Josh, Roland, Roman

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Ode to Crack Man Fever - 2023

If you can’t yet do great things, do small things in a great way.

Crack Man Fever

Oozing Confidence 20**

Septic Penguin

Roman Cracking along

Roland on Septic Penguin Roman on Crack Man Fever Roland on Flack Josh on Septic Penguin
"Do not wait for the perfect time and place to enter, for you are already onstage."

Probably one of the lesser known classics waiting quietly in the shadowns of the Northern Beaches, or perhaps even Greater Sydney is completely overshawdowed by its neighbour the classic Septic Penguin, which dominates with its broad juggy overhanging funnel. Yet quietly right next to it runs a wide crack that emerges from the bowels of a deep cave below. Rumor has it that a 24 start lurks in the damp underbelly of this abyss. Yet what is often used as the starting holds of Septic Penguin also forms an independet crack line abtly named Crack Man Fever (21**). Steeped in history the first ascent is attributed to the inimitable Mike Law back in 1978 and it has probably seen few ascents at a crag that features mostly steep sport routes. But there it rested always smiling at us, with its wide mouth that gradually thinnes in the shadows, whenever we did a warm up lap on Septic Penguin. I tried it first time with Will a few years back on toprope and the moves seemed very hard, with a burly boulder problem start into an undercling rooflet that traverse right to a jug on the lip where the flaring fingercrack awaits. We worked the moves and flailed our way upward on toprope, but it was way beyond our crack ability back then. Since then things changed and the popularity of the Wide Boys have brought old crack lines of desperation back into the spotlight. Will was the inspiration to put cracks back on the agenda and after a stint with a crackline at St.Peters the flame was lit and Will bought a portaledge to make things more interesting. Training sessions at Twilights Last Gleaming began to take effect and a trip to Australia's crack climbing mekka Frog Buttress humbled us into submission and taught us that we were still rank beginners in the ancient art. Nevertheless Will put the challenge on the table and the goal will be Ozymandias sometime next year. However, back in the dark recesses of my mind and deeply supressed the real goal would be Where Angels Fear to Tread. With all these plans and training sessions, the memory of Crack Man Fever resurfaced and even better - it was close to home. Why search in the distance when one of the gems is so close nearby. So no more excuses it had to go first. The desire to have another go and see how far we had come became stronger and desparate for belayers during the long October weekend, I enlisted Josh and Roland for an introductory session at Narrabeen Steep Side. It was there first visit and one too many for me, but the goal was always clear - do another lap on Crack Man Fever to see what it feels like. After the usual desparate warm-ups of Flack 17* which keeps feeling absolutely desparate even after so many ascents, we managed to even try one of the newer lines (this place keeps on giving even in its modern era).

Yawning Yowie (17**) established by Jeffrey Grass in 2018 is not half bad with a committing first move over a horizontal crack through an easy middle section and a nice headwall. Short but sweet and challenging for beginners.

Oozing Confidence (20**) another line back from the dark ages that I must have walked past gazillions of times, but now it has ring bolts, which magically appeared recently. Although short the crux layback start is unique and challenging to a horizontal crack rest, followed by two amazing iron stone crimps, which gain a final upper horizontal crack. A lesser man woul have put the anchors here, but they are deliberately placed a few meters to the left necessitating a traverse with a mini crux to the anchors. Vision and style are superb and this makes for an excellent adition to the crag. Short but sweet and challenging for beginners.

These introductions, were followed byt Technorable and Septic Penguins repeats, but my mind was already engage with the moves on Crack Man Fever. After the top rope was up on Septic Penguin, Crack Man Fever is an extra bonus right under the top rope so there is very little in terms of an excuse. I thought the beginning bulge was the crux, but it is just bouldery and can be done quite fast with the correct beta. Once above the crux start bulge, the finger crack traverses sideways under a buldge via underclings to a jug, which forms the start of the flaring crux finger crack section above. I was still on top rope and tried to figure out the moves but the transition from the jug undercling into the flaring finger crack eluded me and I took several falls here. The footholds are descent, but I kept using the crimps on the left face rather than concentrating on the finger jams. I spent some time here to unlock the sequence and once I stopped using the crimps and started reversing my right hand (thump down) I could bring my left hand into the crack and was in position for some good finger locks. Sorting out my feet I could reach to the jug high up right and was through the upper crux. Job done but on toprope with many rests.
Next was a clean ascent from the bottom on toprope, I had to make sure it was possible from the ground up when you are tired. A couple of belays later on Septic Penguis with Josh and Roland working hard on the steep pumpy moves it was my turn again. I tied into the toprope and started on the moves ground up, this time the start boulder felt much harder and I just barely made it through, finished the traverse underclings and I was tired looking at the crux finger locks. But my sequence was good and I just made it through all the moves clean - on toprope - tired but still - it was possible. Now it was decision time: none of this really matters, it has to be done on gear ground up needless to say.
A short lunch and watching Josh and Roland giving their all on Septic Penguin again provided enough inspiration to give it a go on gear. I sorted out my gear and placed two bomber pieces to protect the start boulder (Camelot 0.5 and 0.3) Once I was over the start boulder I place another small 0.3 to protect the undercling traverse. Underlclinging across with bad feet and a little layback brought me to the jug below the cruck corner. A bomber Camelot #2 just below the jug hold protects the move into the crack. This is were the crux awaits, reach high with your right hand, insert upside down and rely on your feet to bring the left hand just below: you can not place any gear here so keep going and jam your fingers higher until your right hand can reach the jug. Place a small #0.3 below you to protect the exit move. Mantle and scramble to the top of the Penguin belay on easy moves. I place another Camelot #0.75 here for ease of mind and the job was done. In the end, it came as a surprise to be able to finish the line in one session, I guess the training has paid off and one of the many prerequisites for Ozy has now been met. Still, many remain and the next one is just around the corner, again it is another line that has been hiding in plain sight for many years, its called: Sweet Mercury and its twin brother Shivering Jemmy.

 

 
 

Roman 2023

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Copyright 2005 Dr.Roman Rosenbaum. All Rights Reserved.