On The Road Again: April 2008

heh all!!!hope all is well your way, once again another delayed entry, but better late than never!so whats been happening in the bay? i guess most of you will have received an email of my climbing exploits and naked bike riding, so heres a little more since then.....You would of never of guessed but a shit load more climbing has been taking place, 2 projects completed one being 'Daves Arete'(25 7b-ish), an imtimidating line with a large run out at the top where should you take the fall it will be of around 5 metres airtime and the nearby pine tree stroking you as you descend, of course i took this fall but soon got the climb after about 4 attempts, one of my favourite climbs here. But my huge achievment of paynes is 'Mea Culpa' (27 7c).Latin for 'forgive me' the hardest and most full on climb i have ever taken on, leaving my quick draws and natual pro in it for about 2 weeks with around 10 attempts i finally got it on Tueaday the 8th of Aprill.Heres the boring bit for non climbers, this is probably more for me than for anyone else......(dont read if you want the onsight)Starting off to get to the first bolt sits you on a great deep jug to clip then move onto a 3 finger pocket, moving up to deep crack for a right hand-jam, pulling through with the left and clipping, this is the last rest for the next 3 bolts. A huge right hand side pull into a 3 finger vertical slot to rock over to the next clipping hold a not so great blocky sloper, once clipped and sorted the feet out, move up to a left hand crimpy pinch, then onto a crimp for the right, pop up to a horrible slopery horn, placing the right foot high then grope for a tiny finger crimp. Next is the 4th clipping hold a sloper with a tiny dimple to pinch, desperatly clip then come over wide for a fairly decent 'ledge' go through to a high crimp then place your feet high to grab the 3 finger nail side pull, crank through to good a hold out right then come back through for the 2 finger side pull crimp, then onto a jug to clip the 5th bolt, the rest is cruisey. Pull up on some easyish holds for an awsome rest in a huge flake where 2 cams protect your fall. pull through to a terrible crimp to a hold that leads you to the beautifull anchor, where pure ecstacy is flowing through your body, the feeling is truly indescribable, climbing a line so precise and stunning. For a long time after you are just content with everything, absolutly awsome!!!Sorry about all that but heh thats what im here for!In other news, some rock embedded in forrest on the way to pohara has caught many a climbers eye. 10 years ago this rock was 'bolted' and around 6-7 lines were formed and the Peanut Slab was its name an area of limstone rock consisting of 3 stunning slabs split by forest. Public got restricted access to this area due to an incident involving a dog and one of the farmers live stock, and the area has not to our knowledge been climbed since.Present day, 4 climbing bums see a slab and get permission by said farmer and go about on an expedition, let the mission begin!!!At around mid-day myself, ben and borg meet at the bunkhouse in camp, we gear up and ride out to the peanut slab, Borg having been here before a couple of days previous (but never getting up the last slab) guided us through the farmers hill and into the forest, with a couple of small caves to crawl through and trees to climb up we arrive at the first slab, Borg pointed out the line they prviously went up, however after spying out another line to the left I was super keen to get roped up and lead up it. Again a wee scramble up a tree to get over the bulge and clip the first and only bolt, I break off left cleaning moss off possible foot holds as I go and get to the first nut, there are no bolts on this slab the only protection is rusty nuts that have been drilled in, leaving us with 2 options affix a carrot bolt over the top (of which we only had 2) or attach a wire over the top and tightening it with a nut head and clipping that. The former seemed a much safer call, I lead up and past the second and then it all goes a bit hairy a super long run out to the next i gingerly work my feet up whilst testing loose rock with my hands and pulling off half the rock face, not quite trusting anything i grab onto the next bolt pinching the balls out of it and attaching my next bit of gear,moving onward a serious lack of feet and hand holds were incounted, after exausting all my climbing I see some faily strong looking weeds above me, grab hold of those and over the lip to fall into an abyss of berry bushes to set up an anchor. With no worries the others followed me up, and onto the next slab whilst admiring some of the best views of golden bay from the ledge.Borg tackled the next one, with a funny moment of Borg talking to himself (in between filling his pants, as we all did) of 'just stand up Borg, just stand up'. This is just before a ballsy dynamic move to finish. Borg set up the anchor then Ben led up and i followed on second. To get to the third slab and now we saw why the others hadnt made it up there......Ontop of the second leads to a 4-5 metre drop and then the slab but of course with a huge bulge to stop you getting onto it. However determined to get up it we spy out a possibillity. Abot 8 metres away right on the lip of the bulge is a bolt, Ben traversed across and i then followed. Ben secured himself on to one rusty bolt, and being left with no choice i saftied onto the same, now getting over the bulge was the problem,.....no worries.I mantled up onto Bens leg whilst pulling on my safety line and scraped myself onto the slab. Now regretting the choice to lead it first. All starting off well, actually good foot holds and nicely placed bolts up until the 3rd.....this is where it got scary a large run out to the next bolt and no holds, I almost backed off but with no one else keen to lead it i had to push on, i eventually made it to the bolt and quickly put my gear in then pushed through to a tree where i attached a sling and geared up there. The next bit was aout 4 metres long and hillariously chossy. Everything i touched would either come off in large chunks or just crumble in my hands, in between shouting 'ROCK BELOW' etc i scrambled up this last pitch to come to a dead tree which had to be ripped out and various other rocks being thrown down below i set up an anchor and everyone took it in turns to do the last 'death pitch' an incredible view and sunset ended the adventure to leave me and Ben scrambling down in the dark with no head torch, classicly fullfilling the Hangdog way; being unprepared for the expected. OK so my time in the bay is nearly at an end hopefully will be updating you with adventures from down south in the next post.
untill the next time my friends......
tom
all the pics are abit scrambled but cant be bothered to sort it, any complaints please email my secretary at dontgivea****@hahaha.com

Not really any significance here, i just look like a bad-ass!!