We clean up and head out for the best Thai meal I've ever had. (I'm no Thai expert, but if you're in Melbourne, I say don't miss Paladarr.) Twelve hours later, I'm planted in a Qantas seat, sipping a final VB. And you know what I'm thinking, right? Yup, that's it: "Hmmmm.... Where next?" |
Mt. Buffalo 2006 - page 2 |
Well, yes. I've got two blown tips and stitches, and we're supposed to climb a crack route today. This is what keeps the tape companies in business. (God, what a gumbie.) Just to make me feel extra dumb, we spend the whole morning wandering around in the Gorge, without finding the start of Vortex. Duh... |
At least Mushroom rock is always neat to look at. |
Finally giving up on Vortex, we get in the car and head down-mountain to Eurobin falls to do a couple of pitches of Mother of Pearl. - maybe more, if we feel like it. The walk in takes us past Ladies Bath Falls, which is gorgeous. Foolishly we don't swim either coming or going, even though the day is blazing hot. |
Eurobin falls itself is further up the trail, with not much water flowing. Our route runs to the left of the fall (out of view in this shot), up a right-facing corner and then into open slabs. |
Col leads off on pitch 1 of Mother of Pearl (Oz 14; U.S. 5.7), and I follow. The rock is water streaked black and has been baking in the sun all day. It's so hot I swear I can smell barbecue and hear my toes sizzling inside my shoes. |
I lead a second pitch of thin and unprotected slab that brings us to a two-bolt rap anchor (Col follows at left). We take the hint and bail. It's beer time. |
Gotta love car-camping: it's a burrito day. |
Cheers! |
Col gorges. |
We're in the mood for a day of cragging at the Horn. We rap in and I lead Big Fun (Oz 15; U.S. 5.7/5.8). It deserves its stars. Col follows. |
Next morning once again its ...Mmmm.... Vitabrits. Australian Soylent Green, I'm convinced. |
For a second night I see a wombat bumbling around camp after lights out. Once again he moves too fast for me to get a pic. If I had, he would have looked like this (although not black, not two-dimensional and without the yellow background....) |
Standing at the base of Peroxide Blonde (Oz 20; U.S. 5.10b/c), neither of us has the nerve to lead it. Our aspirations to push the grades are rubbing up against the harsh realities of Buffalo granite. Col leads the second pitch of the Pintle instead, and then we both top rope Peroxide Blonde. In retrospect - I can say this now - it wasn't that bad. Here's me on TR. |
We eat bars sitting on the observation platform, then rap back in. Col leads pitch 1 of Buttocks (Oz 10; U.S. 5.5), which is fun and as easy as you'd expect. Below, he provides sign language for the route title. |
I Lead Hoi Polloi (Oz 16; U.S. 5.8), and then we walk down to try to find German Beer Drinking Favorites, without success. Guess that means it's beer time, but we scope out the Dreamworld area on our way out and decide to come back to play there next day. |
Our laziness is rewarded, as we catch some beautiful afternoon light on Lake Catani. |
Next day is windy, but clear. We drive back to the Horn area and do the tiny approach walk to Deamworld. Gotta love roadside cragging. I start us off on This is Not Our Land (Oz 19 ; U.S. 10a/b), but am too short to reach the lip on the final move and too pumped to re-position my feet. I downclimb a bit and lob off. Damn. A short rest solves the problem. Here's Col on the route. We then both toprope Buffalo Soldiier (Oz 16; U.S. 5.8), on which the pro looks a tad too interesting for either of us to want to lead. Below is me making an unnecessary long reach just to enjoy the incredible edges. |
We then toprope Injustice (Oz 22; U.S. 5.10d/5.11a) and both get up it with one hang. Not bad for the likes of us. Here's Col puzzling over the upper crux. |
We eat a leisurely lunch and then drive back to Catani, where we walk into the Chalwell Galeries. There's a lot of rock here, but we only touch on it, with Col leading Son of Epic (Oz 16; U.S. 5.8). Here he is, on the upper section. |
The evening brings rain, and we worry because Col is pining to climb Sultan on our final day. A huge vat of pasta provides temporary comfort. The next morning is still gray and chilly, and we pack up first, waiting to see how things look. By the time we're packed, the skies are looking better, and we drive to the Cathedral with the upper pitches of Sultan on our minds. (The first, wide pitch is not protectable with the gear we have, and neither of us is brave enough - or good enough - to do it unprotected. Fortunately, there's a walk-around to the start of guidebook pitch 2.) Col goes from looking like his puppy died to all smiles as the skies turn to blue. Here he is casting off on our pitch 1 (guidebook pitch pitch 2). |
Here's me following at right, and below putting on my happy (read terrified) face before casting off on our pitch 2. |
I lead the second (a brilliant pitch of Oz 18 cracks), Col leads the third (same as the last pitch of Maharaja), we rap, and that's it for Mt. Buff 2006. Well, almost. We have to stop for a mandatory meat pie in Bright. Mmmmm. Col has actually managed to shave at some point, but nonetheless has that "It's time to go home look" about him. |
As for me, I'm purely grungy. It's a long drive to Melbourne, and I spend some of it wondering if they'll even let me check into my hotel. After first trying to shoo us away, the doorman reluctantly lets me in. Not sure I would have, in his shoes. |
We clean up and head out for the best Thai meal I've ever had. (I'm no Thai expert, but if you're in Melbourne, I say don't miss Paladarr.) Twelve hours later, I'm planted in a Qantas seat, sipping a final VB. And you know what I'm thinking, right? Yup, that's it: "Hmmmm.... Where next?" |
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