Nowra Checkup

It's been at least a few years since I was last climbing at Nowra, but
in preparation for Yangshou I think it'll become a little more common.
The sandstone jug routes and slopers are the closest I'm going to get to
the tropical limestone routes.

Considering the amount of routes I've climbed in the last year or two it
was a pretty good day, an 18 and 19 to warm up, then worked the moves
on a few 22's.

I also finally had a crack at Butterfly Direct, an imposing route up the
intimidating face hanging over the track, right up and over the
'butterfly' feature high on the wall. I've been eyeing it off for years,
but never really felt up to having a go at it. I jumped on not expecting
much, even pulling off the ledge at the start was hard, mostly
intimidation rather than the moves.

Once I was on the wall things got a little easier, I was happy dogging
the route, so I'd climb as far as I could, sit on a draw and study the
next moves, the lower crux up to the side-pull off the undercling took a
few tries, and I'm still not sure that I can move into it, although
apparently there is another way, just pulling hard and staying off the
undercling.

The upper crux was merely a matter of footwork, keep the feet high, and
get the left up to the break. From there it's easy. Apparently there is
a left option with a fingerlock which is easier, but the right crimp was
certainly doable.

From there the top is pretty easy, a few parts where the sequence is
important, and I'll want a rest on the butterfly itself, I'll have to
find a way to get a good shake out, the knee scum wasn't quite enough.
It'll need a few repeats up the top to track down the good holds, and
the right sequences for the parts where it isn't obvious.

We finished the afternoon with an hour or so out at Big Red,sadly the
sun stayed away, but the water was warm and it was nice to have a swim.
The tide was obviously in the middle of a swing, and you had to fight
just to stay in place by the cliff.
I didn't make the high points from last time, but it was good to find a
few more lines, and the additional climbing made me really feel the
length of the day.

It's possible that I spent the whole weekend with a broken thumb from
the rock last weekend. I gently tapped it on the anchor of the 18, with
very little force, but it hurt considerably, and the pain is now
localised around the second joint of the thumb. If it were just bruised,
I'd expect it to have improved a bit more by now, but I'll be getting it
looked at tomorrow.

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