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Owl Pillar Mostly Sport climbing 6 routes in sector

Grade context: AU
Photos: 14
Ascents: 1,545

Access: Temporary burn closures - Winter season

https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/park-alerts/22924

Parks Services will be doing their annual Winter burns to reduce fire loads, between now and September, in and around the GH Mtns. There will be temporary closures of these mountains during this time period.

Climbers: please respect these closures and check with Park Alerts before you make your trip ( https://parks.des.qld.gov.au/park-alerts), and if your destination crag is closed, climb elsewhere on the day.

Thanking you

See warning details and discuss

Created 24 days ago - Edited 7 days ago

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Description

A freestanding pillar bearing a remarkable resemblance to an owl. Has 4 short but fun sport routes and an easy trad climb up the back that can be soloed and used to setup topropes off the summit rap chains (please use your own biners to avoid anchor wear).

Climbs are listed left to right.

Access issues inherited from Mt Ngungun

Allowed

This mountain is very popular. Stay on tracks, don't poo at crags.

Approach

Gentle 10-20 min

30m south-east from 'Flat Battery Wall'.

Descent notes

Rap off

Most routes have dedicated lower-off anchors and there is also a set of summit rap chains on top of the pillar which can be used to descend from all the climbs, with varying degrees of equalisation.

Ethic inherited from Glasshouse Mountains

New route potential

Modern climbers establishing new routes have taken great pains to ensure any new routes do not interfere with the historic routes established many decades ago.

Retro-bolting of existing routes is unacceptable!

New routes shall make use of traditional protection where available.

History

History timeline chart

The original easy route up the backside was most likely climbed by an enthusiastic 'brave' from the local aboriginal tribe thousands of years ago to impress a girl. Locals have been continuing the tradition ever since - with various degrees of success. In the early 90s Darrin Carter placed a chain on the summit and a couple of bolts down what would become Afternoon Delight. But in a particularly brattish move teenage Neil Monteith soloed the first ascent before Darrin got back up the mountain again. Amazingly he didn't get decked for this. Monty bolted a further three routes on the pillar. Some of these routes were also soloed, including Midnight Makeout which originally had a big jug just over the lip. Luckily this jug ripped off when someone was leading the route - not soloing it! In 2015 some of the routes were rebolted with extra bolts to make things a bit saner.

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Routes

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The easy climb up the slabby back of 'Owl Pillar' starting off the ledge just left of Midnight Makeout.

FA: An Indigenous fella

Start at the leftmost line of bolts on 'Owl Pillar'. Compulsory stickclip the 1st bolt due to the uneven ground and steep dropoff to the L. Pull up the overhanging start (crux) past the 1st FH then clip the 2nd FH. Continue up more easily clipping the top BR (shared with 'Afternoon Delight') on the way to the summit and rap chains. The bolts on this route are still the original carrots bolts so take care. No dogging please.

Set: Alister Robbie (grade 20 version with big jug at start), 1993

FA: Neil Monteith (Grade 22 version after jug fell off!), 1994

A traversing linkup of the four lines on the pillar. Start the climb as per Midnight Makeout and traverse R to finish at the anchors of Morning Madness. The clipping sequence of the route is:

1st bolt of 'Midnight Makeout' (FH)
2nd bolt of 'Afternoon Delight' (FH)
3rd bolt of 'Dawn Raid' (RB)
4th bolt of 'Morning Madness' (RB)

To finish, continue straight up to the DBB at 'Morning Madness'

FA: Neil Monteith, 1995

Start 2m to the R of 'Midnight Makeout'. Straight up clipping 2 FHs then a BR. The BR is shared with 'Midnight Makeout'. This route was originally equipped by Darrin Carter but Neil stole the first ascent by soloing the line. Naughty boy. The bolts on this route are still the original carrots bolts so take care. No dogging please.

Set: Darrin Carter, 1993

FA: Neil Monteith (solo), 1993

Best route on the pillar - sustained. Start 2m to the R of & 2m down from 'Afternoon Delight'. Stickclip high first bolt from ledge on the left but start the climb down right. 3 shiny new RBs to lower-offs. Retrobolted (with permission) 2015. Take care clipping the 2nd bolt, as there has been at least one ground fall.

FA: Neil Monteith & Marten Blumen, 1994

Start 2m R of & a bit down from 'Dawn Raid'. The rightmost line of bolts on 'Owl Pillar'. Follow the line of 4 RBs to lower-off on the right. This route is a bit mossy. Rebolted 2015.

FA: Neil Monteith & Marten Blumen, 1995

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Selected Guidebooks more Hide

South East Queensland Climbing Guide

Author(s): Simon Carter

Date: 2018

ISBN: 9780958079068

A few years ago there was basically Frog Buttress and Coolum. Since then there has been more development than Barangaroo and South East Queensland should be on any climbers radar no matter what your style. Except ice climbing, definitely no ice climbing. But over 1250 routes with hard sport, multipitches and quality trad to make a great trip.

Buy

ⓘ

Queensland Bouldering

Author(s): Jimmy Blackhall & David Jefferson

Date: 2021

ISBN: 9377779499658

Hidden within the ordinary people of Queensland there exists a tight-knit community of scabby knuckles, grazed knees, massive forearms and iron-clad wills. This guidebooks seeks to shed light on this community and blocks of choice with all the information, skills and knowledge to open the door for you to explore all the bouldering that Queensland has to offer.

-5% Buy

ⓘ