Vertical Life #39

FIRST ASCENTS IN PATAGONIA BEN COSSEY - ON HIS JACKET TRANSITIONS WITH JANINA KUZMA

WINTER WINTER 2021 2022• .ED35 ED39• .AU/NZ AU/NZ

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AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND’S CLIMBING MAGAZINE

GE T TING TO KNOW CAMPBELL HARRISON | LOUISE SHEPHERD ON SAFET Y | WINTER IN THE SNOWIES

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ISSUE 39 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM

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WINTER 2022 VERTICAL LIFE IS PUBLISHED QUARTERLY

WINTER/SPRING/SUMMER/AUTUMN AUSTRALIAN MADE. AUSTRALIAN PRINTED. AUSTRALIAN OWNED. EDITORS

Coz Fleming Joanne Lee Sule McCraies team@verticallifemag.com

DESIGN

Marine Raynard KaleaMarineDesigns.com.au

ADVERTISING

Toby Ryston-Pratt toby@adventureentertainment.com +61 413 183 804

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Dave Barnes, Ben Cossey, Lewis Foster, Campbell Harrison, Janina Kuzma, Araminta McLennan, Roy Wang, Seb Pelletti, Cirrus Tan & Louise Shepherd.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Jared Anderson, Leo Bi, Simon Bischoff, Raymond Chan, Lewis Foster, Stef Kujawa, Ellen Longshanks, Circuit Climbing Media, Set in Stone Media, Áedán O’Donnell, Olivia Page, Seb Pelletti, Nick and Kirsty Photography, Mark Raimondo, Matt Queree, Jeffrey Ward, Mitchell Scanlan-Bloor, Dira Marzuki, Ross McKay, Roy Wang & Yanni Zhou.

CREDITS IMAGE

Frothy Thomson, wearing a wig and a harness from the 70’s and holding a beer, hanging from a sloper above the sea in Freycinet, lutruwita/Tasmania. Jared Anderson.

CONTENTS IMAGE

ON THE COVER When Frothy Thomson first mentioned ‘Jezreel (23)’ as a potentially cool photoshoot, I wasn’t entirely convinced.... I’d checked out the area about 18 months earlier when the weather was dry and the waterfall wasn’t flowing and I thought this time it would just look like a dark, wet corner and generally not that spectacular.

However with the huge amount of rain we’d had the waterfall was now pumping and the sun was shining which meant the photos and the fun were so much better than I expected.

Simon Bischoff finding his flow on Wizard of Ice. Olivia Page.

PUBLISHER

Toby Ryston-Pratt Founder & CEO Adventure Entertainment.

ABN: 79 612 294 569

SUBSCRIPTIONS

subscribe.verticallifemag.com.au E magazines@adventureentertainment.com P: 02 8227 6486 PO Box 161, Hornsby, NSW, 1630

Climber: Sammy Zammit (@sammy_zammit) Belayer: Frothy Thomson (@frothy.thomson) Photgrapher: Jared Anderson (@_jaredanderson_)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

Vertical Life acknowledges and shows respect for the Traditional Custodians of Australia and Aotearoa, and their Elders, past, present and emerging.

COPYRIGHT

The content in this magazine is the intellectual property of Adventure Entertainment Pty Ltd. It must not be copied or reproduced without the permission of the Publisher.

DISCLAIMER

Rock climbing and other activities described in this magazine can carry significant risk of injury or death. Undertake outdoor activity only with proper instruction, supervision, equipment and training. The publisher and its servants and agents have taken all reasonable care to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication and the expertise of its writers. Any reader attempting any of the activities described in this publication does so at their own risk. The publisher nor its servants or agents will be held liable for any loss, injury or damage resulting from any attempt to perform any of the activities described in this publication. All descriptive and visual directions are a general guide only and not to be used as a sole source of information. Climb safe

VerticalLifeMag.com

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CONTENTS WINTER 2022 . ED39. AU/NZ

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EDITOR’S NOTE - WHAT MAKES A CLIMBER

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READ WATCH LISTEN

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LOCAL LORE - WINTER IN THE SNOWIES

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HOW I GOT THE SHOT - ROY WANG

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THE QUEST FOR CONTRAST - SEB PELLETTI

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TRANSITIONS - JANINA KUZMA

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CIRRUS TAN - COMPETITION AND COMMUNITY

48

GETTING TO KNOW CAMPBELL HARRISON

52

BEN COSSEY - ON HIS JACKET

56

TALE OF WHOA - NO FUTURE

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IT’S ALL UP FROM HERE! - DAVE BARNES

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GALLERY

74

NEW GEAR

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CRAG COOKING

80

BETA & BREW

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24 HOURS HOT 24 HOURS COLD

EDITOR’S NOTE

Posing for Vogue at the Trad is Rad workshop in Dyurrite (Arapiles)

Naomi focused on her gear placement in lutruwita/Tasmania

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Team work makes the dream work when it comes to team competitions!

Dira Mazurki

Dira figuring out her next moves on a climb while being belayed, at the Trad is Rad workshop in Dyurrite (Arapiles)

Sneaky shot of Garima and Jo at the Trad is Rad workshop in Dyurrite (Arapiles).

Dira Mazurki

Sarah soaking up the joy of climbing at the Boulder Together event.

Dira Marzuki

ISSUE 39 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM

WHAT MAKES A

Climber?

Since starting this wild ride that’s been the VL coeditorship, it’s been overwhelming to hear from so many different types of climbers who have seen themselves reflected in the magazine for the first time. Conversations like this have served as testament to our decision to open the doors of Vertical Life a little wider - to reflect the vast, deep and diverse community we see both in our gyms and at the crag.

This decision hasn’t come without critique though, and we’ve seen it feed into even greater discourse about who’s considered a climber, and who deserves to take up space at the crag. This line of questioning baits us to ask who deserves to have a voice in the climbing community - is someone who only ever climbs V0 - V1 indoors a climber?

Is one a real climber if they only top-rope routes? Does that person deserve to be in VL? Do they deserve to see themselves reflected in any climbing media at all?

The truth is, climbing is changing - possibly at a pace so rapid that it’s almost become uncomfortable for those who have only been familiar with the stories of elite crushers - considering them to be the only real climbers, believing that only their stories matter. The narrative of pushing hard grades, brand sponsorship, and a crew of photographers/videographers ready to document the send is a familiar one.

The problem with this is that it misses the remainder of our community - the 98% of us who climb to break our own barriers, who make up the majority of the industry’s purchasing history, who climb to connect with nature and each other, who save for gear between working multiple jobs, and who without fail build each other up in communities across the continent.

In reality, the climbing community is made up of more than the archetype of someone who has the privilege to live, breathe, eat and sleep climbing. We get it - who doesn’t want to just climb all day and not have to worry about keeping the lights on at home, living paycheck to paycheck? This story has been told in so many different

“Wonderful to see the effort that went into giving space to new voices and such great acknowledgment of the diversity of the climbing community.”

“It’s a more accurate reflection of the climbing community” “Congratulations on a really different mag. I normally get bored reading climbing mags, but I was really absorbed with this edition.”

ways over the decades, repackaged and sold to us as ‘inspiration’. What we’re hearing from our community is that inspiration isn’t enough anymore - we want and need aspiration. We need to see climbers like us, people who fill us with hope - climbers who hold a mirror back at the climbing community, so we can all feel reflected in their achievements and work harder for our own.

Collectively, we need to remember why we do what we do, this thing that isn’t a sport but more of a lifestyle - it gives us joy. Climbing grounds us in the present and reminds us that we’re alive. To some, climbing is a lifeline - it helps us cope in a world that disregards people who are seen as lesser just because they don’t fit into someone’s neatly packaged stereotype of who they should and shouldn’t be.

The reality is, fat people climb. Trans and non binary people climb. Disabled people climb. Black, Brown and First Nations people climb. Neurodivergent people climb.

There will be people who never have the opportunity or means to take their climbing outdoors and that’s okay too - our doors are open, you’re welcome here.

So to the 98% of climbers whose stories aren’t routinely included in climbing media - we see you, we are you, and we want to remind you that you’re a climber too, no matter how and where you do it - your stories matter.

By opening the doors of VL a little wider, by challenging the definition of climber, by publishing aspiration more often than inspiration, by redefining who should and shouldn’t grace our pages, we’re giving VL back to the community. A community that’s bigger, braver and more diverse than ever - a community that we know and love with a passion that only comes from being truly in it.

Our community has changed, so why shouldn’t our definition of what makes a climber?

Jo, Sule & Coz - VL Co-editors

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READ WATCH LISTEN

Read this BOOK REVIEW: VALLEY OF GIANTS

If you’re a climber who has dreamed of ascending the gorgeous granite of Yosemite and haven’t yet, read this book. Just know you’ll finish it with a serious case of adventure envy.

The first compilation that celebrates the women who were and are at the heart of Yosemite climbing, Valley of Giants has assembled stories from quite the cast list.

From Bea Vogel who forged her own pitons to Molly Higgins who participated in the first all-female ascent of the Nose on El Capitan to Liz Robbins who established routes in Yosemite Valley during the Golden Age. Pioneering Stonemasters like Lynn Hill, as well as many other notable climbers, including Steph Davis, Kate Rutherford, Beth Rodden, Chelsea Griffie, Libby Sauter, and more share their stories and medley of emotions felt up on the wall and the determination it took to get there.

From climbing in tennis shoes and swami belts with pitons, to free climbing big walls with nothing but sticky rubber shoes

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and some self-belief, reveals the technical evolution of climbing, and the fact that women have been crushing just as well as men, long before we gave them space to say so.

Editor Lauren DeLaunay Miller is deeply connected with the Valley community through her work with Yosemite Search and Rescue. Driven by a desire to fill the gap between the stories of women’s exploits she heard around the campfire and what made it into the history books, ‘Valley of Giants’ came to literary life. Broken into five distinct eras of climbing from the 1930s to modern day, the anthology brings together a colourful array of missives, from essays to letters, diary entries and interviews that act as the most engaging history book, probably ever. The photos that sit at the beginning of the book act as a visual guide to climbing through the ages, and the women who led the way. For a sport that appears to be overwhelming inhabited by men, this book proves otherwise.

