Vertical Life #44

CLIMBING MAGAZINE

SPRING 2023 • ED44 • AU/NZ

BACKSTAGE INSIDE THE CLIMBING FILM TOUR

CLIMBERS AS CITIZEN SCIENTISTS SURVEYING SKINKS ON A SKY ISLAND CANBERRA CLASSICS MOUNT COREE IN THE SPRING NEW HEIGHTS JEN WILLIS TACKLES EVEREST WITH MS RRP AU$12.95/NZ$12.95

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Team Athletes:

Jackson Marvell & Matt Cornell

Photo:

Austin Schmitz

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10 SPRING 2023

SPRING 2023 VERTICAL LIFE IS PUBLISHED QUARTERLY

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

Coz Fleming Wendy Bruere Sule McCraies Joanne Lee team@verticallifemag.com

DESIGN

Marine Raynard marine@adventureentertainment.com

ADVERTISING

Zac Merrion zac@adventureentertainment.com +61 499 661 101

SENIOR CONTRIBUTORS

Dave Barnes, Simon Bischoff, Max Gordon, Araminta McLennan, Micheal Blowers, & Mitchell Scanlan-Bloor

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Dr Kate Baecher, Philip Barker, Micheal Blowers, Jacinda Boully, Wendy Bruere, Katrina Churchill, Charlie Creese, Coz Fleming, Aurelie Gonin, Paolo Grasso, Sharona Lin, Sule McCraies, Araminta McLennan, Allie Pepper, Liv Sansoz, Louise Shepherd, UKC Editorial Team, Dr Vanessa Wills & Jennifer Willis.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Jim Aiken, Jared Anderson, Mitchell Scanlan-Bloor, Simon Bischoff, Micheal Blowers, Jack Bryn, Simon Carter–Onsight Photography, Katrina Churchill, Alex Clapin–Untamed Media, Stoil Dimitrov, Lachlan Gardiner, Julie Gill, Aurelie Gonin, Paolo Grasso, David Grey, Georgi Kerezov, Sharona Lin, Ned Martin, Sule McCraies, Nathan McNeil, Jodi Rowley, Jeremy Shepherd, Pasang Sherpa, Cottonbro Studio & Mark Watson.

ON THE COVER As daylight fades, Lucy Stirling defies the pump God’s & ties in for yet another burn on the Boronia Point test piece ‘Don’t Believe the Tripe’ (29). Shot by Nathan McNeil while filming “A New Line”, for the upcoming Climbing Film Tour 4. Portrait of Nathan by Lachlan Gardiner.

CREDITS IMAGE

Jacques on The Blood Arrow (28), Cathedral Cave, Blue Mountains NSW (Gundungurra & Dharug Country).

Shot by Simon Carter–Onsite Photography.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IMAGE

Sunset over the Stirling Ranges on Goreng and Menang Country, Western Australia. Shot by Alex Clapin (@ mediabytheuntamed), while filming “A Stirling Mission: A Western Australian Highlining Story” for the upcoming Climbing Film Tour 4.

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

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

VerticalLifeMag

VerticalLifeMag SPRING 2023 11

CONTENTS SPRING 2023 . ED44. AU/NZ

42

74

IN FOCUS

74

GEAR REVIEW

Patagonia’s R1 Techface Hoody VL’s resident gear & coffee nerd, Sule McCraies’ full review on the technology that underpins the iconic Patagonia R1 Techface Hoody.

42

CLIMBING FILM TOUR

Sneak behind the scenes of the upcoming Climbing Film Tour, and get to know the athletes, directors and filmmakers as they showcase the wonders of the vertical worlds on offer in Jordan, France, America and Australia.

28

CLIMBERS AS CITIZEN SCIENTISTS

Join local climbing legend Dr Vanessa Wills as she climbs in Kaputar National Park on Gamilaroi Country, to gather conservation data on critically endangered rock skinks, all in the name of science.

12 SPRING 2023

36

REMEMBERING ANDY POLLITT 56

A NOVEL IDEA FOR A CLIMB

Learn why climbing is the central theme for Blue Mountains novelist Philip Barker, and how it shapes his creative collaboration with illustrator, animator and climbing pal, Katrina Churchill.

In From The Archives, we’ve worked with Charlie Creese and the UKC editorial team to bring yet another tale of a local climbing legend into print here at home.

PLUS

Get a FREE Arcade Belt ($49.95rrp) When You Subscribe to VL details on p41

24

THE USUALS:

14. Editor’s Note 16. Read Watch Listen 20. Local Lore 64. Getting To Know

FEATURES: 28. Climbers As Citizen Scientists 36. From The Archives: Charlie Creese Remembers Andy Pollitt 42. Backstage Pass: the Climbing Film Tour 56. A Novel Idea For A Climb 60. Becoming My Own Hero

BETA:

18. Updates from Altitude 24. How I Got The Shot 67. Tale of Whoa 70. Mindset Reset 72. New Gear 74. From The Field 77. Beta & Brew 81. Crag Cooking

77

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY Vertical Life acknowledges that we live, work, recreate and climb on stolen land, and that sovereignty was never ceded.

We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians across Australia and Aotearoa, and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We recognise the continuing connection of all First Nations peoples to Country and Culture across all lands and waterways since time immemorial, and reaffirm our commitment to reflection, reconciliation and solidarity.

Issue #44 of Vertical life was printed on Wangal Country.

SPRING 2023 13

EDITOR’S NOTE

SPRING

Sends

During the dormancy of winter, from the forest floor to the emergent layer of the canopy, the environments we climb in have been busily creating new things for us to discover once the weather warms. Spring brings an explosion of new life to our crags, and with it, a reminder to slow down our pursuit of the send, and take a minute on the walk-in to stop and smell the roses, or the wattles, if you will. So in the spirit of celebrating the start of a new season, let’s revel in the wonders of spring climbing by taking a collective deep breath in, to enjoy the sweet scent of springtime at the crag…

The familiar, sharp aroma of new eucalypt leaves is gently released by slow-melting morning dew, as seas of blooming wildflowers excitedly work together to break up the winter views we’ve gotten so used to. The sun lingers longer now, meaning you can finally save some pack space by ditching your loftiest winter puffy, and your favourite sunny snack spot at the crag is back to its best. The forest floor is a flurry of new activity, getting the local fauna excited in a myriad of ways, increasing the chances of entertaining wildlife encounters on the walk ins and outs.

The smell of wet soil and fresh foliage fills the lungs of morning climbers, while the birds bustle in the canopy at dusk, reigniting the previously still soundscape. Smells good huh? Spring at the crag is a magical scene, and one I know I’ve waited all winter for.

As I take a deep breath in to appreciate spring climbing for myself, I’m rudely interrupted. “Wait… what’s that gorgeous floral scent in the air?” I ask myself. The speed of my eyes as they quickly scan the landscape to find the source of the scent, is no match for the speed of my nostrils as I desperately huff in more. The golden orbs of nearby flowering wattle gently bobbing in the breeze catch my eye, and suddenly the lyrical magic of what I remember springtime climbing to be, is unceremoniously ripped away by an involuntarily, whole-bodied and mucus-heavy sneeze. *AH-CHOOOOOOO* screamed my nose, while simultaneously sending an internal “not today, Satan” signal to my brain, shutting down my sinuses. With snot on my upper lip and my eyes starting to itch, I realised I’d been dramatically catapulted back to reality by my springtime climbing arch nemesis… hay fever.

For a typical climber at a typical Australian crag, climbing amongst a sea of golden yellow pom-poms must feel magical. But for my fellow hay fever-afflicted climbers, even just the sight of distant wattle flowers on the horizon feels more nightmarish than magical.

“Will my nose run so freely that I’ll have to sacrifice my Buff as a hands-free handkerchief?

Or, will it be so blocked that I’ll have to mouth-breathe the entire day?

But if I mouth breathe too loudly, the climber on the neighbouring route might assume I’m doing some kind of terrible Darth Vader impersonation … and my ego won’t survive that.

Or, do I get a fully black helmet and totally lean into the Darth Vader schtick to save my rep?”

At this point, I’m two sneezes away from either starting a “Climbers Victimized By Sneaky Spring Hay Fever” support group (with branded hankies and Nalgene stickers that say “Sending > Sneezing”...I’ve thought long and hard about this), or shamelessly pitching Zyrtec as a mag advertiser.

Spring climbing beauty and its associated woes aside, our crag environments weren’t the only things busily creating over winter. 60 climbers came together to produce VL44, and the result is sure to invoke as much wonder and excitement as spring climbing does... but with less snot—bonus!

Underpinning all our stories this issue is the loose theme of creativity.

Inspired by the changing of the seasons and the myriad of ways climbers engage in our sport, we explore how climbing can develop the inherent creative abilities found in all of us, and how we can use what we learn from climbing to foster more creativity in our lives off the wall.

Dr Kate Baecher explores the links between climbing and creativity directly in Mindset Reset, and we hear how VL Senior Contributor Michael Blowers leans into his creativity in How I Got The Shot. We learn that it’s the magic of being in the outdoors and a deep appreciation for the places we climb, that inspired local legend Dr Vanessa Wills, to climb for science in Kaputar National Park (Gamilaroi Country) in search of rare skinks. On climbing influencing creativity in our own lives, we head to the Blue Mountains to meet climbing novelist and illustration duo, Philip Barker and Katrina Churchill, and hear about how climbing shapes their creative partnership. ACT climber and writer Sharona Lin tells us what makes spring climbing at Mount Coree (Ngunawal, Wolgalu & Wiradjuri Country) especially stunning, and we spend some time in Arapiles/Dyurrite as Charlie Creese remembers close his friend and '80s/90s climbing legend, Andy Pollitt.

With six epic new climbing films teaming with creativity about to hit our shoes as part of the Climbing Film Tour 4, we’re stoked to have taken a deep dive behind the scenes.

Just like spring at the crag, VL#44 is bursting with colour and creativity, so kick back, relax and enjoy our celebration of the season ahead.

Yours in spring sends and sneezes,

Coz Fleming (they/them) VL Managing Editor

IMAGE: MELALEUCA SQUAMEA FLOWERING AT THE FOOT OF MT AMOS, FREYCINET, LUTRUWITA/TASMANIA. BY SIMON BISCHOFF

14 SPRING 2023

Fitzroy, K2, Cho Oyu, Denali, Aconcagua, Kilimanjaro, Kosciuszko, El Capitan, Ama Dablam, Annapurna, Everest, Minto Peak... ...where will you take it?

Photo: Harrison Candlin

E S T. 1 9 7 5

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

MOUNTAINDESIGNS.COM

READ WATCH LISTEN With Araminta McLennan

Read SEEKING THE LIGHT: CLIMBING ALL 24 OF NEW ZEALAND’S HIGHEST MOUNTAINS

BY GAVIN LANG If you are eager to learn more about mountaineering in New Zealand, I can’t recommend this book more highly. Not because of any technical route detail, but because the way in which Gavin recounts each of his adventures draws the reader in such that it feels as though you are right there with him. Right there ascending each peak, feeling the tension and drama that comes with knowing that you could be on the precipice of danger at any moment, but trusting you have the skills to navigate yourself safely.

Many climbers choose to climb as a way to immerse ourselves in some of the most magnificent, lesser-explored parts of the world. Wānaka-based mountain guide Gavin Lang has not only climbed some of New Zealand's highest mountains and remotest peaks, but as an adventure photographer he's captured their beauty too.

In his recently released book, Seeking the Light, Gavin shares his journey to summiting all 24 of the highest mountains in the Land of the Long White Cloud.

Gavin’s book is a colourful chronicle of determination, creativity and immense talent, both as a photographer and a climber. While small in pages, its contents have an impact both visually and through his storytelling prowess.

Precise and considered, the images are breathtaking, accompanying Gavin’s almost poetic writing. He describes

16 SPRING 2023

peaks in intimate detail and rather than diluting a story, it adds depth and demonstrates that Gavin loves what he does, and where he is privileged to do it.

Beyond fulfilling a need for adventure, Gavin reflects often on the impact the outdoors has on his mental and physical health, citing being outdoors regularly as a form of self care.

It is clear that to Gavin climbing is less about conquering a peak and more about absorbing the incredible value the mountains provide.

This is especially clear in his introduction: You may have come here for information about the mountains, but what permeates these pages is their value as an element of nature and adventure, in freeing us from mentalhealth shackles and helping us to lead healthy lives.

Rather than stealing his storytelling thunder, the photographs of each adventure complement each summit effortlessly and help to further immerse the reader in each story. An interesting detail that accompanies each image is a time and date stamp, giving a sense of currency, while also acting as a marker for the conditions of each peak during the time of ascent. A simple technical detail that adds another layer of personality to the story.

It would not surprise me if most readers consume this book entirely in one sitting. Gavin’s ability to capture the beauty of New Zealand’s alpine region is something many photographers are likely to be in awe of for some time, and this book is arguably as impressive as the landscapes in which it is set.

ISSUE 44 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM

Listen

A CONVERSATION WITH CRAIG MUDERLAK: THE FIRN LINE

They often say that life imitates art, or that art imitates life, and for Northwest America-based artist and mountain guide Craig Muderlak this is most certainly true.

On this episode of The Firn Line, host Evan Philllips explores the multifaceted journey the Craig has taken to his current point in life—from perfecting process as an artist, his life as a mountain guide, husband and newly-minted father—and the challenges of making a living in these spaces.

each uncovering a little more about what drives him creatively and professionally.

Many may know Craig in the first instance from his creative illustrations in Chris Kalman’s book, As Above, So Below, or his series of sketches “How To Be Alone”, which rose in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this podcast he is especially candid about the pandemic’s impact on his life, and how these pieces acted as a catalyst for positivity and growth.

Casually recounting many of his career highlights both as a guide and an artist with a quiet passion, it is easy to see how his love of the outdoors informs his creative process. Very little is off limits, with Craig sharing stories from childhood through to present day with

While this may be one from the archives, it dives deeply into what can motivate climbers and creatives and, much like Craig’s artistic talents, it definitely holds up.

mix of challenge and utter elation that climbers—boulderers in particular— experience in the act of ascent.

You can’t help but be drawn into the very 90s visual nostalgia as you watch Pope and friends fall from almost every angle. And if the thought of falling through the air over and over again isn’t enough to get your heart thumping, the techno soundtrack certainly will.

Listen on Spotify.

Watch MIDAIR: A METAPHYSICAL BOULDERING FILM Available on Adventure+ For most professional sportspeople, falling is something we try to avoid. In the almost psychedelic bouldering film MIDAIR by climber and creator Louis Jack, it's something to be celebrated.

Diverting from the typical climbing film format that focuses on the journey to a send, this film blends slow-motion and montage shots, focussing far more on the physicality of climbing than the ascent itself.

Following professional climber Jim Pope alongside other familiar British boulderers including Frances Bentley, Aidan Roberts and Holly Toothill, MIDAIR is unconventional to say the least. It acts as the director's audiovisual expression of the infectious

Set in England’s scenic Lake District, MIDAIR explores both the physical and psychological highs and lows of climbing and falling from a fresh perspective, zeroing in on a boulderer’s desire to almost defy the laws of physics in the midst of physical and mental extremes.

Midair was part of the Vertical Life Film Tour 2022 lineup and can be streamed at www.adventureplus.com - see p80 for a special offer.

About Araminta: Minty (she/her) is an avid paraclimber living in Naarm (Melbourne) and a dedicated member 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.

SPRING 2023 17

UPDATES FROM ALTITUDE

BROAD PEAK AND K2

BY ALLIE PEPPER

Lakpa Nurbu Sherpa and I began our summit push for Broad Peak (8,051m) from Camp 3, which lies 1,000 metres below the peak. It became the longest summit push of my life, taking us 24 and a half hours to reach the top and return to the camp.

As I climbed along the seemingly never-ending ridge towards the summit, I understood why the mountain was called Broad Peak. When I was 50 meters from the summit, I honestly thought I wouldn’t make it. I would take 10 steps, stop, and sit down and fall asleep. Lakpa and I were tied together; he would tug on the rope to wake me, and I would stand up and take 10 more steps. I repeated this process for half an hour until finally we made it. The adrenaline woke me up at that point.

Thankfully I had decided to keep walking! With this summit, my project officially began at 1:30pm on July 15.

After eight days of rest at Base Camp, Lakpa and I were ready to attempt K2. After two long, hard days of very steep climbing we reached Camp 3 at 7,300m. A few hours later, as we prepared to depart for the summit, I realised I was missing one of my essential items—my boot heaters. Without oxygen to burn, the body cannot warm itself. Keeping my hands and feet warm, especially when we climb through the night, is vital at altitude.

Unfortunately, my boot heaters were accidently left in Camp 2 that morning and we did not have time to fetch them. I cried; in my heart I knew my summit push was over. What to do? I decided to try without them. I knew that it was almost impossible for me to summit without risking frostbite, but I decided to at least just try.

We left the tent at 8:30pm. After just an hour of climbing, my feet started to go numb. With no way to warm them I made the heartbreaking decision to turn back.

