Perhaps a blurted thought or conscious curiosity, whatever it was, Matt’s slab suggestion at the Ledge became reality…
Sunday morning. Groggy after a late night. Coffee is magical. We arrived at Narrabeen Slabs after midday and the crew were hard at it. Early risers departed as we flaked the green 67m rope. Jenny had freshly cleaned our warm-up climb. We jumped on Muscoviet Mosquito. I felt more in tune with the moment after my hands took in the cold winter rock. A fun bit of layback at the top and Steven belayed me down. A good start to the day. Throwing off the snug Scarpas was priority once I reached the ground but finding Ash suspended mid-air below the overhang problem caught my attention first. I couldn’t help but have a laugh. Okay, climb two: Lunatic! Steven advised me that there was a juggy exposed bit up above…sweet. Kit kat is not a sponsor but we had a break and ate some cookies and cream kit kat afterwards. Noteworthy.
Time for that overhang that had sparked my curiosity. Only an 18, so I thought there was nothing to it. A short, juggy climb with heel hooks and bump ups. The 180 degree body position put the nerves back into me. So much of outdoor climbing is head game. I made it to the end twice but not cleanly. It would be worth coming back to conquer that one. Sophie jumped on as Steven and I headed back the other way, but not before Sophie found herself hanging in mid-air as well.
Back the way we came we found Jenny, Ash, Brendon and Ian enjoying the slab action. I felt warm and ready for a challenge. Frantic seemed difficult enough for our climbing appetite. Steven had to rest but he made it up some frantic pinches to keep his balance and make it up to the top. I tightened my knot and took a few deep breaths before I stepped up. A few easy step ups brought me to the fork in the climb. Going left was a harder variant. I pulled on some shallow finger pocket and pressed myself against the wall to avoid falling back during the wide step move. Pulling up through a pistol squat into a quick rest. I raised my feet high and gripped onto a tiny crystal but my balance was off. Argh! Right before the anchor I slumped into a hang. I found a simple enough undercling and the right footholds to make it up to the finish. Disappointing because that would have been my ice cream run. I couldn’t leave it at that. I climbed straight back on from the start and cleanly lead Frantic. A quiet satisfaction lingered with me for the next few days. Bring on renovator’s dream for the next ice cream!
The beach vibes had made their way into the nearby bush. It was a chill Sunday well spent out in Narrabeen with friends and fun climbs.
