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Arapiles classics 20 years on in disrepair 4-Apr-2014 At 9:03:57 PM asagaai

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So- I had a recent visit to Arapiles some 20 years after living in the pines as a uni student, with my brother Wayne and friend Ravi, and was shocked to find classic routes in dire need of some TLC as follows:

1. Judgment Day- the bolt looks like a serious case of brewers droop, not sure which is more worrying. Bolt needs replacement asap.

2. Los Endos-the big flake on the initial wall after the hard pull over the lip- the one where your fingers get in deep for a de pump- is loose, and someone stuffed gobs of goo to hold the flake (size of a very large briefcase) on. Is going to pull off, especially if someone places a wire on it and it pulls- may even slice a rope/cut off a head to boot. Needs 2 very very long threaded bolts drilled through it and cemented in, with nuts and washer on the outside torqued to hold it on. This will properly preserve this fantastic classic.

3. Yesterday took my friend Ravi Pannell up to do Strangers Eliminate, as I had fond memories as a beginner shaking on lead past the mantleshelf with upside down wires/rps in a small seam on the mantleshelf providing marginal pro some 17 foot odd above a cam in the hole. Got up to the mantleshelf- to find the pro seam on the mantleshelf has been demolished, fresh white yellow sandstown evidencing the violent end of the darkly browned marble seam, obviously holding one to many falls. Its now a risk if doing the mantleshelf move, and you have too much rope/slow belayer then a ground fall is a real possibility.

This is a real shame as for a lot of middle grade climbers the only way to get up Tjuringa wall was by strangers eliminate. Now, it is very very bold, with injury a real possibility.

A way around this may be to place a bolt at the mantle, but some 3 foot odd?? below the mantle to try and preserve the edgy vibe that the original climb had with the upsideown sideways placed wires?

There really needs to be climbing consensus on this-because this classic is no longer in existence and we need to debate and reach consensus on how to remediate it to what it was as best we can, so future generations of young climbers can wobble up it and experience the trepidation of the mantle move.

Anyway-had a blast on this fantastic crag...wish it was located in NSW.

Gavin Jensen