I believe everything in life happens for a reason. Sometimes at the time we don’t understand why, but the joy of hindsight is that it gives you 20/20 vision.

When we caught up with Allie Pepper last issue, she was beginning her attempt to climb the world’s 14 highest peaks, without supplemental oxygen and in record time. We were blown away by Allie’s insights and reflections on life in the mountains, and since publishing the feature, our readers have said the same. In Updates from Altitude, Allie shares the reality of pursuing her goal, and gives us an unfiltered look at the highs and lows of life on the edge. In this issue, she shares her story of summiting Broad Peak and facing a treacherous night on K2.

18 SPRING 2023

Back in the tent, Lakpa and I left our radio on. We heard there had been an avalanche. Then we heard that a Pakistani climber had passed away.

The Sherpa leading the way to the summit were saying it was very deep snow and there were avalanches running past them.

A friend, who is a guide, came to our tent. He told us he had been hit by an avalanche above Camp 4 and buried to his knees. Conditions were too dangerous, he said, so he turned back, along with many other teams.

We decided then to return to base camp. Lakpa and I descended in a blizzard, while the climbers higher on the mountain continued through the blizzard to the summit.

I later learned the man who tragically passed that day was a porter, Mohammed Hassan. He had fallen on the most exposed and dangerous part of the climb, called the Bottle Neck, at 8,200m. For hours many people were involved in the attempt to save him. I don’t know all the details and there are many unanswered questions. What I do know is

ISSUE 44 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM

that many people risked their own lives as they worked to help him.

The devastating situation affected everyone involved. At that height and in that terrain, it is unfathomably difficult to save an injured climber’s life. It was a harsh reminder of the danger we face in these mountains. Above 8,000m, where rescues can be all but impossible, a small mishap can have a fatal outcome.

I wondered how I would have fared on the mountain that night, and if perhaps my forgotten boot warmers saved my life.

Follow Allie on Instagram @alliepepperadventures and check out her live tracker (link in her Insta bio) to see her progress in real time—she’s off to Manaslu next.

LEFT PAGE: ALLIE AND LAKPA ON THE SUMMIT OF BROAD PEAK. THIS PAGE: ON THE WAY UP FROM CAMP 2 TO CAMP 3 ON BROAD PEAK.

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LOCAL LORE

MOUNT COREE: A QUINTESSENTIALLY CANBERRA CRAG WORDS AND IMAGES BY SHARONA LIN

20 SPRING 2023

ISSUE 44 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM

Welcome to our Local Lore column, where we drop a pin on the climbing map and ask locals to give us the beta. From local climbing legends and lore to 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.

SHARONA LIN UNLOCKED HER LOVE FOR THE OUTDOORS WHEN SHE MOVED TO AUSTRALIA'S CAPITAL AND QUICKLY DECIDED MOUNT COREE—NAMED AFTER THE ABORIGINAL WORD FOR MOTH—WAS THE CRAG TO CLIMB, ESPECIALLY IN SPRING. READ ON TO FIND OUT WHY. Around about every August, I start to wonder what I’m doing with my life. Why don’t I feel fulfilled? And what are we all even doing on this planet we call Earth, anyway?

Then the September sun comes out, and I realise that all that existential dread I’m feeling is probably just because of the Canberra winter.

Canberra winter has downsides other than the casual existential crises—the cold, dry weather makes local climbing pretty hard. Not impossible by any means, of course, but not easy. But as soon as things start warming up in the September sun, everything just seems a little better, a little brighter, a little more fulfilling.

Part of that might be because climbing outdoors becomes much easier, and more fun—especially at Mount Coree, a quintessentially Canberran crag, and one of my favourite places. Mount Coree sits in the Brindabella National Park, within the boundaries of the Ngunnawal, Wolgalu and Wiradjri lands, close to the ACT/NSW border.

The 90 minute drive there from the nation’s capital feels so Canberra—past mountain biking haven Mount Stromlo, past Uriarra River which is packed with families, students and public servants during the summer, and through Uriarra Forest, bristling with wattles, eucalypts and, in the spring, wildflowers.

Mount Coree was literally the first place people started climbing in the ACT. The Canberra Climbing Association has John Hammond putting up the first route in Coree in 1958, with a good 70 routes added in the next quarter century.

Today, there are about 80 climbs on the ridge of Mount Coree—predominantly sports climbs, with a dash of trad sprinkled in there. But those climbs were mostly put up in the late 90s, and aren’t the same climbs as those set by Hammond. I’m sure an adventurer and history buff will track down John Hammond’s original climbs and climb them at some point—it’s Canberra, after all.

I also love how deeply unpredictable this crag is. Because of Mount Coree’s elevation (it sits at an altitude of 1400m), the mountain is several degrees cooler than Canberra itself. That, in itself, is fine—anyone who’s lived in Canberra through winter has at least one puffer jacket easily accessible from about March to October. But more than once in the winter, we’ve driven up on what appears to be a beautiful clear morning, only to find that it’s inexplicably ice cold and windy on the wall, and after five minutes on the rock, you can’t feel your fingers, or your face.

On those occasions, we’ve wandered up to the peak itself—it’s a pretty short walk to the top, or if you have a four wheel drive, you can crunch

over a steep, rocky hill to get there. The 360 degree view is a pretty good consolation prize when climbing conditions aren’t ideal, or even if they are, it’s a nice place to sit and have a snack. Again, all this is contingent on you bringing a good puffer jacket.

I don’t know why I find Mount Coree’s stubborn unpredictability so charming, but I do. Maybe because in day-to-day life, almost everything is controlled. My apartment is always a comfortable temperature and I can watch whatever I want on a multitude of streaming services whenever I want. My office is always the same and so is my gym.

But up on Mount Coree, as with all climbing, you rely on the grace of the elements and the rock. All that said, once the biting cold of winter is through, on a crisp spring day, Mount Coree is perfect.

I need to admit here that I’m not a particularly advanced climber, but having climbed with people who are both more advanced and less advanced than me, I’m confident in saying that Mount Coree has something for everyone.

The approach (if you have a four wheel drive, which I do) is a breeze.

That is a good thing, because I am on the record as someone who hates hiking. (Okay, I don’t actually hate hiking—but I am a very slow hiker, and so hiking with other people stresses me out.) If you don’t have a four wheel drive, it’s still only a roughly 40 minute walk from the Mount Coree Campground.

The Wind Wall is the most easily accessible wall—only a few minutes wander from the bend in the road most people with four wheel drives SPRING 2023 21

LOCAL LORE MOUNT COREE: A QUINTESSENTIALLY CANBERRA CRAG

park at. It’s also the wall with the greatest density of routes, including certified classic Jerusalem. It’s a safe climb, graded accurately (19), and just flows. It’s a very cool climb.

There’s not any big wall climbing in Canberra—we’re not exactly Yosemite out here—but Jerusalem feels like a big wall climb. The ground slopes to the right and falls down and away pretty rapidly. So from about halfway up the route, you get the illusion of scaling an epic wall 100 metres above the ground. And once you’ve reached the top, you look out over the vast landscape of the leafy eucalypts of the Brindabellas, and you think, Yeah. That’s what this is all about.

Nearby, there’s a three star 21, Super Jesus, which is well regarded, and imparts the same oh damn feeling I get from Jerusalem, and then a whole mess of very respectable 20-something graded climbs to the right. To the left, there are a couple of lower graded climbs if you don’t want to jump straight onto Jerusalem—but to warm up, heading to a wall like Eco-Terrorism is probably your best bet.

Eco-Terrorism has Sunday and Blue Jay Way, two 15s that are perfect for beginners to find their feet on, or for seasoned climbers to warm up on.

It’s also got a three-star 25 called Fly Boy Baby, which I can only aspire to.

The Wind Wall has the most, and the most classic, climbs. But because it’s so steep and rocky, it’s unfortunately a terrible place to eat lunch.

Luckily, there are plenty of good spots to sit and eat lunch along the ridge.

Pretty Gully and Pretty Backside are two of the prime suspects for a spot to sit and refuel. They get a good amount of sun, and they face out, again, over the Brindabellas. Then, once lunch is over, the area also has a really nice diversity of climbs for climbers of all calibres. Again, as with so many of the climbs around Mount Coree, they’re clean climbs, on good rock, and importantly, they’re fun.

I’ve been to Mount Coree and climbed. I’ve been to Mount Coree and I haven’t climbed. I’ve climbed there really aggressively and burned myself out on a couple of routes before lunch, and I’ve climbed there all day, only stopping because the sun started setting. But every time, I come away feeling pretty damn good about life, and glad that I’m on this planet we call Earth.

22 SPRING 2023

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24 SPRING 2023

ISSUE 44 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM

HOW I GOT THE SHOT

B A L A N C E

WORDS & IMAGES

BY MICHAEL BLOWERS

As the Managing Editor of VL, I get sent a lot of climbing photos. So many in fact, that in the weeks leading up to our print deadline, I frequently joke that my email inbox starts to look like a digital kid's picture book… but for vertically-minded adults. I really do look forward to my quarterly pre-print picture book sessions, but when Mike sent me his shot of “Freedom” (30, Organ Pipes, Kunanyi/Mt Wellington), I knew we needed to include the story of how and why he shot it to do it justice. Here, Mike talks us through how he balances impressive landscapes with equally impressive climbing, and demystifies the very real effort behind shots that look effortless.

-Coz (VL’s Managing Editor)

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HOW I GOT THE SHOT BALANCE

As climbers, we're lucky to spend countless hours in incredible places—places that invoke awe and a sense of adventure that is rarely felt in our everyday lives. It’s these places that leave a lasting impression on us.

For me, the Organ Pipes of kunanyi/Mt Wellington, at the doorstep of Nipaluna/Hobart, is one of these awe-inspiring places. With imposing dolerite columns, heady exposure, and expansive views across the surrounding rolling hills, endlessly reaching their way into the ocean through the surreal shapes of the coastal peninsulas, it’s easy to remain lost in the views for hours.

Making this place truly special is its location—the powerful mountain environment is juxtaposed with the city lights of Hobart at its foothills. It’s surreal to step out of the city and find both challenge and enduring rugged remoteness, entirely at odds with the sleepy town 1000m below.

Understandably, the climbing is absorbing and technical, exposed, and often intimidating. However, amongst the intensity, there are always moments of quiet to be found. It’s often at a rest or a belay where everything else fades away that gives you the space to take it all in and acknowledge the beauty of your position. As a photographer, I've spent the last few years climbing here and made it my goal to capture that feeling.

I think that the ultimate goal in photography is to elicit an emotional response from your images, and in climbing photography, that can take many forms. In my opinion, the best climbing shots are the ones that showcase the delicate balance between the grandeur of a landscape and the emotion of the action, as this unique combination is something only climbers understand. While these shots are infinitely harder to get, the ability to capture the fullness of the moments we spend climbing is well worth the effort.

As the person behind the lens, deciding what makes it in the frame is a constant battle. On one hand, I could limit my focus on the climber alone and only capture the familiar tight frame action of pulling hard on minging holds, which could leave you, as the viewer, feeling stoked and keen to climb. Ultimately though, this shot would just end up on the pile of other climbing action shots we’re already familiar with, likely missing any of the initial powerful feelings of being in a place that inspired me to pick up my camera in the first place. Conversely, too much focus on the landscape in your composition will give you plenty of appreciation for the beauty of a place, but you'll risk letting the unique impact and exertion of climbing fade into the background.

In my pursuit to shoot climbing images that balance the power of our sport with the power of the places we climb, I'm always looking for inspiring compositions when I’m out climbing. Sometimes, I find them by actively looking for a shot, and other times it’s a matter of pure chance. Looking down on a route and thinking, "Woah! That looks incredible!" or simply while enjoying the views. This shot was the latter.

I stumbled upon the composition for my shot of Freedom while looking along the beautiful line of columns that lead to the next buttress after finishing a climb at the Amphitheatre. My attention was immediately drawn to the prominent, detached pillar sporting a precarious, car-sized block wedged between the top of the pillar, connecting it to the main wall. I couldn't help but think how beautifully the pillar would catch the sunrise alpine glow, and how 26 SPRING 2023

well it would frame the expansive view behind it. On this pillar's wildly exposed main face sits the hardest climb at the Organ Pipes, Freedom (30). "Wouldn't it be incredible to get someone climbing Freedom for the sunrise with this incredible view as the backdrop?"

I thought to myself.

After a few weeks of obsessing over the possibilities I couldn't get the idea out of my head, so I decided that it was time to wrangle the climber to make it happen. With Freedom going at the lofty grade of 30, the pool of potential climbing subjects was relatively small. Add into the mix the necessary 4 am wake-up call to beat the sun and the speed it would take the climber to get into the perfect position as the sun rose, the list dwindles further. Luckily, I've spent a bit of time climbing and taking photos with Ryan Sklenica, who incredibly just established Australia's hardest route Hartkäse (36) in Nowra, making him the perfect candidate for an early morning jaunt on Freedom. Outside his impressive climbing CV, Ryan’s an all-round legend who’s always psyched to jump in front of the lens for me and, thankfully, was excited about another one of my crazy ideas and quickly jumped on board.

Now that I’d found the location and the right climber for the shot,

managing nipaluna/Hobart’s notoriously indecisive weather was the next challenge… If you've spent time in Hobart, you know that Kunanyi's weather is fickle at the best of times, and we needed a clear morning with just enough cloud to catch the light. As Ryan and I scoured the forecast over the next few days, and as luck would have it, a perfect window popped up with a small amount of low cloud forecasted but largely clear skies for the weekend.

Awesome! Now I've got the route, the climber and a rather hopeful weather window lined up, the last small hitch? Who would be mad enough to get up at 4am and drive up the mountain with us, not to climb, but to stand in freezing conditions as our humble belayer?!

“Surely Scotty would be up for it,” I’d thought.

My good mate and climbing partner, Scott Roberts, is always up for ridiculous missions. Whether for photography or just a climb, he’s reliable. The only problem is that he's also reliably late, which could be somewhat disastrous for a sunrise shoot. After somehow convincing him that he should come up and join us for a shiver belay at an ungodly hour, I went into full planning mode. Driving up the evening before with Ryan to check out the rappel access, timing our approach so we knew how long we needed to get there to set up the rappel and get everyone into position before the sun rose. Confident in our plan, we called Scotty to fill him in, begging him not to be late as we set our alarms for that absurd hour.

The following morning the insistent noise of my alarm dragged me out of bed, and while wishing I had an IV drip filled with coffee to wake me up, I checked the sky to see plenty of stars–"Perfect, we're on!"

I packed my cameras and headed up the mountain with Ryan. As we turned onto the road to the summit, we noticed Scotty's car pull in behind us, miraculously on time! At the top of the mountain, everything we had balanced to make this shot happen began to fall into place. We donned our head torches and made our way down to the rap point, our excitement building.

Scotty and Ryan rappelled over the giant precarious block leading to the pillar and into the black abyss below. Once hearing they were secure on the anchor, I pulled the rap line up and made my way to the next buttress where I'd planned to take the shot. Now it was a matter of waiting for the sun.

As the sun finally began to rise, I realised that the result would be better than I could have ever hoped for. The light was flawless and full of colour, giving the columnar shapes of the cliffs incredible depth while illuminating sections of the low clouds below us. Finger on the shutter, I began to somewhat frantically find that delicate balance between powerful climbing and the majestic landscape.

Both were fervently fighting for attention as the scene began evolving in front of me. Then, the moment I was waiting for finally happened. Ryan reached a comfortable stance, perfectly silhouetted by a low cloud, stopping to take in the headwall above him...that moment of quiet only climbing gives us where you can fully absorb the magnitude of place. Quickly taking the shot, I realised that I had finally captured the fullness of what it feels like to climb here, something I’d spent years wanting to achieve.

So did I find the right balance? I honestly have no idea. But every time I look at this shot it transports me straight back to the powerful atmosphere of climbing on Kunanyi again, and that's more than enough for me.

FEATURE

CLIMBERS AS CITIZEN SCIENTISTS: SURVEYING SKINKS ON A SKY ISLAND

BY DR VANESSA WILLS

KAPUTAR ROCK SKINK Jodi Rowley

VANESSA’S CLIMBING SKILLS HAVE TAKEN HER TO SOME USUAL PLACES, AND NOT JUST AS A CLIMBER—SHE’S USED HER SKILLS TO GATHER CONSERVATION DATA FROM SOME HARD-TO-REACH PLACES. IN 2017, SHE CLIMBED BALLS PYRAMID AS A CITIZEN SCIENTIST WITH THE AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM TO SURVEY AND CAPTURE STICK INSECTS. THIS YEAR, ON A CLIMBING TRIP TO KAPUTAR NATIONAL PARK, SHE WAS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR CRITICALLY ENDANGERED ROCK SKINKS.

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I’m laying on top of Corrunbral Borawah, a rocky peak also known as the Governor, in Kaputar National Park with my right eye pressed almost to the ground. My phone in my hand, as I try to see into a finger-sized crack. A reptilian eye stares back at me and I slowly back off, trying to lure the large skink towards the patch of sun it was just enjoying.

