Defender of the Faith Aid Solo Climb

Defender of the Faith Aid Solo climb – Christmas 2021.

Defender of the Faith is a somewhat more accessible Aid climb on the Mt Buffalo Gorge North Wall. In spite of this it is every bit as committing as the walls most formidable lines. It spans 190m at grade 14M3 climbed with mechanical aid.

Access is via multiple rope stretching rappels down to Führer Ledge. Escape from here is via the very undesirable and seldom used traverse to the foot of Ozymandias (a very unpleasant ordeal involving several more abseils and wet, muddy scrub thrashing). Even from this point, one would face the prospect of a full days technical hike back out of the gorge, with scrambles and sections of fixed rope.

I had in fact aid climbed Defender of the Faith many years before; as part of a two-person team with my long term climbing partner. Defender was my first aid climb done in anger; undertaken over 11 concerted hours including ingress. I led only Pitch 2 on this occasion and I recall my first time using a cam hook. It was at eye level in a horizontal seam up in the back of the overhang. The hook was inches in front of my face and I could see it flexing, bending, and working it’s way out with every gut-wrenching bounce. I remember willing myself to stay calm as I gingerly shifted my weight reaching for a more tenable placement above the overhang.

This article tells the story of my Aid Solo attempt – my first big outing after a two-year period of quarantine lockdowns. What was planned to be a gentle re-introduction to adventure climbing turned into an epic suffer-fest of exhaustion, dehydration and a serious of significant errors. Apparently the pandemic had taken more physical toll than anticipated (not sure if I can attribute this to vaccination, infection, or two years of obligatory/coerced/self-imposed sessile lifestyle). Thankfully my tenacity (foolhardiness?) was still in check.

Having thus weighed and diligently considered your singular merits, we could not have devised a more suitable name, nor one more worthy of your Majesty than this most excellent title, which whenever you hear or read it, you shall remember your own virtues and highest merits.

Pope Leo X

Plan

The plan was to rap down to Führer Ledge for the first night (night zero), wake early and nail-up half-way (at least P1+P2; P3 bonus) then sleep below on Führer after Day 1. Day 2 (Christmas) would be an easy jug back up to explore the upper pitches before topping-out.

By my estimation and from previous experiences on the North Wall, I thought 2-3 pitches per day would be easily achievable. I provisioned my food and water for two days on this basis. If I recall correctly I packed 5x 1.25l coke bottles of water plus a camel back providing about 4l per day for the anticipated 2 days. Plenty surely… Given the hot weather and strenuous workload I demolished this provision in no time; and was rationing myself on both days. I think at least 6 litres per day would have been more sensible in the conditions; especially with dehydrated food.

Day 0

Left Melbourne in the new Delica L400 at approximately 1930 on the 23rd December 2021. I was stoked to take it out for it’s intended purpose. I blasted Jimi Hendrix and the Enormocast (Mark Twight episode – f*cking epic!)

Arrived at Mt Buffalo around 2330.

I could not locate the little A-frame hut sheltering the climbers intention book. I looked all around thinking perhaps the long drive and late hour had affected my perception. It was gone. This disturbed me. I could not complete my deep-rooted ritual of scrawling down my intentions. As though like some occult incantation this would have a tangible impact on the outcome of my expedition. An omen of things to come?

I suppose Parks Victoria no longer care; but I hope a climber recovered the book for climbers posterity.

I pulled some pages out of my journal, to create a new climber book; bound with sticky tape and lodged my intentions with the tourist brochures by the Guide Alice plaque.

I set up the van to sleep by the oval – thermal screens convert it into a comfortable fortress. From this respite I considered how different things were for the early European visitors to the plateau. During the the restless night I woke to what sounded like a wounded animal.

Day 1 – Christmas Eve

Up at 0730. Two trips from Oval to the Defender rap:

1) with the Haul Bag.

2) with 3x ropes on my back and a camel-back on front.

When I returned with the ropes, a red-bellied black snake (I believe) was sprawled across the path, absorbing the the first rays of morning sun. Another omen? Rather than interrupting his morning activities I opted to gingerly creep around this section of the path.

Defender Rappel Approach

I made a total of 3 rappels on the ‘Defender’ approach as described in Lord Gumtree Winter Climb Attempt. The first of 60m on a single line which I left fixed. Riding the pig with a lot of weight. A prusik was absolutely crucial on the brake hand.