Women have been scaling these walls since modern climbing began, crafting their own equipment, establishing new routes, and dancing with grace in the harshest of earthly environments.

While the stories are diverse and each showcase experiences that are spectacular in their own way, there is a common theme throughout the book. An unabashed love for the majestic landscapes of the Sierra.

This author has never been to Yosemite but each story paints the most vivid pictures, helping to knit together a landscape of puzzle pieces to reveal a topographical tapestry that makes you feel as if you’re in it.

What’s more, almost every storyteller takes time to acknowledge the generosity of other climbers and the impact on their individual journeys. In the titular tale where Libby Sauter details her many aspirational ascents, including setting the speed record for sending ‘The Nose’ she muses “My success in Yosemite was made possible by strong partners and good friends. The subtle competitiveness and high expectations set by

the local climbers coax you to dream bigger.”

As you read, the names of many celebrated climbers (both men and women) will jump out at you as a supporting cast member in someone’s tale of epic adventure. Slowly you will begin to stitch together how different climbers who now stand as awe-inspiring pioneers started as stoke-fuelled dirtbags just out to send with friends. Piecing together the ‘climbing partner family tree’ of crushers who called Yosemite home is frankly the ultimate reading side quest.

From tales of epic first ascents to reflective musings on the climbing identity, there are stories in this book to appeal to climbers of every ability, style and goal. A celebration of the grit, resilience and creativity of women who choose to take up space in the outdoors, these stories acknowledge the strength both physical, but also mental and emotional, that is needed to do what many would consider impossible.Like tiny pebbles, these stories make their own mountain filled with triumph, defeat, discomfort, fear, mirth, wonder, pain, friendship, and awe—and sometimes grief and loss.

If you’ve dreamed of ascending the gorgeous granite of Yosemite and haven’t yet, I suspect getting lost in this mountain of enchanting adventures will inspire many readers to book that plane ticket.

About the reviewer: ARAMINTA MCLENNAN | Minty (she/her) is an avid para climber living in Naarm (Melbourne) and stands as current Chairperson of Adaptive Climbing Victoria.

She’s passionate about making space for climbers of all abilities at the crag and in the gym, and when not climbing she is often found pestering strangers to pet their dogs.

Valley of the Giants is available in our shop, adventure-shop.com.au.

ISSUE 39 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM

Watch this THE APPROACH Climbers might consider a change in sport after watching this funny, warm and enlightening ski and snowboard film.

Elevating people of colour, women, and adaptive athletes, The Approach follows a host of athletes from around the world as they come together to conquer an Alaskan backcountry adventure. What’s more, the majority of the production and film crew were women, reinforcing the commitment to diverse talent.

The film acts as a showcase to debunk the concept of tokenism on outdoor adventures, highlighting the individual journeys each athlete has taken to find acceptance outdoors as well as the way they individually conquer spectacular snowy feats. From sit-skis, to snowboards, to single-ski ‘ninjasticking’, the paths left behind in the snow act as the perfect representation of each person’s unique approach to accomplishments, and their footprint in the outdoor community.

Short and sweet, this film comes in at sub-40 minutes but is full to bursting with snowy stoke, some pretty envious adaptive gear setups and spectacular action shots. Director Anne Cleary is quoted as saying “It’s more than just checking a box for representation. The more we broaden our scope and bring people into the space, we create a better space for everyone,” Well it does more than tick the box, it carves out some much deserved space, and invites people of diverse identities and abilities right on in.

The Approach film is available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8ec-I-XeCM

Listen to this JAM CRACK CLIMBING PODCAST WITH TAYLOR PARSONS

It’s not often you can say that two hours went by in the blink of an eye, but Niall Grimes’ interview with the talented Taylor Parsons for Jam Crack podcast does just that. Those who have been in the bouldering community for a while (and even those who haven’t) are almost certainly aware of the incredible climbing achievements Taylor Parsons has under her belt. In this interview, Taylor offers raw, genuine and engaging insight into her past as an elite athlete, and her tumultuous journey to realising her true identity.

unfulfilled, her recurring emotional and psychological battles, and how difficult her own acceptance on her path to transition has been.

If you’re looking for a climbing highlights reel, this isn’t where you’ll get it. What you will get is a refreshingly honest reflection of one person’s journey to finding peace and their place in a community. Taylor really leaves no stone unturned, touching on how her achievements, perceived by onlookers as spectacular, left her feeling

Trigger warning: This podcast contains discussions around suicide and eating disorders.

Towards the end of the interview, Taylor says “I don’t know how relevant this will be for the climbing world”. In a sport where the most space is given to cis-white men, people (and their stories) that help create visibility for members of the community that don’t sit within a majority, are arguably the most important of all.

The Jam Crack Climbing Podcast is available on Spotify.

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LOCAL LORE

WINTER IN THE SNOWIES A LAUNCHPAD FOR AUSTRALIAN ALPINISTS Welcome to our new Local Lore column, where we drop a pin on the climbing map and ask locals to give us the beta. From local climbing legends, must-do-routes, and historical deep dives we’re letting our favourite locals loose on these pages to tell us how we should be spending our time in their backyards.

BY LEWIS FOSTER K7 ADVENTURES BACKCOUNTRY GUIDE & ARC’TERYX AMBASSADOR For over 100 years, The Snowy Mountains (Ngario Country) have been a training ground for Australian mountaineers.

With frequently challenging weather, steep exposed faces and a snow-covered area larger than the Swiss Alps, there is plenty for budding alpinists to sink their axes into. For those unaware of what the Snowies has to offer, as a local climber, highliner and backcountry ski guide, I’m spilling the beans.

Amidst this wild playground is an ancient amphitheatre carved out by glaciers long gone. This time-worn excavation scoured beautiful granite cliffs up to 50m in height, boasting soaring trad climbs and Australia’s largest concentration of ice climbing. The gem that sits at the centre of this granite crown is Blue Lake, an alpine climbing destination that has helped shape generations of Australian mountaineers.

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ISSUE 39 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM

Photographer Áedán O'Donnell captures a balancing Lewis Foster at The Sentinel.

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LOCAL LORE WINTER IN THE SNOWIES - A LAUNCHPAD FOR AUSTRALIAN ALPINISTS

Blue Lake has been witness to many memorable mountain escapades. In the summer, trad climbers quest up secure yet airy granite pitches ranging from 30-50m with bomber placements and varied climbing. The mega classics include Dihedral Corner (13) offering secure stances with bountiful options for protection, Terrace Arete (19) an excursion of exposure, and Trunkline (20) a 50m smorgasbord of crack widths that will leave you filled to the brim with stoke for alpine granite. A double rack will make your day much more enjoyable and the tranquil view down to the shimmering lake after an engaging lead is on my shortlist for Australia’s best belay.

In the winter Blue Lake freezes over, and granite moraine fields are entombed under metres of windblown snow. Rocky chutes become steep snowy ramps, which ease off slowly like giant slippery slides approaching the flat icy lake. These ramps are perfect for teaching crampon techniques, and practising self-arrests.

The shady south-facing cliffs freeze over forming a cocoon of ice offering those with the right equipment a chance to experience ice climbing right here in Australia. It’s easy to see why the majority of Australian mountaineering courses choose Blue Lake as their stomping ground.

The pitches of ice vary between 10-25 metres in length and in difficulty and movement. A favourite pitch of mine involves being lowered down a 30m rolling icy buttress to the point where the ice turns to rock just a few metres above the snow. A couple of laps of this will have you trusting your front points and becoming worryingly addicted to the satisfying thunk of a bomber axe placement. You will start to relax your grip, sink into your feet, and can even place a few ice screws to simulate what it would be like on the pointy end.

technical ice axe and crampon skills will open up the western side of the range and deliver the big mountain setting and the exposure that most of you will crave.

The Sentinel is a lonely diamond peak separated from the Main Range. Its beauty beckons skiers, climbers and hikers alike.

Suspended on the skyline, the obvious path to its summit is a razorback ridge offering a snowy traverse like no other in Australia. This ridge is the Australian mountaineer’s equivalent of a three-star mega classic. Advanced alpinists in the Snowies can set their sights on the Watsons Crags. Showcasing the steepest skiing in Australia and often likened to a vertical ice skating rink, climbers are offered ascents up to 500m long on snow ice and rock. A misstep in the world of mountaineering often holds fatal consequences, Watsons will make you understand this.

Last winter my horizons expanded even further when we rigged the first-ever highline at the Watsons Crags. We used two buried and equalized 70L hiking packs in the most bomber snow anchor these mountains have ever seen. I didn’t start my alpinism or highlining careers with the goal of fusing the two, the idea just fell out of the air one day when we realised that we had all the knowledge we needed to give it a go. Watching a world-class sunset from the perch of a snowy highline while your mates skied under you was an experience like no other. Since that adventure, I see the Snowies through yet another new lens. The potential for new lines in the Australian backcountry is immense.

Winter 2022 is going to be a busy one indeed…

With lead falls on ice carrying much more menace than those on rock, the majority of climbing at Blue Lake is with the security of a top rope. An experienced climber or guide will access the top of the cliff by soloing the adjacent snow ramps to build an equalized snow anchor, creating a top rope for all abilities to have a flail.

A word on conservation. Blue Lake and the Western Fall are not your everyday crag. They are protected areas of international significance and climbers need to practice an inclusive and common-sense “Leave No Trace” approach while enjoying the sites.

In the summer, it is important that paths are not carved through native vegetation and climbers must vary their approach to the cliff and rappel off routes where possible. During winter climbing, no damage to the rocks can be left by dry tooling - this will quickly result in a ban of climbing in the area. Avalanche awareness is required in both of these zones to make safe decisions.

Snow anchors come in many shapes and sizes and are only as strong as the snow that they are buried in. From conventional snow pickets to buried skis, or backpacks, often there is a tradeoff between time spent digging and anchor strength. Placing your life on some frozen water is likened to taking your first whip on a cam, the trust is there in theory but until it actually stops you from hitting the deck it’s only surface level.

