Cotation | Voie | Style d'escalade | Qualité | |||
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Lun 22 Août 2022 - Mount Alexandra | ||||||
Vox Populi Wall | ||||||
18 | ★★ Vox Populi | 15m, 4 | ★★ Excellent | |||
Thought provoking through the middle, then tough cranking through the roof to finish. Mostly small cams and nuts, but a BD #2 was handy through the roof.
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Sam 20 Août 2022 - Point Perpendicular | ||||||
Bayside The Deeps Area | ||||||
9 | ★ Steel City Blues | 12m | ★ Bon | |||
Too much friction to pull the rope we rappelled in on, so had to rope-solo up to fix it! Easy bridging.
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14 | ★★ Elspeth | 12m | ★ Bon | |||
Amazing position at the grade and better protected than the guidebook claims, as long as you save a big (BD #3 or #4) cam for the big pocket around the arete.
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13 | ★ First Mate | 12m | Dans la moyenne | |||
A little run out on the middle.
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Dim 24 Avr 2022 - Arapiles | ||||||
King Rat Area Lizard Procrastination Pinnacle | ||||||
11 | ★ Lizard Procrastination - avec Jill B | 40m | ★ Bon | |||
The vertical, wide crack thrutch at the top seems like an unreasonable ask at the alleged grade.
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21 | ★★ Cruel Consistency | 15m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Thin and cruxy through the middle, before the juggy roof finish brings relief. Took one rest at the crux.
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Sam 23 Avr 2022 - Arapiles | ||||||
Pilot Error Cliffs Pilot Error Area | ||||||
14 | ★ Tarzan - avec Sean Bourke, Jill B | 33m | ★★ Excellent | |||
If the starting moves were half way up the route, this would probably be graded 20. Very nice climbing once you're through there bouldery start, but definitely not recommended for those only just leading 14!
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18 | ★★ Daily Planet - avec Sean Bourke, Jill B | 20m | ★★★ Classique | |||
Amazing! Full value and very thought provoking at the grade. A little reachy in parts, and often gives you good hands or feet, but not both. Gear wasn't bad, and I managed to sew it up with 9 very solid placements, mostly small nuts and micro to loose fingers sized cams. Double ropes helped a lot by allowing wandering placements without rope drag, and the gear in the first half was all there, but certainly trickier than the top half. Didn't use any RPs, but it looked like they could awkwardly be placed in the middle of the sickle crack crux. Much easier to just place a good cam at the start and end of the crack. The chimney and traverse start is easy, and I didn't bother protecting it. Just consider it part of the walk in instead if you don't like it.
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Dim 6 Fév 2022 - Camels Hump | ||||||
Omega Block Area Omega Block | ||||||
16 | ★★ Wishful Thinking | 21m, 1 | ★★ Excellent | |||
Sam 30 Nov. 2019 - Arapiles | ||||||
Tiger Wall Area Tiger Wall Syrinx Area | ||||||
11 | ★★ The Dribble | 120m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Very nice, and a little reminiscent of Spiegal's Overhang at Cathedral Range. Shame it's a bit harder to descend from!
As with Spiegal's, pitch 3 is the money pitch. Partial shade at the 2nd and 3rd belays. Final pitch finishes at a ledge with options to walk left to join Syrinx, or walk right to presumably reach the wheelchair lookout. You can also continue straight up through the short overhang, extending the pitch length to about 40m, to get to the very top, then walk left and scramble down to the Missing Link/Bluffs area. |
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Sam 30 Nov. 2019 - Arapiles | ||||||
Castle Crag | ||||||
11 | ★★ Trapeze | 20m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Dim 3 Nov. 2019 - Blue Mountains | ||||||
Mount Victoria Area Mount York Crackle Area | ||||||
13 13 R | ★ Pop | 30m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Nice face climbing, but with a hard starting move that's probably more like grade 15. Found the gear to be fine, getting in 8-9 good, evenly-spaced pieces. Big gear unnecessary as you can alternatively just sling a bollard at the front of the big horizontal break.