It emerges a little, enough for me to snap a picture with sufficient detail to identify whether it is a critically endangered Kaputar rock skink (Egernia roomi), a more common White’s skink, or a spiky tailed Cunningham skink. I move back a few more metres and grab my camera with a zoom, hoping to capture a full body shot.

We have driven the six hours north-west from Newcastle to go climbing, but have already spent an hour walking the 15 minute approach, photographing every reptile we can find. After another five minutes, I give up and am moving to our abseil rope, when I spot a White’s skink. It is basking happily, not at all perturbed by our nearby activity.

I take a few snaps of it and jot a field note, before I abseil down to do Acid Rain (18), a slightly friable affair that is meant to be our warm up, but suboptimal rock with a loose block to avoid slows our progress and provides enough excitement for the day. We return to the nearby Bark Hut Campground to log our lizard pictures and sit out a storm.

Kaputar is renowned as a biodiversity hotspot as in effect the region is a sky island—the Nandewar range, formed around 20 million years ago by volcanic activity, rises to 1600m from the surrounding plains. It has endemic species, seen nowhere else, including its famous pink slug (Triboniophorus sp Nov ‘Kaputar’) and the Kaputar Daisy (Coronidium kaputaricum).

It’s the Wednesday before Easter 2023, and over the next few days we are joined by several other teams of climbers from Newcastle, who all spend some time out from climbing trying to capture lizard photos on their phone cameras. There’s 11 of us, spread out in different areas in Kaputar National Park. We convene at Euglah Rock, one of the area’s spectacular volcanic formations, the day after the storm. It’s cold and good conditions for climbing, but the summit plateau is wet and reptile activity is down.

Whilst sending classics such as Yummikins (17), A Bridge Over Troubled Waters (16), Burning Spear (19) and Malice Through the Looking Glass (20), we take some time to sit in stillness and watch for reptiles. Between us, we manage to record at least half a dozen lizards.

By the end of the Easter long weekend, the teams have surveyed Mount Kaputar, Lindsay Rock Tops, Euglah summit, Lairds Lookout, the Governor, Yulludinida and their approaches, and the Bundubulla track to Eckfords lookout. A team from University of New England continues looking the following weekend. All up 56 individual photos are logged, with 58 lizards in them. It seems that skinks can be quite family orientated, and it’s not infrequent to find skinks from the same family group sheltering together.

CLIMBERS AS CONSERVATIONISTS Why, you may ask, should climbers be doing such an activity? From a personal perspective, immersion in nature and appreciation and respect for the natural environment is integral to my enjoyment of rock climbing. Watching birds whilst on belay, looking at plants on the approach, sitting by a deep calm pool on a riverbank in the evening looking for platypus, are as much a part of the day as climbing.

Smelling the callitris pines, hearing wind through the eucalypts and the warble of the currawongs, or watching seasonal change and the regeneration after fire, are all part of being in this landscape.

Touching rock, unlocking the intricacies of holds and movement, following volcanic dykes, and imagining a different age when molten basalt and trachyte flowed and shaped the topography of the land. Always taking in the views in the amazing places that climbing takes us to.

As climbers we can get to spend hours in a small and special area.

We can offer much in understanding these areas and help preserve them. Being able to be still in nature and take in the minutiae is a gift that sometimes in the rush to send and to tick we don’t always appreciate.

As head of the access and stewardship organisation ACANSW (Australian Climbing Association NSW) there is another reason for being aware of what is in the natural world around us, and that is the potential for inadvertent harm. In the case of the Kaputar rock skink and other reptiles, such as the broad head snake, this could occur if climbers build cairns and move rocks.

Reading the forewords to guidebooks and gaining knowledge about flora, fauna and cultural heritage in the area you are to climb is important. Climbing was banned in Kaputar for a time in the 1980s due to concern about climbers’ potential impacts on the Kaputar daisy which grows on escarpments, particularly around the Governor.

Rather than be part of the problem, an educated climber can be a steward for the environment and help educate others. This goes for other engagements that climbers can undertake: whether it be learning about weeds and doing bush regeneration, helping out with monitoring rare species like stick insects, rock wallabies or dwarf mountain pines, or looking out for peregrine falcons and avoiding those areas during nesting season.

Because climbers hang out with other climbers, we often don’t realise how good we are at moving on uneven, steep ground, treading lightly and assessing cliff safety. Climber agility is readily noticeable when you join volunteer activities that involve the general community, and the amount of work that can be done by fit and agile volunteers is much appreciated. In my home area, the Hunter Valley, north of Sydney, climbers have proven very useful working in volunteer programmes with rock wallaby predator monitoring and helping weed bitou bush and lantana on steep slopes safely.

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FEATURE CLIMBERS AS CITIZEN SCIENTISTS: SURVEYING SKINKS ON A SKY ISLAND

PHOTO CAPTIONS, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: VANESSA HAVING JUST CLIMBED FAST BREEDER (13) ON WEST KAPUTAR ROCKS, THE GOVERNOR IN BACKGROUND. BY DAVID GREY; MOUNT CORYAH. BY JULIE GILL ; THE FAMOUS KAPUTAR PINK SLUG. BY ADAM BISHOP; THE TEAM AT THE END OF THE DAY AT THE GOVERNOR: SELFIE BY ADAM BISHOP OF HIMSELF, BEN, JASE, ELSA, KITT Y AND DAVE; THE GOVERNOR. BY JULIE GILL ; KAPUTAR DAISY (CORONIDIUM KAPUTARICUM)—THE REASON CLIMBING WAS BANNED IN THE 80S. BY VANESSA WILLS.

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KAPUTAR ROCK SKINK Jodi Rowley

In addition, climbers spend time in environments that can’t readily be accessed and so we can help record the natural world in these areas, through citizen science. Cliff tops only accessible through technical climbs are largely undisturbed by humans and—more importantly—feral animals. Goats, deer and pigs are creating havoc across outback NSW, so observations from such protected areas, or sky islands, are valuable. We need to ensure we do not introduce weeds or pathogens such as phytophthora when we visit. But with enquiring minds and phone cameras we can also help document what we find.

CITIZEN SCIENCE

We mentioned the project to the local rangers who were around at Easter, but as we were not collecting lizards or moving rocks, or going anywhere we otherwise wouldn’t get to, there were no forms to fill out or permits to obtain. This is a very marked difference to the permissions needed to collect fauna or flora.

Many programmes exist such as Frog ID, iNaturalist or cyber tracker that can help capture sound recordings or photographs with date stamped global positioning. These communities are supported by enthusiasts and experts and tentative identifications will be confirmed or corrected, which is a great way to learn about plants and animals.

The Australian Citizen Science Association defines citizen science as something that “involves public participation and collaboration in scientific research with the aim to increase scientific knowledge”.

Climbers are in a perfect position to help document observations in the natural world. Technology has made recording images and sounds easier than it has ever been.

There is always the possibility that your local cliff or access track, local bush reserve or even back yard has the potential to host rare or even undiscovered plants and animals. It just takes a curious, inquiring mind and a reminder to tread lightly.

For the Kaputar skink citizen science project, we used iNaturalist under the guidance of Jodi Rowley, a scientist with the Australian Museum. I had contacted Jodi after reading an article by her in The Conversation about the lizard. I was sure I had seen these lizards on Lindesay Rock Tops, and could appreciate that it was something climbers should have an awareness of. It turned out, I was right—all up, the teams captured photos of 15 endangered Kaputar skinks, as well as nine other species of lizard. We also saw a lot of damage to habitat by feral pigs and goats.

The “Roomi project-Reptile observations on mountain islands” is still available on iNaturalist and can be added to. You need to become a member of the iNaturalist community and upload images.

Your user ID and photos can be linked to the project.

GET INVOLVED

It would be useful to create similar projects for other difficult to access summits such as Belougery Spire, Crater Bluff or Tonduron in the Warrumbungles and having someone with the time, energy and appropriate background to be a coordinator for climber citizen SPRING 2023 31

FEATURE CLIMBERS AS CITIZEN SCIENTISTS: SURVEYING SKINKS ON A SKY ISLAND

THE VIEW FROM MT KAPUTAR. BY JULIE GILL.

science projects would be ideal. [Contact Vanessa Wills at president. nsw@climb.org.au and if you are really keen and want to administer this project, or start up a new one.]

Another great way to get involved with similar projects is to attend crag care days, or if these aren’t convenient, joining scheduled land care events- possibly near climbing destinations. You will be bound to meet a host of interesting people that tend to have a wealth of knowledge about flora and fauna. For instance, Dune Care at South West Rocks or Friends of Tomaree National Park hold regular bush regeneration events including for a few hours on a weekend at least monthly, and could easily be tied in with a climbing trip.

Councils and the NPWS have volunteer portals where you can see what opportunities are available. For instance, in addition to the coast care events above, there are opportunities to help monitor rock wallaby predators in several national parks, or regular community clean ups and replantings planned for the new Gardens of Stone State Conservation Area.

Thanks to Adam, Dave G, Mel, Kalani, Kemeko, Jase, Elsa, Ben, Dave S, Kitty, Andrew.

Vanessa got into climbing after one too many bushwalking jaunts saw her metres off the ground looking for a more difficult way. She has spent much of the past 20 years mountaineering and climbing around the world when not working as a surgeon. She helped start the Australian Climbing Association NSW Inc in 2019 and believes caring for the environment in which we climb is fundamental.

32 SPRING 2023

Kaputar skink fact file • • •

• •

The Kaputar Skink (Egernia roomi) has recently been added to NSW Threatened Species list.

It was formally described in scientific literature as a separate species of skink in 2019.

It is known to exist only across a 30 km square area of the Nandewar range, east of Narrabri, but within that area it is only found in the fragmented rocky outcrops above 1,200m. This includes the Governor, Mt Kaputar and Lindesay Rock Tops.

It is a dark brown skink up to 12 cm long with orange-hued underbelly.

Removal or disturbance of bush rock or disturbance or trampling of vegetation of the cliff top environment leads to loss of habitat.

KAPUTAR ROCK SKINK Jodi Rowley

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Photo: Ken Etzel © 2023 Patagonia, Inc.

Modern climbers are more accomplished than ever, and we don’t just mean on the wall. We’ve always valued boldness, whether that means having the vision to push highpoints into the unknown or having the audacity to demand more for our home planet. To be a strong climber means full commitment to the sport and to our communities. It means not just working towards futuristic first ascents, but working towards a better future.

And we aren’t going to get there alone.

Bolder Together

Mariana Mendoza and Miguel Casar supporting each other on the unceded lands of the Mescalero Apache, Tampachoa, and Ndé Kónitsąąíí Gokíyaa (also known as Hueco Tanks). Climbing is a movement; so is the work to dismantle systems of oppression. Together, Mariana and Miguel work on prison abolition, youth justice and educational rights to build a world where everyone can assert their right to land, joy and life.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES

36 SPRING 2023

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REMEMBERING ANDY POLLITT C A R S , S TA R S , B A R S , G U I TA R S

Charlie Creese remembers close his friend and '80s/90s local climbing legend, Andy Pollitt, who died aged 56 in November 2019. Andy was undoubtedly a rockstar of the climbing world, having made a large impact on both the British and Aussie climbing scenes–in fact, his rainbow tights still hang watchingly over The Lactic Factory today (along with his signed portrait of Kylie Minogue). Notable ascents include ‘The Bells!

The Bells!’ (E7 6b onsight) at Gogarth, ‘Rage’ (29) on Taipan at the Grampians/Gariwerd, and of course his famous battle with Punks in the Gym (32) at Arapiles/Dyurrite.

This piece was originally published in March of 2020 via our friends at UKClimbing.com, following the unfortunate passing of Andy Pollit in November 2019. Along with Charlie, we felt it was important to immortalise Andy’s legacy and contribution to Australian climbing in print, here at home. The republication was made possible by the good folks at UKC and our own local legends, Charlie Creese, Kim ‘Spewin’ McKeown’, and Simon Carter.

LEFT PAGE: ANDY POLLIT ON THE BELLS! THE BELLS! (E7 6B), NORTH STACK WALL, GOGARTH. IMAGE BY BERNARD NEWMAN. THIS PAGE: ANDY POLLITT AND CHARLIE CREESE. IMAGE BY KIM “SPEWIN’” MCKEOWN.

SPRING 2023 37

FROM THE ARCHIVES REMEMBERING ANDY POLLITT

People likened him to a rock star – and those stellar looks combined with the Pollitt swagger, mirror shades, and a daunting resume of dangerous routes, certainly made for "coolness" in the sense of "unapproachable" or "aloof" I guess.

Well I guess we all know you have to pay your dues to society some time. But I was still young and that time hadn't arrived. Besides, someone told me a party was going to happen in The Pines or Natimuk or something, and I had to square that knowledge with the fact I had virtually no social life in Melbourne/Naarm. So I guided the car west.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about that party was it lasted about five years, maybe more, and I made friendships that lasted a lot longer still. Right place and right time I guess. And it didn't hurt that one of the attendees was Andy Pollitt. I don't want to mythologise the guy - he was a mate, after all - but that doesn't mean I can't recall the extraordinary presence he had. People likened him to a rock star – and those stellar looks combined with the Pollitt swagger, mirror shades, and a daunting resume of dangerous routes, certainly made for "coolness" in the sense of "unapproachable" or "aloof" I guess. I'd already met him actually – very briefly - at the behest of Glenn Robbins, who was keen to show him off. But that didn't mean I was expecting him to walk straight up to me as though I were an old friend – which is exactly what he did, beer in hand as always. So he wasn't really like a rock star at all, he was like a climber – and there's no higher praise.

Like most of us, I've periodically tried to give up climbing in favour of something more "serious." Certainly this was the case in the late 80's when I was at university, a societally approved path if ever there was. But the real world is a strange thing to confront when you've climbed for most of your teens, and in the uni itself Post Modernism was all the rage, something forever impressed on my mind by the English lecturer who once opined that "music represents a paradigmatic excess of the signifier." Crap like that sure puts climbing jargon in perspective! Compounding my restlessness was the fact that - for the first time in my life - I had a car. It sat out in the street like a neglected pet, and just seeing it was to feel a reproach - because down in my soul I knew that nothing – bar nothing – beats counting those white lines out on the highway.

That middle-class guilt is strong though. Having resolved to head out one last time–just in case I was missing out on something–I merged with the traffic one Friday night only to be immediately assailed by doubt. I can still recall a roundabout on the outskirts.

I actually started going round in circles, life choices in the form of exit signs, the east bound leading back to the city and all that that entailed, the west leading to Arapiles/Dyurrite.

ABOVE: ANDY POLLITT ON NATI DREAD (30), CASTLE CRAG, MOUNT ARAPILES, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA. CIRCA 1991. IMAGE BY SIMON CARTER.

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Andy befriended pretty much everyone actually. Before you knew it, he was on first-name terms with the whole crew in the Natimuk pub–no mean feat for a "goat," as the locals mockingly called rock climbers–and had even been adopted by the Delanys, the family who ran The Willows Milkbar. The latter feat really impressed me. I'd been going in there for years – when it was 40 degrees outside, there was no better way of inducing a "brain freeze" than a chocolate malt milkshake - but I'd always been too shy to make conversation: they were hard-working country folk, and I was an effete city dweller who...well...studied (kind of). Our new Welsh friend, however, had no such misgivings – he'd probably marched in there with the same alacrity that he'd marched up to Pete Livesey when he was a 15-year-old in search of beta. Indeed, if you ever needed to find him, he was out the back of the shop – drinking coffee with Marion, playing board games with the kids, or having a ciggie with Cec, a no-nonsense former trucker. The Delany's had a cork board in the kitchen where they pinned remembrances from the world's climbing elite - and come the following winter, there were postcards from Sheffield, England up there as well.

He didn't waste any time getting settled either. In fact–to my astonishment–he managed to acquire a caravan, which was duly towed out to Centenary Park and anchored down in a part of the camp that afforded a stunning view of The Mount. No tent, not even the largest compartmentalised family horror, could match this thing for luxury, so it was inevitable that he and his home became the focal point for social occasions. Of which there were

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many: the -90s saw an influx of a gentler breed of climber, less egodriven, less interested in climbing even life-stylers, if you will, who kept gentleman's hours and who generally had to approach their climbing with some kind of lifestyle-induced handicap. "The Waste Masters" we called them, after the big green bins the council used to take out the trash. The caravan could house quite a number of these worthies, and the juxtaposition of lifestyles reminded me of something someone once said about the avant-garde and the superrich - and how they liked to intermingle because they found one another amusing. Well, Andy was certainly amusing!

Melbourne we'd do our own version of the youth culture ideal i.e.

Cars Stars Bars Guitars. Only the cars were little Japanese things– great on The Western Highway but pathetic for cruising The Strip.

The Guitars were budget Japanese as well (and as Steve Earl once said, "you'll never get far/ with 27 dollars and a Jap guitar"). The Stars? Well, Andy managed to lure all sorts back. Jerry Moffatt, Sean Myles, Jo Whitford, and Peter Croft among them, but The Bars wouldn't always let us in! Those poor Melbourne people, they never did realise who they were snubbing until decades later when the movies came out and suddenly they all wanted to climb too.

If you'd never climbed in the UK, or had any knowledge of the strict trad ethic that pervaded much of the climbing there, then the off-hand manner in which he described the absence of bolts, the long run outs, and the poor gear could be a real eye-opener.

He'd obviously worked this vein before, of course, because having opined to his new friends that outright death (a fall from The Bells The Bells) was definitely preferable to lifelong disability (a fall from Knocking on Heaven's Door), he'd then take a big swill of beer and casually remark "You know, I hear those routes go free now." Ha!

although there's an element who just don't get it – hence the fact that Victoria has seen the largest climbing bans ever imposed anywhere. And people will still try and tell you that in Australia, sport is the culture...

Whenever I was back in Melbourne I'd be perpetually nagged by FOMO, so I'd head back out as often as I could. But way down inside, I was still a committed city dweller. I'd have to say, most of the Arapiles "in crowd" probably had a hankering for the bright lights too. I mean, let's face it, as wonderful as Centenary Park is, there's not a lot to do at night. Fortuitously, it so happened that I lived in a rather dilapidated terrace house right next to the university. It was owned by a pair of retired teachers, Nan and Hector Gallagher who, being of a socialist persuasion, had put the thing on the market for a pittance. In part, I guess, to head off complaints about how run down it was, but also out of a genuine desire to help, say, "struggling" students. Well it's nice to have ideals, but the world has a way of upending them, and in some Monty Pythonesque inversion (remember Dennis Moore? He "stole from the poor/ to give to the rich"), they somehow ended up with us. Even on our meagre budget we could still afford to keep two rooms free, and there was no way we going to fill them with the poor, the hungry, and the huddled masses. Unless, of course, they'd just escaped from Centenary Park, and felt like having a party!

So the road went on forever: when the heat, dust and flies became too much, we'd jump in the cars and head east. And back in

It is as if at the height of his powers, he suddenly found himself bewitched by the beauty of a prize he could never quite possess.

For years afterwards, Hec Gallagher, who of course, became a lifelong friend, would still apologise for the outdoor toilet, the leaking roof, and the fact that the plaster was peeling away from the lath.

For years I would always make the same reply: "But Hec, we didn't care! Our lives were one long holiday!!!" Although, for Andy it seems, it was more like a Holiday in Hell, because later he confided that even on the first night, he knew: it was either him or me, one of us had to go!!

But if the only way we could express affection was via good-natured abuse, we were all cheering for him to kick goals at the crag. Perhaps this stemmed from the perennial need for "heroes", although I don't really think so: it was just that he was so much nicer than the Aussie rock jocks we'd met! No matter what had transpired the night before, the athletes (i.e. Andy and Glenn) would get up with the sun, tip toe through the empties, and hit the crag in search of eye candy to sell to the sponsors.

LEFT: IT WAS INEVITABLE THAT HE AND HIS HOME WOULD BECOME THE FOCAL POINT FOR SOCIAL OCCASIONS. RIGHT: AUSTRALIA - YOU’D NEVER GUESS IT USED TO BE A PENAL COLONY! IMAGES BY KIM “SPEWIN’” MCKEOWN. SPRING 2023 39

FROM THE ARCHIVES REMEMBERING ANDY POLLITT

If climbing was Andy's day job, then Punks was just 3 bad years in the office.

I was looking through some old Rock magazines the other day and it was pretty clear that The British Invasion made great inroads early on: there's a great Robbins' shot of Andy on Masada (now considered 29, but formerly the hardest route in Australia) and another great pic of Nati Dread, the wonderful new route he almost immediately established on Castle Crag.

The more test pieces he sent, the fewer test pieces that remained, and so inevitably he trudged on over to Uncle Charlie's Pinnacle and had a crack at Wolfgang Gullich's 8b+ classic, Punks in the Gym. Rather a lot has been made of Andy's obsession with Punks. It is as if at the height of his powers, he suddenly found himself bewitched by the beauty of a prize he could never quite possess. I suppose there's an element of truth in this, the photos alone attest to that.

This was no ordinary wall. But the accepted take on Andy's "obsession" sounds a little like a Hollywood bio pic to me, what with it's emphasis on broken heroes and unfulfilled dreams. People have overactive imaginations. Nowadays, 44 days on a proj doesn't even seem like that big a deal. If climbing was Andy's day job, then Punks was just 3 bad years in the office. Compare and contrast with the amount of time Adam Ondra spent on Dura Dura, although admittedly, Ondra didn't throw his gear in the trash the same afternoon as the send!

It probably would have been better to sidestep the thing and do something else. “Something else" to someone of his ability, meant some of the best unclimbed lines in the country. He knew this of course, and was quick to check out the alternatives. Indeed, the Andy Pollitt I recall was the guy who said "once you've climbed on Taipan Wall, you'll never want to climb anywhere else." Years later, he would still talk of that first moment when he topped out on the approach track on Flat Rock and looked over into the amphitheatre at what most people would still call the best crag in Australia.

He did quick repeats of things like Sirocco (26) and Serpentine (29), both of which would have apprised him of just how much untouched rock there was up there. And this, I believe, was the real source of his bewitchment, the reason he was so often absent from the caravan. Despite his otherwise gregarious nature, he was also an independentminded pioneer who liked to spend long solitary hours on the hunt, chucking a rope over a wall here, or a groove there, to check out every conceivable line. It was a pursuit that bore fruit: first there was World Party (27), which Athol Whimp (who'd already climbed on Taipan and never wanted to climb anywhere else), described as being the source of a restless night's sleep as he contemplated the top pitch. And then Rage (29) – which, being the best line at the crag, would therefore have to qualify as one of the best climbs on the continent (along with The Bolt Ladder at North Head in THIS PAGE: ANDY POLLITT ON SERPENTINE (29), TAIPAN WALL, GRAMPIANS, AUSTRALIA. CIRCA 1991. IMAGE BY SIMON CARTER.

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Sydney, of course!). Back at Arapiles, he even finally managed to redpoint Punks, which he then had the temerity to describe as "piss". Hardly surprising given that every one of its moves probably took up every last gigabyte of his muscle memory!

Ben Cossey, Image Magic, 29, Gateway

Then he got a job and kind of disappeared for a while. You can't make an itch go away by scratching something else, and eventually the throb of the past must have become intolerable.

So, by slow, inexorable degrees, he finally consented (to borrow the rock star analogies again) to reform as "Andy the climber", even embarking on a reunion tour to promote some long awaited new material, including the singular autobiography only he could have written: Punk in the Gym. Where he finally comes clean with the fans about his "Web of Addictions" and the long suspected fact that he was "Bi". Like many a latter day classic, the book was published by Vertebrate in Sheffield.

Although Andy never tired of saying that this was only after he'd been initially knocked back by Mills and Boon, the publisher of romance novels!

GEAR FOR HERE

Then he died. As hard as it was for us guys down here, it was probably harder for his friends back in Blighty, who hadn't seen him for quite some time, although Facebook Messenger performed a nice low budget role in lessening the distance between the two hemispheres. He wasn't alone when it happened, his friends in the pub were quick to call for help and when he was in ICU and his life support was turned off, he was accompanied on the first part of the journey by his brother David, his boss Sean Vassalo, his family friend Ian Boorman, and myself.

Knowing full well that I would have to exit the building with a big chunk my life gone, I decided I couldn't face home and instead accepted an offer of dinner with my friends Daniella and Tzvia. The former being one the people who'd actually gone over to Andy's for an impromptu slide show, and the latter being known to Andy by reputation only, although he had helped her on the way to climbing immortality by changing her name from Tzvia to Hard Very Tzvia!

Under the circumstances, it seemed like the most respectful thing to do was watch Nick Brown's Statement of Youth. But my phone had never run so hot, and we kept having to hit pause while I explained to a succession of worried friends that their worst fears were realised. Incredibly, I even received a call from Marion Delany, who of course, had long since become a lifelong friend. She'd left Natimuk years before but had tracked me down nonetheless. It had been a long time since we'd talked, but the more we went over what had happened, it wasn't like a long time anymore. The years folded back on themselves, and it was like I'd just come into the milk bar after the long drive up from Melbourne. If the heavens were in agreement, then the moon would be rising at one end of Main Street and the sun would be setting at the other. Magical times. Ha! I still wake up screaming at the thought of how close I'd come to doing something far less fulfilling with my life!

Scan me & good things will happen

I mentioned this to Marion – that not only had he been a great friend, he'd been a catalyst too.

"That's right," she agreed. "The day Andy walked through the door," she said, "my life was never the same again."

Photo Phillip Sage

BACKSTAGE PASS

INSIDE THE Four years ago, the VL editorial team and our publisher, Adventure Entertainment, worked together to launch the very first Vertical Life Film Tour (VLFT). The goal was to bring people together through a stunning visual celebration of what it means to live life vertically. Combining the stories of our own local legends and those of underground climbers globally, over the years VLFT has brought an entirely new and exciting film offering to thousands of international audiences in over a dozen countries.

This year the tour is back with the same passion for bringing the global climbing community together, albeit with a suite of six epic new films, and a new name that reflects a high point in the tour's evolution. For Adventure Entertainment Founder and CEO, Toby Ryston-Pratt, the new name comes at an exciting time. “The climbing community has always been a core part of our business. By publishing Vertical Life Magazine and supporting gyms across the country to bring their own communities together through film and live events, we’re a big advocate of both climbers and the industry. The name change puts the purpose of the tour at the centre of the conversation and reflects our broader organisational mission to inspire people to get out and adventure”. From its humble beginnings of uniting climbers while COVID forced a pause on print, to becoming a multi-year tour with a legacy of showcasing awe-inspiring and untold climbing stories, this next chapter of the Climbing Film Tour’s evolution is something our editors are so proud to be part of for another year.

In 2023, the Climbing Film Tour’s local lineup features six unique climbing films, each with phenomenal storytelling and cinematography, set against iconic backdrops and epic landscapes that are sure to inspire adventure at home and abroad. This year the Climbing Film Tour features the exclusive premiere of the new Wild Country & Salewa film, TRANSENDENCE. The tour will premiere globally on October 5th, 2023 with the TRANSENDENCE film team on stage, at the Tower Theatre in Bend, Oregon, USA. Then from November 2023, the Climbing Film Tour screens all over the world including right here at home in Australia and New Zealand, so head to www.climbingfilmtour.com for a show near you.

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A NEW LINE Directed By Nathan McNeil Competitive rock climber, Lucy Stirling forges a new path in life.

After a lifetime of dedication to her competitive climbing career, no longer can her desire for outdoor climbing takes a back seat to the training cycles around comp schedules that have filled her days for the past 15 years. Join Lucy as she embarks on a month-long road trip to Australia’s Blue Mountains, spending her days living in a van, feasting on the outdoor climbing projects she has dreamt of for years, & her journey to embrace the unknown & follow A NEW LINE. Why we love it on P44.

IF IT’S EASY, IT’S NOT FUN Directed By Aurelie Gonin Liv Sansoz, climbing World champion, and Zeb Roche, paraglider and guide, invite filmmaker and photographer Aurelie Gonin on an adventure in Jordan's Wadi-Rum desert. Together, they aim to conquer big walls, capture breathtaking photos, and tackle the challenging Jihad wall. Follow their captivating journey through mesmerizing landscapes, exhilarating climbs, and adrenaline-pumping paragliding flights.Experience the fusion of action, culture, and friendship in "If It's Easy, It's Not Fun," an ode to the thrill of adventure.

Feature story on P52.

ISSUE 44 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM

AIGUILLE DU MIDI OPERATION: ELECTRIC AVENUE

A STIRLING MISSION: A WESTERN AUSTRALIAN HIGHLINING STORY

Directed by Georgy Kerezov & Stoil Dimitrov Sitting above Chamonix, France, and right next to the Aiguille du Midi peak, the 50m granite monolith Gendarme des Cosmiques, stands proudly amongst a sea of mountains at an altitude of 3842m.

For the past 30 years, it has hosted only 2 climbing routes, Digital Crack (8a) and Arête des Cosmiques (8a). Bulgarian climber Emiliyan Kolevski & French climber & mountaineer Victor Varoshkin changed this on the 10th of August 2022.

Why we love it on p49

Directed By Alex Clapin– Untamed Media In the heart of Western Australia, a tight-knit group of adventurers known as the Perth slacklining crew, nurture a wild dream–to establish a highline amidst the wild and breathtaking Stirling Range. Only recently has their combined experience and knowledge developed enough to take on such a mission and finally surpass the comfort of their beloved local quarry "midlines." With little more than passion and determination, they embark on a journey that will test their limits, redefine their capabilities, and unite them like never before.

Why we love it on P48.

TRANSCENDENCE Directed by Michelle Smith At age 21, Adrien Costa was a professional cyclist at the top of the professional circuit when he decided to leave the sport and pursue climbing. Six months later, he had an accident in the mountains that changed his life forever... The film follows his recovery from the accident and journey to the cutting edge of adaptive climbing, taking on an ambitious alpine climbing goal in Washington with a revered mentor.

Find out what inspires director Michelle Smith on P50.

THE TOTEM POLE Directed By Jack Bryn & Christian McEwen A captivating short film exploring the disconnection between day-to-day life and the reality of climbing in a remote and unforgiving environment. As an invitation to the awareness of societal influence comes to life, four climbers explore the Tasmanian wilderness crafting an empowering message of resilience.

Why we love it on P46.

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SPRING 2023 43

BACKSTAGE PASS INSIDE THE CLIMBING FILM TOUR 2023 - THE LOCALS

THE LOCALS With three films from our own backyard making the tour lineup this year, there’s something for everyone to be excited about.

“The Totem Pole” gives us pause to reflect on the added layers of meaning climbing and adventure give all of us, while “A Stirling Mission: A Western Australian Highlining Story” showcases the joys of a developing community doing what they love. Like you’ll read below, “A New Line” takes us on an inspiring roadtrip in the iconic Blue Mountains, with equally iconic, Lucy Stirling.

A NEW LINE “When I look at a climb outdoors, it's the scariest, most intimidating lines which excite me the most. Not scary-dangerous but scary because they're beautiful, awesome and look unimaginably hard. By staring up at the route, and even trying it for the first time I catch a glimpse of a wild, obsessive journey ahead. That glimpse is terrifying, yet nothing excites me more.”— Lucy Stirling

The film explores her motivation, and the fear—not just of the scary-looking lines, but of judgment and self-doubt.

A New Line takes us on a one month long trip through the Blue Mountains with competitive climber Lucy Stirling as she embraces the outdoors.

After 15 years of prioritising comp climbing, Brisbane-based Lucy is on a journey to discover exactly where her passion lies. Filmed and produced by multi-award-winning adventure photographer and filmmaker, Nathan McNeil, we see Lucy let loose on the outdoor routes that until now had taken a backseat.

“You're well aware it's going to be hard, you're going to be judged by others, but mainly by yourself, you're going to have to make sacrifices, create your own goals, and you'll still have your doubts and question whether it was the right route to project.”

“What's ahead is a whole process of learning the moves, endless fails, cycles of doubt and disbelief, small wins, links and a rollercoaster of emotions,” Lucy said. “I'll set my mind on this route and it will become so much a part of my everyday life; my thoughts, my dreams, my decisions, and my training that by the time I've sent it, I have learnt every hold and movement that the climb feels like a close friend.”

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“My recent decision to follow my passion for the outdoors, rather than a singular focus of World Cups and the Olympics, is similar to looking at a new project outdoors,” Lucy said.

Nathan, a long-term friend of Lucy’s, said he was taken by her personal story as much as the climbing. Creating the film was a way to encourage viewers to reflect on their own dreams, goals, reasons, and direction in life.

“When she told me about stepping away from the comp scene to try these outdoors projects, I thought that was pretty inspiring. It helps show other people that everything’s not always black and white—you don’t have to stay trapped on the road you’re on,” said Nathan.

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BACKSTAGE PASS INSIDE THE CLIMBING FILM TOUR 2023 - THE LOCALS

THE TOTEM POLE Why we love it This film offers a fresh perspective on the layers of meaning climbing gives us, against the backdrop of one of Australia’s most iconic routes. Here at VL, we love a story that inspires people to think and climb a little differently, and it’s clear that filmmaker & director duo Jack Bryn & Christian McEwen do too.

The film pairs a brilliantly written script dripping with reflective points every climber should contemplate on their next route, with an ethereal soundscape and inspiring cinematography, that really draws you into the essence of the place itself, as well as deeper into your own relationship with climbing. The film plays in the space between delivering an anticipated story which the notorious route and film’s title sets the expectation for, but instead offers the audience a chance to re-define their own climbing story as the journey unfolds. As Narrator & Director Christian Mcewen so aptly puts it “we are reminded that within us lies the potential to weather any storm, to draw strength from our surroundings and let our true essence shine through, to reveal the remarkable beings we’re meant to be”.

