Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Author

Bugs and beasties


NikG

20-Jan-2006
12:34:08 AM

Hi guys,
I'm a climber who lives in Wales, UK and am visiting the Arapiles & Grampians in march to climb. I can't wait as the photos I've seen look amazing.

Everyone I tell that I'm going asks things like "what if you put your hand in a hole and there's a spider or snake or something in there". Due to the general British ignorance about any sort of bugs and beasties, most people assume that on top of the normal climbing hazards you need to worry about the fauna as well.

How true is this? Are the beasties really an issue when you're climbing in Australia? And if they are, any tips to minimise my impact on them (don't mean falling on top of them - impact on the environment) would be much appreciated.

LGJ

20-Jan-2006
8:00:14 AM

Lucky you asked!

The technical difficulty of climbs here is generally insignificant when compared to other inherent dangers - ie bugs and beasties. Whereas the UK grading system takes into account the commitment of a climb as well as it's difficulty, our grades are influenced by what little friends may be joining us in those lovely pockets.

What season will you be coming in? Our grades are downgraded by 3 during winter...


tmarsh

20-Jan-2006
8:25:08 AM

Don't be put off by LGJ. the climbing itself isn't so bad, and the beasties you encounter en route are generally limited to small painful stinging types as opposed to larger biting types. The real dangers are on the approach and walk-off. You have to be careful in lightly wooded areas, particularly from about February through to May - the height of the drop-bear mating season. The other thing to look out for are rolling grassy areas - the preferred habitat of the hoop snake. But if you're coming in March, you'll be past the peak of the hoop snake season and shouldn't have to worry too much.

Have a great time!

climberman

20-Jan-2006
9:00:59 AM

You are less likely to be beaten to a pulp by skinheads, or be constantly reminded by englishmen that the Welsh are sheepshaggers, and no-one in the Wimmera (AFAIK) has yet cut off their testicles when simey's team has won a Grand Final in the local AFL comp.

So there are dangers, but it's all relative...

Come, have fun, snakes are all you need to be careful of and even then only so-so at that time of year.


cruze

20-Jan-2006
9:28:44 AM

I always climb in gloves (those chain mail ones). That stops most of the biteys. As for snakes I have found that a 2 m set of stilts for the walk-ins goes a long way (just don't be put off by the snakes circling you as you stop for a breather). Of course, stilts do put you closer to the drop-bears, but you can't have everything, after all this is Australia...

Bob Saki

20-Jan-2006
9:46:39 AM

watch the bunyip's as well
they generally hunt in chimney's for larger marsuplials but have been know to take climbers whole.

mpage

20-Jan-2006
9:53:22 AM

On 20/01/2006 Bob Saki wrote:
>watch the bunyip's as well
>they generally hunt in chimney's for larger marsuplials but have been
>know to take climbers whole.

That explains why you went right to avoid the chimney on Sat .... damn beasties always keeping you away from the choice lines.


ShinToe Warrior

20-Jan-2006
10:12:48 AM

Generally you will be fine whilst climbing, it's the walk-ins and walk-outs that are more dangerous, the bush being replete with our cuddly biting, deadly venom injecting wildlife. Oh, and be vigilant when taking a sheeit in a campground toilet or in the wild. The redback spider, whilst normally shy, regards the sight of a pair of buttocks as a highly aggressive gesture and may respond by attacking.

Dalai

20-Jan-2006
10:16:17 AM

NicG,

don't be put off by the above posts. None of these are a real concern, as all the above are easily scared off by loud singing (30's stage musical tunes - Gilbert & Sullivan seems to work best).

This does unfortunately attract the Yowie, and these are far more dangerous and deadly! People suggest if confronted by a Yowie to either freeze or climb quickly up the nearest tree if available. Some have even suggested to tunnel down a vacant wombat burrow. Though having said that, it is all speculative as no one sighting a Yowie other than from a moving vehicle have survived! Fortunately due to their scarcity, deaths yearly in Australia from Yowies are only in single figures.