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Dim 3 Nov. 2019 - Blue Mountains | ||||||
Mount Victoria Area Mount York Auntie Jack Area | ||||||
17 | ★★ Viparete | 30m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Lovely arete climbing, possibly a bit soft at the grade, though made serious by very fiddly protection. Shame about the manufactured foothold at the start and the awkwardly set-back anchors at the top.
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10 | ★ Lishenbak | 30m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Lovely climbing, with a difficult (though avoidable) start and another tricky section through the roof. Beware, it is completely unprotected from the start of the ramp until after after the roof unless you have a #5 cam, with the exception of an old carrot bolt that the guidebook tells you not to trust.
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Sam 2 Nov. 2019 - Blue Mountains | ||||||
Mount Victoria Area Bardens Lookout Historic Wells | ||||||
14 | ★ Back to Back | 13m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Nice bridging and pulling on jugs through the overhang.
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Lun 28 Oct. 2019 - The Cathedral Range | ||||||
North Jawbone | ||||||
10 | ★★★ Speigal's Overhang | 120m | ★★ Excellent | |||
P1 nice slabbing but poorly protected, maybe up to 5m runouts, and is probably the crux pitch. P2 more slabbing around a bush-filled crack. P3 is the money pitch, beautiful climbing up a corner crack and two overhangs (at grade 10!), with jamming being strictly optional. P4 easy climbing up a trench and slabs to the top.
All belays except for the end of P3 are narrow stances, so wouldn't recommend climbing this as a three. Rappel anchors (2 x 55m rappels) are only 10-15m left of the end of the climb, below a tree, and the path marked is by a couple of cairns. Gear: Cams from finger size up to loose hands (Camalot #2). |
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Sam 28 Sept 2019 - Werribee Gorge | ||||||
Falcons Lookout Main Boardwalk | ||||||
16 | ★ SPQR Right-hand Variant | 12m | ★ Bon | |||
Steep, finger crack finish adds a bit of value to the route.
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11 | ★ Sweet Chariot | 16m | ★ Bon | |||
Requires a bit of jamming and grovelling. Definitely not one for gym climbers who are new to the outdoors.
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Dim 25 Août 2019 - Werribee Gorge | ||||||
Falcons Lookout Main Boardwalk | ||||||
12 | ★ Persecution | 13m | ★ Bon | |||
Finish up the arete for maximum value.
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10 | ★ SPQR | 13m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Surprisingly tricky start, both in terms of moves and protection.
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13 | Gladiator | 12m | ★ Bon | |||
Good, but beware that there's very little protection in the (easier) first half.
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14 | Cuniculum | 12m | ||||
A tricky start and some painful hand jams.
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13 | ★ Brutus | 10m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Quite good, despite its short length, with some nice bridging and laybacking.
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Sam 30 Mars 2019 - Arapiles | ||||||
Bluffs Bluff Major Blockbuster Ledge | ||||||
17 | ★ Breau Bummel | 30m | ★ Bon | |||
An awkward thrutch getting into the bulging hand crack, and once you're there you might have hand jams, but still no feet!
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Sam 30 Mars 2019 - Arapiles | ||||||
Bluffs Flinders Lane Area | ||||||
13 | ★ Ivan | 14m | ★ Bon | |||
Sam 30 Mars 2019 - Arapiles | ||||||
Tiger Wall Area Tiger Wall Under Flinders Lane Wall | ||||||
16 | ★★ Skylark | 85m | ★★ Excellent | |||
An early crux pulling through the bulge on sparse holds, then cruisy to the top. Mostly small nut pro, big cams unnecessary. Looked like a decent belay ledge at 30-35m.
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18 | ★★ Skylark Direct Finish | 38m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Committing moves through the mantle, with decent protection but the potential to swing into a side-wall if you come off.
