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On The Lee Side.
Back to Peak Head the following day. Having figured out access on the previous day, the approach went quickly. This time the goal was a 5-pitch line called On The Lee Side (16) which required a 25 meter rappel followed by a 2-pitch horizontal traverse not far above the waves. Once again, the route offered a stunning position, fantastic rock, and some very enjoyable climbing.
As we were hiking back, we ran into a trio of local climbers who recommended a route on the Gibraltar formation in the Porongurup NP. The route was was supposed to be new and well protected; unlike some of the options in our oldish guidebook that we were considering.
Photos
On the way to the trailhead in the morning (Nov. 2023).
Take off (Nov. 2023).
Mother and her joey outside of Albany (Nov. 2023).
Back to the Peak Head. Shirley startled a (brown?) snake early on the trail here (Nov. 2023).
Stashing the packs before dropping down to access On The Lee Side route (Nov. 2023).
Light and short bushwhack to the rap-off point (Nov. 2023).
Short approach on a faint climbers’ trail (Nov. 2023).
Cool geology on the approach (Nov. 2023).
Nearing the rap-off point which is at the start of Albatross (Nov. 2023).
Rapping down to reach the traverse (Nov. 2023).
Shirley rapping down to the traverse (Nov. 2023).
Shirley (Nov. 2023).
The first pitch of the traverse was actually pretty technical (Nov. 2023).
It included a bit of slab climbing (Nov. 2023).
Looking back at Shirley from the lead of the first traverse pitch (Nov. 2023).
And even some awkward chimney & offwidth terrain (Nov. 2023).
Shirley starting the first pitch of the traverse to the start of On The Lee Side (Nov. 2023).
Slab moves (Nov. 2023).
More of the traverse (Nov. 2023).
Bit of a chimney (Nov. 2023).
View back from the second pitch of the traverse (Nov. 2023).
Shirley on the second pitch of the traverse – mostly a hike, though exposed in places (Nov. 2023).
Starting up pitch 1 (crux) of On The Lee Side (Nov. 2023).
A nice splitter crack followed by a somewhat awkward traverse (Nov. 2023).
Shirley in the crack section of pitch 1 (Nov. 2023).
Starting the somewhat awkward traverse on pitch 1 (Nov. 2023).
Shirley on the traverse (Nov. 2023).
The crawl (Nov. 2023).
Starting up pitch 2 of On The Lee Side (Nov. 2023).
Looking back at Shirley from the lead of pitch 2 (Nov. 2023).
Shirley on pitch 2 (Nov. 2023).
Pitch 2 (Nov. 2023).
Shirley arriving at the second belay (Nov. 2023).
Starting up pitch 3 – much nicer than it looks from below (Nov. 2023).
Looking back at Shirley from the lead of pitch 3 (Nov. 2023).
More pitch 3 (Nov. 2023).
Shirley low on pitch 3 (Nov. 2023).
Pitch 3 of On The Lee Side (Nov. 2023).
More pitch 3 (Nov. 2023).
Views from high on the route (Nov. 2023).
Shirley arriving at our third belay. I cut this pitch a bit short to take some photos (Nov. 2023).
Shirley leading a bonus 4th pitch up a ramp (Nov. 2023).
Shirley on pitch 4 (Nov. 2023).
Our fourth belay (Nov. 2023).
Leading our pitch 5 (Nov. 2023).
Looking back at Shirley from pitch 5 (Nov. 2023).
Fifth and final pitch (Nov. 2023).
Shirley arriving on the summit of Peak Head (Nov. 2023).
Start of the hike-off (Nov. 2023).
Back at the packs (Nov. 2023).
Shirley on the very scenic hike back (Nov. 2023).
Pretty flora (Nov. 2023).
The hike back from Peak Head (Nov. 2023).
Almost back at the car. Top of Peak Head visible in the distance (Nov. 2023).
Albany’s main drag (Nov. 2023).
Main drag in Albany (Nov. 2023).
Sweet little rental place (Nov. 2023).
A squatter at our Albany Airbnb (Nov. 2023).
Go to Albany Day Three.
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