Ode to slipstream It had been many months since my last adventure climb amidst the updrafts of the Blueys. Yet climbing the endless sandstone expanses had never left my mind and finally on September 17 after much delay I hooked up with my Harbord boulder buddy Dave to seek out some verticality. It was our first climb together anwe chased the multy-pitch offerings of Perry’s Lookdown for our playground of the day. I had climbed the all natural Never Say Never with Bryan years ago and the area has seen an explosion in routes in the recent past. It is a traditional winter climbing crag with sun all day.

The approach was our first challenge, getting lost trying to find the right gully to the cliff edge. Teetering precariously along high bush that tears at your flesh, trying to suck you into the abyss below. Luckily there were guide ropes everywhere so in the end the beginning of the route was easy to find. The rap from the supposedly obvious tree ended up taking us completely of course into the void of Never Say Never. Lowering the first few meters my mind played tricks on my when I noticed the tree was partially hollowed from a lightning strike. This is where my previous knowledge came in handy and after reaching the end of my double ropes while searching for an anchor point I remembered the hidden carrot bolts behind an orange corner. Still shining after so many years, I rigged a belay completely of course. Three raps later we touched the bottom of the Grose valley with temperatures soaring; was it summer already?

From the ledge we had several multi-pitchhoico hoices to find our way out: Repeat the all natural line we had come down on because luckily we had taken a full rack for backup, try to climb some choss to get across to Fat Yak (22 ***) or attempt Slipstream (23****). We couldn’t decide so in the end we did the most sensible thing and decided to rap further to the ground for three additional pitches of warming up on Never Never Land (22***) or Down Stream (16**). While we rapped again we discovered an amazing line of ringbolts just below the big gum tree rap point that wasn’t in the guide. Two pitches 50 meters on immaculate rock. What was the grade? It looked hard but it was too good to miss!

In full sun, the pitches were flawless, varying from double crack corners to pure face climbing on tiny crimps and airy arête finish. We fell several times and it felt about 24, but then again we weren’t warmed up yet! When we arrived back at the giant ledge we now had to decide which way to take up. The sun was coming down hard on us and the four litres of water seemed so precious.

Even though we had not climbed for a while it was hard to go past the beauty of Slipstream, it was slightly outside our comfort zone soaring high, slightly overhanging and punching endlessly into the formidable blue sky. How could you not try it? Dan led the first pitch an absolutely relentless 50 meter pitch of airy arête climbing with endless crimpers keeping you on edge all the way. The description in the guide says it all: ‘some of the best face climbing in the mountains.’ Laden with gear I followed pumping out quickly, recovering, pumping out again, would this ever end?

It did!

At a roof, sucking us out above the void, this could not be natural, as if some sculptor had hand crafted the best moves ever, out above the greatest void, where nothingness sucks at you like leeches do, with a smile…

It was my turn! I launched and heaved my middle-aged bones across the void, trying not to look down too much….. In the end, it was frantically easy and I swamped gear with Dan to finish the soaring arête high above which would lead us to the final crux: the grade 23 exit roof on limestone holds amidst sandstone madness. One more time we were lured out of the comfort of the belay cradle, to feel the void sucking at our gear.

Spectacular moves traced a line of mega jugs high above unadulterated air as I punched through the final roof as quick as I could manage. For the first time today I felt at ease knowing that this would get us out of here. We finished exactly where we began with no idea where the proper rap station was? The light was fading quickly but the flame was lit once again burning ever so brightly.

.Roman 18 September 2010.