Upon gaining the ledge, I set about breakfast with coffee being the first priority. While waiting for the water to boil I pondered the task ahead.

I set my first anchor deep in the P1 starting chimney – a number 5 camelot set for upwards pull; supplemented with an orange totem and green camelot.

Defender of the Faith – Pitch 1

45m at M3. M4 Crux?

RPs, Cam Hooks, crux very reachy + awkward; even top-stepping with 180cm height.

The crux of the route requires transitioning from an RP seam to another crack system 1-2 metres over. This involves a blind cam placement made at full reach; around an arete.

I will be a little vague but if you don’t want beta on the crux then skip the next two paragraphs.

The trick I found is to aid as high up the seam as possible; selecting smaller and smaller body-weight-only RPs (micronuts) until the seam peters out to nothing. Then with tip-toes high stepping in your etriers, you can clip the rope off high to serve as a tension pendulum while pushing-off against the miniscule body-weight placement, orientating your body into a maximally horizontal extension, above the arete. Only from this position does it become possible to just reach the fixed-hanger by finger-tips.

Reaching the next crack-system requires a similar maneuver; however the next piece to be placed is a tenuous cam. This must be placed blindly with finger tips. There is no way to visualise the crack so the cam must be placed entirely by feel. The issue with this predicament is a pendulum fall at full reach while laying sideways against the wall. I attest to this as my first cam choice blew out as soon as I weighted it.

Top stepping (getting as high as you can on the piece you’re on) is one of the harder and scarier aiding techniques – and in the case of bleak aid – also one of the most hazardous!

Andy Kirkpatrick

I think this would be a completely different story for somebody with even slightly more or less height than me.

I vaguely remember a traversing bathook on my first ascent of Defender of the Faith (and a missing bolt?). My partner mitigated the reach by hooking a carrot-bolt using the wire of a nut (and he is at least 6″1′ compared to my 5″11′); however I did not require the technique on this ascent. The guidebook mentions two bolts here. I found only one (but did not find any hole). I suspect things have changed at the crux over the years.

After struggling up P1 I was very low in energy. Although simple climbing (mostly cam-jugging) the upper run on the wider crack-system found me resting a moment after each effort scaling the aiders. I recall during my first experience on Defender of the Faith my partner explaining to ‘try not to rest or look around after each sequence’.

I had a cup of tea before cleaning the pitch.

Cleaned.

Dropped the microtrax – crucial for hauling (although I retain a second device threaded onto the ‘far-end’ which I find indispensable for hauling while solo). Dropped a handful of bolt hangers.

Exploring the Führer Ledge Environs

Found microtrax on the ledge; and some of the hangers resting atop the bracken. Thoroughly exhausted I decided to blow-off climbing and went on mission looking for booty (I remember we lost a blue hex to Führer Ledge on my first outing here – I figure there could be a lot of items hidden amongst the thick bracken although finding it might require a metal detector!).

I found and removed an abundance of old tat and a conspicuous rubber mat, rigged over a small cave between large boulders (to facilitate hauling? Rescue abseil with a litter? – the rusty old chain was pointed directly to Crystal Brooke through the scrub). The rubber mat was extremely heavy but I managed to drag it back to my Bivvy along with the rest of the trash.

While out hunting for more debris, I accidental discovered a geocache (my first – and perhaps the most unlikely and inaccessible in the state!). I made an entry and donated some some souvenir biners that I had found on random tat.

Set up Bivy. Slept on the found rubber mat and bracken – this helped smooth out the stones and roots.

There was a taught single rope visible above Big Grassy but I couldn’t see any climbers. I assume they were on Ozymandias? Later after dusk I could hear voices yelling in the distance. Glad I wasn’t having an epic.

One pitch in Day 1. I was exhausted and far slower than expected or required. Not a good start.

Wrote Journal. Drew Topo. Ate Dinner (rehydrated). Turned-in for Sleep.

Day 2 – Christmas 2021

0715 – 1330; 0330 – 0630 (Lunch P2/3 belay).

I woke at dawn to an incredible sunrise. It was a restless night. I had dead arms and a strong thirst. My food had been nibbled through the bag. It would seem the cold dark domain of the possum is not confined to the Bivvy by Crystal Brooke.

Defender of the Faith – Pitch 2

40m M2 to 3bb. Cam-Jugging and Cam-Hooking with hand-sized cams and big nuts for pro.

