Crag Guide for Omega Block Area

Grey Arete

good beginner trad lead

Slut's Honour

Starts just right of 'Grey Arete'. Has recently had additional bolts added.

Good link up. Climb SA to it's second bolt then right (crux) to join Green Alliance just below overlap.

FA: , 2004

Start as for 'Unprofessional Conduct', moving up past a BR and RB to chains.

Start as for 'Silent Assassin' at the base of the rib, but trend slightly rightwards. Up through cracks/groove to chains on left. May be run out.

Scramble up to start, 2m right of 'No Joy'. Two bolts to chain.

FA: Peter Stebbins, Matthew Brooks, 1991

Blind Sox

Up Blind Justice to slab, across R into corner, then R to the arete (not great pro till towards the top of the arete), up atete to top of State of Shock. Belay from DBR on State of Shock.

up chimney/crack to fused corner protected by ring bolt to rap station

Start: just left of poxbow under obvious corner

pro is spaced, a fall before the small slot (small cam, medium nut) would probably be a grounder

Split Images

Starts up the front of the rib, with gear before the first bolt. After the second bolt, step right around the arete then up the pocketed wall

Law Enforcer

Right of Split Images, starts in the gully of Oxbow. Straight up to RB, then follow Slit Images using its 2 RBs to the overhang. Clip the RB above the lip and move left under the overhang and pull awkwardly into Poxbow. Then into the overhanging headwall using flakes and finish on the Poxbow ledge.

FA: Matthew Brooks, Daniel Brooks, 1991

Pitch lengths are definitely inflated

Start: Up chimney just right of 'Sox Glo' and 'Poxbow'

1. 33m (6)

2. 33m (6)

3. 33m (6)

4. 30m (6) Crux pitch!

Poorly pro down low. Shallow open corner 3m R of oxbow. Up corner to step R onto arête at where cracks converge. Up to just below blocky overhang. Step right onto juggy arête and up to the top

Good first lead, well pro on good rock. Juggy rib 5m R of oxbow. Just left of narrow gully/crack. Follow rib just just under overhang. Join onto dummy bidder to finish stepping R

Originally started off the same ledge as 'No Joy', but has had a direct start added. Up the wall passing a bolt to break (gear), then up past three more bolts to chains.

Left of "Grey Arete" down the walking trail, there is a large boulder with the top covered in moss, just left a small cave. Stand start on crimpy dishes, big move to giant jug, then two committing sloper moves to top out. Good fun.

Up to cave as for YW, but continue direct up a groove past a BR.

Start: Start as for YW.

FA: Matt Brooks, Chris Yeomans, 1991

Groove to cave, R to chimney and up it. Swing L out of chimney beneath loose blocks over roof/arete, then up face.

Start: Start below and a bit L of chimney.

FA: Matt Brooks, Daniel Brooks, Peter Stebbins, 1991

Looks dirty.

Start: Start to the R of the chimney.

FA: Matt Brooks, Daniel Brooks, Peter Stebbins, 1991

Rarely done but looks ok.

Start: Start 5m L of WR.

FA: Bruno Zielke, Fred Langenhorst, 1968

Start at obvious jugs from platform down left of Wee Riper. Somewhat usurped by LM but worthwhile. Adds 4m to Wee Ripper. Thin moves Diagonally past RB bring jugs on WR to hand. Finish up the original. Start at obvious jugs from platform down left of Wee Riper

FA: Mark Atkinson, Mark Rewi, 2012

Like most short routes, a little tricky for the grade.

Start: Start 2m L of 'Powder Hound', off the top of the block.

FA: Joy Fletcher. 1990s?, 2000

Cruxy.

Start: Start as for 'Powder Hound'.

FA: Matt Brooks, Daniel Brooks, 1990

Powder Hound

Surprisingly good climbing for a traverse! A great way to sample territory which is otherwise reserved for much harder routes.

Start: Start 1.5m L of 'Black Magic'.

FA: Mike Law, Chris Baxter. Early 80s?, 2000

This grungy flared crack/chimney is quite incongruous amongst all the neighbouring sport routes!

Start: It's the obvious R-curving crack on the left side of the main 'Omega' face.