While the Snowy Mountains themselves don’t stand on the world mountaineering stage, the majority of Australians that do started their journey here. June through September are the best months for Australian Ice climbing and backcountry ascents.

If you are unsure of your skillset, please seek instruction or go with a guide. Come and start your big mountain career this winter down in the Snowies. I hope to see you out on the range.

I find it amazing how with the right skills mountains you’ve looked at your whole life start to take on a different form. I’ve been touring the Snowies since I was fourteen and every time I think I’m running out of fresh objectives, a new skill I learn opens the floodgates for new and exciting missions. Learning

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For updates on the development of Winter 22 Highlining in the Snowies, give @freshlinesfilm a follow.

ISSUE 39 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM

Lewis Foster snaps an almost-grin from Simon M on everyone’s favourite 13, Dihedral Corner at Blue Lake

HOW I GOT THE SHOT

Light WORDS AND IMAGES BY ROY WANG

EMERGING CLIMBING PHOTOGRAPHER ROY WANG TAKES US THROUGH HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH LIGHT AS HE COMBINES HIS PROFESSION WITH HIS PASSION FOR CLIMBING.

An epic jump by Yi for the full experience of Stepping on Snakes (23), at Gariwerd (Grampians)

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ISSUE 39 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM

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HOW I GOT THE SHOT LIGHT

I was struggling with the lighting conditions one dark and humid day bouldering at Privy Block, Geboor (Camel’s Hump), while my friends Guo, Yi & Bert were focusing on solving their bouldering problem, The Straining Rail (V7). This route is at the bottom of a huge rock, surrounded by trees and rocks that blocked most of the direct sunlight from the top. When Bert started his first move, he blended in the shadow with the rocks.

Even though I knew his move looked nice, everything looked grey and green through my viewfinder. I told myself because it is too dark and flat in the picture his effort might be in vain.

Just when I was about to give-up, a beam of light shone directly on the route. I thought to myself “This is great, but I need more directional light for this to work”. I asked Yi for a helping hand and she held a flash on the right just as Bert was pulling himself into the kneebar. In a second, everything else faded into the dark but Bert and the rock came to life.

Coincidence - The light just shone on Bert while pulling himself into the kneebar

“JUST WHEN I WAS ABOUT TO GIVE-UP, A BEAM OF LIGHT SHONE DIRECTLY ON THE ROUTE”

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ISSUE 39 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM

Different rock has different texture and colour, and Gariwerd (Grampians) is well known for its beautiful organge sandstone.

I’m fascinated by its amazing rich reds and oranges which brings a unique flavour to each image.

Last Easter weekend, I was hanging above the ground to capture Chen practicing the crux of Gotham City (23). I generally favour a 14mm wide angle lens when I’m on the rope alongside climbers as provides a wider shot that can capture more of the iconic

surroundings. In places like Gariwerd where the rock has its own iconic character, capturing more than just the climber is a must. I was amazed by how much Chen blended into the colour of the sandstone as I looked through my viewfinder. The light and shadow across his body blended seemlessly into the wall, making him look like part of the landscape. His sun-tanned skin almost tells it’s own story of how hard he trains, and how his every effort counts at this very moment.

“THE LIGHT AND SHADOW ACROSS HIS BODY BLENDED SEEMLESSLY INTO THE WALL, MAKING HIM LOOK LIKE PART OF THE LANDSCAPE. HIS SUN-TANNED SKIN ALMOST TELLS IT’S OWN STORY OF HOW HARD HE TRAINS, AND HOW HIS EVERY EFFORT COUNTS AT THIS VERY MOMENT.”

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HOW I GOT THE SHOT LIGHT

I’ve always wanted to shoot the Black Cave at Manly (land of the Gayamaygal peoples). The plan was to capture images of Shawn climbing Aquarius (V6) at sunset, as it only requires a single flash to light up the climber in the cave to match the lighting conditions of the shore outside.

However when we arrived, it was already 11:00pm. I realised that the challenge was not only the pitch-dark cave, there was not much moonlight outside either. I brought all the lighting equipment I owned for the night photoshoot - 2 Aputure LED light planes as ambient light and 1 Aputure Amaran 60D LED light as spotlight.

Two ambient lights provided just enough brightness to illuminate the beautiful sandstone cave. I put the spotlight behind Shawn as a backlight to separate him from the dark background while he climbed from left to right. I took another long exposure shot to get a clear image of the shore for the background of this image. I am quite happy with the result - it makes me think about how privileged I am to have the opportunity to capture these moments and reflect on how fortunate I am able to combine my profession with something I love.

Shawn pulling hard in the Black Cave at 11:30pm

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SUBMISSION

THE QUEST FOR

Contrast

Hiking out to base camp at the entrance of the Bader Valley

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ISSUE 39 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM

View from our base camp looking north, Fortaleza, South Tower and Central tower from left to right

FIRST ASCENT OF CUERNO ESTE DEL PAINE

BY SEB PELLETTI Patagonia is a land of contrasts. Turquoise green lakes almost glow amongst grey glacial moraines, as dense ice grinds away at gigantic granite monoliths, sculpting valleys and lakes, the landscape remains in a state of continuous transformation.

The human eye has marveled at these ranges for thousands of years, and as the lichen and beech forests have crept on such inhospitable and storm ridden terrain, so has the curious climber.

Going further than just admiration, and attempting to scale the vertical towers that rise up between the flat pampas and erratic Patagonian Archipelago.

As I read Alan Kearney’s ‘Mountaineering in Patagonia’, tales of incredible first ascents makes me dream of having been here during the late 50s and 60s - climbing in what Renowned Slovenian alpinist Silvo Karo would call, ‘The Real Patagonia’.

Early European expeditions ventured here to stake their claim on the Paine Massif, proving that the skills they’d acquired on their local alps were enough to get them up these peaks of

larger magnitude, with the added difficulty of extremely adverse conditions and climate. With only a barometer as their guide, a German expedition made the first ascent of Mount Almirante Nieto in 1937, before the Italians returned in 1958 climbing Paine Grande and the North tower of Paine vía, what are now considered their ultra classic and ‘regular routes’.

Stories of Don Whillans and Chris Bonnington competing with Armando Aste and the Italians for the first ascent of the central tower are still told around the campfire in the Ascensio Valley to this day as we, contemporary climbers, only hope to repeat their routes with all of the luxurious technology we have grown accustomed to in this modern age. It seems as though every peak in Torres del Paine and the Chalten Massif had been climbed by the late 70s, as alpinists became better equipped and adapted their tactics to tackle any aspect of any peak with the slightest of prominence.

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SUBMISSION THE QUEST FOR CONTRAST

“ALTHOUGH WE’D PREFER TO CLIMB GRANITE, THIS IS THE TYPE OF QUESTY ADVENTURE CLIMBING THAT ONE DREAMS OF WHEN DRAWING IMAGINARY LINES ON BIG MOUNTAIN FACES”

North face of Cuerno Este

As Romano Marcotti and I trudged up the Bader Valley, leaving the original ‘Welsh Camp’ of Twid Turner’s early expeditions behind, I dreamed of an unclimbed line that I was sure would go on the east face of La Hoja. Conditions were poor, but the weather was spectacular. As we passed the north face of the Cuerno Este, an obvious crack system through reddish granite seemed to call us over to the west side of the valley. Our consolation prize made for unbelieveale climbing, as we cruised up splitter cracks topping out the wall through an amazing slanted roof pitch that seemed too good to be true.

Cuerno Este is the smaller sibling of Cuerno Principal, and along with the Cuerno Norte, they make up the mythical ‘Cuernos del Paine’ a formation so unique in composición that you can see it on tv commercials, calendars and nat geo specials the world over.

The carbon black summits which crown these granite giants are striking at a glance, and the first ascent of the Cuerno Principal by a Chilean team in 1968 is a matter of national pride amongst the locals. As we topped out the wall after finding only one shredded remnant of a previous climb, I belayed Romano up to me on

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two shiny bolts which had been drilled here some time ago. We imagined that a previous expedition had visited in siege style, bringing with them these shiny bits of hardware to tackle what is famously known as terrible quality metamorphic rock, of which the summits of Los Cuernos are composed.

Once home in Puerto Natales I shot a message to local guru and the most well versed historian of Patagonian climbing history, Rolo Garibotti - curious to know who’s route we had climbed. A French team had visited in 2009 and spotted the same spectacular line we had, continuing up into the schist, only to fall short of the summit after 5 pitches on the western aspect. Rolo explained that Cuerno Este was actually still waiting for a first ascent, and although it boasts many routes on its north and east flanks, this iconic peaks summit was still virgin even after the rampage of expeditions which had visited the range since the 1930’s. I flicked through some photos I’d shot of the summit pyramid, and began to curiously examine its weaknesses, wondering why no one had ventured to the top.

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Pepo looking up at the first pitch

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In late January another three day weather window appeared, and Pepo Jurado, accompanied Romano and I back up the Bader Valley to see what Cuerno Este had in store for us. Before sunrise we began cruising up the golden granite we’d climbed in December, adding some incredible variant pitches into our line, climbing directly out the slanted roof pitch and up the long ridge to the summit crown. I gazed up at the Schist, almost imagining the moment that this accumulation of sediments was heated into a viscous state as layers and colours twist and turn under the immense pressure of the red hot magma, intruding between tectonic plates in this very place some 12 million years ago.

We examined the north ridge, a large overhang shattering our dreams of finding a simple route up the spine, and we decided on a system of cracks and dihedrals that looked relatively accessible - in the centre of the north face. We all took the lead, each of us entering this vertical world of short overhangs interspersed with tiny sloping ledges to catch a breath. Although we’d prefer to climb granite, this is the type of questy adventure climbing that one dreams of when drawing imaginary lines on big mountain faces. The rock offered no support as handholds went flying over our heads at the belay, it was clear that this was no place to take a fall. We continued upwards in this labyrinth of contorted stone, at times almost losing our bearings following the path of least resistance - building anchors in the rare places where the mountain offered us the opportunity.

