21/09/2019

Kent’s Crew and Me….

So I’d been thinking about doing Looking Glass but then had a few other offers. For various reasons I was either unable to get to the other offers, they got cancelled or I decided I’d really rather do Looking Glass. After a bit of a shit week at work a long, complex walk and tricky little canyon was just what I needed

As luck would have it Kent was doing a trip there so late Friday I gave him a call and jumped on board.

Pulling into the meeting place I was pleased to see Louise and Scott as I hadn’t managed to catch up with them for a trip in ages and they are always good value.

Others arrived. Stuff was jammed in cars and before we knew it we were in the Wolgan and on our way.

The haul up through the cliffs was no where near as difficult as I was expecting. The walk along the ridges made up for it though. Lots of spurs where it was easy to loose the main ridge if you wasn’t paying attention, thou a fire in recent years meant there wasn’t much scrub so walking was easy.

We managed to scramble down into the head of the creek then followed it down to the first abseil. I was so caught up in enjoying the bush and the banter it took me by surprise when someone said we’d been going for 4hrs already.

On my last trip with Tim I mentioned we’d been using releasable anchors. Today he packed his “Gate” which he had picked up as a freeby when he bought something at Adventure Base but had never used. And by gate he meant Gigi but none of us knew how “Gigi” was pronounced so “Gate” it was.

I’d be keen to see the figure 8 block. said he.

Did you bring your fiddlestick, Said Scott

Let’s rig every abseil different and see how they compare, said someone else. Oh wait, that was me.

I’ve been loving learning and sharing new techniques lately so this was going to be a fun day.

I started setting up the second drop using a figure 8 block.

Can we fiddlestick this one. asks Allie

Sure.

I’ve been wanting to try this. Says Scott. I bought one but Louise is a die hard member of the DRT crew (Double rope techniques or, as we re-dubbed it, the Dinosaurs (using) Redundant Techniques…. 🙂 )

Ok well she wont have a choice for this one. I grin

So, I’d been toying with an idea to help manage the pull cord. I’d tested it a bit on the cliffs behind my place and it was working a treat. So confident in it was I that I posted a video of it to the Australian Canyoners facebook group to show people how it worked.

So of course today in the wild in front of a bunch of keen onlookers the whole thing turned to shit, the bobbin fell apart and I’m mid way down the abseil looking at a knotted mess wondering how rectify it….

Back to flaking it into the throw bag like a normal person…

Next up Figure 8 block.

You wont be able to release that when it’s loaded. Says Kent

Yeah I will, say I. Pull on this I’ll show you

Na I’ll get on rope. I’m telling ya, ya wont be able to lift my weight to release it.

Kent gets on rope , locks off so his whole weight is on the system… I pop the lock and lower him down. Easy peasey.

Well I’ll be buggered. Says Kent. You have to show me that

• 

• 

And then we stroll back through the ruins and back to the car

• 

• 

• 

Time: 8hrs car to car relaxed pace with plenty of stops and discussions around anchors

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood. I ignored both, went my own way and discovered more than I ever thought I could

Back