Mirage (27 AU/5.12d YDS) 35m, Taipan Wall, Grampians, Australia
Photographer, Simon Carter opens his lens on that iconic shot
Photographer, Simon Carter opens his lens on that iconic shot
The perfect journey is never finished, the goal is always just across the next river, round the shoulder of the next mountain. There is always one more track to follow, one more mirage to explore."
-- Rosita Forbes
Midweek I sat down for a video chat with Simon Carter, climbing photographer, guidebook author and climber. Behind him were blue files, references for the thousands of shots and business files catalogued in metal drawers. There is a lens on the shelf. I had requested a meeting to discuss a photograph, that of Malcolm Matheson (HB) on Mirage (27/5.12d), on that Grampians cliff of monumental uberness, Taipan Wall.
The iconic image was corralled and captured by Simon in April 1991. It began in the morning when Simon belayed and seconded Andy Pollitt as he onsighted Sirocco (26). HB was with them and took some photos of Andy’s send on Simon’s camera from the ground.
The iconic image was corralled and captured by Simon in April 1991. It began in the morning when Simon belayed and seconded Andy Pollitt as he onsighted Sirocco (26). HB was with them and took some photos of Andy’s send on Simon’s camera from the ground.
Andy Pollitt onsighting the third ascent of Sirocco (26/5.12c), belayed by Simon Carter, Taipan Wall, Grampians, Australia. Circa 1991. (Photo Credit: Simon Carter Collection – taken by HB.)
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HB wanted to play on his route (Mirage) located next door. He had previously shared with Simon that Mirage had a wild move he may want to capture.
It was now the afternoon, Simon knew that the wall came into the sun at 2:30 p.m. so being where he was, he lowered a rope from the top of Sirocco, had his abseil rope fixed by HB and hauled it up with his camera gear. Knowing that HB was ready to climb Mirage, Simon set up his rig and rapped down with a vision of the image he wanted to frame. At the time, Simon was young and fully immersed in the climbing game. He had just finished a degree in Outdoor Education at Latrobe University, Bendigo, but was unsure if he wanted to pursue a career in that field. He says, “I could see the value of outdoor education, basically using outdoor activities as a way for youngsters to connect with nature, but at the time I was becoming increasingly obsessed with my own climbing. I wanted to get as good as I could.” Simon was also tuned in to what was happening in the scene, he felt a need to record it somehow. He shared, “I had realised that the climbers around me were doing some incredible things in spectacular places. I was born at a time that enabled me to witness [arguably] the best time in Australian climbing history. I was lucky to be around.” Prior to the day of the shot being captured, Malcolm (nicknamed Horsham Bruce, but most folks call him HB for short) had become chatty with Simon in the Pines Campground. |
A young Simon Carter in climbing mode, approximate to time of events in the story. (Photo Credit: Simon Carter Collection)
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HB was super excited - he had a new route on Taipan Wall in the Northern Grampians and energetically described each and every move and one in particular.
Simon explained speaking with HB, “If you get the man talking, he will happily describe every route on the wall. He is just so incredibly enthusiastic! At the time, HB showed me a recent picture he had taken of Andy Pollitt on Sirocco, the route next door to Mirage, pointing out every bit of the climb in detail.”
Andy, HB, and Simon had made the trip from Arapiles out to Mount Stapleton. Simon was in his mid-20’s, HB was already a legend, as was Andy. To have an invitation to film him was cherry and to have climbed with Andy on Sirocco that day is how Simon ended up hanging precariously off that wildly leaning and bodacious wall 40 metres off the deck. Simon did not want to screw this up. As mentioned, he was accompanied by talent, was in the right place, with the right light, and at the right time.
Simon was nervous, “Once you commit yourself to abseiling down a wall and positioning yourself it’s hard work. That day I carried a couple of lenses, which would dictate what I would shoot. Today a climbing photographer has many more options because of the technical brilliance of modern cameras.”
Simon explained speaking with HB, “If you get the man talking, he will happily describe every route on the wall. He is just so incredibly enthusiastic! At the time, HB showed me a recent picture he had taken of Andy Pollitt on Sirocco, the route next door to Mirage, pointing out every bit of the climb in detail.”
Andy, HB, and Simon had made the trip from Arapiles out to Mount Stapleton. Simon was in his mid-20’s, HB was already a legend, as was Andy. To have an invitation to film him was cherry and to have climbed with Andy on Sirocco that day is how Simon ended up hanging precariously off that wildly leaning and bodacious wall 40 metres off the deck. Simon did not want to screw this up. As mentioned, he was accompanied by talent, was in the right place, with the right light, and at the right time.
