for breaking up communities and ruining the vibe. But the culprit isn’t the auto belay at all – it’s the humans.

There are other technologies that are being used in ways that threaten our communities, too. I’m looking at you, Facebook.

With the ongoing (and no-end-in-sight) access crisis in the Grampians, climbers have taken to the socials to campaign, to cut through the propaganda, and to discuss potential solutions. There has been a lot of positive action. But there’s been a hefty amount of trolling, too, and some really nasty exchanges (in person, as well as online). In the wake of some of these explosions, we see the same old calls for ‘unity’ trotted out, and the explosion reduces to a simmer, waiting for the next rise in temperature to start the cycle all over again.

The goal we should be fighting for is community, not unity.

They are not the same.

Communities allow space for different views and, importantly, healthy communities engender civil discourse on matters of importance. This civil discourse only requires one thing: that everyone engaged in it is more committed to the health of the community than they are to being right. Calls for unity are just a bullshit way of saying, ‘Drop your position and come over to my side.’ If you’re really that committed to unity, all you need to do is down tools on your own line of argument and throw your support behind your erstwhile opponent.

In our struggle for access, in our effort to protect the environment, in the face of challenges like explosive growth and technological advancement, we don’t need a united front; we need a community robust enough to thrash out all the ideas and lend its support to the best of them. We need to be the people who can be bothered to talk to the Uber driver, and who can make use of great technologies like the auto belay without turning into weird automatons. We need to be the people who hold the ideal of the climbing community as being more important than being right.

And we need to remember this every time we flex our fingers over a keyboard. www.denbyweller.com 81

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IN THE BALANCE CAMPBELL HARRISON DEALS WITH A BROKEN ANKLE

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I found myself lying alone in a hostel dorm in Tokyo, Japan, my bruised and swollen ankle elevated on a pile of pillows and blankets I had poached from the empty beds in my room. This wasn’t where I’d expected to find myself just days out from the final World Cup of the season. It was all happening at the wrong time. But I guess there never really is a good time to break your ankle.

Five competitions over four weeks, in four different countries, across three continents. That’s what was in store for me when I set off for my third international trip of the year. The grind of training and climbing had become somewhat monotonous since I returned from my last event, the 2019 World Championships in Hachioji, Japan. I was ready for a break, to be perfectly honest, but the thought of one final stint on this year’s World Cup Circuit was keeping me psyched. Even though I wasn’t feeling in my best shape of the season, I was motivated for an action packed month with the liberating goal of purely enjoying myself. As cliché as it sounds, the most important thing for me this late in such a long season was to keep finding joy in my climbing before I got some much needed rest.

Unfortunately, just two weeks into the trip, I had a bad fall that resulted in what at the time appeared to be a severe sprain of my right ankle. I was immediately taken for an x-ray to try and rule out bone damage. Whilst the initial x-ray showed no fracture, I was unable to weight my foot at all, reliant on a pair of desperately uncomfortable underarm crutches with no way to relocate from the barely-accessible hostel I was staying in. I spent the next days alone, hobbling to and from a nearby store for each meal between icing my ankle and trying to keep it elevated as much as possible. At first I struggled on the crutches, and as such my mobility was severely limited. Simple tasks like getting down to the hostel basement to take a shower became a huge challenge. I had nothing else to do but swim in the stress of every worst case scenario, how the hell I was going to be able to get myself and all of my belongings out of this hostel, and what would this mean for my selection into the 2020 National Team? I really owe a great deal of thanks to the friends and officials from both my own team and those of other countries for helping me to get around and manage my injury whilst in Japan.

Until this point I was having an immensely good time. Whilst travelling and competing, I always feel like I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be, even when the results or my physical shape don’t measure up to the high standards that I hold myself. My first event of the trip, the ANOC World Beach Games in Doha, Qatar, was incredible. Being a part of a huge multisport event, spending time with new and old friends, and getting to know many of the officials that would be involved in sending the Australian team to the 2020 Olympic Games was a unique and memorable experience. From there I flew to China for the penultimate World Cup of 2019, where despite a mistake on a relatively easy first qualification route I had

a really good time. Next on the agenda was my last World Cup of 2019 in Inzai, Japan, followed by the China Open, an invitational combined event. Finally, I would fly into Sydney to compete at the Australian Open Combined Nationals, where I needed to finish amongst the top eightin order to guarantee my place at Continentals next year, which would be my last opportunity to qualify for the 2020 Olympics.

I injured my ankle just one day into my time in Japan, and all my plans were thrown up in the air.

My hopes of making a comeback for the very end of this year’s comp season were quashed when over a week went by and I was still unable to weight my foot. Nationals is the selection event for the 2020 National Team, and the reality of having to rely on special consideration in order to compete internationally next year hit hard. Despite all the success I’ve had in the past, there was still a nagging worry that my injury wouldn’t be deemed a valid reason to miss Nationals and I'd fail to get a spot. The anxiety of a missing the 2020 competition season was completely overwhelming.