Romano, Pepo and Seb at base camp, the north face of Cuerno Este behind us

Pepo on the crux pitch

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Seb at the end of the third pitch

Seb seconding the fourth pitch

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Seb on the ‘rectangular block’ pitch

Romano on the final glorious moves

Romano and Pepo on top of Knife Blade Ridge, with Cuerno Principal behind them

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Third rappel down the north face of the metamorphic summit

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Romano almost backed off one especially scary pitch, saying that the climbing was too dangerous to continue. Yelling down to us that he couldn’t even place a piece of gear to bail, and by the time he found some decent protection “I was at the end of the rope, so now it’s your turn to lead”.

The last few meters were glorious, moving lightly along the narrow west ridge as the overhanging south face dropped away below us. On the summit we marveled at this wild and breathtaking place. It’s hard to believe that no one had appreciated it from this angle before. Patagonia is a land of contrast and sometimes reality here is contrary to popular belief.

Seb hip belaying Romano up to the summit

Romano, Seb and Pepo (left to right) on the summit

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Since 1989 founder and owner Winton Flesser and his passionate team have been helping adventurers explore and succeed with quality gear for mountaineering, trail-running, hiking, and rock-climbing. The K2 team are genuine outdoor enthusiasts – people who live it, breathe it, talk it, and know it inside out. From its faithful perch on Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley, K2 has become a Brisbane institution for those at home in the outdoors, local adventure-seekers and a myriad of backpackers and explorers alike.

Our whole team are serious adventurers – from retired Sherpas to multi-day trekkers, trad climbers, mountaineers, and trail runners. Each team member brings a unique skillset and varied experience to the team and is united by a genuine passion for the outdoors and adventure. It is this rich history of dedicated staff that has built K2’s strong reputation for excellence.

Here at K2 Basecamp our philosophy is “Let all of your challenges come from the adventures you undertake and not from the gear you

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have chosen”. It just makes total sense - be well equipped before heading out so you’re truly able to fully enjoy your adventure!

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TRANSITIONS

Janina roping up on the Upper Abel Janszoon Glacier, Westland Tai Poutini National Park.

Jeffrey Ward

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Transitions

BY JANINA KUZMA

Often when we think about professional athletes we think of indestructible, infallible humanoids who execute their goals with cyborg-like precision. They’re masters of everything and students of nothing - all-knowing and forever succeeding.

In reality, athletes are just as fallible as the rest of us. Learning new skills involves hard-won lessons, no matter who you are. It takes courage to throw yourself into something new, I’d argue that it takes some serious grit to do that with the world watching you - expecting immediate perfection because your profession usually demands it.

We’re familiar with the stories of accomplished climbers transitioning out of climbing (paragliding, anyone?), but what’s it like to break in?

In this reflective piece, professional skier, boundary breaker, and passionate advocate for women in snow sports - Janina Kuzma, offers us a refreshing glimpse into her transition into climbing and what that means for her ski mountaineering.

As a competitive Olympic halfpipe skier, having the right skills in your toolkit to know how to commit to throwing a new trick on a 22ft icy wall was challenging. There were days when I was left crying, standing on top of the deck wall of the halfpipe too scared to drop in to attempt a trick. After a decade of competitive skiing, I wasn’t expecting to experience those raw and challenging feelings of learning a new skill from scratch again. Yet after 34 back-to-back winters doing what I love, I found myself locked into a kiwi summer learning to sport climb to pass the time and set new challenges for myself.

By the end of New Zealand’s 2020 winter, COVID was running rampant around the globe and with New Zealand’s zero-Covid strategy, it made home one of the world’s most closed-off nations. It was becoming more evident I wouldn’t be able to get to my northern hemisphere base in Canada. As a professional skier, there were so many unknowns.

What was I going to do?

How was I going to fill my days?

I had to find a way to challenge myself. I knew I had to set summer goals to feel fulfilled.

My job is to be a skier, and I’m expected to be chasing winters to fulfill those requirements. While spending winter in Canada

was off the cards, I readjusted my sights to focus on things that would build my skills and ultimately give me the ability to transition toward bigger ski mountaineering objectives. A huge focus for me was to use this time to build on the skills I was learning during my NZMGA Mountain Ski Guides qualifications. I was determined to use summer to hone my skills and practice repetition, and this is why climbing quickly became part of my journey. A transition was inevitable.

Climbing quickly became an addictive passion. Just as a skier dreams of days of champagne powder, all I wanted to do was be on the rock. I’d go with anyone who had time to climb.

Some days experienced climbers would let me join them if they were having an easy low volume day, even letting me top rope their more challenging routes. I drove up to Paynes in Golden Bay with Lydia Bradey and my two dogs, Mowgli and Benni, spending 15 days camping to climb. I was obsessed. As a professional skier at the top of my game, I brought that same competitive attitude to this transition - I wanted to be the best climber I could be.

Despite my newfound passion for climbing, I found myself on the rock feeling the same challenging emotions as I did in the early days of my skiing career, all over again. Glued to the wall, stuck, almost in tears, too afraid to move to the next bolt. I was again weighed down by my emotions, frustrated to be feeling

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challenges would eventually give me invaluable skills to combat all the challenges that I face in ski mountaineering.

Being back in the beginner’s phase while climbing reminded me that I couldn’t just rely on the physical side of athleticism alone.

It reinforced that you need to get out of your comfort zone to progress and learn. Chris, my husband always reminds me that being a master of one trade does not mean you will be a jack of all of them. However, learning to identify and accept myself as an amateur has helped me focus on the benefits of learning a new skill.

Now when I’m climbing, I’m trying not to be distracted by how far along I think I should be. I’m more in touch with the excitement of being on the rock, the challenge of being high off the ground, and the satisfaction of finally mastering that one tricky crux. So this past summer, the second in a row due to the continued COVID border closures - I set climbing goals and celebrated the small wins. As I realized with my skiing, I was ultimately in my best mindset when I overcame those initial fears.

Portrait: Ross McKay

like a beginner after decades on the world stage performing at my best as a skier. I was frustrated at my lack of progress and tempted to give up. I wished to be this fantastic climber I had imagined myself to be - I wanted to magically skip all the hard and frustrating stuff.

My journey to excel as a climber brought back many mixed emotions from my competitive skiing days. Climbing repeatedly threw me back into the vulnerable and somewhat uncomfortable “beginner” phase of learning new skills. The reality was that I fell a lot mastering new tricks on my skis. I started with easy tricks and built up to harder ones as my skiing progressed. The same was true in climbing - I needed to start on straightforward climbs and slowly work my way to what I classed as more difficult ones.

I acquired the mental skills and techniques to overcome hard times as a competitive skier, I just needed to pull these skills out of my toolbox and put them to the test now. As uncomfortable as starting from scratch is, I knew being back in the beginner’s mindset was good for my growth as an athlete. I knew that these

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I’ve been a professional skier for over a decade now and I’ve continued through my career to develop and add to my professional skill set. Transitioning these skills to other dimensions in my sporting life has given me more control over the decisions I make in the landscape of high alpine ski mountaineering. I’m setting bigger goals these days and the skills I’ve learned from my summers spent climbing are transferable whether it’s summer or winter - ultimately making me a stronger ski mountaineering athlete.

Janina @Janinakuzma Keep an eye out for Janina’s latest film ‘The Pursuit’ or catch it when it hits The North Face Australia & New Zealand’s Youtube channel later in the year.

“I WISHED TO BE THIS FANTASTIC CLIMBER I HAD IMAGINED MYSELF TO BE - I WANTED TO MAGICALLY SKIP ALL THE HARD AND FRUSTRATING STUFF”

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It’s taken us to new heights and pushed us to new limits.

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B O R N O F T H E M O U N TA I N S

FEATURE

Competing at Boulder Co, 2022.

Raymond Chan

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CirrusTan

ON COMPETITION AND COMMUNITY CIRRUS TAN, NEW ZEALAND'S ONLY FULL-TIME CLIMBING COACH GIVES US INSIGHT INTO HER PHILOSOPHY AS A CLIMBER, COMPETITOR AND COMMUNITY BUILDER. Both my parents have a fear of heights, or at least they claim to.

They have never tried climbing before and they have no desire to try. Climbing wasn’t on their radar at all, so when a 13 year old me comes home excited to share my first experience climbing at the school gymnasium they weren’t exactly impressed. Nevertheless, they drove me to the local climbing wall every Monday night for years.

Many people ask me why I still compete. In New Zealand, there can be a divide amongst indoor and outdoor climbers. I guess some people think that they have to focus on one or the other. I don’t like to put myself in a box, I enjoy both forms of climbing.

For me, competing gives me a chance to put myself under pressure. It’s not about the strongest climber, but the best climber on the day. Even though I do like control within the sport overall, I enjoy the unpredictability of a competition day.

Here is where my journey as a climber started.

I wouldn’t say I had natural climbing talent. But I did excel at athletics, running, and swimming. I favoured individual sports - which is another way of saying I liked control. The thought of winning or losing a game because someone in the team did well or made a mistake just never quite gelled with me. I think that’s why climbing was a good fit, it’s just you against the wall nothing else.

Years went by. I participated at several competitions. I won a few.

More notably, I won the National Combined Climbing Champs in 2019, which led me to compete at the Oceania’s Olympic Qualifiers in 2020. The only thing that set me apart was consistency and perseverance. If I didn’t send a climb, I wanted to know what I needed to do to prepare so I could come back stronger.

This drove me to learn more about training and movement - I became obsessed with human anatomy, strength training, and sport psychology.

What moves will the setters force us to do?

What types of challenges will be presented?

Am I fit and strong enough?

Am I confident in myself?

There are many lessons to be learnt at competitions and always room for growth. I believe every competition has shaped me, helping me to become a better and more well-rounded climber.

There are very few times in my life where I feel totally present and absolutely absorbed in an activity, however climbing provides this for me. It doesn’t matter what degree of difficulty you climb, if the climbing is challenging enough for you it will require your total mental and physical concentration. All you can think of is your next move and how you are going to get there.

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FEATURE CIRRUS TAN ON COMPETITION AND COMMUNITY

Lead Nationals Competition at Boulder Co, Auckland, 2021.

Circuit Climbing Media

Of course, injuries come into play when you stress and challenge your body consistently. I’m lucky to have managed to avoid major injuries over the years. I credit this to my strength and conditioning training, something I have done since I was young.

In saying that, I have battled with a few finger injuries. For me, I actually see injuries as a blessing in disguise. It’s a chance to rest, reflect and put time into training areas you may have neglected previously. I can honestly say after every injury, I have come back much stronger.

Becoming a climbing coach was a natural pathway for me. In the simplest form, I wanted to help climbers reach their potential. I wanted to guide them to be the best climber they can be - except I never really fixate on grades as the only measure of success.

My coaching philosophy has always been about getting stronger, gaining confidence and climbing better. In turn, I believe you will feel truly fulfilled by sending climbs you can be proud of.

More importantly but less spoken about, I use climbing as the vehicle to help people live their best lives. Climbing is the connection, the glue. It’s a choice and a privilege, but controversially, it isn’t everything.

There are many other things in my life that bring me joy and fulfillment. Being present in nature, traveling overseas and

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bird-watching to name a few. Without climbing, my purpose still stands. At the crux, I want to help others feel stronger and more confident through movement. My personal fulfillment comes from being proud of something I have achieved - this doesn’t necessarily have to be climbing related.

Ask yourself, who are you without climbing? Can you still find fulfillment?

Over the years, I have had a significant influence amongst the women in the climbing community in New Zealand. Growing up, I didn’t have many strong women role models, so being part of this community is important to me. I also noticed there were a lot of strong men in the climbing community, more than there were strong women. This motivated me to create a safe and supportive space for women. This is the 6th year I have run ‘ChicksnChalk’, a weekly women’s’ training and climbing night. Last year, I ran the first Women’s Climbing Summit in Christchurch - which connected and empowered more women in the climbing community. I also run my own online coaching business, writing training programs and helping climbers all around the world.

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Bouldering Competition at Boulder Co, Auckland, 2022.

Circuit Climbing Media

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FEATURE CIRRUS TAN ON COMPETITION AND COMMUNITY

Outdoor bouldering at Castle Hill on a winter’s day.

Nick and Kirsty Photography RIGHT PAGE: Portrait of Cirrus Tan. Matt Queree

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At the start of this year, I moved to Auckland to become Head Coach at Boulder Co. To my knowledge, I am the first and only full time climbing coach in New Zealand. I think this is due to the slow growth in the sport in New Zealand (compared to overseas), as well as the desire to have a ‘comfortable’ job over something seemingly risky and unstable like coaching. I guess I like a challenge! This year I celebrate my 10th year as a climbing coach.

My personal philosophy around climbing has morphed over the years. I am in it for the long run. I want to continue climbing as a positive aspect of my life. I enjoy the ongoing physical and mental challenge, as well as a great reason to travel more.

I’m really proud of the healthy and holistic relationship I have fostered with my climbing over the years. I've become much more cautious of burning out and over-training my body.

Looking back, I believe that it was a blessing my parents were not climbers. I used to feel envious when my climbing buddies had epic climbing adventures with their families. But for me, climbing was my thing, my choice - and that helped me grow a natural passion for it. It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know myself through climbing and that may be why I’m still loving it to this day.

Follow Cirrus’s adventure via Instagram @chicksnchalk

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GETTING TO KNOW..

Campbell

HARRISON

HE/HIM/THEY

IMAGE CREDIT: YANNI ZHOU

Go to pre-comp meal: Something pretty basic honestly, like rice and tofu with veggies.

All-time climbing idol: Jain Kim (Korea) Would you rather compete without shoes or without chalk?

Without shoes, I’d say. I’m too sweaty to compete without chalk.

Favourite location on the IFSC calendar: Probably Chamonix, France.

Cracks in comps…yay or nay?

Sparingly! Textured cracks can leave a lot of blood behind, which is a huge technical incident for a competitor, so I’m not sure they really make a lot of sense in competition.

Favourite thing to train: Board Climbing What’s your secret weapon?

My thumbs (more specifically my pinch strength).

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Tell us about your first comp I’d done a few social comps here and there, but my first sanctioned event was the 2011 State Lead Title. I would have been 13 or 14 at the time, another competitor and I tied on every route through to the final, then again on a super-final.

The organisers ended up having to put us on one of the Open Male routes to finally get a split. Every round was such a surreal experience, and I got hooked on that feeling pretty quickly!

What’s your draw to comp climbing?

There’s something really amazing and daunting about having to put everything into being ready at a specific time on a specific day. Having no second chances is not so much fun for everybody, and when it doesn’t work out it can be pretty disappointing.

But when it all goes to plan, and all of the training pays off, it’s a pretty amazing feeling. I get totally sucked into the grind of training everyday, needing to be ready for anything that might be thrown at me. The way that every comp is different means that it never really gets boring, and there’s always something else that you can be working on.

What’s your most memorable moment in competition?

Making Semi-Finals in a European World Cup was an absolute career goal of mine as the fields tend to be bigger, and last year I was able to make it happen in Briançon, France. I’d made semis before, but this time was really special to me.

How has the Australian comp scene changed since you started?

The change in the Aussie comp scene has been pretty immense compared to when I first started, to be honest. I kind of stepped onto the scene during somewhat of a ‘rebirth’ of Australian comp climbing. Since then everything from the holds and walls to the standard of the field has changed. Our competitions are a lot more professional now, and I think there’s a lot more pressure on everybody involved to take things pretty seriously. I’m really impressed with Australia’s progress and I think that we have a lot of potential in climbing.

You’ve climbed/competed in many other countries, how would you compare their comp scenes to the Aus scene?

It definitely varies a lot from country to country. Many nations share a lot of the same struggles that we do, others barely have a scene at all, and some have funding and support that we couldn’t really dream of. I think in terms of holds and routesetting Australia really puts forward some world-class events, but we’re yet to build a competition venue that really rivals the likes of what you might find in Austria, Germany, or Japan. Federations

are able to do a lot more to support their athletes with national facilities that are equipped to provide the ideal training environments for elite performance. Ultimately I’d love to see something like this built in Australia, but at this point in time we just don’t quite have the funding to make it happen.

The inclusion of climbing in the Olympics has obviously been a huge milestone in the world of climbing. What are your thoughts on how this has/will impact comp climbing?

The inclusion of climbing in the Olympic Games has without a doubt been a huge milestone for our sport. That said, it's definitely complicated things. All of the focus and attention of our national federations has (somewhat understandably) turned to this one facet of the sport. There’s an expectation in Australia that we should all be turning our focus to Olympic glory, but no one really has a plan of how to get us there. We need more funding to have a better shot at getting higher results, but without strong performances it’s hard to accrue funding, so it kind of loops back on itself. If you’re not an Olympian, you’re definitely viewed as less important than you used to be, which is a shame.

I’m also seeing the sense of comradery amongst nations diminishing a little bit. Teams that used to welcome you into their training centres are becoming more and more closed off.

The role of coaches at World Cup events has become less about supporting the athletes to give their best performance, and more about looking for technicalities to bring competing nations down in the rankings.

Don’t get me wrong, we’ve seen a lot of amazing growth in our sport as a result of our Olympic inclusion, but it hasn’t come without its fair share of obstacles.

“IF YOU CAN PUSH YOURSELF TO TRY EVERYTHING IN THE GYM, CLIMB WITH EVERYONE WHO’S BETTER THAN YOU, AND TAKE KNOWLEDGE FROM AS MANY DIFFERENT PLACES AS YOU CAN, THAT’S WHERE YOU’LL MAKE THE MOST GROWTH AS AN ATHLETE.”

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What do you hope to see in the future of comp climbing both in Australia and internationally?

I’d like to see a greater sense of importance placed on diversity in routesetting. There are a lot of men that run the show in climbing, particularly in routesetting. That’s not to say that they don’t all deserve their respectful places within the sport, but we’re seeing a self-perpetuating cycle of men appointing more men into routesetting roles, and facilitating the idea that only men are capable of setting to an international standard.

The current patriarchal structure has created huge boundaries for people who fit elsewhere on the gender spectrum to even get a start within the industry, let alone climb the ladder to setting at a World Cup level, and this needs to change.

What advice would you give to those just starting out in comp climbing?

My advice to aspiring comp climbers is to learn how to find joy in putting yourself outside of your comfort zone. This is something that I’m still learning to do, but really it’s a crucial part of success in any facet of life. If you can push yourself to try everything in the gym, climb with everyone who’s better than you, and take knowledge from as many different places as you can, that’s where you’ll make the most growth as an athlete. You’ll get the best out of yourself when you don’t let your ego get in the way.

What are your goals right now/ what’s got you stoked?

I’m happy that international travel is a real possibility again, and I’m stoked on pushing myself in this year’s World Cup circuit to make more Semi-Finals and beyond.

“YOU’LL GET THE BEST OUT OF YOURSELF WHEN YOU DON’T LET YOUR EGO GET IN THE WAY.

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www.MONT.com.au 18 Pirie St Fyshwick ACT 2609

BEN COSSEY

ON HIS JACKET INSPIRED BY SOME OF OUR FAVORITE ATHLETES SHARING THEIR #MORETHANAJACKET MOMENTS ON THEIR SOCIALS LATELY - WE SAT DOWN WITH AUSTRALIAN CLIMBING ROYALTY, CRAG COMEDIAN, AND OCCASIONAL ANVIL-LIFTER-EXTRAODINAIRE, BEN COSSEY, TO HEAR ABOUT HIS FIRST-EVER ADVENTURE PARTNER… My trusted The North Face Nuptse down jacket was an aquamarine(ish) marvel. Pre-greased and pre-stained a shiny brown from it’s previous owner who’d lived more than a few seasons in the Pines, Arapiles. He’d palmed it off to me for twenty bucks and thought he’d ripped me off but I knew I’d come away from the transaction the better. I knew right away that I had myself a new life partner.

It was a thing of beauty and the first of my forays into the world of down jackets. Apparently, they had feathers in them, which helped keep you warm. I didn’t understand it, “Who makes jackets with feathers?” - but I rolled with it. After all, I’d seen Herman Buhl and Wolfgang Gullich wearing similar jackets during their heroic exploits and I knew if I was ever gonna call myself a climber I was going to have to get in on the goose-down action.

Our path coincided on the tail end of my illustrious high school career where it saw some sweet arse mufti-days. Note: a down jacket and three-quarter length tights will not take you from least-to-most popular in the school - just saying. That didn’t matter though, I felt like a climber who was in a cozy daydream.

I was about to ditch that popsicle stand anyway for the icy crags of the world.

It went with me everywhere for the following 17 years - England, Yosemite, 14 months in Europe on a hitchhiking-hobo-fest of a road trip, and everywhere in Australia more than a million times.

I never washed it and the fertile funk from foreign lands permeated from its every puffy pore. It smelt and felt of homely comfort, even if it was a touch crispy from the years of accumulated filth.

It had been attacked by eagles at Pieces, fallen from precipitous precipices in the Tindles, and damn-near drowned in the Merced River. Like any normal person devoid of a capacity to fix anything (tears, holes and burnt spots included) - I turned to finger tape, sticky tape or gaffer tape and silicon glue for speedy, practical solutions. It worked a treat and after a while, my jacket resembled the face of a pock-marked chihuahua with some mysterious skin disease. But I loved it, and it obviously loved me for I was still cozy, and I was still warm.

But life for a little down jacket that has been tumbled through

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the meat mincer of life can never last.

A hero’s end came after my jacket and I took a tumultuous tumble. I had fallen down a 15-metre slope in the mighty Ukulore Valley after tripping on an unstable boulder. After the fall and in the dark, I felt alone and a chill combined with a sense of loss swept through the air. I’d realized that as I’d tumbled over shards of ironstone and bundles of blackberry, razor grass, and tickly bush, my jacket had courageously protected me by sacrificing itself. I had landed hard at the bottom but was scratch-free.

I cast my head torch up the hill from whence I’d tumbled, and there, scattering on the breeze I saw its many soft and everloving feathers. Looking down, I saw my jacket had been hole-y eviscerated.

It died there in its boots. It led a longer life than maybe it should have and shielded me from endless dangers when I needed it. It was a sponge for bleeding tips, a tissue when I was weeping, a bucket when I was sick, it was a part of me, my identity, it could never just be a jacket!

- Ben @benjcossey

“I NEVER WASHED IT AND THE FERTILE FUNK FROM FOREIGN LANDS PERMEATED FROM ITS EVERY PUFFY PORE. IT SMELT AND FELT OF HOMELY COMFORT, EVEN IF IT WAS A TOUCH CRISPY FROM THE YEARS OF ACCUMULATED FILTH”

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TALE OF WHOA

Texture & Character. Claire Xian on Pitch 1 of Driftwood, Dyurrite (Arapiles).

Leo Bi

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ISSUE 39 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM

Tale

OF WHOA NO FUTURE

BY LOUISE SHEPHERD

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TALE OF WHOA NO FUTURE

It was October 2014. My climbing partner TJ and I had just climbed No Future, in Dyurrite (Arapiles) and were preparing to rappel from the anchor. I threaded my device and did a final check before committing my weight to the ropes. To my astonishment, only one rope was clipped in, the other was threaded but unclipped. I could not believe my eyes. How did that happen?

I had been climbing for 35 years and had never made that mistake before. But that wasn’t the end of my whoas. In the same year, I made two other errors on the cliff that could have spelt no future in different circumstances.

The rappel from the anchor above Scarlet Sage in Dyurrite (Arapiles) is 10 metres long; it is the shortest abseil I know.

Heeding the climbers’ first law of thermodynamics (avoid all unnecessary rope-pulling), I threaded a guesstimated 10 metres of rope through the anchor, and put myself on abseil. At the cliff edge, I glanced down, checking that both ends of the ropes were touching the ground. A low bush at the bottom of the cliff obscured the ends of the ropes, but what could possibly go wrong on such a short rap?

When I rapped off the end of the rope, I fell barely half a metre.

My bruised coccyx was temporary, but my bruised emotions were harder to erase, like a hidden but shameful tattoo. It is an accident I’d heard so many horror stories about over the decades, with so many near-misses, and too many calamities.

The third incident in my unholy trinity was failing to tie into the end of my rope. Tracey Skinner and I were on Greenwich Reach, an absorbing grade 18 up and left of Vanoise at Dyurrite (Arapiles).

I was racking up for the lead and got distracted whilst tying in.

Fortunately, in my case, I only got two metres off the ground when the rope slipped out of my harness. Tracey was aghast. “Your rope’s come out!”

I downclimbed, tied in and completed the route. In that moment of the rope slipping away, I actually remembered that I hadn’t tied in. It was weird. Because I’d recalled not tying in, it’s as if the incident slid off me like a lizard sloughing an old skin. It is Tracey’s horror that tenaciously clung to my memory. Sometimes it’s like that. A belayer’s or bystander’s reaction can be more profound than one’s own.

I can count at least a dozen climbers I know personally who have forgotten to tie into their rope. The most apocryphal stories are ones you may already know. Too often we are condemned to repeat the same mistakes.

At Easter 1978, Mikl Law was attempting the first ascent of Boy Racer at Dyurrite (Arapiles). If you’ve ever done Boy Racer, you’ll know it’s a mean and audacious trad 22. Seventy metres off the deck, it has a tough crux in the middle of sustained laybacking over a gaping void. Mikl Law was launching up the layback when his rope slipped out of his harness and whistled down to his slack-

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jawed belayer. Luckily, Mikl managed to downclimb to safety, but his face had turned a ghostly shade of pale and he was speechless for 12 hours. I’ve never known Mikl to be lost for words for more than 12 seconds, so he must have been truly dumbfounded.

One of Jon Muir’s brushes with death occurred in the 1980s when he was on an early repeat of Procul Harem, a viciously steep trench on the east face of Castle Crag. In keeping with the style of the day, Jon used double ropes. One rope was clipped through the first couple of pieces and the other rope was clipped through everything else up to his high point. This technique, widespread in the 80s, was used to minimise rope drag. But double ropes had another advantage. They enabled the leader to safely pull up a bunch of slack to clip a high piece on one rope, whilst the second rope was locked off by the belayer.

Jon had climbed up to Procul’s crux on his first attempt, and then fallen. He was immediately lowered to the ground. This was also in the style of the day. Nobody worked on routes. You climbed as high as you could until you either reached the top or fell off. If you fell off, your belayer lowered you to the ground. You might rest for a while, and then have another try with your ropes clipped to your high point. This method was called sieging, and nobody ever pulled their ropes. After a spell on the ground, Jon had a second attempt with both ropes still through the runners. At his high point, he fell again, anticipating a slump onto his top runner.

Instead, he kept falling.

Jon had tied into only one of his double ropes, and it was the wrong one. Many climbers might have ended their careers at this point, but Jon managed to pull off a spontaneous parkour. He landed feet first on a ledge and used his momentum to jump down to two lower ledges before stopping on the brink of a twentymetre drop.

Lynn Hill’s fall was the most spectacular and it is a miracle she survived almost unscathed. She was tying into the end of her rope at the base of a thirty-metre high route in Buoux, France, when she was distracted by putting on her shoes. It was a cold day and she was wearing a down jacket on her warm-up route. The jacket obscured her harness where the knot would normally be. Only there was no knot; the rope was precariously towed up the cliff by the friction of her harness. Arriving at the anchors, she clipped, called “take” to her belayer, and grabbed the rope. Instantly, she began plummeting towards the ground.

She recalled to me later that she remembers looking down and seeing her husband Russ’s mouth open in an “O” of horror. Lynn’s stars must have been aligned on that day. Crashing through branches of pines at the base of the cliff, Lynn landed in between pointy rocks. Only her elbow was damaged. She walked away.

Analysis and Prevention The single most important behaviour change you can make to prevent these kinds of accidents is a mutual buddy check. In the case of preventing an abseil off the end of your rope, put knots in the ends of your ropes. If it seems ridiculous to put in knots on a 10-metre long abseil, then at least verbalise your decision to your climbing partner.

To be frank, I struggle with making the cultural shift to buddy checks and putting knots in the ends of my ropes. I learnt to climb in the 70s and old habits die hard. Checking your partner’s knots and locking carabiners was interpreted as an affront to their dignity, a sign that you thought they were a bumbly and not to be trusted, or a suspicion that they were a few sheep short in the top paddock. It simply was not done in the 70s, 80s and 90s.

It seems that a shift is happening and climbing is all the better for it. A few seconds doing a buddy check is a reasonable remuneration for a future.

About the writer: LOUISE SHEPHERD | Louise (also known as Lou, she/her) has been climbing for 40 years and guiding for 35 years.

Back in the ‘70s, there was no trad or sport, it was all just climbing, there were hardly any women climbing, and the climbing culture was to toss beginners in at the deep end.

Louise somehow survived this brutal baptism and got strong by hanging around and fiddling in another trad gear.

She now teaches trad lead climbing rather differently than the way she was taught. Louise works with The Climbing Company in Dyurrite and is one of the few accomplished female guides amongst the crew.

Since the stories described in this article took place, some of the crags mentioned have been closed to climbing. The VL team supports the work of the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk Traditional Owners in reviving their stolen histories, and recognizes the importance of the Gariwerd & Dyurrite landscapes as part of this process. For more information about what Country and Culture mean to Traditional Owners in this area, visit www.gwrn.org.au

The future of adventure.

July 4 2022

IT’S ALL

Change image caption to “Ian Elliot Age 70, on Call Of Duty (28) (extension of Weapon of Choice) in Coolum Cave QLD Matt Raimondo

Up

FROM HERE!

DAVE BARNES TALKS TO IAN ELLIOT ABOUT TICKING HIS HARDEST CLIMBS AT AGE 70.

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FEATURE Issue #38 brought us ‘Growing Pains’ by Angie Scarth-Johnson.

She dug deep into what it felt like to move from child prodigy to Australia’s strongest female climber. Her insights and hardwon lessons had us especially reflective over here at VL HQ, as Coz was turning 30 and roping everyone into their age-induced existential crisis…

No matter the catalyst for reflection, aging begs us to ask the question “What’s next?”. It draws us deeper into selfquestioning and commands contemplation in a way little else can. While pop culture would have us believe that aging is something we should fear, stories like Ian’s remind us that growing old and doing what we love is a privilege - and that the best really is yet to come.

was establishing routes at Mount Coolum near Ian’s home. “I meandered up there and met Matt and Frey Yule who encouraged me to work Yoink (24)” he tells me. They belayed him on subsequent attempts and mentored him to work through the gymnastic movements required to climb the steep stone of the cave. “These super experienced guys taught me the ropes and helped me along on my quest.”

Ian isn’t all about clipping bolts at Coolum as he’s made the classic pilgrimages to Dyurite/Arapiles, Gariwerd/Grampians, and the Blue Mountains (Gundungurra and Dharug Country).

He maintains that seeking out adventurous routes keeps him young.

An old man shoulders a pack up the steep rise to Coolum Cave (Gubbi Gubbi Country) in Southeast Queensland. The air is thick and storm clouds gather in from the west. Climbers at the cave know that lightning is approaching and it has a name - Ian Elliot.

“I remember an epic day with Frey when things got dark on Lamplighter (14), a classic route on the back of the Pharos at Dyurite/ Arapiles. Frey led the first pitch but didn’t climb high enough which caused some route-finding confusion. I found myself setting off on Judgement Day (19) with 80km winds racing through Pharos Gully!

That’s the most committing trad route I have done.”

Ian is a shining beacon to local climbers who respect his dedication to Coolum Cave, and with good reason. This year he is 70 years of age and the electricity he generates lights up the crag with ascents of climbs that folks a quarter of his age would struggle with. Local Photographer, Matt Raimondo agrees.

Ian is a guy from the farming game and grew up near Coolum.

He’s changed course through the years from farming, to mineral exploration for mining companies, tramping throughout Central Queensland searching for rocks. “Between farming and metal exploration I did good and retired at 53.”

“Ian strolls up to the crag in the mid-afternoon, he has a bit of a chin-wag and shares beta before warming up on the climb that you and your mates have struggled on for weeks!”

Ian’s start on the family farm set him up well for the rigors of climbing. Shouldering 50kg fertilizer bags builds broad shoulders and makes for strong forearms. He coupled this with bushwalking which built endurance, then came motorbike endurance riding for core strength. “You need concentration and courage to stay focused while riding at 80km per hour through rough terrain, so I was kind of ready for climbing” he admits.

Ian happened upon climbing twenty-seven years ago on a bushwalk at Girraween, Queensland. After chatting with some climbers, they offered him some gear and a climb. After ten meters of climbing, he reached anchors - filled with a sense of achievement all climbers are familiar with. For Ian, that small taste became a hunger. Listening to Ian speak about climbing is like watching a boy play cricket in the backyard.

“I’m inspired to climb by the enjoyment it brings and the amazing people that make up the climbing community. The mental and physical challenge that hard climbing brings makes easier days out such an enjoyable experience.”

Ian has climbed intermittently for years but when his climbing partner started kitesurfing after he returned from a climbing trip to Thailand. Then realising that he would be able to climb harder.

“Climbing with young people in Thailand was great. I was climbing low 20’s without too much trouble but they lifted me.” Upon his return, Ian knew what he needed; it was young people to give him the motivation to improve. He started digging around online and found a post about a guy called Matt Eaton who

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Ian’s physique was suited to the steepness of Coolum climbing, however, on slab his stubby fingers left him struggling.

“Finger strength is not as positive as when I was younger and I need to keep my core active, so the speed bumps of age don’t soften my abs.” He keeps them taut with a home gym and simple workouts.

Ian’s Queenslander home has twenty steps leading up to his door. He says, “I’m always moving, always doing something. I’ve never spent much time sitting still”. Most days Ian starts with a stretch then lateral pull downs and lifting weights up to 35kg to work his core. His gym is where he can collect his thoughts and direct them to the needs of ‘The Cave’. He uses his time wisely.

“I need recovery time. I often do laps up in the cave. I’ll spend twenty minutes on a hard project, then take forty minutes rest.” He enjoys this as Coolum is a social crag and it provides him time to exchange beta and get to know other climbers.

He tells me that “Because I live near the cave, I don’t have to do all

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Ian Elliot giving us a wave on Three Men and A Ladder (26) in Coolum Cave QLD Matt Raimondo

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FEATURE IT’S ALL UP FROM HERE

the hard climbs in a day like the climbers from Brisbane who have limited time. I equally enjoy giving other climbers a catch.”

have joint issues just irritating hip and knee niggles from a lifetime of manual work. When he does feel the years, he adapts.

This discipline and camaraderie have had more rewards for Ian than building muscle memory.“It takes time for me to recover on Coolum climbs, so in-between I socialize. I try to be a role model and show what can be achieved.”

“Most days I start in my gym and do two sets of twenty pull-ups on my bar and bench press key weights. This routine, walking with Janette and walking up to the crag has my fitness at a place where I can consider climbing hard projects.”

Wisdom accompanies his years and frequently young climbers ask him for advice on everyday dilemmas, as they peer up at partners grappling with the steepness. They often stare at him too, Matt Raimondo adds, “When Ian climbs everyone is watching him cut loose and pull down on gnarly terrain. He moves swiftly but may let out the occasional power scream that gets him through a crux.”

In October 2020 at 68 years young that discipline came of age.

Ian sent Call of Duty (28) at Coolum Cave. He had been working up to this for years, watching the turbocharged young guns and interpreting their beta, ready and waiting to give it his best.

While Ian has invested the time into developing his beast, the everyday things are important to him too. “I walk with Janette (Ian’s wife) on the beach for pleasure while the walk up to the cave is fifteen minutes of toil.” Ian is lucky as a senior climber; he doesn’t

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“I pulled a hamstring at the start of Weapon of Choice a couple of years back attempting a hard heel hook. I modified the move to avoid putting pressure on my body.” Even through injury he routinely ventured up to the cave to support and catch his friends. Lucy Stirling, a prominent Queensland climber said this of his eventual send.

ISSUE 39 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM

Ian on Weapon Of Choice (27) in Coolum Cave, QLD Matt Raimondo

“IAN IS A SHINING BEACON TO LOCAL CLIMBERS WHO RESPECT HIS DEDICATION TO COOLUM CAVE, AND WITH GOOD REASON. THIS YEAR HE IS 70 YEARS OF AGE AND THE ELECTRICITY HE GENERATES LIGHTS UP THE CRAG WITH ASCENTS OF CLIMBS THAT FOLKS A QUARTER OF HIS AGE WOULD STRUGGLE WITH”

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Ian Elliott, age 70 on Screaming Insanity (26) in Coolum Cave, QLD. Matt Raimondo

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“Sending Call of Duty was only a matter of time for Ian and I’m certain we’ll be seeing more exciting ascents from him soon.”

With respect to the oncoming freight train that is aging all of us face in eventuality, the more he spoke, the more reflections he offered. “As you age your cardio doesn’t work so well. I don’t process oxygen as efficiently as the young crew, so I practice effective breathing and seek out rests for momentary recovery more than the average climber. I often restore a safe heart rate before moving on.

Older climbers need to keep it within their ability.”

Healing can take longer with age, so the skinning Ian received catching kneebars and wild hooks on steep Coolum stone was an initial problem, as it has been for other climbers in the cave.

He and his friends turned to the classic and highly technical DIY wetsuit to kneepad conversion to protect their skin.

Ian looks up to others too. Walter Bonatti is a climbing hero who climbed into his golden years and Ian is motivated by his example. Closer to home, it is the men that gave him his first roped climbs - Frey Yule, and Matt Eaton. He also has respect for Zac Vertrees, Garth Miller, Tom O’Halloran, and Lucy Stirling.

Lucy Stirling added this. “What an incredibly wonderful person to be at the crag with. Ian has a big heart and is such an inspiration to me and to all of us Queensland climbers.”

It will be exciting to watch where Ian focuses his climbing energy next. When most aging folk work on the premise of diminishing returns, Ian just keeps on rocking and inspiring others to do the same. He wants other wrinklies “Just get out there and do it, have a go”. With the example Ian sets in both his climbing and character, Ian’s story really is proof that it’s all up from here.

Dave Barnes Assistant Editor, Common Climber.

WHEN MOST AGING FOLK WORK ON THE PREMISE OF DIMINISHING RETURNS, IAN JUST KEEPS ON ROCKING AND INSPIRING OTHERS TO DO THE SAME.

GALLERY

Alex Hartshorne and Claudio Trefny on the first ascent of Treading Water (27, pitch 7).

Simon Bischof

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Danny Hazell going ground up on Fodiator (28).

Simon Bischoff

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GALLERY

Mim Dore on the classic Bonobo (7b) at Twin Caves, Leonidio, Greece.

Ellie Longshanks, IG @ellielongshanks

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GALLERY

Anna DAVEY showing the way on Watermelon Right (V7), Boulder Rock, Midgegooroo National Park, WA Stef Kujawa

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NEW GEAR LA SPORTIVA [NEW] KATANA LACE Rarely do sequels surpass their OG predecessors, but apparently La Sportiva has the secret recipe…and his name is Pietro Dal Pra (call him The Godfather part 2). The updated line of Katana Lace shoes has us really excited - like really excited. The classic yellow Katana is still the same edging monster we all know and love, with a few construction updates for a more precise shoe, with a ‘sharp’ new look (ba dum tss). The black & white version, however, is where things get really exciting. Softer split sole design, super sticky Grip2 rubber - it almost feels like Christmas! Even with these changes being aimed at lighter climbers, La Sportiva has maintained the same volume and fit as the yellow version, meaning all you soft shoe fiends can save those plastic bags for groceries (and those tears for The Godfather pt3).

RRP: $279.95 Coming soon to lasportiva.com.au

THE NORTH FACE SUMMIT DOWN HOODIE Everybody has that friend who doesn’t understand the concept of ‘winter crags’ and ‘summer crags’, which means inevitably we all get dragged into some freezing gully (or stormy multi) dressed in our ‘climbing in the sun’ clothes. In situations like this, you have to thank the heavens for down. TNF’s new summit hoodie is filled to the brim with soul-warming 800 fill ProDown™, offering all the usual warmth and compressibility of down without the witchlike allergy to water. “Down that stays warm when wet?”, it very well could be witchcraft. Plus to keep you cozy they’ve added harness friendly pockets (thank god) and internal drop pockets for your gloves (or broomstick). Bonus: at 380g there aren’t many reasons to not take it.

RRP:$550 More at thenorthface.com.au

PAIRE ACTIVE ANKLE SOCKS These are the VL team’s new favourite socks, the perfect combo of taste and tech (that’s right, we even nerd out over socks). We’ve all owned those fluffy merino hiking socks you wear with boots, which -while comfy- we’d rather keep concealed beneath a thick layer of leather or Goretex. But after a few days in them, it’s hard to pull on some scratchy ol’ foot tubes (seriously, what’s up with that) with that same pre-hike vigour. When we slip on a pair of Paires however, it just feels right. We’re not sure if it’s the merino/eucalyptus BreezeBlend© fabric, seamless toe design (seriously underrated), or invisible arch support. All we know is that we hate all other socks now. Bonus: they’re made with sustainability in mind by two Aussie entrepreneurs.

RRP: $24.00 Visit Paire.com.au

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BLACK DIAMOND ROCKLOCK PANTS As much as we love bright coloured clothing, what we love even more is wearing climbing gear in situations where we know we probably shouldn’t be, and even more than that…we love getting away with it. The new Rocklock pants are the latest in stealthy climbing pants technology, featuring comfy ripstop cotton (we didn’t know that even existed), a drawcord waist, harness-compatible pockets and more - all in a sleek look that (in our expert opinion) will 100% pass as fancy pants when they need to… unless they’re covered in chalk. Bonus: never snag gear on belt loops again.

RRP: $109.99 More at blackdiamondequipment.com.au

DMM HALFNUTS Welcome to the world of guilt-free gear! No more shall you fret over every gram as you rack that 2nd set of wires (or 3rd, we’re not judging) thanks to DMM’s new Halfnuts. Featuring the same style design/taper as their much-loved cousins (the Wallnuts), but at almost half the weight! The slimmed-down width also opens up all sorts of options for shallow placements, pin scars, and those hard to reach spots that you can never quite slot. Bonus: we’d also like to shout a bevy to whoever decided to match up the colour codingtruly a dream come true.

RRP: $32.95 (each) or $209.95 (1-7 set) More info at Expeditionequipment.com.au

WILD COUNTRY MOSQUITO CHALK BAG Ever wonder why Honnold rocked a buzzcut back in the day? Answer: Because every gram counts! This is exactly why the folks at Wild Country have released one of the lightest chalk bags out there. Weighing in at an almost helium-like 59g, it’s guaranteed to have your inner alpinist screaming and barfing with joy. All while maintaining the classic fleece lining and brush loop that we’ve come to expect from chalk bags, and at 15.5cm deep it’s far from a chalk bag for ants. You can now keep those luscious Sharma locks without compromising on performance.

RRP: $46.95 Visit Climbinganchors.com.au

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NEW GEAR COUSIN TRESTEC DURA DURA 9.5MM Bruce Lee once said, “​​Be water, my friend”, and he was probably talking about the Dura Dura 9.5. Cousin Trestec’s new Techtouch treatment uses polyamide retraction technology to create a soft feel and extremely “fluid” rope (get it… like water). This provides added durability while also removing the slippage effect of the sheath on the core of the rope. Speaking of water, the LongLife treatment provides added resistance against moisture, meaning you can take it on rock, mixed, snow or ice routes. FYI: Cousin Trestec has been manufacturing ropes in France since 1848 and knows more about high-tech fibres than we know about cheesy climbing puns.

RRP: 60m $289.95 70m $334.95 80m $375.95 More at ​​Bigjohn.com.au

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CAMPFIRE COOKING

Emergency Japanese Curry If there’s one thing we know climbers love, it’s food. Whether it’s fresh pasta at camp, a much-needed crag snack, or even a melted Clifbar halfway up a multi-pitch...we’re here for it.

Food plays a larger role than just fueling our bodies and driving performance - food is language. Through food, we share stories, emotions, and small bits of chalk (that’s right, we know you didn’t wash your hands ya filthy dirtbag). Food is also culture. For centuries people have passed stories between generations over bowls of soup (or in Coz’ case, Gulyásleves) - not too dissimilar to climbers of yore sharing their tales of woah with young frothers, over campfire delicacies in the Pines.

So here o’ hungry climbers, you’ll find recipes and the stories behind them that bring climbers joy and most importantly, that bring us together.

If there’s one thing I learned from high school Outdoor Ed it’s to always pack an emergency meal, for which my go-to is always Japanese curry (or ‘Jap-Curry’ for those allergic to syllables). The beauty of this emergency meal is its simplicity. All you really need is some onions, curry cubes, carrots, and potatoes - all of which are usually stashed in my cooking box. Flash forward to a somewhat recent trip to Freycinet. We’ve just arrived. There are 4 of us. Hunger is in the air. It’s my turn to cook dinner. Did I bring the Jap-curry cubes? Of course! A special Nalgene tube of sesame seed oil? You betcha! Did I forget the carrots and potatoes? Also yes…Shit!

ESSENTIAL INGREDIENTS: » » » » » »

Sesame oil (or vegetable oil) 2x Onions 1x Pack of Jap-curry mix Many garlics Rice or noodles (or even pasta if that’s all you’ve got) Miscellaneous vegetables

METHOD: 1.

Chop your onions into large wedges and separate into petals.

Slice the garlic, and cube the remaining veg into similarly bitesized chunks.

2.

Heat oil in a large pot and start frying off your onions, carrots, and any other hard vegetables you can find over medium heat (usually I’d use 2 onions, 2 carrots, and 3-4 small potatoes).

Once those are looking soft and brown add half your garlic and some shichimi or other seasoning.

3.

Fill your pot with water (hot ideally) until it covers the veg by a few centimetres, then cover and bring the whole thing to a boil.

Let this simmer vigorously for about 15mins or until the thick veg is cooked through (poke the potatoes).

4.

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS: » » » » » »

Peas TVP (Textured vegetable protein) Eggs Shichimi Togarashi (red spice mix) Leafy green garnish Misc Seasoning (MSG, nutritional yeast, chilli, etc)

Turn down the heat and add a pack of jap-curry mix - being sure to break the cubes up into smaller bits before you stir it in. Once the curry miz has dissolved add your peas and start assessing consistency and flavour. If it’s too wet add some TVP (this basically acts like a thickening agent). And obviously, add water if it’s too dry/thick.

5.

Do a final check for flavour and to ensure everything is cooked through (nothing worse than a surprise frozen pea or raw TVP), then turn off the heat and prep your rice/noodles/pasta.

6.

Plate it up, throw on your green leafy garnish and top with a fried egg to make up for key ingredients you didn’t have.

Got a recipe and a delicious tale you want to share? Email us at team@verticallifemag.com 78

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BETA: JAP-CURRY MIX: »

Check your local Asian grocer for the good brands like Vermont or Kokumaro, but in a pinch Woolies usually stocks some less tasty options like Golden Curry cubes.

MEAT: »

If you happen to have some meat then fry this separately or before the veg, putting it back in when you stir the curry mix in (lest you boil your meat like a psycho)

Ab ponders the authenticity of fried egg on curry Mitchell Scanlan-Bloor

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BETA AND BREW

BETA:

Try to do steps 3-4 quickly before too much water escapes (​​channel your inner Reza Alipour). Alternatively using a Prismo attachment will prevent drip through and allow a more leisurely pace.

TOO STRONG? » » » »

Use more water or less ground coffee Grind coarser Steep for less time Use lower temp water

TOO WEAK OR ACIDIC? » » »

Use less water or more ground coffee Grind finer Use hotter temp water

TASTES BITTER OR ASHY? » » » Chiara ‘racking up’ while the coffee brews

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Make sure you’re plunging SLOOOWLY! Be sure to plunge on a level surface Check your coffee isn’t a ‘dark roast’ (if it is use a much lower temp)

ISSUE 39 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM.AU

BETA & BREW The Lazy Aeropress Recipe As an infamously late riser, there are only 2 things that’ll get me up early; coffee or a stonkingly good multi (alpine starts and multis go together like coffee and more coffee). And for maximum efficiency on such mornings you and your climbing partner must work together like a well-oiled machine…except the oil is coffee. If one person is on breakfast, then the other is on packing ‘n’ racking, someone readies lunch, the other snacks ‘n’ brunch. But most importantly of all, someone’s gotta make the damn coffee! This recipe is for those kinds of mornings, use it for maximum efficiency or maximum laziness, either way, it’ll buy you about 10 minutes.

- Sule (VL’s Resident Coffee Nerd)

BEST FOR: »

Alpine starts

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Lazy bastards

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Snoozing under false pretences

YOU’LL NEED: »

Aeropress and 3-5 paper filters

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[Optional] Fellow Prismo attachment

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18-20g of good coffee, ground medium-fine (ground yourself or bought pre-ground)

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Ye olde stirrin’ stick

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260ml of hot water (adjust to taste)

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A timer

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[Optional] Scale or scoop

STEPS: 1.

Place 3 filters in your cap, twist it onto your Aeropress and place it on a cup with the plunger removed. Try to brew on a level surface for best results (no easy feat for those camped in the pines at Araps)

2.

Throw 18g of ground coffee into Aeropress and shake to make a flat bed of coffee. A scale or scoop helps you guessti-measure this.

3.

Start your timer, pour in 260g of boiling water ( just above the d mark), and stir in a crisscross motion from bottom to top. No circular stirs!

4.

Push the plunger a few millimetres deep into the AeroPress chamber, this will create a kind of vacuum and help hold the liquid in. A bit of water will always escape, so don’t sweat it.

5.

Rack up or take a well-earned nap while your partner sorts food

6.

At around the 9-minute mark (the same duration as a snooze button… just saying) start pressing on the plunger gently, making sure to keep everything level. Just like a slab, go slow and steady, it should take over 1 minute to press all the coffee through.

Note: When you’re done the coffee bed should look flat, if it’s domeshaped then ya biffed it

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