The Taipan Wall

Wallpaper Description:

Photographer Ken Etzel: "The Taipan Wall of Grampians National Park in Australia is unlike anything I've ever seen. It's a massive wave of overhanging sandstone with bullet-hard rock and nails-hard rock climbing. The routes are often long (50 meters or longer) and the protection is often sparse. The climbers ‘down under’ definitely pride themselves in their bold style of climbing. We had been shooting at the wall on and off for a week or two. Other than the brilliant orange and black streaks on the wall, I felt like I hadn't fully captured what it's like to climb on this otherworldly formation. Wiz Fineron had recently climbed Groove Train (5.14b/33 pitches) and was looking to take another lap on one of the finest routes in the world. I jugged up my fixed line and had someone pull the other end way out from the base so I could capture the immenseness of the wall and the position Wiz would be in while climbing. On the lower half of the route, he flipped around and was facing out to catch a rest. I grabbed the frame and knew I had captured something unique in the world of rock climbing."

Copyright Ken Etzel / Red Bull Illume