Bouldering in Indonesia

The weekend of the 10th and with Aunt Judy, Cousin Em in tow, we set off for Parang valley for a different sort of day out. Our first visitors gave Anja and I a break from the routine. Sharing this incredible area with others was something quite special. They have both climbed but neither have tried bouldering; the prospect of bouldering for the first time ever in swealtering heat and without rock boots somehow wasn't that enticing. Anja and I managed to have a bit of a go and one problem was sent: the hanging prow that eluded me on the last trip. Bear Pooh is hard 6C+ perhaps 7A I think and a really nice line.

Bear Pooh

The following weekend saw a successful completion of two projects. We were lucky with cool temperatures throughout the day and rolling motivation. Beginning with the White Boulder, a new problem has been added at 7A+. After four sessions, this problem takes a right-hand start to Simple Pleasures; sharp holds, small foot holds and big moves. Considering I'd ear-marked it for completion before the year was out, I'm pretty stoked. Just the direct start to go now and the right-hand side of the White Boulder is complete.

Pleasurecore

Feeling good but slightly drained, I needed a rest and Anja was feeling encouraged and wanted to climb. I guess this sort of thing is contagious. We set off up to the Ombak with lights hearts. Since we first found the block, the left arete has looked to be the most desirable line there.  After a bit of work, Anja topped out the Ombak Arete problem. At 6A this is her finest achievements and took only a couple of goes on the day before swift dispatch. She was at full stretch on this one and had thought it impossible. Really pleased for you.

Ombak Arete

On the sister block of the Ombak block, I tried to piece together another problem but was firmly beaten into submission by it. It should keep me occupied for the time being. We'll see how it goes. Finally, a stop off at the garden area and cleaning the smaller of the two massive blocks there concluded the day and set up our next visit nicely. Looking forward to getting on to the two problems we found there. All in all a good day which felt like progress had been made. We now have six topped problems and as many projects to be completed. A few more cool days and we'll be sweet.

Kawasan Kebun

Two weekends of relative inactivity on the climbing front have resulted in slow progress in the valley. Sunday the 27th of July saw another attempt by Anja and myself to find a route up to the foot of the crags on Gn. Bongkok. On the two previous attempts we had gone unprepared and been shut down by the terrain, the midday heat and a bad choice of route. We had been using the topo from rockclimbing.com to do so (which comes complete with absolutely no mention of how to approach the crag). This time we were better prepared. Carrying ropes, the rack and enough supplies for a good day out, we set off this time from the path that leads down to the boulders.

Having scouted a possible route to the lower right hand side of the crag, we first followed a series of trails through the bamboo and then went up a dry river bed. At a certain point, the bamboo stops and so do the paths. Here, the jungle really seems to bite back and you're faced with a solid wall of greenery which Anja and I spent almost an hour clearing away in order to reach the lowest face. We finally managed to cut our way through, broke the Golok in doing so and, massively exhausted, found ourselves, at last, at the foot of the real climbing on the Gunung..

From where we were, lines of unbroken rock, rise up lightly-featured in places taking you up to the main face itself. It really is an inspiring place. We went for a look around and soon realised that this largely featureless rock, as we had guessed from bouldering, would be more of a sport climbing venue than trad. With this in mind, we set about looking for the line Iraqi Affairs but couldn't locate it. It had taken us two and a half hours to reach this point. It began to look as though our whole day might soon be spent making little progress in terms of useful developments in the area which over the last few weeks have been moving along nicely, we both decided that the best decision was to quit while we were ahead.

We decided to take another look at the two large boulders that we found on the first trip out. Anja was pretty dead from the trek up the hill and I was also wiped, both a little down about our necessary decision regarding Gn. Bongkok. While looking around at the rather high-ball problems, not only did I see a pretty gnarly line, I also found a cave the went underneath the larger rock and lead to a clearing - a sort of garden area with a bamboo shack in the middle. The garden has boulders all over, of all sizes and will be the next area to be explored properly. It seemed to pick us both up and re instill the feeling that the development of bouldering here at Lembah Parang is the best use our our time in Indonesia.

Boulder cicuit established

Sunday saw a number of problems sent, some more projects put up and an area of good quality bouldering finally established. Following four weeks of trips to the area, there are now 4 boulders with around 15 problems developed not all of which have yet been successfully topped out.

The first send of the day was Anja Crabb's Pleashure Cat which takes the line furthest right on the White Boulder. This follows a groove up and left onto the high slab to the top of the boulder.  She puts this as one of the best problems she's done and gives it a grade of Font 5B.

Anja on Pleashure Cat

The move of the ground involves a high step, then through delicate technical climbing left and a high reach and step up, a stable position is established on the high slab. From there, it's a quick trot up the slab to the top of the boulder. On the first ascent, the down-climb hadn't been finished and Anja had to wait for me to clear the path so she could come down.

 Padding up the high slab

The right-hand sitter to Simple Pleasures didn't yield despite a continuous assault, the sun moved and we lost our precious shade, so Anja and I decided to check out the pair of high ball boulders up the hill again. 50m up the hill from the White Boulder, we found another area with three boulders, both with shaded areas that provided our afternoon entertainment. An enourmous boulder has split at some point in the past to leave these two curiously formed pieces of rock; one takes the form of a tidal wave, leaving the other as a steep, blank slab. 

On the Ombak Boulder there are two problems. On the left-hand side of the block is a very clean 6A arete problem. It really is an impressive line. Here, Anja is on the arete problem. This tackles the arete from a standing start and follows it up to a clean top-out.  

Anja on Ombak Arete

On the right end of the block is an equally impressive but more challenging line. This problem  starts low down underneath the overhanging prow and from a sit start, climbs up the double-arete and onto the face of the wave itself. The problem slaps up both aretes until a good pocket on the right hand edge. From here, you rock onto the top of the block, round the back. I think, just to be in keeping with the way things have been going of late, the problem resisted, leaving me yet another problem for yet another day.

Underneath the prow