That's the way love goes

Our time in Rocklands has sadly come to an end. I'm sitting in bed in a backpackers in Capetown catching up on a lot of computer work. When there's boulders to be climbed and good times to be had with your buddies, the last thing you want to do is sit on a couch and type. We've climbed on some of the best boulders the world has to offer in the last month and there is not one moment I wouldn't relive. Getting up, having breakfast and going bouldering with your buddies is as good as it gets. At the beginning of the trip I was psyched on jumping on some 12s and working through them. But I was never really sure whether we will be back at an area so spending a day projecting something and never getting back seemed like a waste. It has, however, been really fun just completing a bunch of stuff between V5-10 in a day. It's a great feeling completing problems in a day and walking out at night feeling totally wrecked.

Rocklands is not all about bouldering though. De Pakhuys (farm we stayed at) is the host of the Annual Rockstock Airstar International World Championships. It sounds fancy but basically consist of a massive party were all the climbers come together for a big party. A lamb is put on the spit, many beers are drunk and the main attraction...... the air guitar comp. Climbers can form a band, choose a song then rock out on stage miming it all in front of 200+ people. Matt, Pat, Josh Grose and I formed Cameltosis and covered Katy Perry's I kissed a girl. Josh got in drag as Katy herself, Matt rocked out on the air keyboard, Pat went nuts on the air drums at the back and I went 'friggin super insane' (yes some one came up afterwards and said that to me about my performance) on the air guitar. Apparently we went friggin super insane enough to win the competition and bring home the trophy. There's a video of our performance somewhere. If I find it I'll post up.

Matt, Pat, Tara and I all just sat down to a wicked dinner and reminisced about all the good times. I narrowed mine down to a top 3: The day I had at Sassies with Josh Grose was one. I finally did the uber classic highball, Splash of Red V10, where the hard moves start at 4m and don't stop till your holding the final jug at about 7m. It was the 3rd session I had had on the route and with the sun about to turn the rock to soap it was going to be my last go of the trip. The climbing gods smiled and let me get through to the top. It's the best bit of climbing I have ever done. Josh did it straight after me and the two of us then sat underneath it and had some lunch as happy as could be. Later that day Josh did the also uber classic Shozaloza V12 in one session. Super impressive. It was a great day to be alive. Rocking out on stage to Katy Perry was also another moment on the trip where all I could do was smile and just think 'I love life.' And last but not least would be working on yet another classic, Caroline V10. The moves are so beautiful and you need to do each one perfectly so that you have juice for the end. It's one of those problems were you grit your teeth and just go for it from the first move. Unfortunately I ran out of light at the end of the day and had to leave feeling like if I had an extra 30min of light I could have done it. But that's the way love goes. It's definitely a problem for next year. Hopefully spend 3 months next year. And I'll add a 4th to my top 3. Riding in the back of a truck with 25 other climbers over the pass and down through Clanwilliam (local town) to the golf club for the 1st Annual Rocklands Golf Day was another time where I just sat back and watched everything that was happening around me and just smiled.

I'll post some photos in about a week when I get back settled at home and have time to sort through them all. If you haven't been to Rocklands, get there. It's cheap, beautiful and the bouldering is some of the best in the world. You'd be greedy if you were asking for more.

Rocklands

Matt, Pat, Tara and I are now in Rocklands!!! It's crazy. There is soooo much rock. The photos you see of a hill side covered in rock is only 5% of what is actually here. We got into Capetown on Wednesday and it was raining and cold. It was a bit of a horror drive up to Rocklands but we were psyched all the same. Matt and I went for a boulder that arvo, just on some easy stuff, and the rock was great. Thursday we went to the Plateau boulders and Arc Valley. Matt and I both did Minki, V7 and Pat did Feist, V4 before we moved over to Arch Valley. Tara unfortunately ignited an old hip injury so wasn't able to climb for the rest of the day. Matt and I both did a few boulders between V6-8. I also onsighted Arch Baby, V8, which I was pretty happy with.