Simon was nervous, “Once you commit yourself to abseiling down a wall and positioning yourself it’s hard work. That day I carried a couple of lenses, which would dictate what I would shoot. Today a climbing photographer has many more options because of the technical brilliance of modern cameras.”
To a degree, Simon was winging it. He loaded 35mm film into his Nikon FE2 that was able to grab 3.5 frames per second. Cameras today easily capture 20 or more frames per second! After a great morning of climbing with Andy, and with light on his side, Simon was ready as he could be.
HB casually swung through the first pitch of Sirocco (26), a route he had established a couple of years earlier. Taking a breath, HB cruised a technical corner gaining a glassy slab, moving swiftly like a man who owned this place.
HB casually swung through the first pitch of Sirocco (26), a route he had established a couple of years earlier. Taking a breath, HB cruised a technical corner gaining a glassy slab, moving swiftly like a man who owned this place.
Malcolm Matheson (HB) sporting a mustace and trad gear. (Photo Credit: Simon Carter)
As a part of Taipan Wall climbing history, HB did. A stone throw away is his Carpe Diem, Serpentine (29), a climb that is one of the best in the world, spanning the full height of the cliff. Matheson (HB) had put Serpentine up in 1988 amongst a swag of other nearby classics - when a man was measured by his hairy chest and moustache.... well, this one anyway. The only other moustached hero of that era was Freddy Mercury. Only one of these two men would see the year out.
Meanwhile Simon positioned himself at a place that he could capture the move that HB was now approaching. Simon was angling for the action coupled with the stunning golden wall shining in Wimmera afternoon light. Being lit up made the climbing a little trickier but HB was enjoying it, lizard like. Simon wanted to get the crux move exactly right so set his camera for a rolling shot. |
There in front of him the magic happened - beast of a climber, tough, tanned and totally psyched for climbing. HB positioned himself for a leap of faith and exploded like a flesh rocket upwards, both hands clean from the rock. There was the move, a mega dyno that has not been equalled on film prior or since.
“Far out! I remember being pretty excited.” Simon said. “HB did the sequence numerous times for me.”
The sequence is an exposed full-body dyno through a glassy body-length section of rock to another hold. The length of the wall stretched out like an infinity wave and was lit like fire by an Australian sun. Simon was onto it.
“The DYNO. I fully framed it for when he would be jumping. I wanted him in full flight for my motor drive while he went for it.” Dude, that camera motor was loaded and smoke’n!
“Far out! I remember being pretty excited.” Simon said. “HB did the sequence numerous times for me.”
The sequence is an exposed full-body dyno through a glassy body-length section of rock to another hold. The length of the wall stretched out like an infinity wave and was lit like fire by an Australian sun. Simon was onto it.
“The DYNO. I fully framed it for when he would be jumping. I wanted him in full flight for my motor drive while he went for it.” Dude, that camera motor was loaded and smoke’n!
The dyno and shot felt 'round the world! Malcolm Matheson (HB) on Mirage (27/5.12d), Taipan Wall, Grampians, Australia. (Photo Credit: Simon Carter)
It took Simon and HB four to five efforts to seal that shot. Amongst these he was confident that he had bagged at least a couple that framed that incredible move. Simon thanked HB and soon after returned to his home where he leaned over his light box, confirming that he had captured the sequence (this was before you could preview photos from a digital screen, you had to take it on faith and experience that you had captured the shot, but wouldn’t know until the film was developed). Simon was stoked and immediately began sorting the images, slicing and then packaging them, to climbing journals throughout the world – by post!
When I spoke with Simon about his classic HB dyno image, he thought it looked beautiful, but acknowledged that it now looked aged. He explained to me the value of digital photography and the resolutions available to today’s adventure photographers.
“Shooting action is so much easier today. Thinking of the Mirage shot, if I captured that with today’s technology it would be a cleaner shot with no shadows. I would be able to shoot it in a different, softer, light.”
I understood I was chatting with a master photographer and me, as a centrefold voyeur, was then, and still am, dazzled by that shot. After first seeing that photo in Rock Magazine I sought a similar route, well sort of similar, a seven-metre orange sandstone micro-route on the edge of Suburban Sydney and I dyno-ed like a boy possessed. Young climbers everywhere were doing it at their crags and in the newly established climbing gyms. It was the thing to try. The Mirage shot of HB on Taipan Wall made Simon. . It was bought by magazines around the world. It was a climb that affected him personally too.
