Earlier this year I did a 10 day photographic trip to Tasmania. The weather poxed-out across most of the state, except for a few places on the east coast, which gave me the opportunity to make the most of my time by revisiting one of my favourite places in the known universe, The Totem Pole (aka The Tote). In the process I was able to get some great shots for a client as well as document another significant chapter in the history of climbing on one of the most iconic lumps of rock in Australia… errr OK, let’s be frank… one of the most iconic lumps of rock in THE WORLD!!!
In January Doug McConnell and Dean Rollins became the first climbers to free climb the original aid route (aka The Ewbank Route) on the Totem Pole. It took an incredible amount of effort and is a superb achievement. Some climbers had considered it impossible.
To be precise: Doug and Dean free climbed all the individual pitches of the route (they freed the pitches on different days). They were quick to point out that the style of their ascent could be improved by a continuous free ascent and/or by running the second and third pitches together (to eliminate a “hanging belay”), or, of course, an onsight! Well, it’s good to know there are still a few “firsts” left to be done eh!
Nevertheless it’s a significant milestone. It took the Tasmanians 15 or 16 trips out to the Tote over nine months or so. They kept their project very hush-hush lest other climbers got wind of their plans. The climbers have proposed the difficulty of the route to be grade 27 (French 7c, US 5.12d), remarkably easier than many had suspected, or as they put it “not as impossible to free as many had suspected”. Having seen the route up close myself, and considering how much time the climbers spent attempting the route, I would not be surprised if anyone else attempting the route found it at least “rather solid” for the grade! Imagine, placing all the gear, much of it fiddly trad, and run-out, onsight, only 27? Yeah, right!
The Totem Pole was first climbed by John Ewbank and Allan Keller in 1968. I don’t know if they ever named their route (maybe they never envisaged another route on the pillar) but more recently it has become known as the “Ewbank Route“. Since their freeing of the route Doug and Dean have proposed renaming it “The Freed Route“ but, as much as anything, I think this is a tongue-in-cheek comment on the naming of the other route on the pole – “The Free Route“. It’s all getting a bit confusing when really, all we need to know is, that The Ewbank Route has been freed. And personally I generally don’t agree with the renaming of aid routes when they have been freed.
Anyone who has followed my photography will know that the Totem Pole has long been one of my favourite places. I was involved in and photographed the first free ascent in 1994 with Steve Monks, Simon Mentz and Jane Wilkinson. Since then I’ve made numerous trips for a film project, numerous commissioned and personal photography projects, and to climb it – for fun!
After all of their efforts I’ll bet Doug and Dean were well and truly sick of the two hour hike each way. I’m grateful they were willing to make a few more trips so that I could get these shots — and capture another piece of Totem Pole history. Thanks fellas, great job!
See my Totem Pole gallery here.
