Caldwell and Jorgeson Tour Australia with Dawn Wall
Local Dave Barnes talks about their day at the Organ Pipes
Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson recently toured Australia with the award-winning Dawn Wall film. They climbed with fans of the movie and visited a number of places.
In the lead up to Jorgeson and Caldwell’s Australia visit, climber Dave Barnes set bouldering problem similar to the the dyno on the 5.14c pitch-16 of the Dawn Wall at Rockit climbing gym in Hobart.
“My job was to take the big wall cowboys to our local crag,” Barnes said. “The Organ Pipes.” The 100-metre dolorite pillars are near the summit of Mount Wellington, 1,023 metres above the harbour city of Hobart. “It’s cold up there, snow cold, unexpected to the traveller who expects beaches and outback that is usually associated with an Australian tour.”
At the cliff, Caldwell and Jorgeson made quick work of a rope-stretching climb called Neon God 5.12b. “They asked about animals and we made them sound bigger and heavier than truth would have it,” said Barnes.
“They asked us about our crags and we made 20-metre crags sound like two-carrot gold treasures. Truth was we knew that they knew that all that mattered was a good day of climbing. We laughed a lot.”
They two top climbers then roped-up on After Midnight 5.11d, “a technically mind boggling 50 metre arête.”
Barnes said, “As quickly as we had arrived, I had to pack them away and drive back down to Hobart so they could begin their first speaking engagement that evening. They enjoyed the urban wilderness of the Organ Pipes and that evening’s Dawn Wall chat was a thrill for all those gathered.”
Caldwell and Jorgeson toured all major cities in Australia through July 2019.
Check out the latest buyer's guide:
