Ozymandias - A tyrant or something of immense size. King of Kings in Greek.
My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Taken in part from a Poem by the late, Percy Shelley.
INTRODUCTION
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At 268 meters (880 feet) Ozymandias, located on the north wall of Mt. Buffalo, is one of the longest climbs in Australia and is a classic amongst classics. Its origins are as an aid climb with a first ascent done in 1969 by Chris Baxter and Chris Dewhirst, and in 1989 it went free by Steve Monks and Jane Wilkinson. Today Ozymandias is done as aid [14 M4 (5.6 A4)] or free (28, 5.13a), and some people opt to sleep on the wall as a multi-day big-wall style climb.
Ozymandias Direct [free, 28 (5.13a) or aid 14 C2+ (5.6 A4)], is a "direct" line where the first five pitches are the same as Ozymandias and then navigates directly through a large roof about 2/3 up (which Ozymandias skirts to the left) and finishes directly up through an orange corner and chimneys. In 1972 Geoffrey Gledhill (author of this memoir) and his twin brother Alan Gledhill did the first aid ascent of Ozymandias Direct when they were 27 years old. In 1995 it went free by Steve Monks and Jane Wilkinson. Significant sections of both these climbs mostly take microwires/RPs (brassies), occasional micro cams, and cam hooks for aid. Roland Pauligk (an Aussie that invented the micro brass nuts called RPs) created the #0, which ended up being perfect for Ozymandias. Similar to some of the Yosemite climbs that went free, old pin scars opened finger-tip sized holes that enabled people to climb the smooth granite corner/faces without aid. We are excited to have this first-person account of Ozymandias Direct by none other than first ascentionist Geoffrey Gledhill. -- Stefani Dawn, Editor & Dave Barnes, Assistant Editor Common Climber |
The North Wall of Mt. Buffalo at early morning. The classic climb Ozymandias and Ozymandias Direct is located on this wall. If you look closely, there are climbers in the orange corner. (Photo credit: Alan Gledhill, 1975)
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THE BEGINNING
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After making the second ascent of Ozymandias under somewhat trying conditions - a wet start, with torrential rain, then hail at the finish - my brother Alan and I set our sights on doing a direct finish. This entailed breaching the roof at two-thirds height, ascending the attractive orange corner above and continuing up the continuous cracks to the top.
Chris Baxter suggested that the best approach would be to take the small vertical corner that rises from Ozymandias at about half-height. So, at Easter 1971 we set off up this line. Unfortunately, the crack in the corner ran out at a small triangular ledge well below the roof. After a lot of hard work, we put in a belay on the vague arete just below the roof. Getting to this point had taken a lot longer than we expected, and as we had no idea how difficult the orange corner was going to be. We decided to swing across into Ozymandias and escape. Our only reward being a small amount of new climbing and the third ascent of Ozymandias. Just after Christmas, 1971, Peter McKeand and Chris Dewhirst made the first ascent of Lord Gumtree [22, M6 (5.11a A3)], which was a great achievement, and pushed the standard of aid climbing at Mt. Buffalo up a notch or two. During the Australia Day weekend of 1972 Alan and I were back at our high point of the year before, while Rick White and Rob Stazewski were hard at work on the second ascent of Lord Gumtree, one climb over. Interstate rivalry was alive and well in those days. As we were approaching Big Grassy (where most people bivvy at the end of the third pitch, but it can be reached in two pitches by combining the first and second pitches, which is the way Malcolm and I did our two ascents), I glanced across at Lord Gumtree and saw to my horror what I thought was a falling body. Fortunately, it was only a haul bag that had been clipped into thin air. |
Geoff Gledhill on the second ascent of Ozymandias (Photo credit: Alan Gledhill)
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There was a spectacular spray of water as their water bottles exploded on impact. This incident put the Queenslanders a bit behind as they had to retreat to retrieve their gear and replenish their water.
A group of first ascentionists for multiple climbs on Mt. Buffalo. From left to right: Bob Bull, Chris Baxter (back), Alan Gledhill, Chris Dewhirst, Mike Stone, and Geoff Gledhill, 1971 (Photo credit: Geoff Gledhill collection)
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Alan Gledhill leading the roof on the first ascent of Ozymandias Direct. (Photo credit: Geoffrey Gledhill collection)
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Alan led off from our previous high point on Ozymandias Direct, and was a little apprehensive about the stability of the large rectangular block lodged in the roof.
