We had a bit of a cold glum start to the day. We'd already poked or noses over the cliff edge and seen that access to the base of the Totem Pole was being swept by surf.
This is where we'd bivvied. Quite a good flat spot under some casurina (about 150m before the abseil). God we carried a lot of gear there! Much more than needed but we only had sketchy details of what it needed.
The "walk" to the base was definitely out of condition; there was an old rope connecting the mainland with the first belay though. It had been left a couple of years earlier by Reg Moran after he bailed out of a solo attempt. I decided to have a go at abseiling down and pulling across on it.
It worked! We hadn't climbed the bottom pitch but at least we weren't just walking home. You can see the condition of the rope wasn't very inspiring! If you look closely you can see Bunty begining the abseil (sorry about the image quality but the colours were all very drab).
Bunty then came across.
This is a cold wet spooky place that always gives me the willies.
The second pitch (our first) begins relatively easily. the climb crosses the arete and the crack gradually thins to nothing. Somewhere here I took a fall; a small HB "Anchor" slid out of the placement (the metal doesn't seem to be as hard as that in RPs). I got back on, got a bit further but then became puzzled (and maybe a bit psyched out). Getting to the belay looked blank.
I lowered off back to where Steve was and ate a boston bun (it takes more than that to make me loose my appetite!). At the belay Reg had also left us a stick, kindly tied into the belay. With this tool I cheated through to the belay.
After a subsequent ascent Garn Cooper told me he used a hook (or two?) to pass this patch.
Photo: Steve Bunton.
Steve seconding pitch two. The Tote eerily shrinking below us (and still only about half way up).
The third pitch starts steep and thin.
Photo: Steve Bunton.
It was sheer relief to reach the ledge near the top. The two pitches below had taken us most of the day and the light is now fading.
Steve took this photo from near the true summit.
Steve makes the return trip to the mainland. We were glad of our headlamps as we commenced the walk back in the dark.
