It has been some time since we visited the climbing area at Perrys Lookdown. There had been some early ascents of Never Say Never with Bryan and Slipstream with Dan. It was time to add another jewel to the collection and climb a combination of the best pitches known collectively as the Yak Banquet. We were thwarted by the weather once, but finally on 3 June, Will and Roman headed for a pub meal to Blackheath for an attempt at one of the best multipitch routes in the mountains. Yak Banquet goes at 5 pitches of solid grade 22 with a huge variety of styles. It has everything from smooth slabs, steep pumpers, to thin technical faces, mantles and vertiginous arêtes. Add to this a liberal dosage of exposure in outrages positions, through in a few hanging belays and you are ready for one of the classic Bluies lines. 

Watch Will's Stopper Knot Movie

We discovered that the secret local bakery at the back of Blackheath opens at 7am, but don’t tell anyone. We were the first customers just after they opened and the pies were fresh out of the oven. It was a short drive to Perrys Lookdown along Mt.Hay road and to our surprise the place was packed with campers? It was 3 degrees in the morning and preparation was going to be our key to success. We were also trialing Will’s brand new belay technique with a stopper brusik for hands free rappel. We ended up stashing water, lunch and clothes at various belay stations which worked will since the weather kept changing throughout the day. The sun kept the temperatures around 10 degrees on the face and the friction was excellent. Below is an account of our ascent.

For a very useful description of the Yak Banquet see the article and photos in the Chockstone Forum.

For a great topo of the access see The Australian Route Register

If you cannot be a poet, be the poem

Never Say Never (20***)	Mount Banks Panorama	Yak Headwall	Grose Valley and Perrys Lookdown
Bonding time	Will and his new Knot ***	Will Pitch 1	Pitch 2 (22***) 40 meters
Roman Top Pitch 2	Will Pitch 2	Roman Slab pitch 3	Will Pitch 4 the pumper
Mantling	Musli Break	Seriously Exposed	Nearing the end
Traverse Belay	The final moves	Access Drawing	Will in space Pitch 5

It is always darkest just before the dawn.

Use the access drawing above to find your way to the A Date with Density rap anchor. There is a nice guide rope installed to lead you to the top anchor some two hundred meter above the vallye floor. The vista of the Grose in the early morning here is breathtaking. Four long raps to the ground (double 50m) and you are ready start your climbing.

Pitch 1: 30m (22) The warm up pitch!  'Steep' right facing flake with reasonably good handholds, but terrible feet. This leads to a good rest before the crux scoop that lead onto the steep arête. Work your way into the scoppy corner with a good undercling on the left. Tough move to match on a high sloper. Than deadpoint to a good 'jug'on the areted. A few more moves up the overhanging arête followed by a step to the right and up continuous pumpy climbing to finish on ledge with large tree belay. (Originally Pitch 1 of Beggars Banquet)

Pitch 2: 45m (22)  After belaying of large tree transfer the belay 10 meters up steep slopes into corner. First ring bolt is about 5 meters up so climb gingerly up the loose but easy sandstone blocks. Make sure you look at the pictures of this corner first so you don’t get lost here.  Nice corner moves with easy arête lead to a traverse out right to gain hanging arête. Cruxy moves up the arête, up to the final pumpy headwall and belay at beginning of traverse pitch. (Originally pitch 2 of A Date with Density)

Pitch 3: 10m (8) Traverse right to join into 'Fat Yak' pitch 1. One ring to support the traverse just before the belay in the corner.

Pitch 4: 40m (22) Nice belay station in the corner after the traverse pitch. Thin technical face for 20m, which gets progressively harder with a final thin move before the jugs start again. Will did a good job leading this pitch.  Then easier grey slab interspersed with two annoying Bluies shale band mantles. The two mantles are not too bad with good edges higher up but it is tricky to get your feet high because the rock is undercut. Belay at rings on ledge (ignore the double rings (originally FatYak Pitch 1)

Pitch 5: 40m (22) Da pumper pitch. Up right on stellar orange rock into subtle corner scoopy thing. 10m up this head left across steep pumpy wall with a crux move before the final climatic ledge mantle. There are actually two mantles. The first one had good hold in the left corner down low with a long reach to the mantle. I was way too short for this reach and went a little left for some extra holds. The second mantle just below the belay has some ok holds in the wall above. Will did this pitch clean with an extra rope hanging of his bum and even managed to pose for photos. Exposed semi-hanging belay on small ledge. (Originally Pitch 5 of Beggars Banquet)

Pitch 6: 15m (21) Orange rock mantle, over bulge just left of the belay. Long reachy move to gain horizontal break. The next ring is far out to the left above the belay but the moves are much easier if you go up right and traverse to the left to clip the ring bolt from above.  Easier climbing above with two tricky mantles onto a slab above. You end up at the original abseil belay station of A Date with Density. (Originally Pitch 6 of Beggars Banquet'.)

We topped out just after 3pm after about 6 hours of continuous climbing very happy and little relieved that we had escaped the rain and freezing temperatures only just.