"Are you two joining Ozymandias to Lord Gumtree?" came a shout from below. I looked down to see a great mop of black hair and a row of white teeth. "Yes" I replied to Rick.
In the meantime, Alan was already across the roof, finding that the block was solid and the crack above straightforward. Relief!
While following, I clipped the first piece under the roof and found, to my disappointment, that I could not reach back to the wall to unclip the previous piece. This necessitated reversing the move by pulling myself back to the wall with the rope and removing the offending peg from the roof. I was very aware of the exposure, and reluctant to just cut loose and swing out into space, so contrived a way to lower myself gently out into the void. I was very aware of the exposure and very reluctant to just cut loose and swing out into space. move, removing the offending peg from the roof and contriving a way of lowering myself gently out into the void. This was all much to the enjoyment of the spectators on the other side of the gorge.
I finally moved past the roof and into the orange corner. While cleaning the corner, I detached a hand sized flake that was home to a very large huntsman spider. The spider had no intention of riding his house to the deck, so a long hairy leg latched onto a micro jug and he scuttled away in search of a new home. Quite impressive.
"Are you two joining Ozymandias to Lord Gumtree?" came a shout from below. I looked down to see a great mop of black hair and a row of white teeth. "Yes" I replied to Rick.
In the meantime, Alan was already across the roof, finding that the block was solid and the crack above straightforward. Relief!
While following, I clipped the first piece under the roof and found, to my disappointment, that I could not reach back to the wall to unclip the previous piece. This necessitated reversing the move by pulling myself back to the wall with the rope and removing the offending peg from the roof. I was very aware of the exposure, and reluctant to just cut loose and swing out into space, so contrived a way to lower myself gently out into the void. I was very aware of the exposure and very reluctant to just cut loose and swing out into space. move, removing the offending peg from the roof and contriving a way of lowering myself gently out into the void. This was all much to the enjoyment of the spectators on the other side of the gorge.
I finally moved past the roof and into the orange corner. While cleaning the corner, I detached a hand sized flake that was home to a very large huntsman spider. The spider had no intention of riding his house to the deck, so a long hairy leg latched onto a micro jug and he scuttled away in search of a new home. Quite impressive.
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We bivvied at the top of the orange corner and now all that was left to do was finish up Lord Gumtree. While doing that we managed to embarrass our parents. They were on the rim of the south side of the gorge looking across at us, and Alan shouting "Pull your fucking finger out," as I struggled to nail the wide cracks above. We also left some water for Rick and Rob who were running short and now behind us on Lord Gumtree.
After Ozymandias Direct we lost interest in aid climbing - the direct was such a spectacular climb any future aid climbs were going to be an anti-climax, plus all of the work involved with all the ironmongery used in those days was just too much. During the winter of 1976, I watched John Fantini bouncing up and down as he jugged up past the roof after cleaning that pitch. He was making a solo ascent. Very impressive. Roped soloing the route became quite common, and reached its peak with Malcom HB Matheson's ascent of Lord Gumtree and Ozymandias Direct in one day. John Fantini and his climbing partner Keith Bell were also making fast ascents of Ozymandias Direct. One of John and Keith's greatest achievement was a one-day enchainment that included Ozymandias Direct, Fuhrer Eliminate, Status Quo, and Hard Rain. I wonder when that will be bettered. In early 1989 my phone rang. It was Chris Baxter with the news that Ozymandias had gone free. Steve Monks and Jane Wilkinson had pulled off what we would have thought impossible just a few short years before. |
Looking up at the roof from the Big Grassy bivvy. (Geoffrey Gledhill collection)
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Years later, in 1995, John Fantini and I were watching Steve Monks on Ozymandias Direct. Steve was on the wall below the overhang.
