So I'd been looking at the big blank overhanging wall at Point Pure for years. In fact, in the original guidebook I published online in 1997, I wrote "Past the black juggy wall is another lighter coloured wall which is big, overhung and blank. There are no climbs on the first portion of this because Queensland climbers are weak."
I guess I was sticking it to myself and others to get cracking and get some lines on this impressive wall. Craig Pohlman was the first to manage it in 2004 with his route Pebbles (25) which finds a line up the right side of the wall. Last weekend, despite the bad weather I managed to make my own addition just left of centre on the wall.
The rock is so damn soft and sandy at Point Pure. The rain didn't make things any easier, and the whole top section was wet and muddy. I didn't think there was any chance of climbing the route cleanly this trip, so I launched up on my second attempt with no expectations. You climb off the starting ledge into a two-finger, to the hilt, undercling pocket, and then launch up at full extension to a good edge, which seems to have a tendency to crumble a bit. This move will be harder for shorties!
From here you launch out to the leaning arete and slap your way up on very open slopers, before encountering a tricky transition move (the crux for me) into a final pocketed section which leads to a big break. This break was waterlogged and filled with mud. In the dry I would have been able to clean this properly, however being muddy, there was only so much I could do. I hung on the muddy break for several minutes, chalking up, getting muddy, chalking up, getting muddy, etc. I ended up getting my chalk ball out and whacking the break as much as I could to try to soak up some of the spoodge.
Heelhooking this break leads into a sandy finishing crack with some natural gear and a bolt. The side wall was wet and smeared with mud. Once cleaned this will be great, but on the first ascent it was a nightmare! I came to the final move to clip the anchors and I simply could not manage it due to the mud. I thought I was off for sure, but then I managed to do a super stretch and slam a quickdraw on the anchor and clip. Amazing. Given the history, and my moaning on the ascent, the name Reverse Psychology seemed appropriate.
* Reverse Psychology 15m 27
Walk along ledge to access. Stickclip the high first UB, but best to belay from ground. A tough move off two-finger undercling gives second bolt, followed by gritstone-slapping weirdness (RB) to break. Crack takes #3 camalot and/or your biggest wire. Final sandy crack past last RB leads to rap station. Was first climbed in the wet, so the top still needs a thorough cleaning.
Lee Cujes 8/6/08
Latching the muddy break on the first ascent (c) C Gibson
Spoodgy muddy horrible - but a classic in the making, honest! (c) C Gibson
I also finished bolting another line at Point Pure which will no doubt be much more popular. So named because of the beehive in the nearby tree and the fact that at the grade of 19 and fully bolted, the queue on a Saturday may stretch back to the Gympie bakery.
* Unleash the Swarm 15m 19
Starting on little platform, up into awkward corner and sandy ear past a couple of U-bolts to shield. Resist temptation to escape R to no-man's land. Balance L and up. Breaching final slab involves a tricky little move. Five UB's.
Lee & Sam Cujes, Chris Gibson, Alice Fletcher, JJ O'Brien 8/6/08
It's funny, I spend so much of my time establishing routes near the limit of my ability and it's been a long time since I have established a more moderate route. It felt really good seeing everyone get on it and have an enjoyable (and otherwise!) time on a route I bolted.
I spent the rest of my time undertaking Safer Cliffs work, such as rebolting, and removing old hardware and patching holes. I try to do a bit of this work every time I go.
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