I watched the competition in Inzai and then arranged to fly home early rather than try to navigate another two weeks in China and then Sydney on a pair of crutches with a suitcase I couldn’t carry. Upon returning home to Australia I underwent a CT scan that revealed two fractures that had gone unnoticed on the initial x-rays. My ligaments and soft tissue seemed to be recovering nicely, but something about my injury didn’t add up, so it was a relief to have a diagnosis as to why I had been in so much pain. I’m hopeful for a full recovery as soon as possible, and to be left with minimal ongoing issues, but due to the nature of the fractures I know that I’m going to have to be patient and consistent with my rehabilitation.

After missing Nationals last year due to a finger injury, having to sit out yet another championship was disheartening, and I cross my fingers I won’t have to endure it again. The last time I competed at Lead Nationals was in 2017 where I won, and so I’m determined to vie for the title again. The Australian climbing scene is growing and improving every single year, and I’m determined to be back fighting-fit for a return to the community I cherish dearly. From here on out my focus is on recovery and, if all goes well, giving my all at the Oceania Contintental Combined Championships to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games!

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CHRIS ZAIA VL SPEAKS TO THE HEAD ROUTE-SETTER AT PULSE CLIMBING (WARNERS BAY), CHRIS ZAIA IMAGE: Nathan George Creative

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Tell us a little about yourself I’m 34, live in Newcastle, NSW, and I’m the Manager/Head Routesetter of Pulse Climbing Warners Bay. I grew up in the foothills of the Blue Mountains and apart from some sketchy scrambling while camping I never climbed, mainly because I was pretty unco and super timid as a kid.

My family moved up to Newcastle when I was 15, and after finishing school I worked in kitchens, starting off as a dish-pig and working up to cooking. Around this time, a friend convinced me to give climbing a go at Pulse – and I fell in love. I’m a climbing omnivore; sport, bouldering, trad, indoor or outdoor, I don’t care, as long as I’m getting chalky digits and hanging out with mates I’m happy.

How did you get into setting?

I have hospitality to thank. I used to have random weekdays off and I was at the gym often enough on setting day that Michael Tonon, who was head-setter at the time, let me put up a few lines. They weren’t absolutely awful so he let me do it a few more times, then Michael got a real job and Pulse let me take over. Fast forward six or so years, I’m managing Pulse’s newest gym and getting to pick a setting crew, which meant I was able to get Michael back on board.

Do you have a philosophy that guides your setting practice?

I try to keep three things in mind: Can I teach them something? It’s great to see a new climber learn a new movement (once upon a time even you didn’t know WTF a heel hook was).

Can I make them a better climber? Watching people project a problem until they unlock the beta or get strong enough to stick the move is pretty rad.

Can I make them look cool? Climbing is cool, when people feel cool they get psyched and want to climb more and want to show their friends, this makes me genuinely happy.

What is the most challenging thing about being a route-setter?

Not getting discouraged when a plan doesn’t translate well into reality. Some days the setting process flows freely, other days it can be a real struggle. It’s days like the latter that I have to remind myself that not every pony grows up to be a pegasus, and move onto Plan B... or Plan C. What’s the climbing scene on the NSW Central Coast like?

We’re really lucky that we have pretty much any style of climbing you want ready to roll, and a friendly, growing community who are more than happy to share their local knowledge. There’s a fantastic overlap of older climbers who are mentoring the next generation in proper crag ethics and etiquette.

Is there another route-setter from whom you’ve learnt a lot or who inspired you more than any others?

Honestly, it’s so hard to pick just one. Between setting for competitions and workshops organised by Sport Climbing Australia, I’ve had the great fortune to set alongside Carlie LeBreton, Jacky Godoffe, Roxy Perry, Corey Cook, Anaya Brain, Kale McCauley, Dick Lodge and Will Watkins, to name just a few. Every person I’ve set with has influenced and inspired me in some way.

Michael Tonon is my original setting sensei, as well as a good friend. I’ve climbed with him since I first pulled onto the wall and he has probably done more to push me to become a better climber and setter than anyone else.

You were involved with a big donation to the Cancer Council of Australia on behalf of Climbers Against Cancer, can you tell us about that?

I was in Perth competing at Boulder Nationals and Cait Horan, Climbers Against Cancer ambassador for Australia, asked if I would like to be the face of CAC for the day and hand over the gigantic cheque in her stead as she was unable to make it. I’ve always been a big supporter of all the awesome work that Climbers Against Cancer does and was absolutely honoured to be a part of it.

Why do people go to climbing gyms?

What I hear most often is that people want to try something new, get fit and they hate the idea of going to a traditional gym with all the associated faff and wankery.

How can gyms be more accessible to new climbers?

Having a good variety of problems/routes that focus more on movement over brute strength is key. A good bunch of regulars who are friendly, helpful without being condescending and approachable is also super important.

What’s the stupidest thing you have ever seen someone doing in a climbing gym?

