THE CLIMBER
WINTER 2015 $9.95
92
NEW ZEALAND’S CLIMBING MAGAZINE
QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF THE NEW ZEALAND ALPINE CLUB
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Mark Evans descending the Tewaewae Glacier, on the Footstool, Aoraki Mount Cook National Park.
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ON THE COVER Larry Shiu and Jonathan Reynard on Rainbow Serpent (WI6), Ghost River valley, Canadian Rockies. John Price selected this image for his photographer profile in this issue (see p26). Of the shot, John says: 'It was New Year's Day 2014. I probably should have been waking up somewhere with a sore head, but instead I turned in early the night before to climb the often formed Fearful Symmetry (WI6). We were two teams of two, my friends Larry and Jonathan climbed the ultra-classic and equally aesthetic Rainbow Serpent, situated in the same amphitheatre as us. Climbing a route across from them allowed me to gain some incredible angles to document their ascent.' JOHN PRICE
CONTENTS ISSUE 92
FEATURES 22 EVEREST BASECAMP AVALANCHE 2015 BY MIKE MADDEN
26 ON SIGHT Climbing photographer profile BY JOHN PRICE
32 A MILD THING Boanerges BY JAZ MORRIS
36 COLD ACHES A beginner's introduction to ice climbing BY DAN SLATER
42 WHY I CLIMB BY JENNIFER ARAI
44 THE POPCORN CHRONICLES Rock climbing film history review BY MATT PIERSON
REGULARS 4 Exposure 10 The Sharp End
Comment and opinion
12 NZAC News 18 People 48 Books and Film 49 Stuff You Need 56 The Last Pitch 2
THE CLIMBER ISSUE 92, WINTER 2015
we ARE climbing
Takeshi Tani on ‘Cyber Pasty Memorial’ WI5+ / M7, Alberta, Canada Photo: ex-Bivouac Staffmember John Price johnpricephotographic.com
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exposure
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In January this year, some members of the New Zealand Alpine Team had a successful ice climbing team trip to the Canadian Rockies. Pictured is Daniel Joll leading Happy Days (WI6+, X). The crux is pulling the roof formed by the overlapping curtain, but the initial 20-metre high detached pillar also provides some intense climbing as it is fractured at the top and hollow, so a climber must hook icicles rather than swing into it. Protection is also unavailable in such a fragile pillar. Daniel described the lead as 'really scary'. JAZ MORRIS
THE CLIMBER ISSUE 92, WINTER 2015
THE CLIMBER ISSUE 92, WINTER 2015
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THE SHARP END
THE GREAT RETREAT WHILE DUNEDIN is host to some outstanding rock climbing, its basalt cliffs are not known for their great length, and in fact there is only one route in town that qualifies for the title of 'multi-pitch'. Winding its way up the best rock in the centre of an old quarry, The Great Escape (3 pitches, ~60m) commands an outstanding view of Port Chalmers, the Otago Harbour, and frequent wedding ceremonies in the public garden beneath. The Great Escape is not particularly classic or bold—it's a well-bolted route that goes at grade 14 for pitches 1 and 2. There's a tricky steep start on Pitch 3 (grade 18) which leads to more grade 14 climbing above. What The Great Escape is, however, is really good fun, an awesome way to introduce beginners to multi-pitch, and also a challenge that invites novelty ascents. The route is frequently climbed free in sneakers, at night, and at speed (13 minutes 53 seconds is believed to be the record car-to-car time for the route). All this with one tricky move on the third pitch that shuts beginners down, opens their eyes to the possibilities beyond grade 14 (without scaring them off), and makes for a spicy crux when simul-climbing the route or performing some other unorthadox ascent. Dave Brash, Dunedin rock climbing guide, old-time legend and editor of the last edition of Dunedin Rock, recently chipped three bucket-holds into the crux with his drill. He did so unannounced, unilaterally, and without regard for the almost cult following this route has among Dunedin's younger climbers. The means to aid the move already existed (just pull on the quickdraw, man) and this was even suggested by Dave in his guidebook, so it's not clear at all why he felt like going chipping. ('Coming soon: Guided Multi-pitch in Dunedin, beginner friendly, call Dave on 027-whatever'?). I must concede there is some irony in that the original move was a side-pull on a vertical drillhole left over from the quarry days. But this hole wasn't put there for the benefit of climbers, and was included in the first ascent. Dave's 'murder of the possible' flies in the face of the New Zealand climbing ethic. Chipping is for the bad old days, for the weak, and for the greedy. If you can't climb this line, climb another one. There is plenty of rock for everyone. I'll never climb a grade 32, but I won't chip Angel of Pain to bring it down to my level.
