Not sure what ‘artificial pro’ you mean Ben- I assume you’re asking about bolts vs. trad gear for anchors??

There are a fair few climbs with bolts up top, especially on the first few walls. Some of those bolts are quite far back so you’ll need either a large amount of webbing or else a static rope (10-20m) to reach the edge.

Hi Ben,

Generally natural or trad gear means rocks, trees and includes the stuff you use to connect to the rock, ie cams, nuts, hexes etc. Other than that you’ve got bolts. It is not adviseable to use the shrubbery above the cliffs at Willyabrup and on environmental grounds we shouldn’t anyway.

There are a lot of bolts at the top of Willy’s to cater for abseillers, (mostly they were not put in by or for climbers), which is why they are so far back from the edge, hence Di’s advice to get some long tape or static line.

I hope you know how to equalise tension and not to exceed 60 degrees in the angle between your lines going back to your anchors from your running carabiner.

Safe climbing,

Toc.

There are enough bolts at Willies to open a hardware store. Majority are above Stainless Steel wall, i think I counted 15. There are a heap above Hope and Dolphin smiles (there is a doggy carrot that is in a rock that you can lift up, have considered trundling it in protest but best just to warn people) and there are a heap above absolutely beautiful.

Best to have 2x10m cordelette and half a dozen binners with a few screw gates. As TOC said be competent (or just figure it out) as to equalising anchors because they were put in by abseils for the best line down the face (whooo Hoooo extreme abseiling) so a few require some greater understanding of rope work. More than just tying two figure 8’s, clip biner, toprope away. Have fun top roping!

All that said you can toprope and/or abseil at Willies with a beginners rack, Ie a few mid to large nuts, a few mid to large hexs (if you a poor) or cams (if you are poor but actually intend to lead any trad climbs in your climbing career).

So in protest set up natural anchors and climb away knowing that you have, in a little way, minimised the impact on the coast at Willies. Or you could be a sloathenly creature like myself, only climb on climbs that have bolts, and for ease of access.

Talking of putting bolts in sea cliffs and the like. When are we going to come out and be open enough not to publicly condemn those that have spied some absolutely stella lines on the south coast (from Willies to Albany) that require a bolt or 15? I know there are a few Perth lads chomping at the bits with the battery/petrol powered drills to go MAD. And before you start I’m not talking about abseil points. Can you imaging 15 rap bolts at the top of “The climb / Dancing the deep blue” for all the whooo Hoooo extreme abseiling.

Peace out…. Mr T.