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19 | ★ Pfeffernusse | 23m, 1 | ★ Bon | |||
Dim 6 Jan 2019 - Camels Hump | ||||||
Omega Block Area Omega Block | ||||||
16 | ★★ Wishful Thinking | 21m, 1 | ★★ Excellent | |||
Dim 6 Jan 2019 - Camels Hump | ||||||
Omega Block Area Lower Tier | ||||||
16 | ★ Split Images | 20m, 2 | ★ Bon | |||
Dim 18 Nov. 2018 - Victoria Range | ||||||
Red Rock Area Red Rock Pinnacles Espanol Pinnacle | ||||||
16 | ★ No Habla Espanol | 14m | ★ Bon | |||
A 16 that starts with a bottomless wide crack? Surely this is a sandbag. Fun moves off the ground but it's over very quickly. A BD #3 and/or #4 sized cam is very useful.
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Sam 17 Nov. 2018 - Victoria Range | ||||||
Mt Fox Area Emu Rock | ||||||
17 | ★★ Sahara | 90m | ★★★ Classique | |||
P1 long and consistent, well protected, though a bit wandery to find the best climbing, as it isn't really a defined line. P2 quickly eases and becomes cruisy, before a ridiculous finish involving either traversing along the lip of an overhang, or pulling up over it early and thrutching through.
Gear: Lots of small nuts, cams to BD#2 |
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Dim 11 Nov. 2018 - Camels Hump | ||||||
Eastern Outcrops Back Wall | ||||||
19 | ★ Rap Till You Crap | 15m | ★ Bon | |||
Lun 27 Août 2018 - Arapiles | ||||||
Central Gully Central Gully Left Golden Fleece Wall | ||||||
15 | ★★ Beautiful Possibilities | 30m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Very nice once you get away from the greasy rock of Jason. Awesome moves pulling through the bulge near the top.
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Dim 26 Août 2018 - Arapiles | ||||||
The Pharos and Surrounds The Pharos Back Wall | ||||||
10 | FA ★ The Crouded Hurricane Staircase - avec Camilla Kasker | 40m | ★ Bon | |||
Dim 26 Août 2018 - Arapiles | ||||||
The Pharos and Surrounds The Pharos Front Wall and West Face | ||||||
10 | ★★ The Shroud | 120m | ★★★ Classique | |||
Really nice the whole way. Climbed the right-facing corner 2m left of the usual line for pitches 2-3 in order to avoid another party. These two pitches can be strung together in order to overtake, rejoining the usual line at the chimney.
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Sam 25 Août 2018 - Arapiles | ||||||
Organ Pipes Area Organ Pipes Central Organ Pipes | ||||||
16 | ★★ Libretto | 50m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Very nice. The bulging wide crack corner at the end of P1 was a pleasant surprise (for those masochistically inclined), though is easily avoidable. P2 has a very definite crux right off the ledge, but is all over after the first few meters. Takes mostly finger size nuts and cams, though a loose-hands size cam is useful if you want to take the corner crack finish to P1.
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Dim 29 Juil 2018 - Arapiles | ||||||
Castle Crag | ||||||
11 | ★★ Trapeze | 20m | ★★ Excellent | |||
17 | ★★ Swinging | 20m, 2 | ★★ Excellent | |||
Sam 28 Juil 2018 - Arapiles | ||||||
The Watchtower Faces Right Watchtower Face | ||||||
14 | ★ Gecko | 48m | ★★ Excellent | |||
The crack sections are easy, the slabs trickier, and then it's difficult to know where to go to find the "path of least resistance" after the second crack. I ended slightly left of the rap chain, which was tough, committing and lacking protection. Double ropes seemed to help.
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16 16 R | ★★★ Brolga | 90m | ★★★ Classique | |||
P1: Sustained pitch, but reasonably well protected with double ropes and micro cams. P2: Mostly cruisy but with a committing crux and sparse protection above the mid-pitch ledge. P3: Easy after the first 5m. Led P1 and P2.
Gear: micro cams and small nuts/RPs, occasional medium size cams, hand-size cams for the belays. Double ropes pretty much essential. |
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Dim 20 Mai 2018 - Hollow Mountain (N & NE side of Mt. Stapylton) | ||||||
Bad Moon Rising Wall | ||||||
8 | ★ Octohexarian | 20m | ★ Bon | |||
Definite crux in the slightly bulging chimney around 1/3-1/2 height. Otherwise cruisy with plenty of jugs.
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9 | ★★ Strong Social Conscience | 25m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Very nice, but tough for the grade. Difficulty ramps up in the second half, and rope drag will be a major issue unless you place protection sparsely and with long runners - especially when exiting the cave.
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Sam 19 Mai 2018 - Summerday Valley | ||||||
Tunnel Cliff | ||||||
10 | ★ Eye Of The Needle | 25m | ★ Bon | |||
Sam 19 Mai 2018 - Summerday Valley | ||||||
Wall of Fools | ||||||
21 | ★★★ Soweto | 30m | ★★★ Classique | |||
15 | ★★ Flake of Fear | 25m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Sam 19 Mai 2018 - Summerday Valley | ||||||
Back Wall | ||||||
10 10 R | ★ Bored of the Rings | 12m | ★ Bon | |||
Gear was ok, but having small and micro cams was definitely useful.
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Sam 21 Avr 2018 - Camels Hump | ||||||
Omega Block Area Omega Block | ||||||
16 | ★★ Wishful Thinking | 21m, 1 | ★★ Excellent | |||
Sam 21 Avr 2018 - Camels Hump | ||||||
Omega Block Area Lower Tier | ||||||
17 | ★★ Poxbow | 30m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Frighteningly sparse gear through the corner at 1/2 height. Managed to get two cams in, a red and a blue, where the crack opens a metre below the hard moves there, but neither were ideal placements. That's definitely the mental crux, with the physical crux being the top of the finishing flake.
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Dim 25 Mars 2018 - Arapiles | ||||||
Tiger Wall Area Tiger Wall Under Flinders Lane Wall | ||||||
15 | ★ Flying Moose | 23m | ★ Bon | |||
Nice and consistent climbing, a good addition to this wall.
Led on Hywel Rowlands' pre-placed gear. |
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19 | ★ Pfeffernusse | 23m, 1 | ★ Bon | |||
Tough moves getting through the bolt-protected bulge at the start, then easier slab climbing in the middle, before a slight committing finish. Quite nice.
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Sam 24 Mars 2018 - Arapiles | ||||||
Atridae Muldoon Area | ||||||
13 | ★★★ Muldoon | 42m | ★★★ Super classique | |||
Sam 24 Mars 2018 - Arapiles | ||||||
Organ Pipes Area Organ Pipes Central Organ Pipes | ||||||
10 | ★★ D Major | 50m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Very nice. Much more interesting than D Minor, I thought.
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Lun 12 Mars 2018 - Camels Hump | ||||||
Omega Block Area Lower Tier | ||||||
16 | ★ Blind Justice | 40m, 5 | ★★ Excellent | |||
Nice and long, with a slabby, bolt-protected crux passing the obvious roof. The only runout section is the grade 15 start shared with Blind Sox, after that there's plenty of pro.
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Mer 28 Fév 2018 - Camels Hump | ||||||
Omega Block Area Lower Tier | ||||||
10 | ★★ Grey Arete | 32m | ★ Bon | |||
15 | ★ Blind Sox | 30m, 3 | ★ Bon | |||
Very thin on gear. Micro cams useful for both the slab and the arete.
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16 | ★ Split Images | 20m, 2 | ★ Bon | |||
Tricky slab moves around the second bolt.
