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Crag & Route Beta

Area	Location	Sub Location	Crag	Links
VIC Grampians	Halls Gap	(General)	(General)	[ Grampians Guide \| Images ]

Topic Date User

Where's Crock Wall? 21-Jun-2014 At 3:26:49 PM BA

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Wall Of China

SPRUNG originally 20m 21 (Argus Annual 1998).
We agree with 20m 21: give it **. Mentz - Tempest guide quotes 25m 22 * (their * = “very good” so actually **). The route ends at a 2 ring lowering station, and there’s lots of rope on the ground after you’ve lowered off – hence 20m not 25m. I flashed the route on-sight. It is not 22. Baxter (1999) agrees! The pockets are not “a fraction too sharp for complete enjoyment” as claimed in the Mentz - Tempest guide. There are 4 fixed hangers plus a fifth fixed piece of gear, a ring bolt.

HONKERS 18m 18 is the route referred to disparagingly in the Mentz - Tempest guide (italics p. 167). It does seem a little close to Tartrazine from its left and Checkpoint Charlie on its right! (Where do you draw the line?)

PEKING DUCK 18m 19 (Argus Annual 1998) is referred in Mentz - Tempest as “Another route (18?) …” p. 167. We didn’t do it though, so can’t give an opinion on the grade.

WELL HUNG does not have a dead tree at its start (see update)(Baxter doesn’t mention it). A dead tree is lying against the boulders nearby – I expect it has fallen over. The start of Well Hung is the crux, it’s quite difficult for 18 (Baxter gives it 19), the pro is very small (RPs, Microwires) and the landing (between boulders) is poor. Nevertheless the remainder of the route redeems this. Not worth a star.

Update mentions “bolts” when they are “fixed hangers”. This applies to Black Russian (1FH), Checkpoint Charlie (1FH), Sprung (4FH plus one Ring Bolt [RB] presumably added since 1st ascent), Blue Sky Mining (4FH not 4BR). Peking Duck mentions 1 BR in the description (Argus Annual 98) and this is true.

SACRED GROUND (update) mentions 1BR but this has been augmented by a ring bolt next to it.

BLUE SKY MINING (update) is described as “25m left of Checkpoint Charlie”. This is incorrect. It would be about 8m left. (It should have been 25m left of the other Simon Carter route, Black Russian.

CHIN CHIMMINY (update) is described “just left of Fire Dragon”. Incorrect. It would be about 15m left of Fire Dragon. Nevertheless, the new text should be “12m left of Little Bourke Street”.

CHINESE TAKE-AWAY is similarly described (update) as “near (!) Chin Chimminy”. (Such precision!). It would be about 15m left Chin Chimminy. It would be helpful to describe it as (say) … “The prominent, steep right-facing corner line just right of the left end of the cliff, 15m left of Chin Chimminy.”

THE IRON ROOSTER (V.C.C. New Routes 1999) is described as a) “Start at the chimney 3m right of Tibet”. The chimney right of Tibet is Chin Chimminy. (Baxter correct.) (It is more than 3m right of Tibet, probably 6m or so.) b) 27m seems way too long. The cliff here is shorter at this end (not 25m!), so all the climb lengths have been over-estimated.

MAO 25m 17 is described in Mentz - Tempest p. 168. (This is the route described in Argus Annual 1998 with the missing bold in the title). Great route, gets ** from me. Way harder than 17! More like 19, A hedge against inflation? The “step L” at the bulge is the crux. (Baxter also quoted gr 17.)

Update has climbs listed out of order, namely:
Chin Chimminy
The Good Soldier Schweik
Little Bourke Street
Fire Dragon
Rickshaw
Kung Fu
The topo shows the correct order

KUNG FU (update) description is very misleading now other routes have been added. Suggest “Just left of Blue Sky Mining the cliff is broken by a pair of off-widths behind a large detached block. Kung Fu takes the one on the right.” Since one approaches R to L along the Wall Of China.

SPRUNG does have excellent natural protection, right next to two of the bolts. (As mentioned in Mentz - Tempest guide.) (It might be 22 if you had to hang around placing it.)