Tuesday, March 21, 2023

 Two Tassie summits and a classic climb



One for the surgeon: Ian 'Humzoo' Thomas testing out his recently-reconstructed knee 
on the classic climbing route, Apline - Whitewater Wall, Freycinet, March 2023


There has been a run of obituaries on this blog over past few months so I think it's time to celebrate the living. I had the great pleasure to travel extensively around Tasmania in March, 2023, with good friend and legendary climber, Ian 'Humzoo' Thomas. Ian had a knee reconstruction six weeks earlier and was keen to test it out on a few challenging summits - and the fabulous Whitewater Wall climbing route, Apline. His knee passed with flying colours.

The video embedded below captures our two summit climbs - Mount Victoria in northeast Tassie and Mount King William I in the southwest. It was a truly memorable journey and a testament to Ian's incredible persistence in re-discovering the fine physical form of his younger days. Our shared euphoria at seeing a cloud-free Frenchman's Cap - several times - with the southwest's extraordinary mountain landscape spread out before us was unforgettable. 

This is why we do it! 

The wonders and beauty of Tasmania's wild places are self-evident - it's the camaraderie and inevitable humour that always takes this to a new level.

Two Tassie Summits video (18:32)