Pitch 2 is where the main crack system really takes off through the little rooflet and continues gloriously 100m all the way up the face through pitch 3!

P1 was already cleaned so I prepared to jug up and haul. I loaded up the bag. After coffee + ablutions I sorted gear and stowed the tat + garbage collected from the night before.

I jugged, hauled and made my way back up to the anchor. It was complicated setting up an upward pull anchor at the start of P2 while retaining downward protection. The available fixed gear consisted of a rusty piton with a cracked eye; and a rusty and bent down carrot bolt; hanging with no stance. I managed to move one cam and share the other with the rusty carrot.

I climbed on slow and thirsty through Pitch 2; moving through the small roof with less reliance on cam hooks than in my prior attempt (rather larger gear in the continuing crack). I only had two coke-bottles of water left for the whole day, so I had 1.25l + 1.25l for P2, P3 and the as yet unknown P4+5 climb out.

Defender of the Faith – Pitch 3

50m M2 to ledge and chains. ~60m of rope on solo? More cam-jugging antics up the relentless face crack!

A rope-stretching pitch with bountiful cam-jugging. There were no photos taken from this point on-wards due to the circumstances I will describe.

Error 1 – Critical

Dehydration.

At the beginning of the pitch, 45m off the deck, I realised I had made a crucial error in my self-belay system. I was not effectively belayed at a moment when I absolutely should have been. You can imagine the risk factors involved here and the sickening consequences.

The seriousness of this is not lost on me – I won’t exaggerate the situation, nor pretend like it did not happen. I fucked up tremendously and the thought of this still plays on my mind.

This is the second instance that I’ve made a very serious error under circumstances of exhaustion and dehydration. Thankfully both times I have determined the error before the risk was realised.

It is apparent when solo you need to take time to systematically check yourself at every system transition – as though you were checking another person. It is also apparent the need to preserve attention and focus through adequate hydration.

Continuing Up

Pitch three is relatively simple cam-jugging; however it is long – very long. Indeed it takes a full rope length when rope-soloed. I continued with frequent rests and finally ran out of water after rationing through the second pitch.

Again I remembered Dan’s insistence years ago, not to pause, not to look around at the view, just continue move after move, gaining height with each step. Over a 9 hour climb, every minute adds up. Ten minutes wasted every half an hour means + 3 hours and maybe the difference between topping-out and an epic…

Climb one piece. Stop and rest.

Climb one piece. Stop and rest…

Dehydrated and fatigue were really setting in. Even in the morning I had only made a 1-shot coffee to conserve water – running coffee through the filter twice. I know caffeine is a diuretic but I also needed the energy and the motivation afforded by this essential creature-comfort.

All I could think of was water and the roar of Crystal Brooke was taunting me relentlessly.

I decided it was too risky (certainly after events at the anchor) to push through dehydrated so rather than climbing-out I planned to climb on to my P4+5 fixed rope and jug out, leaving gear and haul bag in situ. I’d go straight to the nearest water source and clean after myself later.

This is actually a common way of completing the climb when using aid; as the upper pitches are indistinct and typically wet and slimy aka “make for an excellent mountaineering challenge”.

“an excellent mountaineering challenge”: a meandering or indistinct route, frequently wet, slimy and/or chossy.

Error 2 – Significant

I ran out of lead line (~60m) about 10m below P3/4 anchor at the big ledge. Luckily my fixed line was hanging down just enough that I could traverse right and reach the fixed line, then join the ropes to facilitate jugging later.

Using an Alpine Butterfly on each end and weighting the upper rope I was able to join the two with a carabiner.

Jugging up the fixed line was simple work but when I got off the rope it rested into slight tension – gradually becoming tighter as the ropes relaxed further.

I fitted a prusik off the P3/4 anchor onto the P3 lead-line to hold the load on P3; avoiding the full 120m of rope stretch when later jugging back up (dynamic ropes typically have a 5-10% stretch in them; which reduces efficiency when climbing fixed-ropes)

This left tension on the upside fixed rope. I didn’t think much of it in the moment but this became a significant challenge. Rather than a traditional rope ascent it became a 60 degree up-hill Tyrolean Traverse all the way to the fucking summit block. This is about as difficult as the situation could possibly become – much worse than either a semi-vertical rope-jug up the escarpment OR a semi-horizontal Tyrol.

