After many trips around New Zealand, working in Sydney, and road-tripping along the East Coast, I eventually found myself in the climbing and bouldering paradise of the Grampians.
Here's a little insight:
When a planned, easy-going recovery bouldering day turns into a personal challenge...
Two days of bouldering followed by a day off is a pretty classic approach to a bouldering trip. And when bouldering day one is super exhausting, you tend to take it easy on the second day. That was also my strategy when I felt completely wiped out after a day spent in three areas, where I had projected two roof boulders and finished off by climbing up a slightly less powerful boulder. My biceps were simply empty, and my body battery was running in power-saving mode at under 5%. Is dinner and a night's sleep enough to recharge? Not really. So the goal for the next day was: 100 "V-points" in the large area of "Andersons". (V7 is approx. 7a+; V4 approx. 6c). The strategy was: lots of easy boulders and maybe a few hard ones in the middle.
I didn't know my way around the area, but 'local' Simon knew almost every boulder here, or at least the beta! The first 15 points went super fast and were easily earned, but even then the previous day made itself felt in weak muscles... After we were well warmed up and had collected about twenty-five points, we wanted to boulder something harder. That was the strategic mistake! Pointless and powerless, we turned back to the lower V-grades and fell into a midday slump. Suddenly V4 was super hard, we hadn't even done half yet and it was already noon!
Well, teamwork: massage, sharing food, cheering each other on, giving beta... because "sharing is caring". And lo and behold: it works! Simon, who had been struggling with a V2 in the meantime, was back in the flow and gained an advantage with a few V5s & more. But the daylight hours were dwindling, dusk was approaching, and I still needed 20-30 points. So keep going, collect easy points, use Simon's beta, leave your shoes on, and crawl through the forest on the hunt for boulders with only one pad, water, and chalk. We managed to bag 5 exciting points on a highball slab with a scary high hook right at the top, and then Simon cracked the 100 right after! Whoo hoo!
Okay, I still had to bag 15. And the daylight was slowly running out. Fortunately, I managed an easy V4 on the second try, then a high V2 that I turned into a V3 or V4, then two V2 mantles without a break with a flat, funky dyno exit. It was already so dark that I couldn't really see the footholds anymore. But I was able to overcome my fear of the easy but scary dyno and bag the points. 3 points to go! Simon, I need three more points—is there anything else here? Not quite so confidently, he said: yes, there's still that V3 we were at before. I was so excited and ambitious that I fortunately didn't pick up on his doubtful undertone. In the light of a phone flashlight, I climbed up, and it was actually just one long move to a hold, and I couldn't really see my feet anyway. So one push and I had the rescue hold in my hand! Whoop whoop! The 100 had been cracked! Barely, but done! That was definitely teamwork! Thanks, Simon, for the beta!
We headed back to camp in the dark, cooked for 5 people, eaten by 2, but we earned it!
In addition to the 100 points and over 35 boulders in Andersons that were new to me so far, I was also able to tick off a few V7s and easier ones.
After many exploratory trips to new areas, I returned to my projects in bouldering week five. What happened to me there you can read in the next report...