Move safety barriers and walk under people setting in an EWP [Eds: elevated working platform] just so they didn’t have to walk around the cordoned off area and then get snarky when they were told off.

Do you have a climbing catchphrase?

Risk it for the biscuit.

What is better than climbing?

I’ll let you know if I ever find something.

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STRONG & GOOD DUNCAN BROWN ON STRENGTH AND HOW TO ACTUALLY USE IT

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When looking to improve well may you ask, do I need to get stronger or do I need to get better? Id wager that your answer will be stronger, because training strength is familiar and quantifiable, we know what getting stronger 'feels like', but having all the strength in the world is no good if you can’t use it – afterall a gun that doesn’t fire is just a club.

Think about the old crag local wh,o despite being unable to hold the edge on your warm up hangboard, can still warm up on your project.

Are they stronger than you or more skilled?

The opposite is also true, if you have no strength then you are unable to bring all your skill to bear. Picture the same wiley crag wizard coming unstuck when they run into a burly sequence they can’t finesse their way around.

So which then is most important, more strength or more skill? It's both. It's always both.

Strength is multifaceted. There is finger strength, pulling strength, body tension and more. All very important and all different in the way we train them leaving us open to being strong in certain areas and weak in others. Sometimes it’s easy to identify strength weaknesses: not being able to hold a hold – finger strength; being unable to lock off to move or clip – pulling strength; and having trouble keeping your feet on when in steep terrain – body tension.

Skills though are more tricky to quantify and can feel dispiritingly immeasurable. However, there are a few things you can do to figure out if it’s skill you’re lacking and not strength:

fewer climbers prioritise 'practice' time in which they can improve their skills.

One of the main reasons for this is because ‘practicing’ feels easy in comparison to a hard strength workout, and thus it feels like it must not be a good use of your limited time. And I get that but it is time management that will allow you to balance getting stronger with ensuring you have the skills to apply that strength to the wall. One of the most effective tricks for skills practice whilst still feeling like you are getting important training done is combining low-intensity warm ups and aerobic volume sessions with skills practice.

Next time you are at the climbing gym try out the following: • In your warm up include a 10-minute, low-intensity capillarity (or ARC) set. Traverse around or jump on an auto belay and move fluidly and with intention the whole time. To be even more targetted you can incorporate specific drills into this too, focussing only on certain hold types, body positions or moves. Try two minutes each of five different movement drills.

• Do exactly the same during your cool down. You all cool down properly, right?

By simply doing these two you have just added 20 minutes of intentional skills practice to your session without taking any extra time. If you are training base volume or working on long route endurance try including capillarity sessions into your training. Use the same principle as above but try longer sets and/or multiple sets with rests in between.

• Ask your climbing partners – they should be able to tell whether you’re climbing efficiently and effectively like Jain Kim or huffing and puffing like a first-time-climbing gym bro.

You will find that increasing the amount of time you spend doing intentional skills practice will result in improved efficiency in your movement thus allowing you to utilise more of that hard earned strength.

• Watch other climbers on routes you are trying, especially that old crag wizard – if you know someone has similar or less 'strength' than you and yet they float up your project it's your skills that need attention.

Ask yourself, are people that climb the hardest routes or stand atop the World Cup podiums really strong? Hell yes they are. And have you ever seen one of them with rubbish technique...?

• Video analysis – record yourself and try to identify areas where you’re relying too much on strength when you could instead be more efficient.

Most people can get into the gym and train finger strength, smash out intervals for anaerobic capacity and blast out TRX tension drills – you all broadly know how to get the 'strength' stuff done. But far

It's both. It’s always both.

Duncan coaches at BlocHaus (www.blochaus.com.au) in Canberra. You can read more of his articles or find out about his coaching services at www.athletebychoice.com

Left: Yeah, getting stronger is good but have you tried getting better? Nicola Flowers thinks her way through the tufas of Kalymnos.

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Sylv and the shoe. Jose Matute Hernández

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R E D C H I L I VO LTAG E S H O E S

Red Chili Voltage Shoes RRP $219.95 Pros: Comfortable, good edging, versatile rubber, all-rounder Cons: Not great at smearing, low sensitivity First impressions were the noticeable quality of design and construction as well as being a damn sexy shoe (the bougie burgundy makes my legs go weak). Putting the Voltage on was a breeze due to the inbuilt elastic tongue and the fit is close to perfect with no air pockets or wiggle room; a supremely comfortable match for my stupidly small but proportionate (width wise) feet. The fit was particularly evident when trying my bouldering proj Raging Bull (V9) in the Grampians/Gariwerd. The finicky heel hook was getting the better of me when using other shoes, however, equipped with the Voltages, I transcended Syl the Average Punter to become Silvestre the Conquistador, whom, armed with a wicked moustache and emboldened by a chorus of ‘Vamos’, took the day by claiming the move – to which he cried “We did it! Time to bloody fiesta Pablo!” I attribute success to the snug fit and smart positioning of raised heel rubber leading to better purchase on a small edge and not from becoming a superior Spanish version of oneself.

shape and a good amount of toe hooking rubber allows for great performance on overhangs. An asymmetrical and stiff toe box means they also feel powerful and secure on micro edges on more vertical terrain. Rands provide support and ensure the downturned shape will last. The toe box has a thick layer of 4.5mm Vibram XS-Grip rubber, known for being a good balance of friction and durability, so it will be sometime until you’re cursing the sight of your big toes wiggling through gaping holes. Conversely, rubber thickness diminishes sensitivity and provides stiffness in the toe box making smearing harder; this is somewhat counteracted by a highly-flexible midsole, meaning though they are not best suited for it, smearing is still possible.