FA: Calvin Ho, 1968

Perhaps the least repeated route on 'Omega Block', a criminal waste of real estate in these rock-poor parts! Would be good for a thrash if it had gear.

Start: Start 1.5m L of 'Bloodline', 1.5m R of 'Black Magic'.

Update: Has now had 3 bolts added and may be a safe lead.

FA: Mike Law, early 80s?, 2000

Bloodline

If you thought the 3 retrobolts would make the original grade of 22 a bit inflated, think again! This is one very tough unit, even with bolts every 2 metres. You don't want to stuff up the first few clips either.

Start: There's a chimney/crack on the L side of the main 'Omega' face, just R of a pinnacle/boulder. Start beneath the faint groove 3m R of this.

FA: Andrew Thompson, Greg Child (with 1 bolt!), 1978

Methotrexate

Meant to be an excellent pumper - if you don't mind the hassles of such a wandery route.

Start: Start as for 'Bloodline'.

Satanic Verses

This is the original which joins Bop halfway up.

Start: Start a few metres left of the big pinnacle/boulder.

FA: Matt Brooks, 2000

Satanic Verses (Direct)

Improves the original by keeping it independent to the top.

Bop Till You Drop

Excellent, and not too hard for the grade.

Start: Start 2m L of 'Broomstick', off the top L side of the pinnacle/boulder.

FA: Mark Moorhead, 1982

Bewitched

Another good route, this time just slightly harder than 'Broomstick', although the crux is still the bouldery start!

Start: Start as for 'Broomstick'.

FA: Matt Brooks, Daniel Brooks, 1993

The Broomstick / Broomstick

Broken hold at the start means the climb is now more like grade 25. As i havnt dont a lot of 25's myself, this grade was a concensus of other stronger climbers. [Garbage. It's bouldery 23.]

FA: Mike Law, 1982

Maybe harder/easier ... depends on what sequence you use.

Veer L from 2nd FH of BTYP to RBs on arete, then back R up small flake to rejoin BTYP

FA: Matt Brooks, 2000

Boogie 'til You Puke

Almost certainly the most popular sport route within 3 hours' drive of 'Melbourne'. Might be slightly solid for the grade... but it's a great route.

Start: Start 3m L of 'Witch', beneath a short finger crack which starts about 4m up.

FA: Mike Law, Ian Ravenscroft. early 80s, 2000

Warlock

For those at the grade it's an excellent adventure through otherwise hostile territory.

Start: Start as for 'Witch'.

Boogie Into Witch LHV Connection / Boogie into Witch LHF

A much better way to approach 'Witch' LHF, with some nice independent moves in between.

Start: Start as for Boogie.

FA: Neil Monteith, 2000

FA: Cameron Fairbairn, 2005

Witch

An area 'classic'.

Superseded by "Boogie into 'Witch' LHF".

The best easy route on 'Omega Block'.

Mossy

2m R drainpipes. Climb wide crack on its R side, pull through overhang and zoom to top

From Her To Eternity

FA: Michael Woodrow,

Bouldery wall L of HS, 2BRs.

Start: Start 2m L of HS.

FA: Matt Brooks, 1991

Boogie- Broomstick link up / Boogie into Broomstick

Meant to be ok.

Start: Start as for Boogie.

FA: Nick Taylor early 80s, 2000

Satan said Dance

Start up Bop for 2 bolts, move left and finish up 'Satanic Verses' Direct.

FA: Alistair Robertson, 2000

Voodoo People

Salvages a precious sliver of hitherto ignored real estate for Melbourne's rock-poor locals.

Start: Start as for 'Broomstick'.

FA: A bit of a group effort through the late noughties!, 2000

Thought to be a project for a long time, but apparently it was sent at 29-ish in the 90s.

Start: Start between Satanic and 'Bloodline'.

FA: Some German guy?, 2000

It's hard to see how this is any different to Boogie.

Start: Start as for Boogie.

FA: Matt Brooks, 2000

Hollow Screams

The hardest route around 'Melbourne'.

Start: Start 3m L of Boogie on the far R side of the big boulder.

FA: Matt Brooks, 1999

Almost not worth recording as it's been almost completely superseded. Then again, many 'Melbourne' locals will probably become desperate enough to do it at some point.

Start: Start as for Boogie.

FA: Paul Cuthbert, 1994