Going Tropo
by Matt Hunter
Several times before, I have written about the a fun hobby that we have called the Troposphere speed climb. Troposphere is a 115m climb at Mt Tibrogargan. A well bolted absolute classic grade 17 or 18. It is a climb that gets you up to the sport climbing area of half way house. On occasion, when we are in the area, we decide to do a speed run up it and over the years the time has come down from our first simul-climbing attempt of about an hour to what Hamish and I did in January of 2016 as 12 minutes. I know this date only because I looked at the previous post.
Just over a year and a half ago, it seems, we did a couple of runs and got a crazy time of 12 minutes, beating the time set by Alex and I by over a minute. Between now and then we really had not had another shot at it and it, the only real trial being when Jay decided that he too wanted to go under 15 minutes (which he did in 14:55) just a week later. Going under 10 minutes had been joked about but we had never bothered to put in a series of runs to take a shot at it.
Enter Tony Barten, the latest addition to the world of speed climbing. A few weeks back, Alex, Tony and I were at Tibro and he wanted to be introduced to our simul-climbing techniques. We put him up front on Troposphere and I seconded with Alex last on the train. Tony is a very experienced climber and no bum, but he was very happy that I topped out behind him in around 30 minutes. Alex's top out time didn't really count as it is normally done with just two people. We then simulled the Ross Miller route which we did in two blocks. He was hooked.
A couple of weeks later, Tony and Alex were at Troposphere again so Tony could get his fix of this incredibly fun sport. They were getting close to 15 minutes and given that Hamish and I were near by, we gave it a couple of laps. I lead, with Hamish in charge of minding the massive loop of slack and trying not to kill us both. Amazingly we got it in 10:11.
Tony really was hooked. So much so that he suggested something that by ourselves, we had only ever talked about but never bothered to set up. Spend a day filming speed ascents. Even better, make a bit of fun competition out of it. And so it was that the next week we were there with a drone, cameras and luckily, no one on the route to piss off with our antics. The real aim of the day was to get footage of a speed ascent but preferably footage of the first ascent under 10 minutes. Everyone wanted to go under 10. Tony wanted to go under 15 at the most.
Jay and I got there early and decided to go for a warmup run. I planned to mark a couple of my secret holds that we discuss but never point out to each other due to being in a bit of a rush. Jay climbed like a total noob. We have a rule that warmup climbs are just that and not to be taken as a sign of our performance, but from what was happening on the back end of the rope, I was convinced that Jay was no chance at going under 10. Oh well, he would give it a good go. Hamish and I were almost certain to go under so at least someone would.
With messing around on the rope to work out moves etc. our total time was 29 minutes. Damn.
I did another warmup when the others arrived with Hamish. 10:55. Not bad for a warmup considering we thought that 12 minutes was ridiculous 18 months earlier.
Tony, Alex and Jay all went up in a train to get footage of us up high on the route. It was very efficient considering how most filming days are. Then again, if we couldn't move into position fast on this climb then there would probably be nothing to film. We were set to go. Nerves were building up in me as I started to not only feel some expectation from the others that they were expecting to see us go under 10 minutes but also that they were putting in so much effort with the cameras. I kind of liked processing through it using some of the techniques from the rock warrior's way. Relaxing. Talking through sections of the climb.
We were both ready. I knew where I was placing the total of 12 quickdraws and 1 micro-traxion. The micro-traxion is used just in case the 2nd guy falls. It is a very low probability on this climb but since we are going fast and since the leader is often run out about 10 metres, it seems worth it if only protecting the hardest 20 metres of climbing up the steep corner.
We were off.
When I was about 10 metres up the climb, Hamish started off slowly behind me, making sure the rope didn't get tangled. The first draw gets clipped about 15 metres up and in effect, we are soloing the first pitch. I clipped about 3 draws on the first pitch, making sure that we are at least attached to the mountain by 2 pieces of protection at all times. Well. Most times. I try to force my breathing to be deep and hard to try to avoid an oxygen deficit once I get going and so that I don't get caught in the moment and forget to breathe.
Hamish and I on pitch 1 and 2
About 2 minutes in and I was up to the corner section which is the slowest on the route. The route starts and finishes on easy (fast) ground and the middle is harder (slower). We tried to time it so that when I reached the end of the slowest section, Hamish would have moved closer to me and be dangling about 5 metres of slack. It is more vertical here and although a fall would be messed up , it would be a lot cleaner than on the lower section. Once through the harder stuff and heading up the last part of the corner towards what we call "snake ledge" - due to an encounter we once had - I started to pick up speed and so from that point on, it was all about Hamish going flat out right to the top.