Overview: These shoes will be my go to all-rounders for bouldering and face climbing, especially as they’re so damn comfy. The thick layer of rubber means they are great candidates for thrashing in the gym or for a newish climber still coming to terms with delicate and precise footwork. For those who like an ultra-sensitive shoe, sorry these aren’t for you.

Where were we? Right, the climbing shoes… the downturned About your tester: Sylvester O’Meara is often found in the gym’s corner performing weird and whack exercises in an attempt to overcome the mediocre strength nature has bestowed upon him.

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Part-way through our multiday traverse of Nazomi and Aoraki a wet nor-wester struck so we dug a snow cave. Hitherto, to grovel around in snow and rain would have been a fast track to complete saturation, but this time we stayed dry!

Despite it working, I’ve never liked outerwear, not because it goes with bad weather but I hate the rustle, the clamminess, and feel claustrophobic and constrained. So I was intrigued with recent claims that The North Face had come up with a new process that’s a revolution in outerwear comfort. But the outdoor industry is as awash with outlandish claims, so I was sceptical. Having recently been made a The North Face ambassador (disclaimer) a package of prototype Futurelight garments arrived for testing. Unfolding a fire-engine-red jacket I had to check this was indeed outerwear because it handled like my old cotton japara tent – soft, pliable but also stretchy!

T H E N O R T H FAC E FUTURELIGHT

Normally I try to avoid bad weather on short mountain forays but one should always go prepared. On a one-day ski trip into the Leatherbarrel Creek backcountry down Kosciusko way, dressed in one thermal underlayer, Futurelight pants and jacket, I took off over hill and dale, down steep bowls and boot-packing spurs. I kept everything on all day, something I’d never do with normal hardshell garments. It was comfortable and I only needed to open zips on the climbs. This stuff was definitely breathable!

A week later I wore the same rig at the Remarkables Ice and Mixed Festival in conditions ranging from good to appalling; comfort remained high. When I knocked off a two-metre icicle climbing steep waterfall ice, I proved Futurelight is just cleverly woven synthetic fibre (in this case polyester) with a fancy coating. The icy spear deftly entered the unzippered gap I had left between my chin and chest, punctured a neat four-point tear in my jacket above where my harness constricted it then continue between my legs to shatter on the frozen slope below.

The North Face Futurelight Summit L5 LT RRP $650 Pros: Super breathable, light and comfortable for all-day wear.

Cons: Sightly wind permeable.

Back when I was an impoverished uni student I somehow got onto the mountaineering club’s planned Himalaya expedition. Rick White and his fledgling company, Mountain Designs, gave us a killer deal on sleeping bags, down jackets and outerwear. Rick had just imported a new fabric called GoreTex that reputedly mimicked breathable and waterproof biological membranes.

Armed with outerwear Rick had sewn from this fabric, Lincoln Hall and I went off to the Land of Tortured Vowels (NZ) to test it and ourselves in preparation for our upcoming high adventure.

Finally on an extended spring ski trip on the top of Australia I got the test that really mattered, horizontal rain at just above freezing.

Fighting to keep our tents from blowing away, wrestling large rocks to replace rain-softened snow anchors, I was in it for hours with only mild discomfort. Given similar circumstances only the best alternatives would have performed similarly but would have been heavier and less comfortable.

Overview: Futurelight breathes unbelievably well – and this is one minor downside, at least in the lightweight sample I tested, a slight air penetration is noticeable in high winds. As for waterproofness, thumbs up! TNF’s commitment to sustainability sees these fabrics having a recycled content and treated with PFC-free DWR. It seems marketing hype has lived up to the claim, this does seem to be the future and it is remarkably light.

About your tester: Tim Macartney-Snape is a bloody legend.

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S C A R PA F U R I A A I R New from Scarpa, the Furia Air is built on the same last as its dyspeptic sibling, the Furia S. The Furia Air maintains the rage with a highly asymmetrical shape and downturned toe, but without the weight – at 150g, the Furia Air is 50g lighter than the Furia S. Scarpa claims that the Furia Air is the lightest climbing shoe on the market, making it perfect for hard bouldering and sport climbing. Given it’s significantly lighter, it’s also softer and stretchier than the Furia S. On the specs front, it’s made from an eight piece synthetic upper – so it’s vegan, for all you lovers of our cousin the cow (and the environment) – while all the many seams are cleverly located out of pressure zones so that you don’t get any furious spots inside the shoe. It’s soled with 3.5mm Vibram XS Grip2 and sealed with velcro strap.

