Abels - proving it?

[headwerkn]

Hi all,

Got a seemingly simple question which, strangely, I haven't been able to find much of an answer on yet.

What is the communally accepted method for proving you've done all - or any - of the Abels?

I suppose it would be nice to believe that no person would dare say they've bagged all 158 peaks unless they've actually done so - you are, after all, only cheating yourself otherwise - but I don't anyone's really that naive to believe that, especially these days. It is, after all, a fairly exclusive little club with many, many people no doubt aiming to join with varying levels of success and likelihood.

I'm only a dozen-or-so into my quest, with several years minimum ahead of me, but it is a definite goal I'm working towards. All my athletic pursuits get GPS-logged these days, and obviously photos along the way... I'm assuming that'd be enough, but as I tend to do these things solo or outside of known Walking groups, I was curious.

Cheers, Ben.

[CasualNerd]

I read something about this a while back, either here or on NatureLoversWalks blog. I think at this point most people are known to each other and often walk in groups.

[Tortoise]

I read something about this a while back, either here or on NatureLoversWalks blog. I think at this point most people are known to each other and often walk in groups.

I reckon that's pretty much it. That will change as more people go for them all. Zane is probably the first one who has done many of them solo, but his blog is pretty comprehensive, and I think he's an honest chap! Bottom line is that there's nobody to prove it to. As one of the Abelists said, in answer to the question 'What do you get when you finish them all?': A total hip replacement.
Not that I'm aiming for them all, but I keep a record for myself of when got to the top of what, and who I was with. Figure it'll be nice to look back on, and good to prod the memory.

[ILUVSWTAS]

Interesting question.... is there someone in particular you need to prove it to? Does it matter?

I guess it depends on the individual. I know many walkers that have bagged all or most of the Abels and never say boo about it. They dont care for or need recognition. Then there's guys like Abel Zane who is trying to get as much publicity about his quest to dominate them as possible.

Alot of walkers are known to each other, people know who is doing what where alot of them time. But I really dont see that it matters?

There are probably a dozen or so that you probably shouldn't do solo however.....

I'll get close to climbing them all in the next year or so and i'm sure you wont hear boo from me....

[doogs]

You're only cheating yourself if you lie as there's no prizes for peak bagging.. if someone was getting a decent financial gain out of bagging Abels then I'd want proof!!
Incidentally I've done about 60 of my Abels solo (I still have plenty to go too). I reckon others will have done more than that alone.

[headwerkn]

Cheers for the responses guys. Obviously more a hypothetical question than anything... I'm only doing for myself in the end, as a motivation to get my mountain goat on more often... I suppose I was just curious if there were some established-yet-unspoken 'rules' that might be worth considering before getting too far down the rabbit hole

Doing more walks with groups will invariably come, no doubt, as the peaks become more substantial and involved. As ILUVSWTAS rightly stated, there's a number that really aren't for doing on your ownsome, regardless of your experience level.

[L_Cham_67]

I like to keep track of the Abels I've climbed, purely out of statistical interest. Many of the 51 I've done so far have been solo, but I'm not about to ring up Bill Wilkinson and let him know how I'm going because no one else was there to see me do it
I do keep a photo album of the summits, and if I take a GPS recording, I'll save them too. But again, that's just for me to look back at.

[north-north-west]

It's like peak-bagging in general. An honesty system prevails.

I do most of my walking solo and have hit all but six or so of my Abels that way. I take the camera and GPS to record what I do - but that's for just for me, not to satisfy anyone else. People want to query or doubt my count, that's on them. What someone else thinks doesn't change what happened.

While we're on that - another grey area: I did the Spires trip with Dan, but went from the Font to Shining and Conical and the Pokana cirque solo, where he joined me. Then the next morning solo to Pokana where we joined up again for the walk out. Now, do Conical and/or Pokana count as solo climbs or not?

[stepbystep]

While we're on that - another grey area: I did the Spires trip with Dan, but went from the Font to Shining and Conical and the Pokana cirque solo, where he joined me. Then the next morning solo to Pokana where we joined up again for the walk out. Now, do Conical and/or Pokana count as solo climbs or not?

Nah, I was keeping an eye on you so you wouldn't get in strife...

*ducks for cover*

[north-north-west]

Your eyesight is unbelievably good. I mean, watching me climbing Shining when you're out on Innes High Rocky, watching me going up Conical when you're heading down from the Font . . . truly impressive. That's raptor standard eyesight at least.
So I'm still wondering how you failed to see me climbing back down from that rock outcrop just out from the cirque camp, when I found there wasn't a viable route over it?

[doogs]

It sounds like the time I did Wedge with(out) Dan. He couldn't make it past half way up as he was hungover (full disclosure; I was too) and he hung in the forest taking photos. Apparently in 'Dan's counting' I couldn't claim that as a solo peak! Oh and he missed out on an awesome cloud inversion

[bushwalker zane]

It's a good question, and one I get asked now and then. In the end, like everyone's said - it's purely an honesty system. I am not trying to prove anything to anyone by climbing the Abels, that's not the point. It's about being out there, enjoying the beauty of our stunning little island, and the wonderful places we are lucky to be able to explore. The reason I'm blogging about it is just for fun, and hopefully inspire people to go outside. The pace I've been climbing is more of a personal challenge.

Louise has a list on her blog of people who have completed the Abels, and those who are getting close. I'm not on it, and I know there are others missing too, http://www.natureloverswalks.com/abels-list-top-abelists/.

[beardless]

Louise has a list on her blog of people who have completed the Abels, and those who are getting close. I'm not on it, and I know there are others missing too, http://www.natureloverswalks.com/abels-list-top-abelists/.

Looks like Louise has updated the list:
"14 Zane Robnik Records abound. Youngest completer; fastest round of A Abels. Aged 25 yrs and 358 days on completion. Completion took him 2 years and 197 days."

[doogs]

Louise has a list on her blog of people who have completed the Abels, and those who are getting close. I'm not on it, and I know there are others missing too, http://www.natureloverswalks.com/abels-list-top-abelists/.

Looks like Louise has updated the list:
"14 Zane Robnik Records abound. Youngest completer; fastest round of A Abels. Aged 25 yrs and 358 days on completion. Completion took him 2 years and 197 days."

Sorry to demote you Zane but Bill has you at number 15 on his list. http://theabelmountains.com.au/abelists/completed/

[bushwalker zane]

Sorry to demote you Zane but Bill has you at number 15 on his list. http://theabelmountains.com.au/abelists/completed/

Haha no demotion at all! I knew of this not long after finishing, I'm surprised that Lousie hasn't her list accordingly yet. I wonder how many more will finish in 2018? There was 5 in 2017, and so far 2 for 2018.