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Featuring: Christian McEwen Photo credit: Jack Bryn

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BACKSTAGE PASS INSIDE THE CLIMBING FILM TOUR 2023 - THE LOCALS

A STIRLING MISSION: A WESTERN AUSTRALIAN HIGHLINING STORY Why we love it When it comes to Australian climbing content, and vertical content more broadly, an overwhelming amount of it centres on the east coast. With legendary crags that seemingly link Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania together with an invisible rope, that inspire thousands of climbers to undertake various pilgrimages each year, it’s easy to see why. Unfortunately though, this often leaves our fellow vertical fiends in our central and western states wondering why they don’t see their backyards on the big screen. While we definitely do our part as a national magazine to shed light on climbing in these equally incredible places (Local Lore in issue #43 & #42 are the most recent examples), what we don’t have is a big screen, which makes “A Stirling Mission: A Western Australian Highlining Story” even more exciting.

The film’s backdrop is the magical Stirling Ranges on Goreng and Menang Country, Western Australia, and tells the story of a developing local community who were inspired to push the limits of themselves and their sport. As filmmaker & director Alex Clapin says, “I think that one of the most interesting journeys in the film is the progression of the Western Australian slacklining community to a point where this project was possible”. With incredible cinematography and a story that unfolds in a place markedly different from Australia’s East Coast climbing hotspots, we’re certain this film will have audiences planning their own off-thebeaten-track adventures this season.

“I really think this will serve as a timestamp in a massive moment of growth for the community and for the sport in Western Australia.

Hopefully it inspires some other people to get involved and join in on our next big project.”

- Nick Pontin, W.A Slackliner

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ISSUE 44 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM

FROM ABROAD Accompanying our three local films, are three films from the global climbing community that will have you packing your bags and scrambling to find your passport. “If It’s Easy, It’s Not Fun” takes us to Jordan’s extraordinary Wadi-Rum on an adventure that combines climbing, paragliding and photography, while “Aiguille du Midi Operation: Electric Avenue” sends us on a quest for new lines in Chamonix, France. In “Transcendence” we head to The Cascades in Washington, USA, on a journey that’s as much about climbing exploration as it is personal exploration.

AIGUILLE DU MIDI OPERATION: ELECTRIC AVENUE Why we love it The world knows that Chamonix, France, is an iconic climbing destination on paper, but the cinematography and clever narration in this film serve as great reminders as to why.

Narrator Nathan Cooper’s opening line perfectly sums up why we love this film; “Ah, good ol’ rock climbing…the hardest possible way to get somewhere you have no business being in the first place”. Who hasn’t found themselves contemplating the same thing mid-route at least once before? The film follows Bulgarian climber Emiliyan Kolevski & French climber & mountaineer Victor Varoshkin as they establish a new route on the Gendarme des Cosmiques, with endearing and oftentimes entertaining commentary, and brilliant cinematography and sound design, making this film a great watch for climbers and non-climbers alike.

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BACKSTAGE PASS INSIDE THE CLIMBING FILM TOUR 2023 - FROM ABROAD

TRANSCENDENCE Why we love it Director Michelle Smith is a storytelling powerhouse, and this year she’s back with another remarkable tale of resilience and athletic achievement.

You might be familiar with Michelle’s work through her 2018 Mountainfilm Festival debut with the endearing and empowering short film, “The Frenchy”. What you might not know, is that Michelle’s road to becoming an adventure film director was anything but linear, and that it was her own experience of resilience and recovery that enabled Adrien Costa’s story to be authentically told in her latest project, “Transcendence”.

The film follows Adrien’s journey from his origins as a 21-year-old rising American pro-cycling star, to later exiting the sport in pursuit of climbing, and documenting his recovery from a subsequent climbing accident that resulted in the loss of his right leg, through pursuing his alpinism goals with mentor, Mark Allen. Michelle is known for her ability to bring the stories of unique people to new heights in film, but the nuance she brings to the storytelling in “Transcendence” feels different. That’s largely because, in this project, Michelle isn’t telling Adrien’s story for him. Instead, she’s empowered him to tell it in his own words, which is a subtlety that not only hugely influences the overall authenticity of the film, but is born from her own lived experience of surviving a near-fatal climbing accident in the mountains.

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Michelle’s foray into filmmaking came through documenting her own harrowing fall and subsequent recovery, when in 2010 she suffered a broken back and shattered right leg while climbing the Enclosure Couloir on the Grand Teton. As her partner stabilised her and organised a rescue, she pulled out her camera and began to film what was not only her own life-altering moment, but the start of her recovery journey, ultimately resulting in a new career as a filmmaker. When Michelle sat down with VL to tell us what was at the heart of the film, she said that “it's [Transcendence] not just about falling down and getting back up again. It's about Adrien’s journey of accepting what happened and saying ‘this is the new me. How am I going to grow as a person from it, and where is it going to lead me to?’”, which for Michelle, is a moment everyone can relate to.

Michelle’s reflection on what she hopes audiences will take away from watching the film, perfectly captures why we love it; “we wanted to tell this story because we've all had our own experiences in life that have been hard to get through and those that have been traumatic, or life-altering in some way, and no matter what the outcome is, there's always a process afterwards of being forced to reinvent yourself”. It’s through a lens only available to those with lived experience, that Michelle captures the richness in Adiren’s journey as a climber and an athlete, and makes us feel like a supportive friend as his journey unfolds on the screen.

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BACKSTAGE PASS FILM TOUR FEATURE

IF IT’S EASY, IT’S NOT FUN One of the things we love most about the Climbing Film Tour is that each year, it takes us on an off-the-beaten-track climbing adventure that leaves us rethinking our travel itinerary. In 2021 we followed athlete, entrepreneur and climbing guide, Peter Naituli, on his quest to become the first climber to ascend Point John (4883m) on Kirimaara, the name that his people, the Meru, give Mt. Kenya. In 2022 we joined Tom Randall in his mad dash to link together two of England’s toughest endurance challenges, culminating in 24 hours of solid trail running and rock climbing. Just as both of these films inspired us to look further afield to find our next overseas climbing voyage, “If It’s Easy, It’s Not Fun” directed by international adventure photographer and filmmaker Aurelie Gonin, is guaranteed to have you checking Google Flights as soon as the credits roll.

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ISSUE 44 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM

This year, our travel plans are turned upside down yet again as we join climbing world champion Liv Sansoz, paraglider and guide Zeb Roche and adventure filmmaker and photographer Aurelie Gonin as they paraglide and climb through Jordan's awe-inspiring UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Wadi-Rum desert. So folks, it’s time to dust off your passports, pack your rack (or two) and your favourite broad-brim hat, 'cause’ we’re going to Jordan!

While there is certainly some chatter about Jordan’s sandstone massifs and adventurous trad routes amongst some global climbing circles, its climbing still remains for the most part, relatively undocumented.

Though once you’ve seen “If It’s Easy, It’s Not Fun”, you’ll be left just like us–wondering why that’s the case while feeling totally awe-struck, and drafting an annual leave request to your boss in one tab, while in another, you’re on the official Wadi Rum tourism website (wadirum.jo) planning your own trip. Throughout the film, director Aurelie Gonin’s cinematography enables the region’s climbing and its people to truly shine, and paints a

picture of a landscape steeped in equal parts beauty and Bedouin culture, that’s sure to catapult Jordan to the top of your travel list.

Describing the uniqueness of the style of climbing Wadi-Rum demands of its visitors, Liv Sansoz says that “few routes are equipped with much fixed gear, so we carried nuts and cams for runners–really adventurous trad, although over the years climbers have equipped the belays for certain routes described in guidebooks, making their access less challenging. A lot of the routes are run out. Superb cracks, chimneys, offwidths, a little face climbing on small holds; Wadi Rum has it all. Although the holds are now quite solid on most of the classic routes, it’s different on new routes or lesser-climbed esoterica, where you are never safe from breaking something. It’s advanced climbers, with a good sense of observation and LEFT PAGE: LIV SANSOZ LIV CLIMBING ONE OF THE VERY FEW BOLTED ROUTES IN BARRAH CANYON, WADI RUM, JORDAN. NO GRADE INFO AVAILABLE. IMAGE BY AURELIE GONIN. THIS PAGE: AURELIE GONIN CAPTURES LIV SANSOZ GIVING MAGIC LESSONS ON _MERLINS WAND_ (6A+), BARRAH CANYON, WADI RUM, JORDAN

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BACKSTAGE PASS FILM TOUR FEATURE

orientation, in addition to technical skills, who get the most out of Wadi Rum. You don’t need to be happy on 7a, but you definitely need to be a good all-rounder to be safe in this terrain.”

It’s Liv’s description of their first climb in Jordan that really lifts us out of the images and gives us a taste of what makes climbing in Wadi Rum so special. “What struck me the most was how beautiful and varied the climbing is. The texture, colours and formations of the rock are a surprise every time, and the potential for new routes is huge. Walls of abrasive and sometimes brittle rock, interspersed with long cracks tracing the route from one fascinating geological form to another, all in broad shades of ochre. Everywhere my eyes wandered I found myself fascinated. I never got tired of the views –nor the climbs. What a pleasure to feel this element under our fingertips.”

The film’s storyline is told from Aurelie’s perspective as an established adventure photographer and filmmaker, who’s learning how to adapt her talents to the vertical world while on an adventure of a lifetime in a high-stakes environment…with two of her friends, who just so happen to be internationally recognised adventurers in their own rights, no less! The main motivator of their trip is to climb Wadi Rum’s big walls and fly from the summits (did we mention you’ll need to pack your paragliding gear in addition to your broad-brim hat?), with the goal being an ascent of the huge and difficult Jihad wall, all while Aurelie expands her professional capabilities by shooting it. Aurelie knows this trip is going to be a challenge for her, but it’s her “if it's easy it's no fun” attitude that sees her rise to the occasion under the expert tutelage of her friends and expedition partners, Liv and Zeb. 54 SPRING 2023

The journey of the filmmaker as a central part of the narrative isn’t one we frequently see at the forefront of adventure films, so setting this within a landscape that feels like one of climbing’s best-kept secrets, and we’ve got a recipe for a film that’s sure to motivate you to set yourself new and exciting goals, in equally exciting places. The proof is in the pudding though, as through Aurelie’s journey, we’re reminded that behind all the climbing images and films that inspire us, are creatives and athletes who work tirelessly to challenge themselves in pursuit of their craft. With all this in mind, it feels like an honour to accompany Aurelie, Liv and Zeb as they push their individual limits in pursuit of a collective goal, in this truly spectacular place.

As if the images and film weren’t already mesmerising enough, Liv had this to say about how it felt to amalgamate climbing and flying in one of the world's most breathtaking places. “Combining flight with climbing is quite simply magical. It’s hard to describe the satisfaction of flying next to the rock face you have just climbed. Looking down on the village of Rum before landing at its entrance, then being welcomed home by the Bedouin and their children, who had been pointing up at us in the sky just a few moments before.”

Watching “If It’s Easy, It’s Not Fun” feels like going on an adventure with three of your friends in a place that fills you with wonder. You’ll leave feeling inspired to embrace challenges in pursuit of your goals, laugh a little harder with your mates, and throw a dart at the map and climb wherever it lands.

@MAMMUTAUSNZ MAMMUT1862.COM.AU

FEATURE

Novel

A IDEA FOR A CLIMB WITH PHILIP BARKER AND KATRINA CHURCHILL

Climbing can take you to a lot of places, and at VL we want to explore them all. When Blue Mountains high school teacher Philip Barker decided to write a young adult (YA) novel—about a climber, of course—he immediately roped in his climbing buddy, designer and animator Katrina Churchill, to create the illustrations. Here we delve into why climbing is an effective backdrop for a coming of age story, and Kat and Phil share how climbing shapes their creative partnership and informs their writing and artistic collaboration.

IN PHIL’S WORDS… Firstly, give us a run down of the books.

It’s turned into a trilogy! Protagonist 13-year-old Ashley lives with her mum and older brother in an Australian country town. Through climbing she begins to uncover family secrets… and realises that her climbing may pave the way to finding the answers no-one wants to give her. The books are coming of age novels, where climbing plays a central role in both the plot, and Ashley’s own growth. The first two books—Climb and Climber Harder—are already written, and I’m in the final stages of editing book three, Climb Dirtbag.

Even though they’re novels, the cover illustrations and occasional black and white images throughout the books help show the vision I had of the characters. Luckily my climbing partner Kat is also a talented artist and agreed to be involved!

How did you and Kat meet and start climbing together?

We went to university together, but we didn't really know each other that well. After university finished, we had a really random catch up.

I had just gone bouldering for the first time in Canberra and Kat had conveniently gone rope climbing a week before. So we decided to go climbing together at the gym, and we just kept doing it.

As we progressed I bought a rope from some dude on Facebook marketplace and we set up our first dicey top rope in Blaxland. It was totally unsafe, but we were able to see how different outdoor climbing is, and I realised there was a lot more we had to learn.

Kat is always so positive about trying new stuff, so whenever I have crazy ideas, she always has a ‘Let's just go and do it anyway!’ attitude.

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This really helped with the books because it allowed us both to express our creativity without worrying about judgment.

Does your relationship on the wall mirror your relationship as collaborators?

Our climbing partnership allowed us to understand the other person a lot better. At university, we were the two that were normally on the outside, watching other people do things that were considered successful or impressive. We never noticed back then that we had our own things that we could do and be proud of.

When we started climbing together, we developed a deeper respect for each other and we began to chat about things that we normally would have been too nervous to talk about. There's something about overcoming a fear with somebody that really makes a great connection. And because we are both generally very quiet people, it allowed us to be ourselves in a way, because when we're climbing, there's no obligation to be talking.

How does your climbing inform your writing?

Pretty much everything I write is based on something I have seen, done or heard about. Ashley as a character was a wonderful, cathartic excuse to put all of my own insecurities—climbing and otherwise—onto paper and see how a character with all of my faults could overcome things. I really hope that if a teenager or anybody really was reading the book and they recognised that they have these same insecurities that they are not actually alone. The characters are elements of my own personality that I've been too scared to share before.

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Why is climbing the central theme? What does it bring to a YA coming of age story that other sports wouldn’t?

Climbing has been one of the most influential part of my life, even though technically I have done some very interesting things. I got a scholarship when I was in Year 5 for music to a really fancy school.

I've performed with impressive orchestras and I've worked with people who were very influential. But I didn't actually find any of this made me happy. However when I first discovered climbing, I found out that it wasn't a case of other people judging whether what I was doing was good or bad, I just had an intrinsic want to keep doing it. And I had never actually had anything like that before.

With climbing I can just take weeks at a time of my life and just sit on a cliff on my own trying to find new ways of climbing from the bottom to the top, and I get this joy that I just don't get from anything else. It might also be because I’m neurodiverse—I have quite severe ADHD—but I feel like I've found my people in the climber community.

As a teacher I see so many students who feel that the way they think is wrong, just because it's not the same as the person next to them.

There's nothing harder than hearing a student say that they don't feel accepted because of their diverse thought process. So, with these novels about climbing, I guess I want other people to know that this community is completely about acceptance in a way that no other community I've ever met or experienced is.

You’re also a teacher, which probably gives you some insight into young adults. Why did you decide to write for teenagers in general, and about a climber in particular?

I can't really say that I understand young adults because I also don't understand adult adults. But with young adults, they all seem to want to understand the world around them. Whenever they're doing something that is stupid or inappropriate, there's normally a motivation behind it—and that motivation is normally because they feel scared or uncomfortable.

I deliberately made Ashley a student who is just sort of average.

In a lot of school situations, the student who’s just average gets completely overlooked. And in general, they don't really have books written about them because they are just… there. They don't do anything that is disruptive. Didn't win awards. And this makes them feel like they're not being noticed. I want them to know that they are being noticed and that they have incredible strength.

Have any of your students read your books? Has it inspired them with climbing?

A teacher at the last school where I taught was really supportive of the books and actually bought a set of them for the school. We wrote a teaching program together for it. She said the kids enjoyed it, and that made me really happy.

There's also a student that I taught about five years ago who graduated three years ago, and has started climbing. He was an absolute ratbag at school. He is now the coolest guy and we've gone climbing together a couple of times—he is climbing insanely hard.

These days, he is completely relaxed and he's really happy.

I never got to see this happiness while he was a student because he hadn't found something that he genuinely enjoyed doing.

IN KAT’S WORDS… When did Phil first raise the idea of working together on the book?

I can’t remember exactly when he broached the idea. Phil has been talking about writing a book for quite some time, but to hear he was actually sitting down to write one, and asked me to come along for the ride, was thrilling. I was amazed at how quickly he was able to make progress with the book, and to have book one completed in a year after a rush of energy was impressive. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the illustrations!

How does your climbing influence your illustrations?

The artworks in the books are based on characteristics of reallife climbers, and situations that either myself or Phil have been in. I try to let Phil take the reins when it comes to a lot of the conceptualising, as I feel it is his vision and want to try my best to really capture this and bring his visions to life, while adding a bit of my own flair into the execution.

