Ben Ditto, Nico and Oliver Favresse, and Sean Villanueva have created two more major rock routes during their on-going trip to Greenland's West Coast. They are travelling aboard Bob Shepton's 10m yacht Dodo's Delight.

Since our first report on the West Greenland adventure, Dodo's Delight experienced engine trouble and had to spend time at Upernavik in the hands of a good mechanic. Prior to it undergoing surgery, the four climbers persuaded Shepton to drop them off at a nearby island that featured an attractive 400m rock wall.

The four spent five days marooned on the island, waiting for Shepton to return with the boat, but were able to climb a fine, rightward slanting line up the quasi-vertical wall that begins a little above sea level.

The route was named Brown Balls, followed a series of excellent corner cracks, and featured a crux dyno to a grass patch. Currently, no technical grade has been announced.

The next objective was the locally named Seagulls' Wall, which rises 850m from the ocean.

To quote Shepton, 'I've been looking at that wall for 12 years but never found any team good enough'

The team started up the steep granite face from a belay on the deck of the boat, and spent the next 11 days completing their ascent.

The generally sound granite often had to be cleaned of copious vegetation (where it couldn't be used for progress) and during spells of rain a large 'black hole' high on the route sent a waterfall onto their portaledge.

The four made three camps on the route and left no in-situ gear on the wall; the portaleges were carried down the far side of the summit to the coast.

The climb has been named Devil's Brew, after an alcoholic present the boys gave to Shepton at their first meeting. The colour of this liquid reminded them of the dirty, bird-dropping-flavoured rainwater emitting from the 'black hole'.

Although no grade has been released, the team felt Devil's Brew was possibly the most adventurous route they'd climbed to date. Now that's saying something.
 

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