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Best solos for their grade in OZ

Nottobetaken

20-Oct-2004
1:33:44 PM

We can talk on and on about route quality and what is the best etc etc - so lets put a spin on things - what are the best crag solo's for their grade? Taking into account 1. rock quality 2. moves 3. landing

Here's my vote (by rights - easier routes are all located at Arapiles):
Tiptoe Ridge (5) Arapiles
Conifer Crack (9) Arapiles - best done at speed
Agamemnon (10) Arapiles
The Bard (12) Arapiles - bit polished
Toccata (14) Arapiles - careful with the feet
Resignation (15) Arapiles - great 3rd pitch
Missing Link (17) Arapiles - boulder start
Ladder of Gloom (19) Berowra NSW - pretty easy going after the start
Judgement Day (19) Arapiles - impressive ascent by Frenchie Jean Minh TT
Vanderholics (19) Nowra - nice sloper at the finish - not worth taking a mat!
Jack High (19) Shipley NSW - great for a slab
Take Five (20) Arapiles - out of control for Robin Miller on the FA
Pilot Error (20) Arapiles - great fun
Thundercrack (20) Arapiles - virtually soloed on the FA by Barber, but onsighted by Croft sans rope much later on
Kachoong (21) Arapiles - specifically Stefan Glowacz's down solo in bare feet in the 80's
Ruddy Norry (22) Centennial Glen NSW - not too committing
Split Wave (23) Wave Wall NSW - interesting move at the roof!
Paladin (24) Arapiles - outrageous solo effort by Peter Croft
Dreadnought Variant Variant (25) Arapiles - Jon Muir ground up affair
Trojan (25) Arapiles - although not completed - pretty out there by Jon Muir to down climb post crux on an onsight attempt
Aint No Sunshine (28) Nowra - committing crux. Probably won't be repeated after Saxon's effort.
Sperm Bitches (30) Nowra - although short - still a worthy outing by James Scarborough


master of drung

20-Oct-2004
2:05:22 PM

sandanista at hollow mountain by dave jones
i think there has been some pretty impressive hubering in europe

dalai

20-Oct-2004
2:34:10 PM

Once past the traverse (have never felt comfortable across there solo) Bard is okay. Would say a better route at Araps around that grade would have to be Muldoon.

Ain't No Sunshine is an impressive solo, but probably still survivable if falling from the crux... I know, having hit the ground at near full velocity from the crux!! (hitting the only patch of dirt in the rocky ground on my side - belayer error was the reason)

Nottobetaken

20-Oct-2004
3:05:36 PM

Totally agree - but if you do the Checkmate variation pitch it enables you to avoid the ugly traverse.


Robb

20-Oct-2004
3:16:42 PM

the bard traverse is easy on solo if you just cut loose on the bomber jams there and just go foot free. - and what do you mean polished?


Syd Huxley

20-Oct-2004
3:25:14 PM

kachoong is by far one of the best solos ive done,hanging from the lip of the roof was just swell.
its pretty easy for a solo ,not at all technical and just plain great all the way.
recomend it to anyone.ive only done a 26 but i think its pretty solid moves wise for any grade
climber once you start up it just keep going.


Nick Kaz

20-Oct-2004
5:07:56 PM

Thats a solid list, and to think Mum said you were fake, BAH!

But, I don't quite agree with a few:

On 20/10/2004 Santa wrote:
>Ladder of Gloom (19) Berowra NSW - pretty easy going after the start

right up untill you do the topout, I think that mantle would be harder than the start, and possibly a bit short?

>Vanderholics (19) Nowra - nice sloper at the finish - not worth taking
>a mat!

Great climb, but its not a 19, even though the crag.com says so, it feels closer to 17. I reckon you would be better of with alien space monsters, definitly 19, and a better climb IMO

>Jack High (19) Shipley NSW - great for a slab

good choice till you get to the anchros and have to climb down again, I think Mirrorman in the wolgan would be a better mountains 19, but getting down would still be difficult.

>Split Wave (23) Wave Wall NSW - interesting move at the roof!

I certainly thought so, I remember a bit of choss under the roof, and poor rock does a bad solo make. I havent done enough 23's to recomend an alternative.

But just like all the other "best list's" it's a personal thing.