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Dim 10 Déc 2017 - Werribee Gorge | ||||||
Falcons Lookout Centurion Area | ||||||
17 | ★★ Centurion | 20m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Not quite as good as I recalled, but still very good by Werribee standards. 10m of good jamming, then gets ledgy and easier.
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Dim 10 Déc 2017 - Werribee Gorge | ||||||
Falcons Lookout Main Boardwalk | ||||||
17 | ★ Conscientious Pontius | 13m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Dim 26 Nov. 2017 - Arapiles | ||||||
The Pharos and Surrounds The Pharos Back Wall | ||||||
14 | ★★★ Lamplighter | 78m | ★★★ Classique | |||
An excellent, shady outing, but quite tough for the grade, with difficult sections at the start of P2 (past the old piton), the offwidth in the middle of P2, and the traverse on P3. P2 doesn't need cams any bigger than BD #2, but a #4 is useful on P3. If rope-drag permits, extending P2 all the way to the cave makes for a better belay than the ledge below the chimney.
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Sam 25 Nov. 2017 - Arapiles | ||||||
Fang Buttress and Surrounds Fang Buttress | ||||||
14 | ★★ Mantis | 33m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Sam 25 Nov. 2017 - Arapiles | ||||||
Central Gully Central Gully Right Preludes Wall | ||||||
11 | ★ Transylvania | 60m, 1 | ★ Bon | |||
16 | Helictite | 8m | ★ Bon | |||
Dim 12 Nov. 2017 - Summerday Valley | ||||||
Back Wall | ||||||
17 | ★★ Overkill | 23m | ★★ Excellent | |||
9 | ★ Odlid Baggins (Variant) | 25m | ★ Bon | |||
Nice corner climbing, though protection at the start didn't look great.
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18 | ★ The Lost Pleiad | 16m | ★ Bon | |||
18 | ★ The Lost Pleiad | 16m | ★ Bon | |||
Sam 11 Nov. 2017 - Summerday Valley | ||||||
Back Wall | ||||||
12 | ★ De Blanc | 20m | ★ Bon | |||
A slightly polished, slippery start, then nice, well protected corner climbing above.
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16 | ★ Tom Cobbley's Cllmb | 20m | ★ Bon | |||
Surprisingly sparse and tricky protection, especially above the ledge when attempting to reach the horizontal break beneath the overhang. This felt more serious than Overkill.
There seemed to be better gear out to the right, but then the much more reasonable (but otherwise unprotected) climbing was to the left, meaning a big swing and possibly hitting a ledge if you fell. |
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Dim 15 Oct. 2017 - Arapiles | ||||||
The Watchtower Faces Right Watchtower Face | ||||||
18 | ★★★ Skink | 110m | ★★★ Classique | |||
Just awesome. Delicate, exposed, and mostly well-protected. P2 only has one hard section - a slabby and committing move after the traverse, whereas P3 is easier but much more sustained, with moves at the grade until after the first corner of the flake is passed. Led P2.
Gear: You could probably get away with no cams larger than BD #1, but there were a few places where a #2 or #3 could be placed. Microcams very useful for the crux. Save a hand-size cam for the end of the traverse. |
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Sam 14 Oct. 2017 - Arapiles | ||||||
Far North Lower Curtain Wall | ||||||
18 | ★★★ Entertainer | 20m | ★★★ Classique | |||
Hard! Rested on gear during the flake layback crux, above just before reaching the corner, and then at the final roof. Take LOTS of cams in the finger to knuckle sizes. Nothing bigger needed, except a BD #0.75 and #2 for the final roof.
BETA: Crux gaining and moving up the flake, which has decent hands but very poor feet, and placing gear (small nuts or knuckle size cams) from the layback is very difficult. Traversing over the flake wasn't bad, but then it becomes about 2m runout after the left trending crack ends, eventually broken by a horizontal finger slot to the right just before the corner, which will take a micro cam. The corner is relatively easy, then the final roof is just burly jug hauling. A 0.75 cam can be placed in the chalked up jug slots under the roof, then a #2 immediately after pulling through the roof. |
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Sam 14 Oct. 2017 - Arapiles | ||||||
Far North Hum Terrace | ||||||
16 17 | ★★ The Second Affinity (Affinity) | 22m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Committing crux moves out of the cave and up to the roof, but lots of gear available just before there. Lovely traverse moves out under the roof, then easier climbing up the corner. Only placed cams up to BD #1, I think.
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16 | ★ Hum | 30m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Jeu 5 Oct. 2017 - Moonarie | ||||||
Checkers Wall | ||||||
16 | ★★ Asimov | 70m | ★★★ Classique | |||
Excellent, aside from a little plant growth in the first half of P1. P2 is harder than P1, and maybe a little sandbagged, with tricky moves through the square, hanging chimney at the start, and then thrutchy moves and jamming up the V-chimney over the ledge after that. Adequately protected with doubles of cams up to DB #2, but a #4 might make the final moves more comfortable. Led P2.
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Mer 4 Oct. 2017 - Moonarie | ||||||
Gargoyle Wall | ||||||
14 | ★ Corkscrew Retribution | 35m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Nice hand crack with an awkward roof move, then completely different above the ledge, with a difficult to protect mantle leading to an off-width, with enough face holds to keep it sane. Cams up to BD #3 useful, with doubles in #1-2. A #4 may have been able to protect the mantle move. Possibly a little sandbagged.
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19 | ★★ The Prince | 33m | ★★★ Classique | |||
Surprisingly tricky moves up the ramp under the roof, the a definite crux getting up the (fused shut) flake above. Cams to BD #2. Done as one pitch.
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Mar 3 Oct. 2017 - Moonarie | ||||||
Gargoyle Wall | ||||||
16 | ★★ Tim Tam | 30m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Lovely hand jamming with frequent rest stances, and a thrutchy finish.
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Mar 3 Oct. 2017 - Moonarie | ||||||
Checkers Wall | ||||||
15 | ★★★ Pagoda Variant | 100m | ★★★ Classique | |||
Led P3. Incredibly unique and 3D climbing around the flake, then delicate crack and face climbing to get back into the corner. Crux getting into the cave at the end of the traverse on P3 - be sure to place gear above the roof of this cave to protect second from swinging into the corner. Better to extend P3 and continue up to the big ledge, maybe 25m in total.
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Dim 1 Oct. 2017 - Moonarie | ||||||
Flying Buttress | ||||||
17 | ★★ Vortex | 45m | ★★ Excellent | |||
Led P1, second P2. Awesome, steep, 3-dimensional face climbing with several good knee bar or body jam rest opportunities. Micro cams very useful, and nothing bigger than BD #2 needed. P2 harder than P1, probably around grade 18, though just a week protected one move wonder. If doing P2, belay up on ledge, not at rap anchor.
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Sam 30 Sept 2017 - Moonarie | ||||||
Flying Buttress | ||||||
15 | ★★★ Flying Buttress | 110m | ★★★ Classique | |||
Led all pitches. Definitely sandbagged at 15 - more like grade 17 P2 and grade 16 P3. Starts 20-30m off the ground, and best approached from left if roping up, or from the right (up the start of Ultion to horizontal break) if soloing. P2 crux is a thrutchy roof crack with hand hands in the back. P3 crux is committing jug hauling. Cams up to BD #3 necessary, with multiple #2 good for P2 crux. A BD #5 would ease the commitment factor of the P3 crux.
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Dim 17 Sept 2017 - Werribee Gorge | ||||||
Falcons Lookout Main Boardwalk | ||||||
12 | ★ Persecution | 13m | ★ Bon | |||
Trying to convince some gym climbers to practice jamming. Unfortunately it's easy to avoid jamming on this route, even though the loose-hands sized crack is excellent.
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15 | ★ Marcus Schaevola | 25m | ★ Bon | |||
Several cams in the hands to loose hands range are useful. Committing layback finish.
