Running on Air (220m 26A0)

My good friend Alex and I have been adventuring a little bit lately. Please enjoy a small photo-essay I’ve put together of the best day out.

In the not too distant past (2009) I was psyched,  and I don’t mean just a little bit psyched. That all consuming fire inside was burning brightly. I had established an aid route on the side of the East Face of Mt Anne in the winter previous, and rat needed feeding once more. I readied my arsenal for another assault in the wilderness, this time with free boots packed, and a grainy photo showing a line straight up the guts. The long and the short of it is i had a screaming epic. A forgotten helmet and loose rock almost got the best of me before i turned tail and ran. vowing to return one day, fitter, stronger and with a partner.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. The forecast for Tassie’s west looked hot and clear, perfect timing for a busy monkey trapped in the rat race. we readied ourselves for a ground-up assault on whats the steepest continuous dolerite i’ve ever climbed on. Alex was feeling fit and strong, and my belay skills were as sharp as ever so we set off confidently.

For a full report head over to Alex’s blog here. But now a little something for your eyeballs…

The majestic Mt Anne. As viewed in the dying sunlight, from the track up to Mt Eliza.

The view from halfway up the big hill. Such a beautiful friday evening.

Shelf camp, with the Mt Anne in the background. Running on Air tackles the tallest section of the lower buttress. Photo Simon Mentz

 

Alex swings out onto the arete while on sighting the first pitch.

Alex confronts the crux pitch, an amazing pitch of steep hard crack climbing.

Another bum shot.... Simon enjoys himself on the splitter hand crack. the photo can't do justice to the spectacle around you on this pitch

Simon monkeying about atop the first buttress.

Alex making quick work of the final upper buttress. A couple of fun crack pitches soon lead the way home

"Im looking down!!". Mr Shuffelufagus goes to work on the super fun last pitch.

A couple of happy-as-can-be fella's sit proudly atop the summit of their new route.

cheeky monkey enjoying another somewhat more often visited summit....

We write up a detailed topo in the hut book at Mt Eliza...

...before we head off into the sunset, a couple of friends riding the euphoric crest of living out their dreams together...

 

 

Running on Air (220m 26A0)

1. 30m 8 (solo) scramble up to a ledge a pitch below the free-standing pillar.

2. 35m 22 Up L on face before shallow corner. Up this until drawn out onto the arete before a small stance. Blast the R-facing corner above(crux) to belay on sloping ledge next to freestanding pillar.

3. 35m 26A0 Up into perfect finger crack. Squirm into the V-groove above, before desperately exiting this(crux) into a pleasant crack. Belay on spacious ledge.

4. 10m 17 Transfer belay up and to the left beneath hand crack on the lower ledge.

5. 25m 20 Fun hand crack. Step left where it steepens before heading back R up wide crack to belay (RPs) with some friendly loose blocks.

6. 35m 23 mantle onto ledge L of belay and up the shallow groove. this opens to accept good gear and fingers. Pass ledge and enter chimney. Step R at top for more wide action to the top of the buttress.

Now you must walk up a few hundred metres to confront the second, smaller buttress above. head to the low point in the centre. at the toe of the buttress is a wide hand crack. both routes on the face start up this.

7. 30m 19 Take the prominent hand crack. at the top, traverse R to find belay up behind a detached pillar beneath wide chimney.

8. 20m 18 Classic. Chimney your way up, placing gear in the chockstone. Shuffle up the final wide bit before returning to the horizontal realms.

 

“I don’t know why I’m weightless now,

but I guess its because I’m running on air” –  BEI