9. First route - Ebola

Friday 15. 9. - At the morning, the infirmary had two new members, Ivan Be whose real name is Ivan Big (Doskočil) and Simko. Both of them had sore throat. I was the healthiest one and I did not feel very good at all. I am wondering how will we manage that wall. We decided to be acquainted with surroundings and climb some short stuff. In the first place, we tried our toilet with window wide open and then we went to Catta camp to got the newest climbing information. The camp is placed near walls in nice forest. Canteen is a center here, it is used also as pub and climb center. This year just very few climbers came here, only Polish were here whole august. They went away two days after we came here. They climbed the new way on Tsaranoro Kely Cucumber Flying Circus, classification 7b+. We did not want to go away from a shadow to that African heat, because we were wasted since yesterday. However, if we want to climb we have to go under the wall. In a moment 6 crippled figures with nimble and healthy native Calvin went up the slope under the Lemur Wall. Simko lent him climbing shoes. He said that he will try to touch the rock for the first time. We came under the wall crawlingly, with taking the rest under every tree, about 11:00. I had a big advantage because I carried my shadow with me. An old umbrella was for this situation perfect. We began to analyze structure of the wall with binoculars.

It looks great, everywhere are knobs, if they will not break, you could not imagine a more beautiful climbing. Ivans decided for a Pectorine way classified as 6b A0. They took a Calvin with them. And he climbed well. They put him down with pumped off forearms after the 4 meters of climbing. Rest of us decided for Ebola which length was six pitches. I was chasing a lizard under the wall, because I wanted to make some photos. Suddenly something creaked in my camera and refused to cooperate. Damn thing, it was not working. A statement U6 was on the display. At least if it would be U2, I could listen that.

We went to Ebola as two rope teams. I went with Simko as journalists and right behind us was Šaňo with Rado. About 12:30 the sun went behind clouds and in the wall was pleasant shadow. The whole Tsaranoro massif is turned to the east and the sun was baking the walls since sunrise. Simko climbed first pitch. It was a crawling for 6a. The second pitch was steep and I was the one who was conquering it with the help of good holds. It was a delicate climbing on not so stable flakes and wheels that on my surprise held. I saw such a rock only at German sandstone. Everywhere are wheels, which can be hold from all sides. Great. The third pitch for 6b+ climbed Simko and while he made up his mind from bolt to bolt it took him an hour. The routes are equipped with bolts but the distance between them is sometimes alpinist, regularly 5-6 meters, sometimes even more. The cold wind has blown in the wall. We were frozen. This is Africa! When I came to Rasťo to the belay station, I found him there sitting as a tragedy in its purest form. Fingers hurt, climbing shoes pinched, once it was hot then cold…everything was bad. I went to the fourth pitch, perhaps the most difficult, not to delay it.

Overhanging problem with small holds released immediately and even Šaňo ill as hell done it with speed of light. Decimated Simko refused to take a role of a leader and he ceded me his pitch. To climb in such rock is a real joy. The last one was such a nice friction climbing. We were at the top at 16:00. We made an abseil in 40 minutes, thanks to good team cooperation. Ivans came, too. Their comment was: “still the same, easy with long runouts.”

We decided that we will make our first ascent here on Lemur Wall. The wall is shorter, not higher than 250 meters and it was very suitable for acquainting. We were thinking about the line and its possibilities. To the left on the knobs beside Ebola. The holds were everywhere, little bit steep.

We came to BC around six o’clock. Dula was cooking something already and according to aroma it has to be something brutal. Meanwhile I was fighting with my damaged camera, “notorious” Rado could not wait until he gets his dose of beer. A grasshopper jumped from the bottle to his nose. It has to known that it is in trap and so it went deeper into his nose. When he tried to get it out it bite him to mucous membrane what caused a blood spurt. It was a due take away of blood and it looked like a hog-feast around him. The grasshopper got the dose of septonex and this persuaded him to leave. Then we simply got him out of his nose by tweezers. Ja gut, but enough of joy. Meanwhile Dula finished the dinner and lukula feast began. It was rice with vegetables. Finally, we were good fed, but we were not eating but gobbling. After the meal, we drank a beer and about 21:00, we went to our warm beds.