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Dim 10 Sept 2017 - Mt Rosea | ||||||
Main Cliff | ||||||
14 | ★★ Gridlocked | 40m | ★ Bon | |||
Nice and consistent climbing. Evidently still a little bit of loose rock.
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Sam 9 Sept 2017 - Mt Rosea | ||||||
Main Cliff | ||||||
17 | ★★★ Heretic | 120m | ★★★ Classique | |||
A fantastic outing with committing sections on each of the three middle pitches - P2 when the thin cracks appear on the right wall and you need to move out of the corner, P3 from the ledge up through the crack with the void behind it, and the last 10m of P4 when route-finding becomes difficult. (I ignored the blank, ~1.5m tall corner with the roof and crack above it, and instead traversed right to climb the adjacent face before moving back left into the crack.)
Led pitches 2, 4. Got a bit confused on P2 and started way out left on the slab and traversed back in to the corner. Realised afterwards that it's P3, with the obvious flake, that you're supposed to start left on. Astonishingly, was almost completely dry despite many other routes on the cliff seeping heavily from previous days' rain. |
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Dim 27 Août 2017 - Arapiles | ||||||
Bushranger Bluff Main Wall | ||||||
6 | ★ Revolver Crack | 20m | ★ Bon | |||
Juggy and well protected the whole way.
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Sam 26 Août 2017 - Arapiles | ||||||
Bushranger Bluff Back Wall | ||||||
16 | ★ Rubbery Under Arms | 12m | ★ Bon | |||
Sam 26 Août 2017 - Arapiles | ||||||
Northern Group Kachoong Area | ||||||
21 | ★★★ Kachoong | 25m, 1 | ★★★ Super classique | |||
15 | Consolation Prize | 15m | ★ Bon | |||
Nice little warmup for Kachoong. Reachy start then eases.
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Dim 13 Août 2017 - Arapiles | ||||||
The Watchtower Faces Left Watchtower Face | ||||||
12 | ★★ Watchtower Chimney | 110m, 1 | ★★ Excellent | |||
Lovely corner climbing on the first pitch, with some tricky laybacking in sections. Lots of loose rock in the bottom of the chimney, so decided stringing pitches 1 and 2 together wasn't a good idea. P3 is the chimneying, which felt a little run out, and thrutchy in parts. Overall probably much more serious at the grade than something like Bard.
Led P1, soloed P2, seconded P3-4 strung together. |
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Dim 13 Août 2017 - Arapiles | ||||||
Tiger Wall Area Tiger Wall Under Flinders Lane Wall | ||||||
20 | ★ Surfacing | 88m, 4 | ★★ Excellent | |||
Excellent, consistent slab climbing on P1 that keeps you on your toes the whole way, and would be thoroughly worthwhile even only as a single pitch to the lower-off. Fiddly gear, with a full range of nuts (mainly small to micro, with multiple sites being very handy) and some cams, mainly small to micro. Moving right to breach the final overlap at the bolt, only to move back left seemed a bit contrived, but is probably justified given that the more natural line would go through a huge jammed block which looks like it might one day come unjammed.
P2 starts easily, but the traverse right at the first bolt seemed harder than anything on pitch 1, and a sandbag at grade 19. Led pitch 1 onsight, seconded up into Kestrel instead of P2 after leader escaped into it. |
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Sam 12 Août 2017 - Arapiles | ||||||
Atridae House of Atreus | ||||||
17 | ★★ Surface To Air | 30m | ★★★ Super classique | |||
Had never noticed before, but there's a bomber micro-nut placement during the crux start, slotted in the top of a crack that runs down from the top of the feature with the short, right-facing corner finger crack.
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Sam 12 Août 2017 - Arapiles | ||||||
The Watchtower Faces The Watchtower | ||||||
9 | ★★★ Arachnus | 110m | ★★★ Classique | |||
Led P1-2 as a mega, rope-stretching 60m pitch. Climbed left of the big crack on P2 to bypass another party, which felt grade 14-ish, but quite interesting climbing. From that belay to the top was only 30m, so 90m in total, well short of the 110m claimed height.