“I was 26 and realised I was capturing history. These climbers were at the peak of their fitness and having the time of their lives at the most amazing place on the planet, Taipan Wall. What these climbers were doing was significant and if anything, I wish I took more in-between moments (lifestyle) and not so much of the hero shots.”
When I spoke with Simon about his classic HB dyno image, he thought it looked beautiful, but acknowledged that it now looked aged. He explained to me the value of digital photography and the resolutions available to today’s adventure photographers.
“Shooting action is so much easier today. Thinking of the Mirage shot, if I captured that with today’s technology it would be a cleaner shot with no shadows. I would be able to shoot it in a different, softer, light.”
I understood I was chatting with a master photographer and me, as a centrefold voyeur, was then, and still am, dazzled by that shot. After first seeing that photo in Rock Magazine I sought a similar route, well sort of similar, a seven-metre orange sandstone micro-route on the edge of Suburban Sydney and I dyno-ed like a boy possessed. Young climbers everywhere were doing it at their crags and in the newly established climbing gyms. It was the thing to try. The Mirage shot of HB on Taipan Wall made Simon. . It was bought by magazines around the world. It was a climb that affected him personally too.
“I was 26 and realised I was capturing history. These climbers were at the peak of their fitness and having the time of their lives at the most amazing place on the planet, Taipan Wall. What these climbers were doing was significant and if anything, I wish I took more in-between moments (lifestyle) and not so much of the hero shots.”
An in-between moments shot of HB getting in some climbing training while changing a tire (Photo Credit: Simon Carter)
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Which brings us to the present. Firstly, other climbers have tried to emulate HB’s Mirage dyno while photographers try to mimic Simon’s magic image, but nobody has. You can try to be HB, but you will never really cut it, he is a rare one.
Secondly, songs have said that history never repeats. This was a golden time of Australian climbing and Taipan Wall was the epicentre of that wave. There is a vibe in that shot. Maybe it is the faded image, or the hairy climber? Or, could it be the age it was taken? Whatever it is, Simon’s image has - it.
Today, Taipan Wall has been in and out of the access malaise with Parks Victoria. As of this writing, the left end of Taipan wall is open, including the featured route, Mirage. The wall was closed due to reports of the presence of Indigenous stone quarrying.
It is respectful to protect indigenous history, however, inconsistent closures and policies has caused trauma for all parties. Simon feels passionately on this issue and has been a leader in advocating for climbing access. That aside, Horsham Bruce and Simon Carter captured some climbing art of their own. And, today’s climbers can still emulate HB’s dyno and have their youthful bodies fly vertically across Mirage, defying gravity, in a beautiful location, and on a climb, we hope, for all of time.
Secondly, songs have said that history never repeats. This was a golden time of Australian climbing and Taipan Wall was the epicentre of that wave. There is a vibe in that shot. Maybe it is the faded image, or the hairy climber? Or, could it be the age it was taken? Whatever it is, Simon’s image has - it.
Today, Taipan Wall has been in and out of the access malaise with Parks Victoria. As of this writing, the left end of Taipan wall is open, including the featured route, Mirage. The wall was closed due to reports of the presence of Indigenous stone quarrying.
It is respectful to protect indigenous history, however, inconsistent closures and policies has caused trauma for all parties. Simon feels passionately on this issue and has been a leader in advocating for climbing access. That aside, Horsham Bruce and Simon Carter captured some climbing art of their own. And, today’s climbers can still emulate HB’s dyno and have their youthful bodies fly vertically across Mirage, defying gravity, in a beautiful location, and on a climb, we hope, for all of time.
Learn More About Climbing in the Grampians
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If you would like more information on the climbing bans or to advocate for climbing to recommence in many Grampians locations visit Save Grampians Climbing.
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Topo courtesy of Simon Carter from his book Grampians Climbing.
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See More of Simon's Work
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The Art of Climbing
Simon Carter has come to be one of the foremost climbing photographers throughout the world. In this day and age that is a serious accomplishment, every climber with a phone takes happy snaps of their vertical adventures. To rise above that static through progressive generations of climbers, to keep images fresh and enlightening, to capture the leaders in our game doing incredible feats in amazing locations, well that takes discipline. Few of us have that. Simon Carter does and his new book, The Art of Climbing captures a lifetime of his work. |
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