Yesterday we headed to Fields of Joy. There are heaps of great boulders there. Matt onsighted Maniac V7 which was really cool. I could barely do the moves and just gave up. It was a sloper problem, I am shit on slopers!! Pat did Sneak, V5 and was pretty happy with it. His hardest tick of the trip so far. After that we headed round to Dirty Lies boulder where Matt and I both flashed Dirty Lies, V7. We then tried No Late Tenders, V10, with a dude from Germany called Fabi (most probably spelt wrong). We worked through all the moves and Fabi sent it 1st go after unlocking the sequence. Matt came very close but no cigar and I gave up because the holds were too sharp for my wrecked fingers. Matt and I headed over to try Macho King V10. Its a really cool overhung line where you basically crimp in a crack formed from this weird block that creates the line. I had one go from the start and fell half way. I thought the climbing through the crack would be much easier. But after working out all the moves I had another go from the start and got it. It was the first time I did the last move, which is also the crux. Its a weird throw behind your head to a small shelf, on the tip of the overhang, from an undercling and horror sloper.

Today we had a well timed rest day. Fingers are shot and it was rainy and cold. Although every day is cold. We've woken up to ice on the car!!! Crazy for Brissy people. We just sat at home with a fire, climbing movies and green tea. It was great. Roadside is our destination for tomorrow. There's heaps of uber classic lines there and we are all pretty psyched.

Macho King V10

Macho King

Macho King

Macho King

Pat on his trip proj. Gegen den wind, V7

Ohhh yeah Matty knows where its at

The view from our house for the next month

Fields of Joy view

Pat getting ready to shoot Matt flash Dirty Lies, V7

Matt on Dirty Lies

Dirty Lies

=)

On Tuesday I went back out with Lee for one last effort on The Singularity. It was a beautiful winters day. Crisp and not a cloud in the sky. It was however, very windy at the cliff, but in the calm it was great. After the warm ups I went up Singu and gave everything a brush and climbed all the moves except for the cruz, just getting my self warm for it. Then belayed Lee on his proj, where he made a high point. Lee had bought some tiny heat packs (half the size of a iPhone)and he put one in his chalk bag, so each time you chalked up you got a little warmth. On the windy days at Pulpit frozen fingers can be killer. He came off but was stocked that the heat packs worked a treat. I chucked one in my chalk bag and tied in. I got to the crux feeling the same as the 9 previous times I'd climbed to it. But suddenly my right hand just moved in slow motion to the crimp, hitting it perfectly. Reach for the pinch, half a doubt about the move to the slopper then throw and catch. I was psyched. It always feels great to climb a route well.

Lee did even better again on his next two attempts on his proj. It's weird saying high point for this. The last few times his high point has been hanging off the same holds, but each time his hanging slighty longer and moving his body and feet ready for the next move. I really think he's definitely strong enough to do the route while I'm away. Good luck bud!!!

5 DAYS TIL ROCKLANDS!!!!!!

Here's a cool vid Lee made of a bit of my journey on the route.

Tom O'Halloran - The Singularity 32/8b+ from Upskill Climbing on Vimeo.

oh so close

I've been working on The Singularity for 5 days now and on the weekend I came close to doing it. I figured out the subtleties of the crux and managed to stick the stab to the 1/3 pad slopey crimp for 2-3 seconds before peeling off. From the crimp you through out to a good pinch then make an easy deadpoint to the victory juggy sloper then 18 climbing to the top. I'm heading out tomorrow with Lee for one last go before heading off to Rocklands. It'll be my last go for 7 weeks =(.

Lee is looking close to doing his project as well. It's a new route linking Beautiful Thing, 28 and Schadenfruede, 31. He is dancing through it until the last hard moves at the top where he has a melting moment. It's going to be one of QLD hardest routes, Lee saying it's at least a grade harder then Schanden. It'll sit at at least 32, Schanden being at the bottom of the 31 grade.

