Taking a few weeks off climbing to do this sailing trip without access to training equipment meant I took this as an opportunity to work on other areas. It was hard to remain motivated but flexibility and antagonist exercise were target areas whilst away at sea, also motivation. I the final days before leaving Tassie for the trip I was trying this line Stan, it's a 28 crack I climbed it three times placing gear on lead to the very very last move and fell off. I was getting really wound up and losing drive to climb and just generally frustrated and over it. But with two weeks off rock (apart from one wicked day) I am super pysched and am heading off for the Totem Pole tomorrow!!
A note on the reminiscence effect (more info can be found in Performance Rock Climbing) but essentially means with an extended period away from a sport one can actually improve performance, as the brain sheds away useless attributes in brain engrams. Specifically in skill based sports so take pool for example. My old man beat Marcel and I in pool at the Furneaux Tavern who knows the last time the old boy played pool certainly a long time ago! And he was slamming them down!! Must be the reminiscence effect.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Last Days of the trip.
15/2/11
Sou-west winds 20-25 knots, was an on the nose trip across to Kilencrankie on Flinder's Island. Not too far and travelling pretty quickly it was a sweet trip.
16/2/11
20-30 knot winds from behind meant we smashed out our plans for today and it was pretty uneventful
17/2/11
No wind meant an all day motor, we set off super early so we could time out entry into the Franklin Sound. The Franklin Sound was pretty exciting entry with involved navigation for a few hours into channels between some pretty nasty reefs and islands. We got into Lady Barren with time to test out the hot water system on the boat for a shower before heading to the Furneaux Tavern for a beer, pool and a great meal.
18,19,20/2/11
Gale and strong wind warnings kept us in port, so we did what any good sailor does in these conditions and drank rum and fought. Well we didnt fight but we did drink a fair amount of Captain Morgans!
21/2/11
Another really early start saw us making way for Beauty Point, our plans to head down the east coast aborted as we all had various commitments and lost time with the foul weather. We had a great sail in moderate winds and arrived in Beauty Point 22 hours later bringing an end to a sweet sweet trip.
Sou-west winds 20-25 knots, was an on the nose trip across to Kilencrankie on Flinder's Island. Not too far and travelling pretty quickly it was a sweet trip.
16/2/11
20-30 knot winds from behind meant we smashed out our plans for today and it was pretty uneventful
17/2/11
No wind meant an all day motor, we set off super early so we could time out entry into the Franklin Sound. The Franklin Sound was pretty exciting entry with involved navigation for a few hours into channels between some pretty nasty reefs and islands. We got into Lady Barren with time to test out the hot water system on the boat for a shower before heading to the Furneaux Tavern for a beer, pool and a great meal.
18,19,20/2/11
Gale and strong wind warnings kept us in port, so we did what any good sailor does in these conditions and drank rum and fought. Well we didnt fight but we did drink a fair amount of Captain Morgans!
21/2/11
Another really early start saw us making way for Beauty Point, our plans to head down the east coast aborted as we all had various commitments and lost time with the foul weather. We had a great sail in moderate winds and arrived in Beauty Point 22 hours later bringing an end to a sweet sweet trip.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Must have rocks in my head!
The Kent group of Islands is in a remote setting about a quarter of the way to Tasmania from mainland Australia in Bass Strait. It has seen very few climbing trips, there isn't any guide book to speak of and I havent spoken to people who have been on previous trips. The routes we did may or may not be first ascents hopefully once back from the trip I can clarify this, but regardless this was an amazing trip and Erith island and the climbing on it is surly one of the most fantastic places on earth.
14/2/11
A cruisy start to the day Marcel and I brought the boat over to Erith Island and dropped anchor by the cliffs Kerryn and I planned to climb. Marcel outdid himself with a full fried
breakfast and without too much fuss we ferried across to the rocks in the inflatable launch.
We made our way over to some clean looking cracks in small buttress. Kerryn got psyched for the lead when we arrived and enjoyed a wideish left curving crack, really cool climbing at about 16. We rapped off and I started up a harder looking line got a few metres up the face couldn’t find any good gear and traversed right into a big corner and followed it to the top making another nice climb at about 16. I had left this 
rubbish cam half dangeling out a seam on the first route I tried so a rapped off to get it and realized that with a bit of jiggery pokery there was good gear. I climbed back up and the route went, the idea was that Kez would then rap I would take our slings and find a way off, but I thought heck and we both rapped and I led the route making a cool line climbing a face to a shallow left facing corner with a crux entering the corner and gaining a small ledge and great climbing into a large left facing corner probably about grade 23 with tricky and small gear protecting the hard climbing down low.