Cheers Dalai


sticky

20-Jan-2006
10:29:23 AM

You can still get drop-bears in March. Last Easter I heard a drop-bear in that small forest on the walk in up to Curtain Wall. Didn't even have my neck-guard on. Lucky I had some toothpaste with me or I would have been toast.


oweng

20-Jan-2006
10:32:38 AM

On 20/01/2006 Dalai wrote:

Fortunately due to their scarcity, deaths yearly in Australia from Yowies
>are only in single figures.

Thats the official stats Dalai, its common knowledge that there is significant under-reporting of Yowie related insidents. Obviously the unexplained disappearances of people does not go down well in the marketing of Australia as a tourist destination.

I know its a typical 'conspiricy theory', but there is a school of thought that the Ballangalo (spelling) and Falconio cases feature many of the hallmarks of Yowie activity. The powerful government / tourism lobbys may have combined forces to come up with a more 'palatable explanation'.


Andrew_M

20-Jan-2006
10:49:08 AM

Don't worry about the drop bears as these are easily repelled by smearing yourself liberally in vegemite. This is an old trick used widely in the outback.

Also, it's surprising no-one has mentioned wedge-tailed eagles. If you're 6 foot, 100kg, and have a rack of cams to fight them off you'll be OK (hexs work well too BTW), but if you're a 4'2" 45kg sport climber you will have trouble. Smaller sportos have been known to be plucked off cliffs and taken back to feed wedge tailed young (if you come across a wedge-tail nest you'll often see half digested quickdraws in their 'scats'). The eagle problem is the main reason why weedy sport climbers spend most of their time under overnahangs and roofs in Oz...hiding.

Have fun!


Romfrantic

20-Jan-2006
10:53:26 AM

LOL at you lot! :-D

Bob Saki

20-Jan-2006
10:54:50 AM

On 20/01/2006 mpage wrote:
>On 20/01/2006 Bob Saki wrote:
>>watch the bunyip's as well
>>they generally hunt in chimney's for larger marsuplials but have been
>>know to take climbers whole.
>
>That explains why you went right to avoid the chimney on Sat .... damn
>beasties always keeping you away from the choice lines.

yes but you know the predators at BC are the most heinous -

but in all honesty we do have a plague of large cats roaming the badlands of VIC, and remeber if you hear it you have 10 seconds left!


wombly

20-Jan-2006
11:01:40 AM

lets not forget the crocs that you'll have to look out for if you decide to do any climbing around the waterholes in the top end. Nor for that matter should you dismiss the possiblity of great whites having a nibble if you decide to swim across to the totem pole in tassie, or do some deep water soloing at point perp...


nmonteith

20-Jan-2006
11:01:43 AM

Has anyoen else seen the Grampians Panther recently? I had the bloody thing stalking me on the way up
to the Fortress recently. It's a bit creepy having something that big slinking along behind you for 2 hours.


brat

20-Jan-2006
11:06:16 AM

Bob Saki wrote "but in all honesty we do have a plague of large cats roaming the badlands of VIC"

Large feral cats, I was lead to believe these mainly habitated the Geelong flatlands areas from March through to late August, then like Magpies their testicals shrunk to a hundredth of their normal size during the September, non-mating season and they go into to hiding as a group for months on end!


DaCrux

20-Jan-2006
12:07:28 PM

I was climbing in the Bluies on New Years Eve. My partner led the carthagenian and when I got to the second pitch he told me to keep really still because there was a huge spider above me. I said to him “I hope it’s not a funnel web” – and he fully freaked out (he’s terrified of spiders) lol :) However, on closer inspection it turned out to be one of these

A 10cm huntsman – and it was dead! So whoever killed it and left it there – thank you for freaking people out.

Bob Saki

20-Jan-2006
12:34:58 PM

we've also gotta stop sidestepping the big threat
the Australian rock lobster
how many climbers have topped out a few digits short - the stats are frightening


Sabu

20-Jan-2006
12:39:08 PM

Seriously NicG Beware of the drop bears, i've seen one chew through a whole set of ring bolts...... just like Sticky i was glad i had my toothpaste.

On 20/01/2006 nmonteith wrote:
>Has anyoen else seen the Grampians Panther recently? I had the bloody thing
>stalking me on the way up
>to the Fortress recently. It's a bit creepy having something that big
>slinking along behind you for 2 hours.

how'd u know it was stalking you?

There are 75 messages in this topic.