So Lee and I are heading out with projects we both really want to do. Should be a good day out!!!

Here's a vid Lee made the other week of how my skin is going.

Gimme Some Skin from Upskill Climbing on Vimeo.

busy busy

I've been pretty busy in the last few weeks. Working heaps and climbing heaps.... sort of. I've had an annoying finger injury since before easter and its just stayed the same. I kept climbing with it thinking it'd go away but it has just hung around. So I've been icing (but no where near enough) and resting and hoping for the best. I'd rather 3 weeks off now then in Rocklands.

I've been climbing at the Pulpit recently and have been having heaps of fun. A few weeks back I did a route I've wanted to do for ages. I saw a pic of Lee on it before I'd ever been out there and I wanted to do it. It gave me some frustrating times, I have no endurance at the moment because I'm just bouldering. A 30m 30 was not going to go down easy if your training the opposite. After that I got on The Singularity. A 32 Lee put up a few years back. Its a great boulder route. It climbs about 20 sustained moves culminating with a bull shitlly hard move on 1/4 pad edges to a hard pinch move then a out of balance slap to a sloper. I've had 2 1/2 days on it so far, 9 goes in total i think.

The top 3 photos are One Hit. The 1st photo shows the route. Resting at the 1/2way point before powering out to the top.

These pics are from Singularity. The top pic is on a low hard move and the bottom photo is the crux move. Hopefully I'll stick it soon!!!

Early morning Toohey session

Yesterday Michael and I went to Toohey Forest for an early session before the heat of the day kicked in. We headed round to Butter me up, V8 which is Michael project. It's a problem on crimps on a slight overhang. I'd not been on it before and was stoked to flash it. Michael had a few goes but couldn't finish. Then we went back to the Fatman boulder. This boulder has a few problems that all revolve around the main line, Fatman Traverse, V10. This problem starts with a really hard undercling start in the roof then a lunge for the lip. I'd never been close to ever gettin my ass off the ground on this move. But got on it and everything just felt good. I did Unleash the Dancer Within, V7, on about my 3rd go. Then did Fatman Traverse about 5 min later. Pretty happy with doing this all before 8:00am on a Tuesday morning.

Here's a vid Michael knocked up of Unleash the Dancer and Fatman

Tom O'Halloran ~ Toohey Forest from Michael Garrahy on Vimeo.

Easter road trip

Nate and I started our trip at the at 8:00pm on Thursday night at the Yatla BP. I quick bite of Nandos and a fill of the tank and away we went. I drove from Bris to about an hour out side of Newcastle (1 ½ litres of energy drink helped), Nate took over for a couple hours while I tried to sleep. Then I drove the last 150km. It was beautiful blue skies on the way up the mountain and it felt good to be back. We stopped in at the Katoomba hospital because Nate had some metal in his eye from work. But he walked out saying it felt worse then when he walked in =s. We got to Amanda’s place in Blackheath around 10:00 Friday morning. For some reason I thought it’d be a great idea to go to the skate park before we hit the cliffs. I stacked it and both my elbows got smashed and still really hurt.

Anyway that afternoon Nate, Amanda, Ben and I went to Junket pumper area in the Glen. It was super freezing. Easily under 10 degrees with the wind chill. We all got on Junket Jumper, 24, which was Amanda’s proj. Nate onsighted it which was cool. Ben got on Wrong Movements, 27 and worked his way up it. He looked pretty solid on it, just a little bit of route fitness and its in the bag. I had a play on Alpha Leather, 32, which was super cool, but a little to crimpy and bouldery to waste skin on this trip. That night I went to bed after 37hrs of being awake.