Are there any similarities in how you approach climbing and artwork?

I suppose the two things that climbing and art have in common is the revered “flow state”, when you just slip into a state of pure focus, and almost become one with the activity. The pursuit of the flow state is something I love, and sometimes elusive, but I found it possible with both climbing and art. Both activities also share an element of creativity and problem-solving, which was a welcome surprise when I first started climbing, as I’d initially considered it simply muscling yourself up a wall.

Working alongside Phil, what did you think of the end result?

I think the book is a wonderful introduction to climbing for young adults, even if they have no prior experience, and humanis-es the story with great nuance in regards to friendship, life goals and challenging times.

SPRING 2023 57

FEATURE A NOVEL IDEA FOR A CLIMB

her head and shifted her weight to her feet as she prepared for the last moves. Always commit to slopers. Spread your hands to achieve as much surface area as possible.

Engage your entire arms and back, not just your fingers. The lines from her book buzzed through her head until…

Don’t fall from this height. You can’t break your feet now… or your back… what would Mum think? Worry flooded her brain. She felt her hands clam up again. You can’t possibly hold on with sweaty hands! Just back out!

Lean back! … But what if the rope doesn’t catch you? What if…

‘You can do this, Ashley! Finish it!’ That didn’t sound like Kyle’s voice.

‘You’ve got this, Ash! Just do it!!’ That voice was unmistakably Kyle’s.

EXTRACT FROM CLIMB Climb, by Philip Barker Flagging her weight onto her two fingers and resting on her feet, Ashley rustled in her chalk bag for one of the beat-up old bolt plates and slipped it over the top. Grabbing a purple wire gate quickdraw from her harness, she clipped it into the small hole made by the bolt plate. Dropping her left hand, she effortlessly looped the rope through the quickdraw, feeling it loosen as Kyle fed through more slack. Filled with euphoric energy, she exhaled and spotted the next two holds - a vertical pinch and a jug. Easy, she thought to herself as she launched through the next section as if she had been climbing this slab her whole life. Ashley hung from the under cling with her right hand and reached above to place the next carrot and to clip the next quickdraw.

She clipped the red wire gate draw and attached the rope, continuing through the next moves with ease. Jug, crimp, jug, move your feet first! Her brain was speeding up, and she felt her hands glisten with sweat. Hanging securely from a large, grey jug with her left hand, she dove her right hand into the chalk as she prepared for the ultimate challenge of the short climb.

The slopers.

Sweaty hands would be the worst possible thing she could have for this part. She placed the final bolt plate, clipped the last bolt above

58 SPRING 2023

She glanced to the ground now far below.

She didn’t just see Kyle there - she saw both Kyle and Ethan.

Ethan started clapping and yelling, ‘Finish it!

You’ve got this! Come on!’

Kyle’s face was filled with fear and he kept glancing down at the carabiner and rope in his hands. What his face didn’t say, his posture did - she was safe.

Ashley slapped her right hand up to the first of the four sloping holds. Each felt roughly the size of a small football. She felt the slick surface against her skin grip tightly.

Spreading her fingers and tensing each fingertip, she felt them almost ‘click’ into place. She recited through gritted teeth, ‘The leader never falls,’ and with it, she reached her left hand above her head and slapped it down onto the next football-shaped hold before she was jerked backwards! The rope tightened around her harness, restricting her movement as she attempted to move her body upwards to reach the foothold.

But the rope pulled her back once more. She hung on with each hand, trying to maintain her grip on the slick surfaces.

‘GIIIIIIIIIIVE!’ she yelled, pleading for more rope.

She hung for several moments, hearing Kyle on the ground repeating, ‘Oh no. It’s stuck!

It’s stuck! What do I do?!’

Want to read more? Head to www.philipbarkerwrites.com or Amazon to grab a copy.

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FEATURE

BECOMING MY OWN

Hero

BY JENNIFER WILLIS

Training in Kosciusko.

By Mark Watson.

After a lifetime spent reading about pioneering mountaineers, Jen Willis was determined to follow in their footsteps and become the hero of her own story. A medical diagnosis in her mid-40s meant there was no time left to waste. Since then, Jen has taken her outdoor experience to new heights, climbing Mera Peak and attempting Ama Dablam in 2021. This year, Jen returned to Nepal for an even greater challenge. Jen’s story of challenge, resilience and personal growth in pursuit of her goal is something every climber can relate to.

I have been in awe of mountaineers since I can remember. These incredible explorers who venture higher on the earth than was long thought humanly impossible, who navigate such extreme weather and constant risk of avalanches and icefall. I admired their rugged faces and purposeful, solemn expressions so often depicted in photos. Sir Edmund Hillary, Tenzing Norgay, Reinhold Messner, Brigitte Muir—brave and intrepid adventurers.

Towards the end of my fifth decade, I decided I did not want to simply read another tale of mountain climbing, I wanted to live the next one. Why now, in middle age? At 46 years old I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Living with MS, there is always uncertainty, knowing that at any point in time a new lesion in the central nervous system may impact walking. If I was to become the hero of my own story, it really was now or never.

As I write this, less than four months after my attempt to climb Chomolungma/Mount Everest, and a night spent at the South Col—Camp 4–my heart is still heavy. Having spent many years in the outdoors, I know 60 SPRING 2023

so well the feeling that can follow after a trip ends—a mix of gratitude for the experience, sadness that it is now over, anticipation for the next adventure.

But this time it is different. This time I am struggling to overcome something deeper, and the post expedition blues have hit like a tsunami. I know the only way out is to swim down even deeper below the torrent and turbulence, until I find a peaceful foundation from which to then propel myself back towards the surface.

As I farewelled my three children, all young adults, at the airport in Melbourne to board my flight to Kathmandu, their words of support filled my ears and my heart. “Remember Mum, it’s the journey not the destination; You are already our hero; Follow your dreams, just come home safely.”

The trek from Lukla to Everest Base Camp was as beautiful and rich as

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I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Living with MS, there is always uncertainty, knowing that at any point in time a new lesion in the central nervous system may impact walking. If I was to become the hero of my own story, it really was now or never.

would freeze to the metal, and then off we would head. I used to be a super packer who could be out of a tent in minutes, but my MS has slowed my processing speed. I would often be last to hit the trail.

Yet each day I woke with anticipation for the day of climbing ahead.

Always being one of the last to leave the tent meant I followed a line of lamps, reflecting off the snow like a magical snake winding its way up the mountain. And with each new high point I reached, the summit felt more and more in reach, until suddenly my definition of success had shifted, and now my desire to summit was my driving force.

the first time I made this journey, as a hiker not a climber, in 1996. I was again entranced to be walking trails that so many renowned climbers have journeyed before me, to be rounding corners on rocky paths cut into the side of hills to be awestruck by rugged peaks calling my name.

Leaving Camp 3 for Camp 4, stepping out of the tent we immediately attached to the fixed lines, to ascend the Lhotse face, following steps in the steep slope formed by the climbers of previous days. As we reached the top of the Lhotse face, the moon set and the morning light danced on the surrounding sea of peaks.

Each day arriving into a new village brought welcoming smiles from local tea house owners, hopeful faces of children asking for treats, and the musical sound of bells on yaks. On the long, steep trek, my excitement for the climb ahead propelled me up each hill with a sense of strength and purpose.

I walked with a group of 30 Everest hopefuls. Our talk of summiting was balanced with an understanding that likely only half of us would make the peak, but as long as everyone made it home, that was what mattered. As the group settled into base camp and rotations began, the conversations shifted in tone, becoming more heightened. I was shocked to hear one climber, a father of young children on his final of the seven summits, say he was so determined to summit he was prepared to “die trying”.

The climb continues up through the Yellow Band, a section of rock that runs vertically through the Himalayas. What looked to me like just a short easy climb through rock and ice proved far more challenging. I had an unfortunate moment just before beginning the climb. As happens to the

My definition of success had shifted, and now my desire to summit was my driving force.

For me, the summit was not my goal. As the first Australian with multiple sclerosis to attempt Everest, my goal (at least the goal I was telling myself I had) was to use my climb as a platform to raise awareness of MS, funds for MS research, and to show others with MS that we could still dream big, set ourselves lofty goals, climb our own summits.

Cross the Khumbu icefall? Tick, I would return home proud. Touch Camp 1? Tick, amazing effort. Camp 2, tick, Camp 3, tick. My wise and measured approach to climbing Everest guaranteed that I would return home successful, no matter where on the mountain I reached.

Perhaps this belief that I would feel success without summiting stemmed from a subconscious lack of belief in my own capacity. Climbing with MS is different. I have lived 46 years of my life without MS, five years with. I know what it is like to test our limits in the outdoors, to overcome obstacles and to endure discomfort even without MS. But with MS, this is a whole different level of challenge.

As I moved through each rotation, climbing higher up the mountain to acclimatise, I had to navigate all the normal challenges of altitude, reduced appetite, alpine starts, freezing temperatures, down clothing, a harness, gloves, travelling attached to a rope with people either side. Then I also had to deal with the other challenges MS threw at me—constant incontinence and heavy soggy adult diapers, a broken inner thermostat that meant I was frequently throwing myself down on the snow and shoving handfuls under my clothing, post-exertion fatigue that strangely made sleep even harder.

People with neurological illnesses can suffer a phenomenon known as Uhthoff’s Syndrome—a rise in body temperature of 0.5 of a degree can cause problems with movement, vision, and bladder function.

Breakfast was almost torturous, my stomach in constant denial of my need for food, I would try and swallow a couple of mouthfuls of porridge or an energy chew or two. There was the obligatory final pee into the bottle, and then a discreet tipping out the back of the tent into the snow, the wrestle with my heavy 8000m mountain boots, and then I would emerge, try and get my crampons on without having to remove my gloves for fear my fingers

Descending from Ama Dablam

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FEATURE BECOMING MY OWN HERO

I have realised that my journey is not one of conquering mountains or conquering myself. It is simply one chapter after the next, unfolding with the magic and mystery of a life lived with big dreams and a spirit of adventure. from the winds whipping through. I felt every bit the adventurer I had wanted to become. I was surprised at how strong I felt, and as I looked up towards the summit I could see climbers making their way down the fixed lines. The excitement of knowing this would soon be me, brought tears to my eyes.

And then everything derailed. In a tent at Camp 4, readying myself for the summit push, I heard words that no-one wants to hear, especially not after months of training, weeks sleeping in a tent, and constant discomfort, not to mention the $120,000 cost: “We don’t have all your oxygen or the sherpa to carry it, we cannot go to the summit.”

The next few hours were nothing short of torturous. My guide informed me there was nothing he could do, that it was not his fault, that I would need to go and radio base camp myself if I wanted this fixed. Until this point in time, I was so proud of how I had navigated my journey up the mountain, and then I just lost it. How could this be happening? Every moment of stress in the journey from home to this moment that I had navigated with grace poured out in sobs of despair. I had worked so hard, given so much of my energy; I was ready to climb, and now I was being told my journey would end here.

Several long hours later, I was told the problem was solved and we would leave in an hour. I dressed in anticipation to head to the top of the world.

Sadly, after a long couple of hours waiting, my guide finally came to my tent and told me it was too late, we could not go. My heart broke!

On the Khumbu Icefall.

By Pasang Sherpa.

best of mountaineers (yes, not just those of us with MS) I pooed myself. If there was any one part of mountaineering I would happily never experience again, this would be it.

Coming over the top of the Yellow Band, I was ready to find a place to address the rather unfortunate situation I was in, but all thoughts of this were quickly forgotten when we were confronted by a body across the ropes.

A sherpa had passed away only a few hours before. I had known that we would likely climb past bodies of climbers that had been on the mountain for years, and I was prepared for that. But I was not prepared to see this young Nepalese man lifeless on the trail, or to have to make the confronting decision to move around his body and continue up.

Lower down the mountain, I had kept my focus on making it to the next camp, telling myself each one would be enough. But once this camp was Camp 4, the South Col, at almost 8000m, and I had climbed higher than only two other people with MS ever had, my sights were firmly set on the summit.

Arriving at Camp 4 was euphoric. I had read so many stories of the desolate, barren, freezing South Col, of the mess of broken tents and strewn oxygen cylinders, and now here I was, oxygen mask on, down suit protecting me 62 SPRING 2023

I won’t go into detail as I actually don’t know exactly what the true circumstances were that meant I never did get the chance to climb higher than Camp 4, but from what I was able to ascertain later, my sherpa was not confident for us to continue up, nor able to openly communicate, and so he retreated to his tent. As the other climbers left for the summit, I remained in my tent, alone, confused as to what had happened, overwhelmed by disappointment and despair. A long, cold, lonely night passed, and in the morning we descended, my heart as heavy as lead.

On the way up, I had developed a strong image of myself on the summit, and with this came a sense that if I could summit, it really didn’t matter what may happen with my MS afterwards. If I made it, every time I looked in a mirror, even if from a wheelchair, looking back at me would be an Everest summiteer, a woman who had climbed to the top of the world. A true hero in my eyes. But rather than meet this hero on top of the world, I climbed down from Camp 4 without her.

Since returning home I have lived almost daily with conflicting narratives in my own head. The wise mind that tells me I achieved something remarkable to make it to the South Col, it tells me to celebrate my climb, hang up a few photos and leave Everest for others now. The other part of my mind carries a sense of unfinished business, it leads me onto the internet to research going back and climbing from the north side. This part of my mind still holds that picture of me on the summit, with views as far as the eye can see all around me.

Sir Edmund Hillary once said, “It is not the mountains that we conquer, but ourselves.” I have always loved this quote, but I have realised that my journey is not one of conquering mountains or conquering myself. It is simply one chapter after the next, unfolding with the magic and mystery of a life lived with big dreams and a spirit of adventure.

GETTING TO KNOW

Jacinda BOULLY (SHE/HER) BRISBANE “Does trad climbing scare the pants off you? No worries, leave your pants at home and climb in a dress!” was how Brisbane climber Jacinda Boully presented the concept for Frog in a Froq to her immediately-enthusiastic community. After lamenting her limited opportunities to dress up when every weekend saw her covered in dirt at the crag, Jacinda decided there was but one solution—after all, who says you can’t crush it in couture and send it in a skirt? Turns out, it wasn’t just the ladies who wanted to acknowledge their feminine sides either… In these (somewhat) enlightened times, everyone can look as damn gorgeous as they like.

How did you first find yourself at Frog Buttress, the crack climbers’ destination of choice in southern Queensland?

I grew up on a huge sheep, cattle and cropping property in a tiny town called Hebel, in southern Queensland. When I did work experience with the snowy hydro in Kosciuszko National Park I had friends who dragged me into outdoor pursuits, including climbing. We climbed in Canberra and Victoria which was RAD. I loved the personal growth along with being out in nature!

I moved to Brisbane in 2015, and I wanted to make friends, so I bought all of my own equipment and began learning. Frog is my absolute favourite single pitch trad crag in the world and I get there as many weekends as I can.

PETER MARTLAND AND JACINDA BOULLY AT FROG IN A FROQ, AUGUST 2023.

PHOTO BY NATHAN MCNEIL.

Sam Bennet and James Dobbs were walking by and overheard us discussing the dresses. They exclaimed, “We want to join!”

I thought the name Frog in a Froq was appropriate… ‘froq’ looks similar to frog and the Q in the name represents Queensland.

So the men were also keen to frock up (sorry, froq up)?

And how did the Froqs (aka frocks) come into it?

The event is absolutely a nod towards showcasing women in climbing— there are so many warrior women in the community and it is definitely nice to see them in the spotlight. But it is also a fantastic opportunity for men to embrace their divine feminine nature and see that you can still be a very masculine man, whilst also displaying feminine qualities.

My friend Mary Shea and I were climbing one day, talking about how we never make time to dress up and pamper ourselves—we are always camping and climbing, wearing ripped clothes and showcasing dirt under our nails. We didn’t want to give up climbing time, so we decided, why not bring ball gowns to the cliffs?

I took great joy in seeing all my male climbing friends posting Instagram stories of their twirly dresses from the comfort of the op shop change rooms in the proceeding weeks! The men LOVED going to the op shops to find a dress to express themselves, and find a style that worked best for their body shape and mood.

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And now it’s an annual event?

I think it was so successful because people found it hilarious to bring such feminine flair to a traditionally masculine sport. Also, Frog Buttress is a world-class climbing destination, known for its vertical rhyolite columns that lend itself to traditional crack climbing, located in a special place that captures the heart of all of those that want to engage with the environment. Its vertical cliffs border the remnant bushland of Mt French and are home to a lot of endemic flora and fauna.

When the event began in 2020, post COVID lockdowns in Queensland, we were all looking for every opportunity to reconnect with community, and be part of something bigger than the four walls of our homes.

For the first event, 31 froq-ed up Frog climbers gathered to spend the day climbing together. Some participants were climbing trad for the first time, some even led trad for the first time. We had sends, we had whips, we had a fiesta of gear-heads enjoying the rock. All of this was done from the freedom and comfort of beautiful, free-flowing dresses.