5 seconds later and back on easier ground.
Hamish doing the alternate version of the crux that is the most popular.
Normally I would have placed a microtraxion directly above snake ledge but of course, this was the bolt on which Tony had chosen to set up. I managed to only get slightly tangled in his safety lines and avoided smiling for the camera. I placed a microtraxion further up and headed up the 4th pitch, clipping only a directional and 1 other quickdraw. I only got stopped for a few seconds from Hamish's rope as he plowed through the harder section. This is the usual case and the leader knows to expect some dogging. In contrast, even if he were to catch me up anywhere on the last 2 pitches, he wouldn't slow down, instead letting the slack build up.
I saw my watch when I arrived at the big ledge at the top of pitch 4 and it was about 6 mins. On our 10:11 second run, I remembered it being about 7 mins. This ledge is almost a quick rest for the leader as the rope does go tight there. I anticipated the next clip by putting the quickdraw in my mouth, ready to grab. However, this was longer than expected and so I think Jay ended up getting lots of footage of me slobbering over the aptly named "dog bone" of the draw.
Hamish charging across the big ledge before the last pitch, gaining back some slack.
Heading up the last pitch as quickly as possible, somewhat on belay.
The final pitch is fast and I only placed 2 quickdraws on it. A minute or so later I was clipped in at the top of the climb and trying to belay Hamish as best I could. To be honest, I am not sure whether I belayed him with a grigri, micro-traxion, waist belay or hand over hand. I just know that when he got there, it was 9:12. Almost 1 minute faster than the previous week and more importantly, way under the 10 minute mark that we had all set for ourselves.
The photo appears to show the belay device as a micro-traxion.
So, for me and Hamish, the deal was done, but we would be disappointed if we didn't get all 4 of the Hardman climbing crew under 10 minutes and Tony well under 15. Alex and Tony went for a burn and did really well. 11:50 which until the week before would have been a new record, but Alex was still not feeling like he was going to get under 10. We knew that it was almost certainly due to technical issues as he was fully capable of climbing fast enough. He and Hamish gave it a go together and it was looking better, but still only 11:35.
We all discussed the possible options that Alex could use to dial in the climb and probably more importantly, which gear to place where. In most climbing it seem silly to think about how a clip might take you 10 seconds to make but in this, it not only slows you down but breaks your rhythm and that of the second taking them off.
Now it was Jay's turn and I went up for my 4th run. Hopefully I would still have the gas to put in a good time. I certainly was familiar with it.
There was some doubt among some members of the team whether Jay would be able to override his usual sensibility and climb with the amount of slack in the rope required to avoid dogging the leader. Simulclimbing, unlike most multipitch climbing puts as much emphasis on the second as it does the leader. If the second falls and there is no micro-traction between them, then the leader can get pretty messed up. If he falls with a bunch of slack in the rope then he would violently rip me from the cliff. Even though we know we are not going to fall, given that the leader's last piece of protection is often up to 10 metres back, it can't be called a safe sport.
So it was somewhat of a surprise that by the time I was a few metres up, I heard Jay starting up behind me, the rope between us still coiled on the ground. After a couple of bolts were clipped and we normally feel some semblance of normality, Jay yells out, "Matt. We are pretty much soloing. Just letting you know."
I knew what he meant. We had gear, but so much slack that falling wasn't an option. "Ok," I yelled back. Nothing was going to change anyway. I had just enough draws to place them where I had designated and falling here never felt like an option anyway.
Jay charging up behind me as I move into the crux area.
Now out of the crux, It is up to Jay to bring it home fast.
When I got to the big ledge I checked my watch again. 6 minutes. This was certainly no 29 minute abomination that we did on the warmup. This was right up there. I got home as quickly as I could, running out the last pitch up to the smeary mantle type move, then all the way to the top. Tony was there filming and I jumped on belay as fast as I could but I couldn't find my grigri so I put him on a waste (yes it is spelled correctly) belay. Coming over the last little head wall like a raging bull addicted to Cross Fit, he slapped the anchors and I stopped the watch. Hamish and I had done 9:12. When I looked my watch had exactly the same numbers on it except around the wrong way. 9:21. 9 seconds feels like a lot in those moments but it really is nothing.
There was a short period of excitement before those 9 seconds were noticed.
Given that we were 9 seconds slower than a record I already had, I wasn't pushing Jay to give it another go. In fact, we were probably going to head off to climb a route that he had put up that I had never climbed. It had been a good day. 3 of us had gone under 10 minutes and Tony had gone under 12.