Tyrolean Traverse: To haul oneself (while clipped in) horizontally along a line fixed between two points.

After immensely struggling to jug the taught, 60-degree rope for what seemed like hours, I stammered off the block to the tourist track and bee-lined to Crystal Brooke bridge. I thought I would drink and a swim; however due to the steep banks Crystal Brooke was inaccessible from above unlike the exposed rock-bars and pools down in the gorge.

I walked up-stream to find only a stagnant pumping dam. continuing up the road to the Delica I finally doffed my gear (unneeded pro + camel back). I drove back up to the look-out car park where water was freely available on tap.

Error 3 – Annoying

My remaining food was still in the haul bag, 100m up Defender of the Faith (or 100m down depending on how you look at it…). So for dinner I ate only a packet of chips + an apricot juice cup I found in the van… of course accompanied with copious amounts of water.

Error 4 – Problematic

It didn’t occur to me until I’d sat and imbibed about 2l of water and a packet of chips that it would be near impossible to get a rappel device onto this taught fixed-line, let alone descend it with so much friction.

I planned in my head about 2-1 de-tensioning the line with prusik and pulley in order to fit a gri gri and failing that to simply reverse jug down (very tedious option). Of course in retrospect even fitting a gri gri over a de-tensioned bite would be useless as soon as I released tension through the 2-1, as the friction would render the gri gri immovable.

The party on Ozymandias were completing their final pitches in the waning sunlight – the chimney to Gledhill Memorial ledge and summit block. I contemplated walking to the look-out to greet them at the summit but honestly I had no energy left to spare. We never saw each other after. Sleep was fleeting (dreams) and I was up again at dawn.

In retrospect, Pitch 3 had a cascade of problems exacerbated by dehydration any of which could have become much worse. All of which cost significant amounts of time, energy (and water).

Day 3 (Day 2.5?)

Cleaning-Up

0730 – 1330

More water + muesli bars + apricot cup for breakfast. Drove back down to the Oval to tackle the descent to P3 and retrieve the gear and haul bag.

Set up pulley on manky chain + prusik to pull-up slack in rope and get a gri gri on. Rappel was difficult to start pressed into the rock with too much friction.

As I gained more rope, I gained more stretch above lengthening the rope and reducing friction so the abseil became quite tolerably after 10 or so metres. Continued down to ledge, then to P2/3 belay. Released the pig.

Jugged up and cleaned (off the joined rope to prusik/anchor) Far end hauled the bag over the small roof, before continuing on.

Error 5 – Demoralizing

From big ledge I was sure the bag wouldn’t get stuck so I didn’t bother far-end hauling but instead just positioned it favorably and jugged back up to the tree below the summit block (the rope now free, this was much easier). Began to haul and the bag literally got stuck immediately. I let it drop + repeated haul a bunch of times to no avail. Set up a 3-1 pulley. No dice. Had to rap back down and far-end haul half-way up (past shrubs) then continue to jug back up to the ledge.

Escape to Reality

Two-trips to get gear back up to the track. Encountered some tourists and experienced deja vu. I don’t think it occurred to him that the immense mass of gear on my back was not in fact in preparation for the Tourist Circuit day-walk. They clearly had no concept of the kind of ordeal I had just been through.

Now here’s a guy who’s prepared for anything.

Russian Tourist with His Mum and Hot Wife

They tried to make conversation but exhausted near to the point of collapse and smelling like human shit due to the waste container strapped to my haul bag I excused myself and continued. Disheveled and rancid-smelling, I passed through a family picnicking and playing frisbee on the oval.

After setting down my gear, I began disposing of all the tat I had hauled up the cliff. One of the picnickers asked if I dispose of my rope after every climb and I explained that I had cleaned this all up from the environment.

Exhausted I was unable to pack the heavy rubber mat on top of all my other gear. After hauling it up onto the summit block, I rolled it up and stashed it below the anchors – perhaps it will serve as a useful rope protector or somebody else will have the energy to pack it out and dispose of it.

I returned to Bairnsdale via Mt Hotham in the Deli for family Christmas dinner!

Later that night

I received a government text message stating I had been potentially exposed to COVID-19 some days prior to my expedition.

I enjoyed Christmas dinner.

The next day my family managed to obtain some of the last RAT tests in the rural city and I tested negative. I guess I can’t blame (recent) corona-virus infection for my exhaustion, poor performance and absence of mind during the prior days.