Nottobetaken

20-Oct-2004
8:45:42 PM

Granted. Sadinista solo is well impressive. Also forgot Dave's solo's of Dreadnought (24) and High Dive (23), plus Exodus II (26). Tobin Sorensen (US) in '79 and more recently Ben Heason (UK) onsight soloed Kachoong as well. I think Mr Hoskins did the 2nd pitch of Dreadnought years ago, and Croft did 110 pitches in a day at Arapiles in the '80's. There are probably loads more equally impressive ropeless ascents that have gone unrecorded.


alrob

20-Oct-2004
8:52:10 PM

i heard that the great ross taylor soloed the navigator! thats bloody ballsy!


shiltz

20-Oct-2004
9:59:16 PM

The second (long slab) pitch of the Navigator would make for a very ballsy solo. A fair amount of lichen and some exfoliating flakes.


mousey

20-Oct-2004
11:33:19 PM

what about elbow abrasions (16)? thats BALLSY!! :P


adski

21-Oct-2004
12:44:10 AM

On 20/10/2004 dalai wrote:
>Once past the traverse (have never felt comfortable across there solo)
>Bard is okay. Would say a better route at Araps around that grade would
>have to be Muldoon.

I second that. When I first soloed Bard it felt awful on the second traverse, the second time it wasn't any better. Those moves aren't conducive to me being relaxed enough to enjoy it!

Also second Conifer crack, including the optional third pitch which not many people do. If the third pitch is led, it also needs to be down-climbed so a solo is the simplest way of doing it. All up, it's a nice long direct line in an easily accessible spot. Great to do when you have a spare 20 mins on sunrise or sunset.

Missing Link is an interesting proposition - i haven't done it because the logistics of downclimbing blockbuster/ivan is a bit ugly. Well blockbuster isn't ugly at all, just ivan. and all that walking. ugh. If you solo for the elegant simplicity, it doesn't seem missing link will give that. Similarly, not many people would've done d-minor solo as the best descent is of a harder grade!

Some people don't like soloing unless there are secure jugs all the way up, and maintain the conservative '3 points of contact' rule all the way, should something go awry. Others do long routes for the flow, and still others climb routes roped until wired, then do it solo.

Santa, the spread of grades you listed combines a few categories: best easy routes to solo, best solo efforts by a person, etc. They're completely different things to talk about. And ou must have your tongue in your cheek if you try and take landings into account, that's not soloing it's bouldering.

Nottobetaken

21-Oct-2004
8:53:22 AM

Yes - I admit that there are two if not more potential threads to be had out of this - however thought that I'd mix it up and just see what people know about solo's in OZ - whether they have been done or not.

Missing Link is a great outing if combined with the following circuit:
Syrinx - Missing Link - down Blockbuster - through the Keyhole - down Ali's. Alternatively you can reverse Boston's Climb - then down solo Bluff Minor (11) - but this is a far more serious proposition.

Conifer to the top of the third is great! (Current speed record stands at 4.20!)

Another really good circuit to do is Muldoon - down Agamemnon - up Surface To Air - down Agamemnon.


rodw

21-Oct-2004
9:12:04 AM

It was Legoland MM, if ya gonna blow your own trumpet at least get the right climb :)


Breezy

21-Oct-2004
9:28:57 AM

Forget best route
best crag to solo at for sure is Declaration Crag
a full days fun for all


mousey

21-Oct-2004
10:30:41 AM

oops i made a spelling ,mistake. i meant to say boldER PROBLEM :P


elmo_lives

21-Oct-2004
11:05:14 AM

I think a great climb to solo at Araps is Eskimo Nell. The crux is at the bottom, so if you slip off its just a bruised leg, there are solid but good moves, occasionally exposed and usually in the shade, and while topping out you have the option of veering left into easy country or jugging up to the final exit move that can be scary if you mix hands with your feet.

Nottobetaken

21-Oct-2004
1:51:17 PM

That would depend on the level that you're soloing at - not much to choose from surely? You've also got the problem of overtaking topropers. But then - if you're like Beefy - that won't be a problem...


PN

21-Oct-2004
2:34:15 PM

Tony Barten and Mike Law-Smith have both soloed Integral Crack (19/20) at Booroomba, albeit in very different styles (the former stopped and yelled for a toprope in the final few metres, but then pulled it together. The latter, by all accounts, walked up it and held a leisurely conversation with horrified onlookers). Having led the route many times, I can only dream of soloing it. I imagine it would be a fair mind excursion, an awesome experience and must surely be worthy of a mention here (although not in Vic).

The Thunder Crack solo mentioned above is another notably outrageous effort


Richard

21-Oct-2004
8:19:21 PM

>Missing Link is an interesting proposition - i haven't done it because
>the logistics of downclimbing blockbuster/ivan is a bit ugly. Well blockbuster
>isn't ugly at all, just ivan.

Says something about the grade of Ivan, doesn't it, that some one who contemplates soloing a 17 is a bit heasitant to down climb a "12"..!!

There are 23 messages in this topic.