Camels Hump, Rock climbing

BLDV

VB-VB VB+V0-V0 V0+V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V7 V9 V11

Map

2 3 4 5 1 6

1 Omega Block Area 2 Trackside Boulders 3 Northern Sector 4 The Labyrinth 5 Eastern Outcrops 6 Carpark boulder

Directions in Google Maps

Find Accommodation

Seasonality

Description

Wet in rain

Mount Macedon is a small town located 64 kilometers northwest of Melbourne. Camels Hump is the highest peak of Mount Macedon. This small rocky outcrop is relatively unimpressive but is in fact the 400 million year old remnant of one of the largest volcanoes ever seen in Earth's history.

It has steep and solid rock, with a variety of pumpy sport routes, tall trad lines, and crispy boulder problems. The area in great for climbers not wanting to make a long drive to the bigger named crags. If you're climbing grades 16-20 or V2-6, there's plenty of quality here worth ticking.

Toilets - nearest public toilets are only 500m further up the road from the Camel's Hump car park on Cameron drive. Given the popularity of climbing and bouldering here, finding a spot downhill behind a boulder isn't an option anymore.

Approach

Take the Calder Hwy (M79) out of Melbourne. Get off at the Mt Macedon exit (C322) and head up the Mount. The easiest approach to the crag is to simply walk along a trail marked "Emergency Use Only", that leaves from the Camel's Hump car park, and weaves around to the base of the Omega Block area.

History

History timeline chart

The 1st climbers apparently came to Camel Hump in the late 1950’s and it received a sprinkling of routes from the VCC and RMIT groups through the 1960’s – Romulus, Remus, Oxbow and Witch gave Victoria its first 17. Activity continued but much of it went unrecorded and Chris Baxters Central Victorian guidebook of 1974 described only 13 routes. Camels spent much of the 1970’s in the doldrums. Mike Law and friends ‘rewrote the guidebook’ during the early 80’s . Most recently attention has focused on the Back Wall and bouldering opportunities. - Chris Baxter c 1991