"I don't know how he is standing there," said John Fantini. That was when the meat and potatoes pitch of Ozymandias Direct went free. Amazing. In late 1996 Malcolm Matheson (the climber who did Lord Gumtree and Ozymandias Direct in a day) asked if I would like to do Ozymandias Direct with him, "We don't have to rush" he said "We can take as long as needed." I readily agreed, on the condition that we should swing leads. I didn't want to be a passenger. So, we decided to do the 25th anniversary ascent the following January. |
Steve Monks freeing Ozymandias in 1995. (Photo Credit: Simon Carter)
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THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY ASCENT - JANUARY 1997
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At 5:30 a.m. I met Malcolm at the top of the gorge, and we began the series of absiels into the start of the climb, arriving well after the sun was up. Malcolm started off and ran the first two pitches together. I was amazed, I hadn't seen anyone aid climb that fast before, and he was even faster on the bits he free climbed. This really inspired me and I set off cleaning the pitch as fast as I could.
The pitch up to Big Grassy was my lead. "Take your time, you don't have to rush like me," said Malcolm. I did my best to ignore his advice and found myself on Big Grassy while it was still in full sunlight. This surprised the last member of the party ahead of us as he departed to clean the pitch above. I set up the belay and called Malcolm to start jugging. By the time I had hauled the pack and had a drink, Malcolm was standing beside me. In no time we had sorted the gear and Malcolm was off again. Perhaps an hour, or a little later, I was approaching the belay below the roof and waiting for the last member of the party above to start cleaning. As the last member of the party left the belay, I was following him aid for aid up to the roof. The roof slowed me down a little, but I was soon around it, as it sported a fixed wire. Malcolm had negotiated to pass the party above at our old bivvy site, so I continued on to belay at the bottom of the Black Fang - a slender truncated triangle of rock pointing downwards above and to the right of the top of the orange corner. The next pitch went quickly as it was all free, but I jugged it since I was not wearing climbing shoes. The chimney above went fast, and in no time, I was leading the last pitch. By 5:30 that afternoon we were both standing on top. I could not have asked for a better day climbing. I will always be grateful to Malcolm for asking me along and that was a spectacular way to celebrate 25 years. |
Alan Gledhill and Geoffrey Gledhill at the Black Fang on the first ascent of Ozymandias Direct (Photo credit: Geoff Gledhill collection)
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SEEING THE CLIMB WITH NEW EYES
Just after Christmas 2004 it was very cold. As I sat looking at the North Wall of the gorge through a light snowfall, I was joined by some other climbers. The one nearest to me introduced himself as Lee Cossey, the other two were Phillip Sage and Ryan McLoughlin. As climbers do, we started discussing aspects of the wall opposite us. It soon dawned on me they were about to try to onsite (free climb) Ozymandias Direct from the ground. The first five pitches of Ozymandias were freed in 1988, when the original climb went. Then in 1995, the same team (Steve Monks and Jane Wilkinson) freed pitches 4-9, starting from Big Grassy). But, to my knowledge, Ozymandias Direct hadn't been done free non-stop from the ground up.
"I'm going to try," said Lee.
The next day I went to the gorge to watch their progress, and later on rode my bike down to Bright. When I returned, I found that they, unfortunately, had not been successful with the onsight and were instead finishing up Ozymandias original.
After dinner at Lake Catani, I returned to the gorge and went to meet them as they emerged from the exit chimneys just after dark. It had been a big day for them. Once the team had recovered, they invited me down to the top of the big corner on Ozymandias to work on the final pitches prior to the red point. I felt this was a very nice gesture on their part.
As I watched Lee climb up to the roof, I saw the climb with new eyes. I was very impressed as he proceeded to do several laps on the roof. At the belay at the foot of the Black Fang, I had a very insightful discussion with Lee about various aspects of the climb. I followed Lee up the next pitch free, and found it a much more pleasant experience than aiding it, as I had done so long ago.
A few days later I got on Where Angels Fear to Tread and watched Lee do the red point of Ozymandias Direct. It was a truly amazing experience. How many climbers in those days would have gone to Mt. Buffalo with the intent to onsite Ozymandias Direct as their first climb of the trip? I was excited to witness their repoint.
"I'm going to try," said Lee.
The next day I went to the gorge to watch their progress, and later on rode my bike down to Bright. When I returned, I found that they, unfortunately, had not been successful with the onsight and were instead finishing up Ozymandias original.
