Built to Last and the Auckland update

As of late I have been doing little climbing, but I have been doing a lot of falling. To be a little more specific, I have been falling off Built To Last! In total, I have had 11 attempts at the route and have still not linked it. This weekend gone I sent it from the first draw through to the top three times. Sadly on every red-point my foot popped off just before the mantle. I hope that this weekend will see the end of my tour of duty on this route.

Much is riding on this send. If I manage to send BTL in less than 15 shots Richard Morgan must buy me booze; actually if I send it in less than 20 goes he still has too!!! To date the fastest kiwi ascent of BTL is around 40 TRYS!!!!. I would like to make my ascent the fastest to date. The reason is basically due to me wanting to hassle the Dark Lord Morgan!

As to the grade of BTL... In the past is has been classified as 29. Also some web sites are posting that it as 29. After talking with the previous senders, and considering my own abilities and routes i have sent, it is clear the route is not 29. At a bare butt minimum it is 30. I personally think it is not as hard as the 30's i have sent, but I think it falls into the middle ground of 30. When comparing this route to that of the 8b's in the shit hole cave like Nos, or Dracula, BTL is harder.

Aside from BTL what have I been doing... not much! I have continued to attempt to repeat the harder problems at Froggatt. Stu's V10 in the back of the beer garden has been very close for me, but my fear of success has stopped me from finishing the problem... ( i think what i mean is my sissy ass is to scared to make the final move!) I have had several sessions on the roof project at Froggatt also to no avail! This route is hard hard!!!

If you can jump through the first 3 moves (I bet Stu can) the problem is around 30. If you are unlucky and can not jump past the first three moves my best guess is the boulder problem start is about v10/11. Both Mr v6 and I believe this to be true.

In other related Auckland climbing news... Chase (The Good Boy) Gatland has been tearing the North Island a new one. This terror has been eating 28's for breakfast; with a second go of Louder (28), a day send of Ikarus (28), and a crushing send of DLJ (28) we are left asking when will The good boy unleash his fury on the N.I's hardest routes, because it is easy to see 28 is nothing for this monster. Along with these sends Chase has also flashed 26 and sent a bunch of easy shit!

Jamie the TOOL BOY has also been having some success recently picking off a nice send of the sandbagged 25 Direct Action. Tool Boy has also been getting really close of Vroom vroom mentality (26) this will be his first of the grade! go TOOL BOY go!

Aside from these masters of stone the rest of Auckland has been doing fuck nothing and needs to harden up, myself included!

"if you can't stand the heat get out the kitchen; if you can't stand the beat it's time to stop your bitchen"

OUT!