Got out on Tuesday with Ben and Scott. Flailed on the first pitch of Sirocco (21) for a bit, managed the crux and gave up at the start of the traverse. Wandered down and seconded Atomic Tadpole (20). Was really hot by then so we retired to the Mount Zero Cafe for some food and then went for a swim in the dam.
Yesterday headed out to Arapiles with John. Coming on Chris (16), Lamplighter (10,14,13), Today (17) and Mantis (14). Was good to get out and climb a few more pitches than I've managed lately. I only led the first pitch of Lamplighter, John did the rest.
- Taipan and Arapiles
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![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=88.8)
linusfrost- January 28th, 9:05
calm
- Starless and Bible Black
-
- linusfrost
- January 23rd, 9:45
tired
Went climbing with Wendy a couple of days ago. Still sore today. We wandered up Dreadnought Gully and I led the access scramble. It's only grade 4 or 5 but it's definitely high enough that a fall would suck.
Wendy led Oh Bondage (17) which has a pretty exciting finish and then we wandered down to Starless and Bible Black.
The first pitch is a grade 21 mildly overhanging crack with little flaring pods in it. Wendy dispatched this with a minimum of fuss. I had a little more trouble with it though I did manage to get up the pitch without weighing the rope. I led the short traverse to the base of the 2nd pitch and took forever to set up a semi-hanging belay.
The last pitch is 22 and heads straight up through some overhanging bulges, up a fairly steep wall and then traverses a few metres out over thin air. Wendy spent a fair while on the pitch and once she had finished, I could see the spare rope hanging out in the breeze a good 5 metres from where I was. I didn't do so well on the second pitch. I did get up it eventually, but I had to rest on the rope a few times to get through the initial bulge.
By the time we got down it was after 5pm so we headed back to the pines.
Off to Taipan Wall tomorrow morning to help Ben get his draws off The Invisible Fist of Professor Hiddich Smiddich (26) and then heading around to Van Diemen's Land or something...
Taipan Wall
- Amnesty Amphitheatre
-
- linusfrost
- January 20th, 22:13
happy
Went out for an after work climb in the Grampians with Ben (after his work, not mine). Walked into Amnesty Amphitheatre which was lovely and cool. Scooted up the retro bolt of No Fixed Gear (17). No Fixed Gear was a trad route then someone bolted and extended it by accident and called it Amnesia (17). So after lowering off and giving Ben a belay up the whole thing, I climbed the same pitch and the extension.
Then we moved over to Tyrant's Grasp (22). Awesome looking route:
My mate Shae on Tyrant's Grasp (22)
Ben scooted up and hung the draws on it. I top roped it with a couple of rests near the top. Then Ben cut two effortless laps on it and I ran up in on top rope again, collecting the draws as I headed up.
Sorted ourselves out, drove back to Horsham.
Got home, made pasta dough for fresh pasta, cooked up some sauce. It was awesome.
Heading out with Wendy tomorrow.
- Arapiles
-
- linusfrost
- January 15th, 11:08
- content
Headed out to Arapiles yesterday with Ben and Just. Had a good day seconding:- Mari 17 - clean
- Jackal 18 - two rests
- Nightlinger 20 - clean
- Quisling Direct 22 - clean
Went to Sol and Suzie's for Mexican afterwards... Ate a lot of peaches for dessert but they came from a glass jar not a can.
- Moving to the Country
-
- linusfrost
- January 11th, 9:04
- content
I haven't posted about life for ages. Let's see...
We moved to Horsham just before Christmas. Got up here on the 22nd and unpacked the truck. Started unpacking boxes.
I squeezed in a quick climb with Wendy Christmas eve before driving to Hamilton to spend Christmas with Han's family. Got back here on the 27th for a night then back to Melbourne to clean the Kensington place.
Spent a few hours scrubbing and then went to a friend's engagement party. Cleaning the next day started very late.