How has the event developed?

It now happens each year to celebrate the end of the Queensland climbing season. It has evolved into a two-day event, including an evening presentation and local climbing trivia. The event opens with an Acknowledgement of Country, and has had older climbers coming to talk about the history of the area.

The event has also helped climbers connect to begin a local crag care group, focused on track work, weeding, outreach and environmental education. As climbers we are privileged to recreate within beautiful natural areas and that gives us an opportunity to become custodians of these places. To do this we need strong communities and that's why fun events like Frog in a Froq is so important to us in Southeast Queensland.

How have the dresses evolved?

We have had people dress in all kinds of costumes from Octoberfest costumes, flowing ball gowns, mini dresses, couples costumes, Brazilian Batcha costumes and much, much more. My dream is to see Wonder Woman and her Valkyrie climbing 10 cracks in a row at next year’s event!

You mentioned older climbers coming and sharing the history and ethics of the crag… Tell us about that?

The older generation were delighted by the event as they loved seeing so many younger community members with a passion for Frog and caring for the crag. Many of the older generation of climbers emerged to see what was happening. Phil Box, a local trad enthusiast who has been visiting Frog for many years initially said he would NEVER wear a dress, but by event number 3 he was froq’d up and ready to show off his twirly plumage dress.

Michael Meadows, one of the first ascensionists of many routes, came and shared some history of Frog. Crag development began 9 November 1968, when Rick White and Chris Meadows (Michael's brother) decided to check out an insignificant looking cliff.

Climbing has changed over time, of course. There has been infrastructure development such as roads, toilets and even anchor bolts. This brings problems with it, such as track erosion, fauna disturbance and other environmental issues. Having the history is so important for our community to understand and tackle these issues.

What has been the highlight for you?

In August of this year, Lauren Hunter organised a panel discussion and three incredible climbing women shared their experiences: Louise Shepherd, Emily Marschall, and Krystle Wright. It was really cool to hear the stories and insights of others and gave a stage for the women to share their learnings and perspectives.

LEFT TO RIGHT: ISMAEL PEREZ-SMITH STYLING A TUTU ON BLACK LIGHT (22); ANGELA STARK ON SHIT HEAP (14); ISSY DUKES ABSEILING DOWN CENTRY CRACK (16); ALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY NED MARTIN. SPRING 2023 65

TALE OF WHOA

Tales

OF THE TIGER Words by Louise Shepherd

Climbing safety is everyone’s responsibility, and it’s something our editorial team are incredibly passionate about. Our Tale of Whoa column is our continued commitment to creating a culture of safety within our community.

Tiger Wall has been the scene of thousands of glorious climbing adventures over the decades. Currently out of bounds at the request of the Traditional Owners, it is the highest cliff at Dyurrite (Arapiles) and home to many moderate long classics that trad climbers aspire to lead. Bristling with bulging rock and beetling overhangs, Tiger Wall has also seen its fair share of epics and several emergency rescues.

One such emergency call-out occurred at four o’clock on a fine April afternoon. Two climbers, Milly and Russ, were stuck halfway up Tiger Wall. Earlier that day, they had climbed the classic grade 11 multi-pitch route, Phoenix. Russ was new to outdoor climbing, and Milly, the more experienced climber, was leading every pitch.

By mid-afternoon, they’d made it to Flinders Lane, and were preparing to descend via two double-rope rappels. Abseiling to a large halfway ledge, they clipped in to the next set of anchors. Here their troubles started; their ropes had jammed. After an hour of straining, tugging and cursing, Milly and Russ looked at each other, wondering what to do next.

More experienced climbers would have ensured the knot tying their ropes together was well clear of the edge, tested that the ropes pulled before the second person abseiled, and if all else failed, prussiked up the fixed ropes. Milly and Russ were novices, and

had taken none of these precautions, and neither of them had ever prussiked a fixed line.

Fortunately, Milly had a mobile phone in the day-pack, and, unable to think of any other solution, she called 000. The Horsham SES (State Emergency Services) and local police arrived at the base of Tiger Wall about half an hour later. They were very well-equipped for a top-down rescue, with 100-metre long static ropes and specialist heavy-duty rescue gear.

Milly and Russ were 50 metres off the ground, but over 100 metres from the top. The complex terrain above Tiger Wall meant that a top-down rescue would be an arduous undertaking, with tricky route-finding and heavy schlepping of gear. There were no immediate concerns for the pair’s safety, but everyone was aware that sunset was not far off. A night operation was suboptimal.

Tiger Wall has another approach, very familiar to climbers but unknown to the public. A polished ramp called Alis, equipped with chains like a via ferrata, leads up to a tunnel (Ali Baba’s Cave) tucked behind John’s Pinnacle.

If you squirm through the tunnel, you will pop out at the far left hand end of Flinders Lane. Alis is a popular climbers’ access route to the Bluffs and Flinders Lane, and is usually soloed using the chains.

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TALE OF WHOA TALES OF THE TIGER

Max, a Natimuk climber and a past member of the SES, was bouldering in Central Gully when he saw the cavalcade of police and SES cars drive past. He finished his session half an hour later, and, mildly curious about the emergency, wandered over to where they were all milling around.

He spotted Kyle, another Natimuk climber and a current SES member.

“What’s up Kyle?”

“Two climbers on the Kestrel ledge, no injuries. Their ropes won’t pull.”

“So what’s the plan?” asked Max. “They’re working out what’s the best approach”.

Max was nonplussed. “Why don’t you solo up Alis and drop the ropes?”

“Yeah, that’s the obvious thing, but the SES doesn’t permit soloing.

It’s against the rules. But there’s nothing stopping you.”

Max shrugged. “Those rules are such bullshit.”

By this time, the shadow of Tiger Wall was deepening over the fields. Max wandered off towards the Pines, and then cut back towards Alis. In 15 minutes, he had soloed Alis, shouted down to Milly and Russ his intentions, and dropped their ropes. In another 15 minutes, he was back in his car and headed for the pub.

Historically, an incident such as this could have been performed legitimately by any member of the ARG (Arapiles Rescue Group).

For 30 years, the SES state administration allowed the ARG to join the local Horsham SES branch, but to train and operate with complete independence. The SES provided perks such as free insurance cover and free Hepatitis B vaccines to ARG/SES members. The Natimuk-based ARG performed rescues when required with full cooperation from police, ambulance and SES personnel.

This harmonious state of affairs changed around a decade ago, when there was a push to standardise all state emergency volunteer training within the SES and CFA (Country Fire Authority). A drowning death during an SES volunteer training exercise sparked a total rewrite of the emergency services protocols. The ARG disbanded, and many former ARG members quit the SES under onerous new training requirements.

The irony is that a local climber like Max, as long as he is acting in good faith, can assist a fellow climber in need without any fear of legal reprisal should something go wrong. This is the so-called “Good Samaritan” clause. Whereas Kyle in his SES uniform, is not permitted to render exactly the same assistance due to SES protocols and chains of command.

A similar, but even more dramatic rescue occurred on Tiger Wall before emergency services even arrived. Jerry and Don, both senior Natimuk climbers with decades of climbing experience, were climbing The Dribble, 11, on the extreme right hand end of Tiger Wall. Jerry was on lead, and close to the top of the first pitch. It was a warm spring afternoon, and a nearby hive of feral honey bees was abuzz with activity.

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Feral beehives can be found in clefts all over Dyurrite, and climbers avoid them. Jerry was not close to the hive, but for an unknown reason, the bees took umbrage to his proximity, and they attacked him with gusto. Jerry managed to reach a ledge, where he collapsed from an allergic reaction to the accumulated toxins of 60 bee stings.

Don, still on the ground and unable to take Jerry off belay, grasped the severity of the situation and called his friend Shaun. Grabbing his climbing gear and a borrowed epipen, Shaun drove straight out to the Mount. He soloed the route to the ledge where Jerry had passed out 20 minutes ago.

Shaun injected the adrenalin in three doses, then rigged a belay while Jerry groggily regained consciousness. Shaun got Jerry down the cliff via an assisted abseil. By this stage, the ambos had arrived at the base of Tiger Wall. Jerry managed to stagger down to the ambulance before losing consciousness again.

There is no doubt that Don’s fast thinking and Shaun’s heroic rescue saved Jerry’s life. There is also no doubt that many experienced rock climbers who would happily scoot up Alis without a rope, would not feel comfortable soloing a grade 11, especially under duress.

ANALYSIS AND PREVENTION The first port of call of any incident or accident is prevention.

Milly and Russ could have chosen single pitch routes, given Russ’s inexperience outdoors. Milly and Russ also could have also done a basic self-rescue course, in which prussiking is a core component.

In Jerry’s case, a sudden attack by feral bees is less predictable. However, climbers need to be aware that we share our cliffs with other fauna, and some of these creatures perceive us as threatening intruders.

The relationship between the emergency services and climbers is a constantly evolving dynamic. Kyle has played a significant role in training and upskilling SES members in high-angle rescue courses. A new generation of climbers have joined their local emergency services. More recently, nearby climbers have provided essential assistance to police and SES during rescues. A cooperative relationship has the best chance of good outcomes.

Note that all names and some details have been changed.

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 and the culture was to toss beginners in at the deep end. Louise survived this brutal baptism and now teaches trad lead climbing rather differently than the way she learned. She works with The Climbing Company in Dyurrite.

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MINDSET RESET

CLIMBING AND THE CREATIVE MINDSET WITH DR KATE BAECHER Psychologist and mountaineer, Dr Kate Baecher, gets inside the minds of climbers to examine what makes us special, how we can foster creativity to enhance climbing, and what that brings to everyday life.

People often think of a typical climber as a hippie, car-living dirtbag kinda person—one who would eschew the comforts of conventional life in order to attain more of what they love most—rocks, walls, crags and heights. This perception isn’t necessarily wrong, but it is incomplete. We all know (or even are) climbers who work 9-5 Monday to Friday and spend evenings at the climbing gym, who don suits during the week and harnesses on the weekends. But despite appearance and lifestyle differences, all climbers tend to have a few things in common—not least of which are their heightened cognitive skills and creative ability.

We all feel the physical benefits of climbing, but did you know that a body of research has pulled apart some of the cognitive skills required in climbing and concluded that a climber tends to have a greater cognitive ability than a non-climber?! According to the 2018 study ‘Neurocognitive Functioning of Sport Climbers’, by Milena Marczac et al, “The neurocognitive functioning of sport climbers manifests itself in faster recognition and differentiation of tactile input and better spatial perception, tactile perception, and movement memory.”

It makes sense, really, given the requirement for interpretation strategies, spatial orientation, memory, reaction time, focus, attention, problem-solving skills, as well as psychological skills such as stress management, risk management and coping with anxiety, in almost every single climb.

Like all good chicken-and-egg debates, the jury is still out on whether climbing develops these cognitive skills or whether people with these cognitive skills gravitate towards climbing. Regardless, the brains of climbers are pretty darn special.

Above all, climbing requires creativity. Outside of competitions, climbing is not set out with rules. Route selection and movement are made up as you go, often requiring you to turn what might look like nothing, into something.

How many times have you thought to yourself, “What if I do this?” imagining a move in your mind and probably making a weird face and gesture with your body at the same time? “Or what if I tried that?” So what do you do? You try it. Sometimes your ideas will work, sometimes they will spectacularly fail, but your inherent curi70 SPRING 2023

osity and problem-solving will keep you glued to that problem. You might experiment with 100 different iterations of the move until you’ve consolidated the best one for you. But even then, that might not be enough, and you might even play more games on that same problem just because you can. How many times have you tried a boulder problem from end-to-beginning? Or from a sit-start instead of a stand-start? How many times have you climbed a gym wall only allowing yourself to use one arm instead of two? And how much fun have you had whilst you do it?!

Climbing requires creativity, but climbing also improves creativity.

By combining observation, curiosity and experimentation over and over again on the rock, you are creating new neural pathways in your brain which will enable you to readily engage these skills in everyday life. You might find that you start to notice the world around you rather than just rushing through it; you might find yourself spending time seeing new connections and generating more diverse solutions when you’re at work. A study by Walsh and Golins (1976) even outlined a seven-stage model to explain the increased creativity during adventure pursuits such as climbing. They suggest that a sensation-seeker (pretty much every climber ever) engages in an adventure activity that pursues a flow experience.

When this person has a solid level of skill and is in an environment where their skill level is higher than the challenge level of a task, it creates a feeling of relaxation or even boredom, so they change their behaviours and actions to increase the challenge level, leading to the emergence of creativity.

Sound about right?! If you haven’t considered yourself a creative person, I encourage you to notice what happens next time you are in the gym or at the crag. You might surprise yourself. And if you want to inject a bit more creativity into your climbing and training, play around with some of these exercises, and take notice of the fun you’ll have while doing them!

CREATIVITY TRAINING BOOSTERS 1) HOT LAVA Number of Players: 2 or more Rules of the Climbing Game: Pick a big section of the wall and then wrap string/tape around certain climbing hold areas. These areas are the “hot lava”.

Then start from one end of the wall and try to make it to the other without using hot lava holds. To make this harder, make more hot lava areas.

gear for serious adventures

2) NO HANDS CLIMBING Number of Players: 1 or more Rules: Pick a climb and challenge yourself to climb the route without using your hands.

3) BETA GAMES Number of Players: 2 or more Rules: Within your group, one person picks a route or problem on the wall and climbs it. Then everyone else in that group must repeat that same problem using the exact climbing beta as the first person.

4) SINGLE-FOOT CLIMBING Number of Players: 1 or more Rules: Pick a climb and challenge yourself to use either only your right foot to climb it, or only your left foot. You can use both your hands in this one.

& MORE! ABOUT THE WRITER: DR KATE BAECHER With over 15 years’ experience, Kate is an accomplished Australian Clinical and Performance Psychologist, whose work specialises in the nexus between human behaviour and complex environments. Kate has a military and adventure background, with expertise in high-performance coaching, research and consulting on mental health risks in remote, wilderness, extreme and austere environments.

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GEAR

NEW GEAR SO ILL STAY RRP $269.95 If you’ve tried So iLL shoes in the past, then forget everything you thought you knew about them, because the new Street and Stay are built on entirely new lasts that have been hand-shaped by Fred Nicole and Jae Jung—not Aquaman! The Street sports a slightly downturned split sole design, with a semi-soft midsole for smearing and stiffer toe edging, making it a super versatile “do anything” type shoe in the gym and on rock.

Meanwhile, the Stay sports a slightly more downturned and much softer split sole design, meaning it will smear, paste, and smedge (smear/edge) like nobody’s business! Both shoes feature a fully vegan microsuede construction, reinforced heel tabs, and are wrapped in 3mm of tried and true Vibram Grip1. These shoes are both regular volume (though the Stay is a bit narrower), with rumours of lower volume versions to come in future. Either way, watch this space.

Bonus: They look sexy as hell (and don’t have Aquaman triangles all over them)!

Available now at Climbinganchors.com.au

SO ILL STREET RRP $239.95 Don’t you know that all good things come in twos? That’s why the So iLL will also be launching a second new shoe…The Street! Just like the Stay, the new So iLL Street is a familiar name, with a brand new look and last (blessed by the hands of Fred Nicole of course). The Street sports a slightly downturned split sole design, with a semi-soft midsole for smearing and stiffer toe section for edging, making it a super versatile “do anything” type shoe - both in the gym and on rock. It features the same fully vegan microsuede construction as the stay, with 3mm of trusty Vibram XS Grip1 for the outsole. These shoes are also a ‘regular volume’ fit (leaning more on the wider side compared to the Stay).

Bonus: If you only wanted to own one shoe for all your climbing, this would certainly be a strong contender.

ARCTERYX GAMMA-HYBRID-HOODY RRP $340.00 It’s no secret that I love hoods. But if there’s one thing I love more than hoods, it’s hybrid with hoods (aka Anoraks). Pieces like these are the epitome of “put it on and keep it on”, which is the bread and butter of my climbing wardrobe. Unfortunately, there isn’t a huge market for super techy hooded anoraks optimised for climbing, so when I saw this absolute gem go up on the Arc’teryx website, I damn near lost my head. The Gamma Hybrid is a light, stretchy, breathable, durable, weather-resistant, helmet-compatible softshell that weighs a mere 285g—that’s gotta tickle your alpine bone! Better yet, it stuffs into its own pocket and can be clipped on a harness, though once you put it on, I doubt you’ll need to take it off…ever. You can even shower in it (don’t actually shower in it).

Available now at Arcteryx.com.au 72 SPRING 2023

ISSUE 44 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM

BLACK DIAMOND ALPENGLOW HOODY RRP $129.99 Remember Slip, Slop, Slap? How about the ol’ classic “no hat, no play”? Well, guess what, that’s all old news! The new saying is, “Buy a BD sunhoody and climb in the sun as much as you want”. As you may have guessed, the Alpenglow hoody is a hoody that protects you from the sun, featuring a UPF50+ fabric with mineral-based in-fiber cooling and polygiene odour control, reflecting 71% of near-infrared rays (and hopefully 71% of your sweaty send stench). It’s stretchy, it’s helmet compatible, and it even has a hip pocket for your credit card (or a little mid-climb snack). As someone who owns five sun hoodies (including an Alpenglow), I don’t understand why more people don’t wear them in Australia.