Saturday, Nate and I met up with Sebastian and after considering how absolutely crap the weather went down to the Glen in the rain and mist, not all that psyched to do anything. After warming up we all just got hed up, Sebastian went home and Nate and I met up with a few other QLDers at Bardens Lookout. Nate onsighted Goosebumps, 24, really easily and we went round to the wall with Way of all Flesh. I’d done this climb before so got on Pleasures of the Flesh, 29 and with some beta from Dan Fisher got all the moves sorted on my first go up it. There was quite a line up for WOAF so Nate wasn’t able to have a go before it got dark.

Sunday, Nate Amanda, Ben and I headed back to Bardens. Ben put the draws on remembering the moves, he’d been on it once before, and got to the top without much of a drama. Nate went for an onsight from the ground but through for a tiny slot instead of the big jug a little further right at the start and came off. He pulled up to the first draw and tried the 26 variant then but despite looking really solid, came off pulling over the lip at about the 8th bolt. A fair effort. I got back on Pleasures and got it. Super stocked. Such a great climb. 2 goes in total. I then had a run up Bloodline, 32. It felt super good. If we head back there at some stage this trip I’m psyched for it.

After a rest day we all headed down to Nowra. Nate and I had never been before and we were super psyched. We got on rock around 1 after a late start and we all got on Spinning Blades, a really cool 20 the climbs up a steep roof on mega incut plates. This was going to be Amanda’s proj for the trip, but she ended up flashing it for her warm up!!! We packed up our gear then and headed round to South Central. That cliff is insane. Moderately over hung climbing for 8m then out a big roof. With stuff from 19-31 its no wonder the Nowra frequenters are so strong. I got on Ain’t no Sunshine, 28 and had 2 goes without success. On my 2nd go I got to the last hard move, messed my hand sequence and came off very disappointed. We ran out of light quickly so headed to the RSL for a $19 buffet dinner. That night we slept under a little cave at Thompsons point surrounded by wombat shit.

Next day after another late start we headed rounded to PC. I was super keen to see White Ladder/Attack Mode but was a little disappointed. I thought it was much bigger and grander. If you stand on the boulder at the base of the climb and reach high you come about 2m sort of the anchors of Attack Mode. But after looking at it for a while I saw it in a new light. It looked as good as the hype. Really want to get on it one day. We got on Trigga Nigga, 25, as a warm up and Ben onsighted it for his first 25 os. Nate also onsighted it which was cool. We then went over to Turn Yours Eyes Insane, 26. I onsighted it which I was happy about then Nate and Ben worked through all the moves. Next I got on Brother in a Body Bag, 28, and got up to the crux without much drama. I had real trouble trying to work out the moves through the crux. There were so many holds chalked. I kept on coming back to the same sequence though that involved a sloppy dish I had nothing on. It wasn’t that bad a hold but for some reason it just wasn’t working. My second shot I came off before the crux. I was pretty disappointed but pretty tired from the last week of solid climbing.

We took abit of a rest day after Nowra. It was another miserable day in the mountains. As we were sitting at Altitude drinking coffee and whinning about the weather I suddenly worked it out, crap weather in the bluies, good weather in Nowra, 3 days left of the trip. We were in the car that night heading down the mountain. Slept in the cave at Thompsons Point and in the morning headed round to a pocketed wall at Thomos. I did a really cool route called Muscle Hustler, 26, which felt like it wouldn’t end. Easily the best route of the trip. Then round to the grease cave. It’s pretty insane. Nate and Ben worked on Inflatey Katie, 26, and I hopped on Sexy is the Word, 31. On my 2nd go I got up to the crux feeling fresh but muddled my feet and fell. It felt close but I wasn’t too fussed on a 3rd go.

Friday night we slept at South Central. We woke up Saturday and after warming up we all decided the conditions were too bad to climb. It literally felt like it was soap. It had been raining all night and the moisture turned the mega chalked holds into goo. So Nate and I packed the car and blasted back to bris, getting home at 2:30am Sunday.

Although we had terrible weather pretty much the entire time it was an awesome tri with awesome friends =)

Sorry about the lack of photos. I'm having trouble uploading. I'm not too computer literate. If I work it out I'll upload