Now it was just about whether Alex would post a good time and really, that is all it comes down to with us on a day like this. Posting a good time. 2 dudes climbing vaguely together for 115m, starting a watch when the first guy starts and stopping it when the second guy touches the anchors at the top. You just have to move quickly, plan your gear placements and not stuff it up. It seemed as though this time, Alex had far better planning than the previous run.
They also had a couple of better ideas. If we were going to have 5m of slack, why not just tuck it in the back pack out of the way. Just don't let it get around your neck. No micro-traxions were to be placed. Not a big risk given that we weren't going to fall.
Alex started fast with Hamish climbing smoothly behind him. As the difficulty increase, the second can climb fairly slowly so as not to catch the leader too much, and then save their energy for the end.
We had spoken to a couple who were now on the climb and asked them to wait for a couple of minutes at the pitch 1 anchors for the guys to go past. They were very helpful.
Alex flying through the crux area
Alex doing his unique sequences up to Snake Ledge
I said to Jay. "They are easily going to get under 10 on this one." I was right too. I watched the clock as he passed onto the big ledge before the last pitch. 5:50. About the same as what Hamish and I had done. Damn. This might be really fast. We couldn't see what the time was when Hamish hit the anchors, but we heard it alright. "Eight minutes forty!" came the call. Holy crap!
Alex and Hamish getting most of the celebrating out of their system before getting back to the base so as not to rub it in too much.
Jay and I looked at each other and before I knew it, Jay was tying in to a piece of rope that was the rest of the chopped off speed rope. It was about 7 metres too short for the climb, but what the hell.
Thankfully, the couple who had waited for the other guys to pass at pitch 1 where now climbing pitch 2 and 3. We would have to wait anyway and we quickly arranged for them to let us past at Snake Ledge.
They guys were back, congratulations given and then it was all about jay and I having a final crack. I was feeling a bit worn but figured that I would have one more good one in me. We had to find 32 seconds on what I had done and 41 seconds on what Jay and I had done. There was quite a bit of tension in the air. Not so much because for the first time in several years, I was no longer part of the speed record team (although that wasn't lost on us), but rather because we had called it a day and now had decided to step back into the hot seat where decisions mattered a lot and mistakes even more.
"Just make sure we are doing it for the right reasons.", Jay said and I knew what he meant.
I just laughed to myself, hands on the rock taking deep breaths. "What possible right reasons could there be?"
It felt wrong to be thinking about shaving off 10 seconds by sacrificing some safety component or trying some trick. No. we would just try to go damn fast and get everything right.
I headed off and once again heard jay not far behind. Once you are going, there is no fear or safety concerns, just the moment and the sequences. Clipping the first draw seemed to take forever as it swung around avoiding my hand. Still a bit flustered. Calm down breath and get the sequences right. Up past the the first proper climbing moves and into the next section. Grab, foot up to smear, pull. Bam! I felt myself get dogged badly. Jay hadn't fallen. He would have hit the ground before I even felt it.
"Shit!" he yelled as I looked back. The pile of slack that we had was wrapped around a small shrub.
I thought to myself that we would have to down-climb and start again, being even more of a pain to the other climbers up ahead waiting for us. The it was free.
"Go Go Go!" Jay yelled and I kept climbing, letting it go from my mind.
I charged up past the couple on Snake Ledge and into pitch 4. I couldn't feel Jay on the other end of the rope. He must have been flying through the moves. At the big ledge, the time was right on 6 minutes. I quickly moved around the prow on the last pitch and up through the usual sequence. Step over gully, hands across, skip swap feet. Jug....
Next thing, I was at the top and yelling down to Jay. When he got there. The time read 9:00.
Well. that is the way it goes. We were still extremely happy with our time. 21 seconds quicker for Jay and 12 for me. Overall, the day was a massive success but it left a bit of a dark feeling with me. Not about Hamish and Alex doing so well, but because we were kind of getting to the point where the only way to go faster would be to chop off more safety until we were basically soloing next to each other like Sean Leary and Cedar Write did on Nut Cracker.
The competition was great fun but as I worked out through talking to the other guys afterwards, you either need to do it on your own, or if you are doing it like a competition, you need to set rules up front that prevent trading safety elements for time.
I'm certainly looking forward to setting up this kind of thing on another climb soon. What a way to get a bunch of climbing metres in. Nearly 600 metres in just over an hour. Top speeds in excess of 13 m/min and one of the most fun ways of ever climbing.
How could anyone resist being part of something like this
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