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Simple as that. Dave, I have no doubt, was perfectly able to send The Great Escape, and since he is presumably doing this for other climbers' benefit he should first have asked them if that's what they want. I spent several years having a great time on The Great Escape, aiding the move until I got better, and in fact striving to get good enough to get Pitch 3 clean. More recently, in a fledgling contribution to route-setting and re-bolting to replace old mank, I have been extremely concerned to make sure I consult people like Dave, Steve Carr and the various Dunedin climbing groups to make sure that I don't ruffle feathers (at least in this area of the climbing scene). This is how it should be done. No chipping (at all), no retro-bolting (without consultation), and no unilateral decisionmaking about modifying existing routes just because you see a guiding opportunity. If anyone needs me I'll be mixing the cement to patch the holes. –Jaz Morris
AUTO BELAY SAFETY ON 30 MARCH, my husband Geoff climbed a wall at Hangdog Climbing Gym in Lower Hutt that is protected by an auto belay, as he had done hundreds of times before. This time, Geoff forgot to clip in to the auto belay before he started. When he was ten or eleven metres up the wall Geoff let go, expecting to be lowered slowly by the auto belay machine. Approximately 1.4 seconds later, travelling at approximately 50 kilometres per hour, he hit the ground, breaking his feet, back, pelvis and right wrist, and dislocating his left thumb.
Geoff and I think this type of accident could happen again to someone else. We think it’s dangerously easy to forget to clip in, especially when a climber is focussed on the impending climb or distracted by conversation or thoughts. This type of accident is regularly described as 'common'. In 2013, a climber in Texas died from a fall after forgetting to clip in to an auto belay. The risk is not just to the climber but also to anyone on the ground underneath. This leaves us very keen to raise awareness of this risk in the climbing community. We suggest climbers using an auto belay check they are clipped in correctly just before they step off the ground. But we don’t think remembering to check can be relied on. We suggest you ask your climbing gym to reduce the risk. We suggest climbing gyms require customers to get instruction from staff before using an auto belay—instruction that includes the information that the most common accident associated with auto belays is forgetting to clip in altogether. We suggest climbing gyms set up a barrier that auto belays are clipped to when not in use, blocking access to the wall that the auto belay protects. We think it is important that: • The barrier blocks the entire breadth of the wall used by the auto belay (to a height of about 1-1.5m), not just an area in the middle of the wall. This is to reduce the risk of someone forgetting to clip in and climbing up beside the auto belay. • The auto belay is secured close to the wall, to reduce the risk of someone forgetting to clip in and climbing up with the auto belay behind them (as Geoff did). • The wall protected by the auto belay is not used for lead climbing or other activities which would require the auto belay to be sometimes secured out of the way. Other possible safety measures include an alarm such as the one produced by Nicros for use with auto belays, or a clipping in set-up that requires three hands, so that another person is needed (for a moment) to help with clipping in, providing a check and making clipping in a conscious act instead of one that can be carried out on autopilot. Thirteen weeks since the accident, Geoff is
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THE CLIMBER ISSUE 92, WINTER 2015
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THE SHARP END
doing well. He spent six weeks in hospital and had surgeries on his feet, back and wrist, with more to come. In the last fortnight, he has been given the go ahead to start propelling his wheelchair with both hands (as opposed to just his left), so he no longer zigzags haphazardly across rooms. And he's begun weight bearing on his feet, traversing the living room with a Zimmerframe. –Lisia Grocott
QCC ACCESS EFFORTS I READ with great interest Erik Bradshaw's article about the ongoing issues we are experiencing in the Wakatipu with the access road into the Rastus Burn Recreation Reserve and the Remarkables Conservation Area (The Climber issue 91, pp10-12). After many months of effort, support and negotiation, many Queenstown Climbing Club members were looking forward to an account of their efforts appearing in The Climber. Instead, we were left scratching our heads at the reference to 'a fractured and ineffective local climbing community.' Erik is entirely correct in his overall assessment that the last six months have involved 'a steep learning curve that exposed many of the challenges the climbing community faces when tackling issues in the public arena.' Yet, I believe local