Over the next 4 days we scrubbed and scrubbed the house and managed to get not just the 6 years of stuff off the walls from my time there, but some of the stuff that was there when I moved in too. So the place looks better than it did when I moved in. Signed the lease over to Phill and Nicole.
Dropped some things up on the hard rubbish corner and we were amused by the speed some of it disappeared. 2 broken outdoor chairs and a broken office chair went in 15 minutes. A ceramic bust of a native american that I made some 20 years ago went in about 30.
NYE we went to a friends place and had a BBQ. Finished the last of the cleaning New Years Day and packed the car.
Back up here on the 2nd for more unpacking and organising. Baked bread. Figured out what we're going to use most of the rooms for. Still not sure about the 3rd living room but I think it's going to end up being the games room. Bought some chairs for the kitchen.
Went to the Bloodbank last Thursday. They only take whole blood here so I can only go every 12 weeks. 6:25 donation time.
Managed to get out to the Grampians for a quick boulder yesterday. Easy 30 minute drive and then a 15 minute walk in seems so much more reasonable when you only want to climb for a few hours. Hannah came for the walk too. Worked on Sesame Super Highway (v3) and Horse is a Horse (v4).
Kindergarten - Horse is a Horse finished on the large rail
Stopped in past the Mount Zero cafe on the way home organised to go out for a boulder with Robbie and Mel this afternoon. If you're ever up this way you should go to the cafe: http://www.mountzeroolives.com/farm-shop-cafe
I weigh 78.3kg at the moment which is a couple of kg down from Christmas.
That's about all I think...
- 2011 Meme
-
- linusfrost
- December 31st, 2011
cheerful
01. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
Went on my first overseas climbing trip (and my first time overseas since 85/86)... also bypassed the great firewall of China :-)
02. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Didn't make any. Won't make any this year either.
03. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Mark and Michelle had little Eleanor(sp?).
04. Did anyone close to you die?
My parents' dog Ripley a few weeks back.
05. What countries did you visit?
China and India. Short stay Malaysia, but that doesn't really count.
06. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
More time for climbing outdoors.
07. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory?
A few spring to mind:
Jan: 19th - Climbed Where Angel's Fear to Tread with Scott. 240m of granite crack fun.
Mar: 11th - Fukushima
Apr: 18th - Landed in Guilin
Jun: 20th - Headed to India
Nov: 4th - Finished up work
Dec: 10th - Being best man at my brother's wedding 19th - Hannah's graduation08. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting to Yangshuo.
09. What was your biggest failure?
Little Thor?
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Yup. Awesome recurring sinus infection. Finally got in to see the ENT specialist and I was all better. He asked for a checkup a week later and by then I was once again sick as a dog. Loads of steroids and antibiotics later and I've been healthy for 6 months or so.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
New climbing shoes... Blackwings are awesome.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My Hannah's dedication and application to finish her degree when she was really getting tired of it. 5 years degrees suck.
The other Hannah's adoption of Indian culture as demonstrated by throwing open the door of a car doing 60kmph to lean out and vomit. (Yes I went to India with two Hannahs)
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
That's a long list.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Savings
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Finishing work, moving to the country
16. What song/album will always remind you of 2011?
The Black Paintings - Milk and Honey, first heard in the Smitten teaser trailer...
http://www.myspace.com/theblackpaintingsband/music/albums/milk-and-honey-1638132 6
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
1. happier or sadder? happier
2. thinner or fatter? I think I'm slightly lighter... but I was really heavy at the end of last year because my ankle was fucked. Been aiming for 75kg for a while but I'd be 80 odd at the moment.
3. richer or poorer? richer
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Photography, climbing, my CCNP study
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Stressing
20. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
Grandma or my folks.
21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
No
22. How many one night stands in this last year?
0
23. What was your favourite TV program?
Game of Thrones is working out well at the moment.
Big Bang Theory is still funny.
NCIS was still pretty decent.
Family Guy, American Dad, The Simpsons, Cleaveland show still get watched.