Contact www.outdooragencies.com.au for stockists or more info.

RRP $299.95

BLACK DIAMOND MINIWIRE CARABINER If there is one thing that Sesame Street’s The Count taught us it’s there’s no end to the things you can be counting; calories, redpoint burns, pairs of climbing shoes, the ways I doth love thee, every last gram of weight on your rack… The light’n’fast, countingobsessed climber can get their numbers down by getting on the BD Miniwire ‘binas. Hot forged, which is close to hot fudge and so can only be good (though not if you are counting calories) and with optimised nose geometry (which reminds us of when we were in Iran), you could go out beyond geosynchronous orbit to make your ‘binas lighter. Or just get MiniWires, which weigh 23g each. It’s only slightly more than a soul weighs.

To find out more point your digital avatar at www.blackdiamondequipment.com.au RRP $8.99

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M A M M U T WA L L R I D E R M I P S The Mammutians say this is the first lid to be blessed with the patented MIPS; Multi-Directional Impact Protection System (FYI, apropos of nothing, our favourite acronym is SCMODS). MIPS can reduce rotational forces in an oblique impact, or whacks that don’t come straight on, as a low-friction layer slides over your head absorbing some of the force. Meaning your precious bonce is better guarded from more different kinds of bangs. Large ventilation openings allow air circulation and heat discharge, good for general temperature regulation and those necky times when you’re getting hot under the collar. And at 225g it’s a lightweight (a two-pot-screamer kind of lightweight).

For all the informations get yourself to www.mammut.com RRP $269.00

ARC’TERYX ALPHA AR 35 B AC K PAC K Alpha comes before Beta so if you follow that Grecian logic then you should probably get an Alpha AR 35 backpack from the Arc’Teryxians. After all, having your beta sorted is critical for hardclimbing glory and who doesn’t want that? At 35 litres capacity it has enough space to carry all your hopes and dreams, not to mention your gear, making it perfect for multipitch rock, alpine and ice routes (it’s designated AR ‘All Round’ for a reason). Fabric-wise, Arc’Terxy created a futuristic-sounding hard-wearing liquid crystal polymer ripstop grid that’s incorporated into a high tenacity nylon fabric, which is guaranteed to repel Death Star laser beams and abrasive rocks. The Alpha weighs in at a mere 1.17kg, but it can be lightened further courtesy of its removable framesheet and lid.

For more info visit arcteryx.com.au RRP $300.00

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OBITUARY

A N DY P O L L I T T 1963–2019

IAN BOORMAN, ANDY BOORMAN, CHARLIE CREESE & GLENN ROBBINS REMEMBER ANDY POLLITT, THE MAN WHO DEFINED ROCK STAR AND WHO PUT UP SOME OF THE HARDEST BRITISH AND AUSTRALIAN ROUTES OF THE ‘80S AND ‘90S

Andy Pollitt grew up in a small town called Dyserth (UK) and was very lucky to have a climbing wall at his school. This determined his future. His extrovert, addictive personality (he came from a family of stage and TV actors) would find a home in the ‘80s climbing scene, where he loved lycra, ladies and leaping on routes that filled others with fear.

Amongst his shining early achievements, Andy made the first repeat of John Redhead's route, The Bells, The Bells! (E6 6b), at Gogarth

he was pushing 30, living in the middle of nowhere and eking out a tenuous life as a ’professional’. It couldn't last forever, but he remained true to his vocation nonetheless – repeating test-pieces and putting up what would have to be the best line on the best crag in the continent – Rage (29) on Taipan Wall. He even created a certain amount of condescending amusement amongst those pundits who wouldn't dare step foot on his British routes with his unjustifiably-famous siege of Punks. 44 days!! BFD.

North Stack, Wales, which other E7 leaders called 'death on a stick'

Andy's former teacher, Andy Boorman, visited him regularly in

and 'utterly ridiculous'. He made the first ascent of Knockin' on

Melbourne:

Heaven's Door (E9 6c), one of those 'Last Great Problems’ at Curbar Edge, Yorkshire.

Andy found his way to Australia. Glenn Robbins, long Andy’s photographer, remembers his arrival: ‘Apparently it's entirely my fault. Andy was never quite sure whether to thank or blame me for luring him to these shores. I dearly hoped for the former. Dressed in full bondage leather and mohawk, I picked him up at the airport, no doubt observed by on-lookers as weirdo rock star types on a weird world tour, and we felt it.

First days out at Arapiles; Andy could never allow himself to be seen to fail on lower grade climbs, so to ease his introduction with Arapiles rock, I led everything with Andy seconding, avoiding all the larger holds and upping the grades.’