climbers deserve a hearty slap on the back and congratulations for meeting those challenges head on. Amongst other efforts, QCC members have organised a petition, maintained communication with our local DOC office, pursued formal OIA requests in order to build a library of critical documents, instructed a solicitor to engage with the Minister of Conservation to establish a complete understanding of complex paperwork, given press and radio interviews and encouraged club members to attend the photo shoot featured in the article—that photo was even taken by a QCC member. As we continue the good work on this project to enforce access rights that were agreed to in the original Remarkables Ski Field deal, it is clear that we can be a formidable force when we all work together. So, Erik, how about we plan that joint Christmas party? –Eddie Gapper President, Queenstown Climbing Club
SHOULD PROJECTS BE CLOSED OR OPEN? THE DECISION whether projects should be closed or open should be entirely the decision of the person who put the blood, sweat, time and money into developing the project. In my eyes, stealing a project is just as bad, or worse, than stealing material possessions. A person that helps create a new climb goes through a ridiculous amount of effort to establish something beautiful from something unappreciated. One of the best things about route development (no matter the grade) is the progression from having the raw vision and imagining the possibilities to the exploration, puzzle solving, deciding where to clean, climb and place the clips to complete the route. Will it be a standard two-pitch 20-metre route or a European-inspired 40-metre endurance testpiece? The establisher then has to climb it, name it, build a track to it if necessary, advertise it and encourage people to do another new route instead of that three-star classic that they've probably climbed four or five times already without looking at the climbs either side. It's not an easy task to say the least. You can't deny that the person responsible for all this work and effort deserves and has earned the right to complete their journey without people like Dave Graham bugging them over and over to give up their project, then call it something degrading like Girl Talk. The establishers aren't trying to claim ownership over the route, just respect. If you want to climb a new route then you could always go bolt a new climb yourself. If you really want to do that rad-looking new climb that someone bolted a while ago then at the very least rest on a bolt or two to avoid the FA (ideally with the establishers permission). It is so much less meaningful without the effort and history behind it. Climbing someone else’s rad project is like some random person having a one night stand with your really awesome girlfriend or boyfriend that you've been dating for several weeks, months or years, before you've gone 'all the way'. Welcome to Sucksville, population: you. There are always fewer easier routes due to low-angle routes being harder to clean and the fact that most developers are more inspired to put up new routes around their
limit or slightly higher. If you want more easy climbs, then go clean and bolt them! You don't have to be a strong climber to do this! At Mangaokewa, near Waitomo, there was a 13-year-old girl, Katie O'Reilly, putting up new routes. Katie is maybe not the best example as she could climb seven grades more than her age, but she’s still inspiring nonetheless! Before you complain about a new route ’being a bit dirty’, try cleaning a new route yourself and you'll probably find yourself having more trouble than Taylor Swift during a break-up. If you'd like to put up new routes, no matter the grade, length or dirtiness, just e-mail me and I'll happily help you lose your first ascent virginity: danmonkeyman@hotmail.com. –Dan Head
A STIFF BREEZE CONGRATULATIONS ON issue 89 of The Climber. There are some inspiring photos and articles there. However, on page 15 there is a photo of me carrying a water tank up the hill (photograph 7) for which the accompanying caption is wrong. Dennis Sanders was not there and is not the photographer who took the photo. The caption says that I was being pulled up to the hut. This is far from the truth. The reason that a couple of longish slings are attached to me was that I had galloped up the hill from Tukino (the tank was reasonably light), however, on slipping over the ridge and down towards the hut, the wind picked up and took me with it. I became airborne for several metres and apparently had a terrified look on my face as the drop off below the hut approached faster than I had expected. Hence the bit of string to slow me down. I think that Grant Pearson took this photo and it won something like the humour section of the photographic competition that year. It's good to see Whangaehu Hut still being looked after so well and attracting visitors. –Carl Mckay
THIS ISSUE’S PRIZE GOES TO: DAN HEAD
THE CLIMBER ISSUE 91, AUTUMN 2015
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