After dinner at Lake Catani, I returned to the gorge and went to meet them as they emerged from the exit chimneys just after dark. It had been a big day for them. Once the team had recovered, they invited me down to the top of the big corner on Ozymandias to work on the final pitches prior to the red point. I felt this was a very nice gesture on their part.
As I watched Lee climb up to the roof, I saw the climb with new eyes. I was very impressed as he proceeded to do several laps on the roof. At the belay at the foot of the Black Fang, I had a very insightful discussion with Lee about various aspects of the climb. I followed Lee up the next pitch free, and found it a much more pleasant experience than aiding it, as I had done so long ago.
A few days later I got on Where Angels Fear to Tread and watched Lee do the red point of Ozymandias Direct. It was a truly amazing experience. How many climbers in those days would have gone to Mt. Buffalo with the intent to onsite Ozymandias Direct as their first climb of the trip? I was excited to witness their repoint.
Geoffrey Gledhill on "Where Angels Fear to Tread" a climb on the south side of the gorge. Geoffrey did the first ascent with Chris Baxter and Keith Lockwood in 1970 and completed a 50th anniversary ascent in December 2021. (Photo Credit: John Morris)
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Geoffrey Gledhill on "Where Angels Fear to Tread." Geoff also did the first ascent of the direct version of that climb with his brother in 1971. (Photo Credit: John Morris)
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THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY CLIMB
One only gets one chance to do a 50th anniversary climb, and Malcolm - my 25th Anniversary climb partner - was keen. I knew it would be a challenge for me, but I wanted to give it a go. On the 14th of February 2022, Malcom and I set off down the south-side track by head torch, arriving at the foot of the climb at daybreak.
We lead the same pitches as we had done twenty-five years before, only this time the second climbed with the pack and trailed a half-rope as insurance if we decided to retreat.
"This is heavy," said Malcolm as he took the pack from me.
"Yes," said I, trying to catch my breath.
I was much slower getting to Big Grassy this time around, but still confident we could make it to the top in a day. Malcolm set off on the next pitch but declared the minor corner too dirty and decided, instead, to go up Ozy original.
The party ahead of us kindly let us pass, and we were soon at the belay below the roof. I led the next pitch, but was unable to reach the stance below the Black Fang because I had run out of gear of the correct size. Malcolm got us to the Black Fang, and then lead the next pitch up to the chimney. By the time I had cleaned that pitch I was feeling very tired. We also finished the last of our water.
Malcolm led the last pitch by head torch, and, thankfully, hauled the pack while I cleaned the pitch. While I was slightly disappointed that we did not ascend our original path, the way we went is the way climb is repeated now-a-days - both free and via aid. In all honesty, I think it climbs better this way. So, emerging at the top, in the dark, in one day, brought a memorable five decades to a satisfying end.
We lead the same pitches as we had done twenty-five years before, only this time the second climbed with the pack and trailed a half-rope as insurance if we decided to retreat.
"This is heavy," said Malcolm as he took the pack from me.
"Yes," said I, trying to catch my breath.
I was much slower getting to Big Grassy this time around, but still confident we could make it to the top in a day. Malcolm set off on the next pitch but declared the minor corner too dirty and decided, instead, to go up Ozy original.
The party ahead of us kindly let us pass, and we were soon at the belay below the roof. I led the next pitch, but was unable to reach the stance below the Black Fang because I had run out of gear of the correct size. Malcolm got us to the Black Fang, and then lead the next pitch up to the chimney. By the time I had cleaned that pitch I was feeling very tired. We also finished the last of our water.
Malcolm led the last pitch by head torch, and, thankfully, hauled the pack while I cleaned the pitch. While I was slightly disappointed that we did not ascend our original path, the way we went is the way climb is repeated now-a-days - both free and via aid. In all honesty, I think it climbs better this way. So, emerging at the top, in the dark, in one day, brought a memorable five decades to a satisfying end.
The Gear of the Day
Apart from climbing gear our equipment was pretty basic. We had sleeping bags and hammocks and our food was canned sardines, salami and canned fruit. I think we had four or five litres of water each."
- Geoffrey Gledhill
Photos of the gear used by Geoffrey Gledhill. The aiders were used on all of his first ascents.