Charlie Creese talks up the story:

His flame for climbing burnt low and finally extinguished, doused by efforts to lead Punks: AP's Diary Entry: 5th May 1992: Today I finally did ‘Punks’ and retired from climbing…

Andy made a brilliant new life for himself in Melbourne, becoming one of the most respected designers of rope-access systems for high-rise buildings. However, despite all his remarkable climbing and rope access achievements, his addictive personality meant that success was not enough. The partying, beer and tobacco took their toll, but his bipolar disorder disrupted his life most.

In 2011, on a visit to Melbourne, instead of climbing routes together we worked hard and by 2016 it was ready: Jon Barton’s inspirational title, Punk in the Gym, framed a book packed with the ‘real’ Andy Pollitt. The cathartic writing process reignited Andy’s interest in climbing, and the world discovered him once more.

Famed rock climbers had visited Australia before, but nothing was ever quite like the hype that preceded Andy’s arrival. It wasn't as if he arrived by private jet fitted with a double bed or anything, but his entrance was memorable – being announced beforehand in no lesser rag than the Wimmera Mail Times, an unprecedented honour for a climber. And why not? This guy climbed E7 groundup in rainbow-coloured lycra for god's sake. And, as the whole world knew even then, he lived as hard as he climbed. Respect!

When he did touch down, he was put up in a multi-berth caravan in Centenary Park, Mt Arapiles – a luxury without precedent. With his dark good looks and long black hair, it was no wonder that people likened him to a rock star.

Charlie Creese agrees; ‘You can't make an itch go away just by scratching something else, and eventually the throb of the past must have become intolerable, he finally reformed as ‘Andy the Climber’, embarking on a reunion tour to promote the autobiography only he could have written – Punk in the Gym – where he finally came clean about his ‘Web of Addictions’ and the long-suspected fact he was ‘Bi’. Ha! Those rock star analogies just won't go away. Music industry air heads will tell you Keith Richards was dangerous to know (Why? What's he going to do – explode?). Andy wasn't like that; he may have done dangerous things, but to know him was to have a warm hearted friend for as long as you cared to reciprocate. Few who crossed paths

In reality, the highest compliment you could have paid him was

with Andy wouldn't recall fondly his disarming openness, and if he

that he looked like a rock climber – and in this he possessed

had a hoodoo, well, that just went to show he was one of us.’

strengths and frailties all too familiar to the rest of us. For there Left: Andy Pollitt on Knockin on Heaven’s Door (E9 6c). Glenn Robbins 93

OBITUARY

JOHN MOORE 1949

–

2019

CHRIS DEWHIRST REMEMBERS HIS CHILDHOOD FRIEND AND CLIMBING PARTNER, JOHN MOORE, WHO WAS ONE OF THE PIONEERS OF ‘60S CLIMBING

A younger model John Moore. Reg Williams collection

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When I first met John in 1958 his dad worked for GMH and helped design the original Holden. Cecil died from a heart attack when John was 14. We were playing cricket when his mum came out with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate to give him the news.

the ends finished to see if descent was possible, when the sling

We went to Oak Park High School, which in 1960 was a division of the

Three months later on a new route we called Resignation on Tiger

Hunger Games. John was my Jennifer Lawrence. At lunch time 200

Wall at Mt Arapiles, I took a 50-foot fall when a hold failed. John held

boys faced off, kick-to-kick over a single football. More often than not,

the fall, burning his hands and returning the favour.

you could watch John climb the backs, shoulders and heads of the big kids in the pack to take a spectacular mark. He was fearless. In cricket season 50 runs was a bad day for John. He represented the school and the state in under-14 high jump. He cleared five feet with the western roll when he was 13; when six foot six was an Olympic medal. He was an exceptional athlete, kind hearted, modest with integrity; characteristics that remained for his entire life.

He introduced me to bullfighting and Ernest Hemingway. We converted his wheelbarrow with a crosspiece and two steak knives pilfered from his mum’s kitchen and played matador. Until I took the

holding the rope pulled free from the chock. I grabbed the sling. John teetered. He found his balance and climbed back to me. Not a year has gone past without me at least once waking up at 3am in a cold sweat after reliving that moment.

We made first ascents of dozens of climbs together: Fuhrer on Mt Buffalo, the Mantle on the right Watchtower Face, Checkmate on Bluff Major. And in 1966 when we were 17 we made the first ascent of the North Face of the Acropolis at Cradle Mountain, a climb we called the Gates of Eden after a Bob Dylan song. It was the hardest climb we had ever done. A coming of age climb.

Soon afterwards John met Lesley Kefford, who became the love of his life, an interrupted romance that blossomed anew ten years or so after he returned to Melbourne.

bull’s horn in my thigh. At that point we put El Cordobés and Madrid

In Feb 1967, we helped fight the Tasmanian bushfires, which killed

on hold for a year or two and took up falconry.

60 people, burnt 400 homes and destroyed 2500 sq km of forest.