After a quick lunch we started up this big line we had spied on what we called The Tower of Erith I led all the pitches
Pitch 1 20m Broken rock leads to big right facing corners, climb till you reach two bottomless cracks left of slab. Flared jamming and funky body moves get you up these till you can step right into corner via horizontal break. Follow cracks to ledge on left.
Pitch 2 40m Take left corner and crack system from ledge till it is possible to move right across face below roof, get funky and groove your way to jug on right and pull roof. Up this groove for a few moves before moving back left into the ‘train tracks’ and fun runnel climbing leads to comfy ledge. A mega pitch!
Pitch 3 10m Step right along ledge up broken rock. From next ledge rock onto slab on right of boulder step left to gear and climb left arête
Pitch 4 15m From this block down climb back left via body size crack, when possible make ex
treme balance moves left onto slab. Find two crack one not visible till you in front of and take these to the summit.
Two 40m raps got us to the ground, the weather had picked up a bit and waves smashed our drop off point so we had to make our way along the coast about 500m to a small cove which offered some protection. Marcel drove the inflatable superbly and timing his runs with the swell could get along side some rocks where we could get down into the boat. This was by far the most exciting part of the day!
We chugged back to Deal Island and this time anchored at West Cove, went ashore for a bbq with some other boaters and relaxed tired muscles!
A cruisy start to the day Marcel and I brought the boat over to Erith Island and dropped anchor by the cliffs Kerryn and I planned to climb. Marcel outdid himself with a full fried
breakfast and without too much fuss we ferried across to the rocks in the inflatable launch.
We made our way over to some clean looking cracks in small buttress. Kerryn got psyched for the lead when we arrived and enjoyed a wideish left curving crack, really cool climbing at about 16. We rapped off and I started up a harder looking line got a few metres up the face couldn’t find any good gear and traversed right into a big corner and followed it to the top making another nice climb at about 16. I had left this 
rubbish cam half dangeling out a seam on the first route I tried so a rapped off to get it and realized that with a bit of jiggery pokery there was good gear. I climbed back up and the route went, the idea was that Kez would then rap I would take our slings and find a way off, but I thought heck and we both rapped and I led the route making a cool line climbing a face to a shallow left facing corner with a crux entering the corner and gaining a small ledge and great climbing into a large left facing corner probably about grade 23 with tricky and small gear protecting the hard climbing down low.After a quick lunch we started up this big line we had spied on what we called The Tower of Erith I led all the pitches
Pitch 1 20m Broken rock leads to big right facing corners, climb till you reach two bottomless cracks left of slab. Flared jamming and funky body moves get you up these till you can step right into corner via horizontal break. Follow cracks to ledge on left.
Pitch 2 40m Take left corner and crack system from ledge till it is possible to move right across face below roof, get funky and groove your way to jug on right and pull roof. Up this groove for a few moves before moving back left into the ‘train tracks’ and fun runnel climbing leads to comfy ledge. A mega pitch!
Pitch 3 10m Step right along ledge up broken rock. From next ledge rock onto slab on right of boulder step left to gear and climb left arête
Pitch 4 15m From this block down climb back left via body size crack, when possible make ex
treme balance moves left onto slab. Find two crack one not visible till you in front of and take these to the summit.Two 40m raps got us to the ground, the weather had picked up a bit and waves smashed our drop off point so we had to make our way along the coast about 500m to a small cove which offered some protection. Marcel drove the inflatable superbly and timing his runs with the swell could get along side some rocks where we could get down into the boat. This was by far the most exciting part of the day!
We chugged back to Deal Island and this time anchored at West Cove, went ashore for a bbq with some other boaters and relaxed tired muscles!
Anaconda at anchor in the morning
Entering 'bottomless cracks' on pitch one Sunday, February 13, 2011
Into Bass Strait
0230 13/2/11Another super early start, a 60 nautical mile trip we wanted to get to the Kent island grou
p with light and time to chill in the after noon. Winds favoured us this leg with 15-20knots off the beam we hoisted the spinnaker and cracked across. It was great sailing enjoying some good speed and surfing reasonable waves we punched across in seven hours. Coming around Erith Island 
I noticed some wicked cliffs so we dropped sails and chugged over for closer inspection. We settled on a plan to head to a near by anchorage Garden Cove, chill, snooze and then come back that arvo. After waking from siesta and having a coffee around three I decided a full day tomorrow was better then a half arsed day today so we spent the arvo and evening sorting climbing gear and climbing the mast.
Me pointing to cliffs behind Muz been a bonehead
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Refuge Cove
12/2/11
Day of rest, yoga on the beach a little bouldering and generally soaking up the good vibes of a beautiful place.