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Lun 12 Juin 2017 - Arapiles | ||||||
Organ Pipes Area Organ Pipes Gully Organ Pipes Gully Right Side | ||||||
16 | ★ Stentor 3rd Pitch | 12m | ★ Bon | |||
Soft for the grade, with the committing start probably being a factor in the grading. Initial gear is available before starting, but after that there's none until the obvious horizontal break (good small nuts), so you just have to go for it. Interesting climbing that's a little atypical for Arapiles, and quite nice, though would be better if it was longer.
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Lun 12 Juin 2017 - Arapiles | ||||||
Organ Pipes Area Organ Pipes Central Organ Pipes | ||||||
15 | ★★ Ejaculation | 50m | ★★ Excellent | |||
I was surprised at how in-your-face this was. (Sorry, was that a little too on the nose?)
ahem Quite serious and sustained, and the first pitch definitely felt much harder than 14, involving technical and awkward flake climbing with fiddly gear. P2 needs big gear with one each of BD #3 to #4 or equivalent sized hexes being pretty much essential for the crescent crux section, which features a short but committing layback over slick, polished rock. After that, the chimney is awkward but relatively straightforward. Done as one 55m mega-pitch. |
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Dim 11 Juin 2017 - Arapiles | ||||||
Bluffs Bluff Major Bluff Major North Face | ||||||
18 | ★★ Preservative Added | 30m, 1 | ★ Bon | |||
Sandbagged, runout, and sustained. Looked like there was gear most of the way up the initial crack, but it'd be difficult to get it in, and then there's a significant runout before the bolt, which included what I felt was the crux, traversing left to the slab under the bolt. Definitely harder than 18 (maybe 20, maybe 19?) and I definitely had no desire to lead this!
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Dim 11 Juin 2017 - Arapiles | ||||||
Bluffs Bluff Major Blockbuster Ledge | ||||||
18 | ★★★ Scorpion | 30m | ★★★ Classique | |||
Amazing. The initial step across was easy (so much so that I did it four or five times), but the following moves to get your second foot over as well and move up into the chimney are trickier. (Shorter legs might make the initial step across harder, but the chimney less awkward.) You cannot take too many big cams on this climb, and would want at least one each of BD #3 and #4 for the crux fist crack in the middle, and another #4 (or maybe even #5) for the easier wide crack after the second pod.
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Dim 11 Juin 2017 - Arapiles | ||||||
Bluffs Flinders Lane Area | ||||||
17 | ★ Scorpion Direct Start | 14m | ★ Bon | |||
Difficult but reasonably well protected, with a horrible off-width crux in the middle
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Sam 10 Juin 2017 - Arapiles | ||||||
The Watchtower Faces Left Watchtower Face | ||||||
15 | ★★ Sundance | 140m | ★★ Excellent | |||
P2 and P4 are particularly good, and the gear isn't too bad on the latter. It's the start of P4 that is a bit runout, but only through easy climbing. Once you reach the big horizontal break, there's plenty of gear, but beware of huge loose blocks. Crux of this pitch is at the end of the traverse, with a slightly committing step left out of the break.
Led P2-4, joining P2 & P3. |
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Dim 4 Juin 2017 - Werribee Gorge | ||||||
Falcons Lookout Main Boardwalk | ||||||
18 | ★★ Golgotha | 30m | ★★★ Classique | |||
19 | ★ Hadrian Direct Finish | 12m | ★ Bon | |||
Fell from the upper crux when a foot slipped from the crack-smear, lightly brushing the ledge below before the rope went tight! Desperate pulling on a poor, super shallow hand jam to reach the fact hold at the end of the crux. Need to wear thinner shoes next time to allow toes to actually get in the thin crack there.
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