Robot Chicken seemed to flounder.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nope.
25. What was the best book(s) you read?
I reread a lot of Terry Prachett books this year, attempting to reread the entire discworld series.
Reamde was the only non-TP book I read that I remember reading...
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Not sure... Few songs popped up here and there that I dug listening to...
This went well after some meetings at work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiMaOmDtaYI
27. What did you want and get?
A breadmaker, a pasta machine, new climbing shoes, a break from full time work to pursue climbing,
28. What did you want and not get?
A house in Natimuk. That'll probably work out for the best though. Horsham will work better I think.
29. What were your favourite films of this year?
Despicable Me?
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
More time.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
This year I moved from tshirts (primarily black) with rude slogans to blank tshirts in solid (often bright) colours, frequently with a long sleeve underneath when the weather was cooler.
32. What kept you sane?
Knowing that I'd be leaving work at the end of the year.
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Jessica Alba? I don't pay that much attention to mainstream celebrities. There's a few hot climbing chicks around but most of them are too young to drool over at the moment.
34. What political issue stirred you the most?
The banks asking to kick renters out without notice when they foreclose on a landlord.
35. Who did you miss?
Hannah while she was in India.
36. Who was the best new person you met?
Garreth
37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
If you have drinking water that doesn't kill you, you have little to complain about. Likewise food, shelter and general personal security.
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year?
I confess in 2011 I...
( ) stayed single for the whole year
(x) made out in/on a car
( ) kissed in the snow
( ) celebrated Halloween
(x) kissed in the rain
( ) had your heart broken
( ) broke someone else’s heart
( ) had a stalker
( ) went over the minutes on your cell phone
(x) had a good relationship with someone
( ) someone questioned your sexual orientation
( ) gotten pregnant
( ) had an abortion
(x) have a relationship with someone you’ll never forget
(x) done something you’ve regretted
( ) lost faith in love
( ) kissed under a mistletoe
OTHER
( ) painted a picture
( ) wrote a poem
(x) ran a mile
(x) posted a blog
(x) listened to music you couldn’t stand
(x) went camping
( ) threw a surprise party
( ) laughed till you cried
( ) laughed till you peed in your pants
(x) visited a foreign country
(x) cut in a line of waiting people
(x) told someone you were busy when you weren’t (doing nothing is good for you, so it counts as being busy doing nothing!)
( ) partied to celebrate the new year
(x) cooked a disastrous meal
(x) lost something/someone important to you
In 2011 I…
(x) broke a promise
(x) lied
( ) cried over a broken bruised heart
(x) disappointed someone close
(x) hid a secret
(x) pretended to be happy
(x) slept under the stars
( ) kept your new years resolution (some of them)
( ) forgot your new years resolution (some of them)
(x) met someone who changed your life
( ) met one of your idols
(x) changed your outlook on life
(x) sat home all day doing nothing
(x) pretended to be sick
(x) left the country
(x) almost died
( ) given up something important to you
( ) lost something expensive
(x) learned something new about yourself
(x) tried something you normally wouldn’t try and liked it
(x) made a change in your life
(x) found out who your true friends were
(x) met great people
( ) stayed up til sunrise
( ) cried over the silliest thing
( ) was never home on weekends
(x) got into a car accident
(x) had friends who were drifting away from you
(x) had someone close to you die
( ) had a high cell phone bill
( ) spent most of your money on food
( ) had a fist fight
( ) saw a celebrity
(x) gotten sick
(x) became closer with some people
- City gym
-
- linusfrost
- November 23rd, 2011
- tired
- Right leaning arete orange 16
- Right leaning arete orange 16
- Slab orange 17
- Slab orange slab 17
- Slab green 19
- Slab purple 20
- Pillar blue 18
- Pillar green 21
- Pillar black 18
- Steep wall blue 17
- Steep wall orange and crack 19
- Left end of slab red 22
- Left end of slab red 22
- Left end of slab green 12
14 pitches (~210m), total 254, average 18.142857142857142
- Board Games
-
- linusfrost
- November 21st, 2011
Cleaned out the board game cupboard and found a few things I haven't played since I moved down to Melbourne. Free to good home:Blood bowl
Hero QuestDungeon
Wombat's Revenge
and a pile of golf balls...