We robbed a peregrine’s nest at Kinglake National Park and a kestrel nest at Werribee Gorge. We trained the chicks to eat from our fist and to fly at the constantly circling pigeons, demonstrating Darwin’s theory, perfectly. The pigeon keepers never suspected.

But using ropes to get to nests was more fun, so at 15 we took up mountaineering.

We read books borrowed from the Melbourne State Library, including Heinreich Harrer’s The White Spider on the first ascent of the Eiger.

We made a pact to one day climb the Eiger.

We bought nylon ropes from a ships chandlers in Port Melbourne and made our own gear in John’s shed. We made pitons, wooden wedges, drilled out hexangonal engineering nuts to thread on the slings and climbed at Cape Woolamai on Phillip Island. And at Werribee Gorge.

During a visit to the Melbourne Museum John saw a picture of the Organ Pipes that said, ‘on Jackson’s Creek…’ So we walked for three days along the creek until we found them. We camped there for a week in homemade tents and did a dozen new routes. We thought that we were the only climbers in Australia until one day we met Bob Bull, Peter Jackson and Chris Baxter at Hanging Rock. Real climbers who immediately tagged us the Juvenile Delinquents – the JDs. When we were 16 we walked for three days into Federation Peak in Southwest Tasmania and climbed the Northwest Face and attempted Blade Ridge. At one point on the retreat John stood on the edge of

Together, we watched Olegas Truchanas’ house go up in smoke, gone in two minutes along with all his photographs. Two weeks earlier we had had a private slideshow in his lounge room.

That year, John stayed on in Tasmania and worked on an abalone boat looking after the oxygen mechanism supplying the divers; a metaphor for future friendships.

He returned to Melbourne around 1975 with a very young family and moved into my place in Albert St, Brunswick, when I was teaching at Sydney Road Community School. And he began work at the ‘Pram Factory’, which was the beginning of a new career in documentary film-making.

John went on to produce or direct a number of award-winning documentaries about significant and inspiring Australian people. All his films were socially conscious with a strong focus on Indigenous rights, social justice and the revisiting of Australian history.

His films included: Thomson of Arnhem land; In the Realm of the Hackers; Abortion, Corruption and Cops: The Bertram Wainer Story; Monash: The Forgotten ANZAC; The Trial; From Under the Rubble: A Story from Gaza; and finally Putuparri and the Rainmakers, which went on to win the Cinefest Oz, $100,000 prize for best film.

We never did climb the North Face of the Eiger, but in a single lifetime perhaps some things are best left undone.

Chris Dewhirst

an abyss, leaning out holding onto the abseil rope, checking where 95

OBITUARY

JOHN WORRALL 1947–2019

REMEMBERING JOHN WORRALL, ONE OF THE PIONEERS OF ‘60S BLUE MOUNTAINS CLIMBING

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Left: John Worrall climbing in the Blue Mountains. Gary Steer

WORDS: JUDY LAW, IAN BROWN, DICK SMITH, LEE SMITH & KEITH BELL IMAGE: Gary Steer Climbing Blue Mountains–style in the 1960s: the Psyn Cave,

One stand-out Worrall first ascent is the spectacular Old Baldy Wall

Narrowneck and a weekend of climbing with the Sydney Rockies,

Route in the Wolgan Valley graded 19 (later downgraded to 17) and

planned at the Tuesday evening meeting at The Railway Institute

rarely repeated. John and Dave Massam climbed the route entirely

Sydney, later, The Hero of Waterloo pub at The Rocks. John Worrall,

free in 1968, described in Wade Steven's guide as difficult route

he was young and gruff, kind and decent, remembers Judy Law,

negotiating a maze of ironstone bands with no obvious line to follow.

‘Whenever I climbed with him I felt safe in his strength of character

The Eyrie at Mt Boyce and SSCC 1 at Mt Piddington are also well-

and body.’ He was a good climber, almost larger than life, bridging

trodden, easy classics put up by John.

from motor mechanic to the bush and climbing. And climb he did.

In 1969, John was a climber on the Davis-Steer Balls Pyramid Photographic Expedition and reached the summit by the Southeast

The two Johns, Worrall and Ewbank, were one of the great Australian climbing partnerships. They dominated the late 1960s scene in NSW with their relentless hard climbing and new routes in the Blue Mountains, Warrumbungles as well as Mt Buffalo in Victoria. At Mt Piddington alone, they together put up at least 25 climbs of the highest standard, with perennial classics like Psychopath, Gemini, Curtain Call, Genesis and Minotaur Wall. They put up Crucifixion on the West Face of Crater Bluff and at Buffalo climbed the classic duo on the Cathedral, Sultan and Maharajah (first free ascent). They also

Ridge (Voie Normale). The knowledge and experience he gained was invaluable in helping to make the first ascent of the West Ridge early the year after. A year later John spent three weeks on the steep Southern Caldera Face and managed to get three-quarters of the way to the top. After a series of mishaps, the team pulled out, and no one has climbed higher on it since. In January 1980, John Worrall, Hugh Ward and Dick Smith climbed the Pyramid using the standard Southeast Ridge. In all John summited three times on this amazing ocean pinnacle.