Day of rest, yoga on the beach a little bouldering and generally soaking up the good vibes of a beautiful place.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Set sail for Tasmania
0600 10/2/11
Alarms ring and we all get up, coffee, a quick bite and we cast off. Passing Th
e Heads in ‘Four fingers channel’ so named because of the transit taken to ensure you are in the channel is four objects on the Queenscliff shore line two lighthouses and two towers (a transit is a visual line taken between two points to give a straight line). Once through the rip we were in Bass Strait and headed for Refuge Cove in Wilsons Prom. Some 120 nautical miles later of varied conditions but mostly crappy wind and rain 24 hours after departing dawn was upon us, Kez and I were on watch and a pair of Dolphins came to play on the bow. Muz and Frant came up for the change of watch and as darkness slowly came to light hundreds of Dolphins joined us and swam around the boat. Some giving aerial acrobatics displays others playing on the bow wave, parents taking it easy alongside us with Dolphins new to the ocean. With the sun bringing colour to the night, the grand rocks and islands of Wilsons Prom came into spectacular view.
0800 11/2/11
A dolphin start to the day, followed by Muz and Dad taking their morning coffee with a nip of rum ration to celebrate Marcel’s birthday and we shortly arrived at Refuge Cove. Man what a sweet spot, we chilled here for the rest of the day, enjoying good food a few nice bevies to celebrate Marcels birthday and generally lounging after 32 hours or so of sailing (well A lot of motor sailing too!).
Alarms ring and we all get up, coffee, a quick bite and we cast off. Passing Th
e Heads in ‘Four fingers channel’ so named because of the transit taken to ensure you are in the channel is four objects on the Queenscliff shore line two lighthouses and two towers (a transit is a visual line taken between two points to give a straight line). Once through the rip we were in Bass Strait and headed for Refuge Cove in Wilsons Prom. Some 120 nautical miles later of varied conditions but mostly crappy wind and rain 24 hours after departing dawn was upon us, Kez and I were on watch and a pair of Dolphins came to play on the bow. Muz and Frant came up for the change of watch and as darkness slowly came to light hundreds of Dolphins joined us and swam around the boat. Some giving aerial acrobatics displays others playing on the bow wave, parents taking it easy alongside us with Dolphins new to the ocean. With the sun bringing colour to the night, the grand rocks and islands of Wilsons Prom came into spectacular view.0800 11/2/11
A dolphin start to the day, followed by Muz and Dad taking their morning coffee with a nip of rum ration to celebrate Marcel’s birthday and we shortly arrived at Refuge Cove. Man what a sweet spot, we chilled here for the rest of the day, enjoying good food a few nice bevies to celebrate Marcels birthday and generally lounging after 32 hours or so of sailing (well A lot of motor sailing too!).
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Deadlines and Laylines
After a cruisy eight months of touring and climbing we had a deadline… 1300 flight from Hobart to Melbourne connecting public transport to Kez’s dad Peter’s then drive out to the Grampians in time for a chilled evening with friends Earl and Sarah before a days work with Hangin Out in the Grampians. This was not to be! Our first flight was cancelled, no more flights till tomorrow with Tiger so we had to rebook an Jetstar flight for 1745 at three times the original price, bummer. Of course this flight was delayed… twice! Once on the ground and then once in the air we flew a nice ‘holding pattern’ above Wangaratta. Finally reaching Tullamarine we scooted ASAP to Southern Cross station by bus arriving at 2030 and the last connecting train we needed to catch leaving at 2034 we ran like mad to the platform just getting there in time. With 45mins to relax we arrived at Aircraft station and got into a cab for the ride to Peter’s house arriving some time before 10. Kezs little Barina has been in hibernation in the shed the past 8 months so we started it up and began the drive out to the Grampians arriving at one o’clock in the morning!
Waking up to a stunning Grampians day after some delicious coffee we headed off to summer day valley in the northern Gramps and had a big day with 67 or so students split up into two half day sessions. Kez and Sarah took care of the climbing whilst Earl and I punched the abseil and got all participants through the asbseil. Back to Earls for some more coffee and a cold homebrew and a great night with friends. But not too restful the next day we headed down to Geelong to my parents house arriving sometime around one in the afternoon we then packed for sea and went to Coles for a massive food shop by then it was early evening and with Dad we drove to Queenscliff Marina started loading the boat for a 0600 departure the next day!!
Waking up to a stunning Grampians day after some delicious coffee we headed off to summer day valley in the northern Gramps and had a big day with 67 or so students split up into two half day sessions. Kez and Sarah took care of the climbing whilst Earl and I punched the abseil and got all participants through the asbseil. Back to Earls for some more coffee and a cold homebrew and a great night with friends. But not too restful the next day we headed down to Geelong to my parents house arriving sometime around one in the afternoon we then packed for sea and went to Coles for a massive food shop by then it was early evening and with Dad we drove to Queenscliff Marina started loading the boat for a 0600 departure the next day!!
Anaconda at berth in Queenscliff
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