- Black Ian's Rocks and House Hunting in Horsham
-
- linusfrost
- November 20th, 2011
busy
Saturday last week Hannah and I drove up past the Grampians and around the other side of them to Black Ian's Rocks. Camped there. Headed out for a climb in Sunday morning. I backed off Bagatelle (12) because I wasn't happy with it and climbing Habeas Corpus (13/14) next to it instead. Hannah seconded that without too many issues and I rapped off to clear my gear out of Bagatelle. Stopped for lunch and the rain started so we headed to Natimuk.
Stayed with Sol again. Unfortunately he's hurt his back and can't walk around at the moment. Helped him out with a few things around the house and cooked Thai Green Curry for dinner.
Headed in to Horsham on Monday for a few inspections. Looked at one really nice place. One not so good place. Picked Sol up in Nati and dropped him at his physio appointment. Looked at another place and did some shopping. Picked Sol up and headed back to Nati. Cooked chilli with cornbread for dinner. Chatted with Gareth and Wendy when they dropped past.
Tuesday looked at another place and then drove home.
Heard back from the REA of the place we applied for and we've got that. So that's one thing off the to do list. We get keys on the 22nd of December. Sent emails to a few removalists for quotes and started packing/sorting junk. I've been in this house for 6 years but haven't really acquired too much shit it seems. Mostly climbing gear which I'm taking with me.
So we should be in Horsham before Christmas if we can sort out movers.
- Cup Weekend
-
- linusfrost
- November 20th, 2011
awake
Missed writing about a few trips out to Natimuk/Horsham somewhere along the way.
Cup weekend I headed up by myself. Stopped in at Sol's place on the way through and he offered me a spot at the house. Which was good. Nati Frinj was on and we went to the fashion show which was cool. It featured this guy with a huge fake phallus walking around on stage which was pretty funny:
Sol and I polished off the rest of a bottle of bourbon while we watched the show. Afterward we went to the Emporium for a few travellers (and some tequila) before heading back to watch the cousin love comedy show. That was pretty funny. They'd put up wire mesh in front of the stage and said we could throw stuff if we wanted. Someone had been given the hard task of punching tinnies to ensure an ample supply of projectiles. After the comedy show we went back to the emporium for more beers (they were out of tequila) and then went to sleep a bit after that.
Saturday was not going to be a climbing day. I realised early on that I didn't have a hang over because I was still drunk. We wandered around town. As the hangover kicked in we cursed the brass band walking around. Drank coffee. Eventually started drinking beer again around 2pm. Looked at an art gallery full of crocheted penises (I sense a theme). That evening we went to watch the silo show.
Dave Jones had designed a giant puppet:
And a raft of people pulled ropes and ran back and forth with poles to make it move and walk while projectors lit the silos with moving background for the story. Due to some nifty technology, the puppet wasn't projected on. At one stage the puppet has to catch someone:
Home for more sleep after that.
Sunday I set up my tent in the pines. Sol's cat was shedding and there's a limit to how much cat hair my system can cope with. Went for a quick climb with Robbie and Richard at Dec Crag. Led Marmot's Mall (15) and top roped Little Thor (20). Depressingly both were pretty hard. Need to do more long, roped climbing and less bouldering maybe. Afternoon seconded Aardvark. Then headed back into town to watch Sol preform in a piano recital which was pretty good considering the students had only been playing 10 weeks.
Monday I enjoyed the sun (too much it turned out) and drank a few beers in the evening. Worked on Around the World again. Still not able to do the left to right portion of the traverse.
Tuesday I drove back to Melbourne.