attempted Ozymandias and made the second ascent of Fuhrer on

On the personal side, John and his wife, Maureen suffered an almost

Buffalo’s imposing North Wall.

unbelievable tragedy when they lost their two daughters within a

Their alliance was built on mutual benefit and rivalry rather than deep friendship: two tough-minded, proud, strong and ambitious climbers at their peak, who could depend on each other on the most demanding routes. Many of their ascents took multiple attempts; aid eliminated, yo-yoing and switching leaders. John Worrall said

short time. Rather than complain, they immediately became foster carers and did wonderful work for young people. John had displayed reclusive tendencies before, but now he shifted all of his focus from climbing to concentrate on his fostering children, his relatives and spending time with very close friends.

that sometimes when Ewbank completed a climb he would refuse to

We probably thought that big climbs were the 'big challenge', but

second so he could lead it clean later. While acknowledging Ewbank

really it's life that delivers something more challenging, and John

as the better climber, Worrall reckoned he could lead anything

faced both with aplomb.

Ewbank did. John Worrall was never the subordinate climber, but his considerable contribution has been largely overshadowed by the legend of the other John.

Judy Law, Ian Brown, Dick Smith, Lee Smith and Keith Bell, early members of The Sydney Rockclimbing Club

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P R E C I O U S

O B J E C T

ZALIKA RIZMAL GRAMPIANS CLIMBING SPORT C R AG S : 2 0 1 3 E D I T I O N

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Climbing guidebooks aren’t everyone’s thing. For some, they detract from the adventure of the unknown. But not for me.

There’s nothing like the moment of anticipation as you flip through crisp pages for the first time. Dopamine floods. Fantasies activate. Tick lists begin to form. Tips get sweaty. But not all guidebooks are equal, and it’s my firm-yet-biased opinion that Australian guidebooks are the best. They have real personality.

While my guidebook collection has grown over the years, my most treasured is still my first: Neil Monteith’s Grampians Climbing Sport Crags: 2013 Edition.

About six months after I first crammed my feet into a pair of climbing shoes, I fractured my ankle at the local gym. For some this may have been a catalyst to jump ship for a less ‘breaky’ sport, but it was too late. I was hooked.

During those long months of recovery, the next best thing to climbing was my new guidebook. I remember sitting outside with my crutches, leg in a cast, excitedly rummaging through the guide, highlighting climbs. I remember thinking: One day soon, I will be able to lead a grade 22 and imagine, all the crags that will then open up to me.

Over the years that inspiration grade has kept increasing, though the fantasy play still gets me stupidly psyched to climb and train.

But it’s not just the book’s fantasy power that makes it special.

This book represents finding climbing, its community and a sense of belonging.

As the child of Slovenian migrants growing up in a monocultural town in the Dandenong Ranges, I always felt like an outsider.

But the climbing community attracts all sorts – rebels and misfits, oddballs, creatives, everyday awesome folk – and some who are just, as I was, a bit lost in life.

In climbers I knew that I had found my people, and it was in exploring the Grampians/Gariwerd that I first felt truly at home.

This book literally guided me to and through this magical land.

Everything there seemed simple. I felt as if we climbers were children at play in a world untouched by messy human affairs.

Climbing allowed me to explore, both inwardly and outwardly, a practice that was life-affirming, creative and spiritual.

Looking through the guidebook now evokes an embodied memory of every climb. I am there, with visceral experiences of pain, sweat, fear and communion in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. I remember moves; the rough sandstone, insecure feet, quickening breath, that feeling of mind and body in sync.

And now, years later, spending time in Gariwerd still feels like coming home to a timeless place. Except we aren’t in a timeless place; this is 2019, and Victorian climbers are facing unprecedented access issues and widespread climbing bans.

Flipping through my guidebook now also makes me very sad.

The community that once felt so welcoming and united has become fractured. Division, antagonism, trolling – things that seemed antithetical to climbing are now front and centre, especially online.

Climbers have been maligned by lies, land managers have mismanaged and we are hurting deeply as a consequence. That which made many of us sane has been taken away, seemingly overnight, in a bewildering way. Yet there are legitimate environmental and cultural concerns that we need to face.

We cannot be blind to the mass of wounds Australia has to heal from its colonial past that are still festering, unresolved.

We are living in a time of historical reckoning that may be uncomfortable and require us to reassess. Sadly, there is no guidebook for navigating this complex new reality, but I hope the community can play a positive role on this path towards reconciliation and continued access.

I’ll forever keep coming back to my first guidebook, its frayed and dog-eared pages, seeking joy and inspiration. As the guidebook says, ‘You’ll leave scratched, dirty and sunburnt – but happy.’

Neil was right; nothing satisfies the spirit like Gariwerd.

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