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Mark Gamble

@wombby
Australia • Sport climber
  • Climbing since: 1999
  • Member since: before 2004
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Fri 19 Apr

Mark Gamble updated a route at Mt Maroon. • 14 days ago

Updated 1 route.

Updated the route 16 ★★★ Ruby Of India.
Updated beta description.

Protection: Full rack: nuts, hexes, cams up to 3 - 3.5 Description: 210 metres, grade 16, fun climbing - all trad.

To find the start: up the hiker's track, about a 30min hike, to the first orange triangles below "Echo Point", rock scramble up the boulders to the lookout (rocky outcrop above Viewpoint Buttress), from the lookout, walk up about 30-40m above, to another orange triangle on a rock:

East Face - East Face - short cut

★★★ Ruby Of India 16 - short-cut in to Ruby

turn Right here & follow the track a couple of hundred meters past the "Jezebel" cracked pillar into the gully to where the track turns right & starts to slope downhill. When you arrive in the steep gully behind Egg Rock, cross the gully & climb the rock face opposite Egg Rock & bush-bash up left towards an arched cave in the main wall. Belay from this bent tree directly below the center point on the arch.

★★★ Ruby Of India 16 - ROI belay tree

  1. (45m 14) Take the easy ramp up right into the alcove & follow the chimney thru to 2nd chimney & corner, up obvious crack (8-10m), or alternately, step out right onto face around pillar & up to large belay ledge.

  2. (45m 13) A zigzaggy pitch: tough moves straight up, mount the ledge, then walk up the track, right, for about 10m & climb the left leaning ramp (grade 2-3), keep trending left, up the slope, to a pillar & prominent L-facing corner. Belay at the piton below the corner (or better, below the pillar where you are sheltered from possible rockfall.)

  3. (45m 16) Up face for 4-5m to a small root (first gear), passing a small cave & follow the line of weakness up past a small gnarly pine tree on the face. Up to ledge and into the prominent left facing corner, up corner 2-3m & step out right onto face & arete. From here up another 10m to belay ledge. Another piton here marks the belay for pitch 4.

  4. (28m 13) Choose your own adventure up any line you choose to the trees above & belay on ledge above

  5. (45m 14) Up the scooped alcove either way, ending up in the prominent crack on the RHS & topping out via this. (NOTE: a nice finish to this route is to link the last 2 pitches using a 70m rope.)

When exiting the mountain, track Right across the caldera as shown here to avoid the nasty 20m cliff at the gully:

★★★ Ruby Of India 16 - ROI exit route

Look for a big forked gum tree, this will bring you to an easy (4-5m) down-climb.