Let's start from the beginning. The maddening CAWA crowd invaded the Marg River area and Wilyabrup sea cliffs for the annual crag bash, with a force of some 20 fit and good looking people, and me. The star attraction was Manuel (not from Barcelona) the Paella chef, who not only cooked up a great meal on Saturday night while wearing surgical gloves, but also provided great entertainment in the process. The meal was cooked on a massive hotplate, powered by twin turbo gas bottles which fed an all consuming triple ring of fire under the plate. On top of the plate sizzled calamari, mussels, rice, veges, tomato sauce and the rest of paella. If eyes could eat I would be full before the spoons came out. Yum!
I was climbing with Pistol Pete on this weekend. On Saturday we knocked off a few warm-ups incl the brilliant Totally Awesome (19) and then did Washed Up Punks (23) - basically an easier version of Heavy Metal. After this we set to work on toproping Blow Job (24), a subtly named Richardson discovery left of the second pitch of Mobjob. Undoubtedly the name refers to the ever present breeze. It is a vertical face climb with a few strategic slopers and contingent on delicate footwork. On Sunday we set to work on trying to redpoint the thing: I fell off the crux first, then Pete did, then I did again (this time screaming impolitely), then Pete sent it. Bastard. I jelaously scurried up to the top and refuelled on gummy dinosaurs, then lay comatose on the rock for 30 minutes trying not to think about it while sugar circulated into my forearms. Pete then shook me awake and told me to get on with it so I did and sent on my third attempt, this time with a modified crux sequence involving a thumb press into a side-hold. I have never done anything like this before but it kept me perfectly balanced to reach the after-crux jug. I wobbled through the appaling two finger "traverse hold" and topped out screamed again, this time with joy. Another 24! Not that I care about numbers of course ...... :)
It was good to see Owen getting some action back on the rock, after his soloing accident last year. They did some climbing with Kate who made the crux of Heavy Metal (24) look like it was not there. However, I thought Eric was the star of the weekend, only his second trip to Wilys and he onsighted Fat Chance (20), Mobjob (20) and Stainless Steel (21)....that is some effort!! Unfortunately he is leaving us for a work stint in the Land of the Septic Tank. Bummer. There goes my Sunday night bouldering buddy :( Thanks to Tony for organising the paella and thanks to Wally for the car park beer....the timing could not be better :) Paella pics here.
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