They just make sense.

Bonus: No more slippin and sloppin, just lots of slappin…rock!

Available now at Blackdiamondequipment.com.au

SNAP CRASH PAD ONE RRP $275.95 f you were going to buy one crashpad, what one would it be? The one, of course! The SNAP One, to be exact. This little ripper is one by one (metres) in size, 9cm thick, and is the lightest pad in the range at only 3.5kg. It’s also one hell of a deal. At $275.95, I can’t think of a better value pad on the Australian market! Especially when you consider the care and detail that have gone into it, such as the metal buckles (instead of plastic), waterproof TPU coating, durable 900 dernier face fabric, and seamless edges to reduce the risk of ripping.

This would make a great first pad for those getting started, or a lighter addition to that already hefty pile under your highball proj.

Bonus: SNAP uses recycled polyester for their outer fabrics, and any leftovers get made into chalk bags Available now at stockists near you

AEROPRESS XL RRP I’ve talked about the Aeropress a lot in this mag, and for good reason: it is undoubtedly one of the most versatile bits of coffee brewing kit out there. It’s also been around for a while (since 2005!) and hasn’t changed much since then. But if there’s one update I've heard requested the most, it’s probably this one…and it seems Aeropress has finally delivered. The Aeropress XL is everything we love about the OG Aeropress but with almost double the brewing capacity (590ml)—and a bit more girth. Now you can brew up coffee for the whole crew in half the time. Or drink it all yourself, get jacked up coffee and rip the holds off your project—we’re not judging. P.S. Keep your eyes out for a few more releases from Aeropress in the near future.

Coming Soon to stockists near you

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GEAR

FROM THE Field

PATAGONIA R1 TECHFACE HOODY

At VL, our gear obsession knows no bounds, and is fuelled by a burning desire to assist you to find the perfect piece of kit in alignment with your preferences and priorities. To help us do that, you can expect this column to provide unfiltered reviews of the gear we use ourselves and are genuinely excited about, and gear that ultimately, we believe climbers want to know about. Unlike New Gear, this segment is dedicated to kit we’ve personally tested (and loved), so we’d like to extend our thanks to the generous brands who have sent review units as supporters of our quest to help you make the best purchase for your goals. Our philosophy is simple: "buy once, cry once" and, to remind you not to assess a fish by its rock climbing prowess (thanks, Einstein). From the cragbag of VL’s resident gear and coffee nerd Sule McCraies, comes his tries & tested review of Patagonia’s R1 Techface Hoody.

The original R1 pullover hoody stands as one of my all-time favourite pieces of gear. As a professional nitpicker, my only complaint about the R1 pullover was that I don’t get to wear it enough…and perhaps its tendency to get a bit smelly (let’s chalk that up to user error). The unfortunate thing about cold weather climbing layers is that if you live in Australia, or share my propensity for running hot, they spend a considerable amount of time languishing at the bottom of bags or concealed in cupboards.

This is where the R1 Techface Hoody comes in. The Techface occupies a niche that falls somewhere between a grid fleece (like the R1) and a lightweight softshell (such as the OR Ferossi), but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s a specialised piece. Since receiving a review unit (thanks once again to Patagonia Aus), this has become one of my most frequently worn outer layers and has proven itself to be a highly versatile piece of kit.

FIT I’ve consistently worn a size medium R1 pullover, and found the Techface to size similarly, but waith a more spacious fit to accommodate layers underneath.

To put it another way, you could effortlessly layer a size M Techface over a size M pullover, but try the reverse and you’ll enter a battle that ends with you looking like the Michelin Man!

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The Techface sports the same long arms and a similar stretchy athletic cut that we’ve come to expect from the R1, but with a slightly shorter torso than the original and a slightly wider cut around the armpits— this updated cut was my main complaint about the Techface. Being one of those “long climbers” who regularly reaches past the crux while guffawing maniacally at the more vertically challenged, I often struggle with layers untucking from under my harness while climbing. This was never an issue with the extra long torso of the R1 pullover. However, I did experience routine “untucking” while climbing with the Techface under my harness. Those with a longer torso may want to consider sizing up to help prevent untucking.

FUNCTION Alright let’s just make a few statements right off the bat: The Techface is less warm than the R1 pullover, less breathable (at least in the material), more weather resistant, and a bit heavier (377g on my scale), but all in a way which makes it feel much more versatile. The inside of the Techface features the same fluffy square grid fleece as the pullover, but a less “lofty” version—If you compare them it looks like someone gave the Techface’s squares a haircut.

The Techface also has a tighter woven fabric (this is obvious if you hold them up to the light) making it less breathable, but more wind and water-resistant (the nerdy

explanation is “it’s less air permeable”).

On paper, this is a bit confusing; in reality, I find myself overheating less easily in the Techface when in warmer weather or doing higher output activities (like steep approaches). The tighter weave and DWR coating hold up well in light to moderate wind and rain, but will inevitably wet out and soak through when things get hairy.

The material is also more durable than the R1 pullover, but I've noticed fluffy spots from abrasion don’t hide as easily on the Techface’s smoother surface. The hand pockets are a great addition to this piece and help conceal elastic pullcords to cinch the waist. However, they sit slightly too low for full access while wearing a harness.

Speaking of pockets, the chest pocket is an internal mesh one rather than the usual external chest pocket, but there’s still enough space for a phone and some bars.

The hood features a semi-stiff brim which makes for a great hood when not wearing anything underneath. Of course, what you really want to know is how it goes when you’re wearing a helmet. I’m glad to say that the hood will fit both over a helmet (though it’s a bit tight) or under a helmet (if you can line up the cinch adjustment button with a gap in your helmet). Having said, it’s not an ideal fit for either, and feels optimised for wearing without a helmet.

FINAL THOUGHTS The R1 Techface Hoody is a fantastically versatile piece that can be worn in more

ISSUE 44 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM

contexts than its cousin, the R1 Pullover.

The lowered warmth and breathability combined with the added weather resistance and more spacious cut make it an ideal outer layer for use in warmer conditions or higher output scenarios when worn over a base layer. The Techface would be right at home being worn as an active outer layer on cool and gloomy days where you want some weather protection, but a hardshell or midweight softshell is overkill.

My only complaints are a few design choices, such as the cut, pocket, and hood, feel as though they’ve sacrificed some technical performance (for climbers) for a more casual look. This makes sense given the R1 pullover already fits the technical niche but can’t really be worn around town without giving off alpine vibes.

Overall, I’d rate it 4 out of 5 blue offsets.

OVERVIEW Pros: • More versatile warmth • Offers some weather resistance • Breathes well during moderate output Cons: • Shorter cut may cause harness untucking for those with a long torso • Lacks some technical features Best for: • Those wanting something slightly less warm than the R1 pullover, or a layer with increased weather resistance to put over a mid-layer (like the R1 pullover), which also looks good in casual contexts.

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BETA & BREW

ISSUE 44 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM

PROPER PORTABLE ESPRESSO THE WACACO PICOPRESSO I would describe myself as quite a varied climber. I enjoy an array of climbing styles (Sport, Trad, Bouldering, Crack, SubAlpine) all of which I’ve amassed over the years, often finding myself in phases where I’m completely fixated on any one of them–with the exception of comp style dynos! The same pattern applies to my coffee addiction. I’ve spent the last decade on a quest to crack the perfect outdoor brew and in the process, I've consistently flip-flopped between both filter and espresso, meaning I’ve also amassed a collection of (almost) every portable espresso maker on the market. I’d initially expected brewing the perfect cup of send-spresso outdoors to be an onsight at best or a redpoint at worst, but somewhere along the way it turned into a nemesis-project.

So after years of more often than not ending up with a cup full of compromise at the crag, I’d almost given up on portable espresso, when I caught wind of the Picopresso… Could this be my missing send beta? I found myself wondering. After reaching out to Coffee Tools, I was generously sent a review unit (thanks legends!), and after thoroughly testing it over the last year, I can genuinely say this is the best portable espresso maker I’ve found to date!

Now that I’ve sent my espresso project, I can finally focus on my many climbing projects again…in a state of thorough caffeination of course!

- Sule (VL’s resident gear & coffee nerd)

PRICE: $189.90 WEIGHT: 350g DIMENSIONS: 10.6 x 7.8 x 7.1cm (similar to a soda can)

DESIGN: The problem I've traditionally had with portable espresso makers is that the ones that produced decent espresso weren’t portable enough (too big or heavy), while the ones that were actually portable didn’t produce very good espresso.

The Picopresso strikes the perfect balance of both, capable of producing a very decent-quality espresso (similar to a flair lever) while still taking up barely any room in my pack. One reason the Picopresso produces such good espresso is its basket, coming stock with a 52mm steel basket similar to the size you’d find in a vintage Italian lever machine like the La Pavoni - of course, this also means you need a good quality hand grinder to get the best results from your Picopresso. Speaking of metal, the steel and thick rubber/plastic construction feels quite bomber even when it’s not in the protective case.

After 12 months of throwing it in and out of my crag bag, It’s still in great shape. It also comes with a bunch of quite useful accessories that can nest inside the brewer, like a metal tamper (thank god it’s not plastic), a funnel for getting grounds into the basket, a little brush (semi-useful), a scoop (which I immediately swapped out for a scale), and a tiny WDT tool (no, it’s not a toothpick, it’s a tool to help even out the density of your coffee puck) which I was impressed to see, but also swapped for a bigger one.

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BETA & BREW PROPER PORTABLE ESPRESSO

TIPS FOR USE: Even though this column has traditionally been about recipes, I'm not going to give you a step-by-step guide on how to brew espresso…there simply aren’t enough pages and I’m not allowed to do an Australian-wide VL climbing coffee road-tour…yet. So instead, here are a few helpful tips to get you started.

Get a good grinder: Filter brewers like the Aeropress are very forgiving of poor-quality grinders, espresso brewers are not! Get yourself a good quality espresso hand grinder.

Start coarse: The hardest part of using any espresso maker is getting the grind right, once you’re in the ballpark it’s much easier to tweak and adjust. I’d strongly advise starting with a coarser grind size and adjusting finer until it starts tasting good. Taste the failed shots as you go and you’ll learn more about dialing in by grind size (the first one might taste like battery acid)

BREWING: So how does it work? The Picopresso untwists into several parts. Boiling water goes into the top reservoir and can hold around 80ml. Your coffee (hopefully freshly ground) goes into the 18g basket with the help of the funnel, gets raked like a zen garden with your mini WDT tool, tamped, and twists into the base with a shower screen covering it.

The actual brewing is done by pumping the mechanism hiding behind the logo, which builds pressure as you pump away (which feels similar to a handheld bike pump) and is more than capable of reaching normal 9-bar espresso pressure.

One great thing about the pumping mechanism is that it basically counts as part of your warm-up! I’ve been having a blast “warming up” at the crag by trying to pump the Picopresso with one finger (of course you’ll have to brew 10 espresso so all your fingers get equally warm).

One thing to note is the lack of a pressure gauge, although soon you will be able to buy one separately. This means you pull espresso based on the “feel” and feedback you get while pumping, and by eyeballing the flow rate of the espresso hitting your cup.

As someone who is usually obsessed with data, I find this to be an extremely fun way to brew coffee when I'm away from the house, although it might make the learning curve slightly steeper for those who aren’t very familiar with brewing espresso.

78 SPRING 2023

Dose and ratio: Your espresso recipe will be different depending on the beans you’re using and a few other things, usually darker roasts will prefer shorter ratio (1:1-1:2) and lighter roasts will prefer higher ratios (1:2-1:3). I’d recommend start with 16g dose at a 1:2 ratio (aim for 32g in the cup) and adjusting up or down from there by small increments (e.g 1:2.25).

Preheat, Preheat, Preheat!!

Being portable, the Picopresso hasn’t got a massive boiler in it to heat up all that metal. For best results you should pump some hot water through to preheat it before pulling your first shot of the day - especially if you’re brewing lighter roasts!

[Optional] Try a turbo As you may have guessed I enjoy drinking lighter roasted coffee, in fact I tend to pull espresso with ‘filter roasts’ at home. This can still be done using the Picopresso, but it requires a slightly different style of shot. A ‘Turbo shot’ involves grinding slightly coarser than normal and running a 1:3 ratio at a faster flow rate that’ll have you pumping away like crazy (it should run for around 15s total). This will produce a very ‘wrong’ looking espresso that can taste fantastic once you get it right. If you’ve got a bag of filter roast then give it a go.

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CRAG COOKING

ISSUE 44 | VERTICALLIFEMAG.COM

Campfire shakshouka Food plays a larger role in climbing than simply fueling our bodies or driving performance— food is laughter with friends celebrating sends and comfort after another shut down on the proj. Through food, we connect, share stories, and pass on wisdom (and small bits of chalk), so it makes sense that the recipes that bring us together should be shared too.

From Adelaide climber Paolo Grasso’s camp kitchen, we’ve been treated to his trusty shakshouka recipe—a tasty feed of protein and carbs, that can be whipped up on campfires anywhere.

A recipe that I've made countless times at bush camps in the Grampians, the Pines, Moonarie, the Bluies, all around Tassie, and even during my recent travels around Europe, is a hearty bowl of shakshouka—eggs poached in a rich sauce of spicy, tomatoey goodness.

Originating in Northern Africa, it’s traditionally a breakfast or lunch dish, but you can enjoy it for whatever meal you please. I love to cook this when we have a bit of extra time in the morning, or to kickstart recovery eating on a rest day after too many days on. So far it's always been a hit.

Of course you can cook it on a stove, but it's simple and easy to whip up on the campfire—even in the pouring rain as we found out last autumn in the Grampians/Gariwerd.

SHAKSHOUKA WITH HOMEMADE GARLIC FLATBREAD Serves 3

GARLIC FLATBREAD (Makes 4-5 pieces)

INGREDIENTS: »

Butter

»

1.5tsp baking powder

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Water

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2-3 cloves of minced garlic

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1.5-2 cups plain flour

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A decent pinch of salt

METHOD: 1.

Melt the butter and gently fry the garlic in it until just cooked. You don't want it to get too brown or it'll taste bitter. Just enough to take away that overpowering raw spiciness.

2.

Mix the flour, salt and baking powder together then add the garlic butter. Stir.

3.

Slowly add water, mixing as you do, until the mixture forms a nice moist ball. It should still be sticky to touch but not so much that it sticks to the bowl. If you add too much water, you can always just knead in a bit more flour until you get the right consistency. Dirtbag tip: warm water helps the butter not to solidify, and will keep your hands warm on those winter mornings.

4.

Split the dough into 4 or 5 balls, and roll them out thin on a floured board with whatever you have at hand (think nalgene, baked beans can, last night's wine bottle).

5.

Lightly coat a pan in oil and get it screaming hot. Fry the flatbreads one at a time, only flipping them once they are nice and brown. If you're feeling decadent, spread some butter on them while they're hot. If not, simply tear into chunks, scoop the shakshouka onto them and enjoy!

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CRAG COOKING CAMPFIRE SHAKSHOUKA

SHAKSHOUKA INGREDIENTS: »

1 large brown onion

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3-5 cloves garlic (or more, you can't really go wrong here)

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1 medium red capsicum

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Chili (if you're that way inclined)

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Couple tablespoons of tomato paste if you have it

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Chopped parsley (optional addition for extra deliciousness)

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2 cans crushed tomatoes

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Pine nuts (optional addition for extra extra deliciousness)

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Cumin, coriander, paprika (be generous, it'll taste great)

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6ish eggs (we usually go with two per person, and this recipe was shared between three of us)

METHOD: 1.

Slice the onions and capsicum. Fry in 2 tablespoons of whatever oil you have on hand on high heat to get some colour and flavour into there. Stir frequently.

2.

Add your garlic, tomato paste and spices, frying until fragrant, then add the crushed tomatoes. Rinse out the tins into the pans with about 1 cup of water. It should be reasonably liquid at this point.

3.

Season generously with salt and pepper, then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until most of the liquid has boiled off. Toast up your pine nuts in the meantime in a dry pan.

4.

Using a spoon, spread the mixture apart to create little “nests” to crack the eggs into.

5.

Once the eggs are in place, cover the pan with a lid or foil and leave to cook gently for 5 to 10 minutes, until the whites are cooked but the yolks remain soft and runny.

6.

Remove from the fire, sprinkle on your pine nuts and parsley, then serve straight from the pan with your flatbreads (or that dumpster dived loaf from the Horsham OTR).

Paolo Grasso: Hailing from Adelaide, climbing fanatic Paolo could probably send his proj if only he wasn’t thinking about what to cook for dinner. Currently nursing a broken leg, he’s staying psyched by planning for the next adventure, and the associated campfire cook-ups. Got a recipe and a delicious tale you want to share? Email us at team@verticallifemag.com 82 SPRING 2023

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