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VIC Eastern (General) (General) (General)

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Top roping for groups in North East

Chalk Free

8-May-2008
8:28:45 AM

Have just moved to Wangaratta and need to take a school group climbing. I am in need of suggestions as to where I could take them. I need to set up 3 or 4 climbs and an abseil.

Thanks in anticipation

Icarus

8-May-2008
9:59:05 AM

Hey Chalkfree, the nearest established area would probably be Mt Pilot, your side of Beechworth. Link
here LINK Its granite though.
Unless someone can point you towards a chossy little cliff somewhere, it seems OK. You might find
managing the kids a little hard there

Superstu

8-May-2008
7:44:01 PM

Mt Pilot might still be a little fragile from the fires a few years ago and therefore not great for a large group.

Mt Kooyara/Melville Caves would be well suited for school group top roping and abseils. A long ride from Wang though.

There is always the mighty Mt Meg near Dookie.... :o)

Chalk Free

9-May-2008
8:28:07 AM

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll check them out.

IdratherbeclimbingM9

9-May-2008
11:45:10 PM

Chalk Free wrote;
>Have just moved to Wangaratta and need to take a school group climbing. >I am in need of suggestions as to where I could take them. >I need to set up 3 or 4 climbs and an abseil.

&

On 8/05/2008 superstu wrote:
>Mt Pilot might still be a little fragile from the fires a few years ago
>and therefore not great for a large group.

Mt Pilot is still slowly recovering from the fires of 2002/3 which burnt particularly intensely at that location, however this is not the main issue affecting climbing and abseiling there.
Other issues are rare and endangered flora (Bakery Wall), and nesting peregrines (East side of Mt Pilot, at certain times of the year).

Local climbers are in negotiation with local PV staff regarding carrying out track re-alignment work to protect flora and maintain our access to the area. Local groups who carry out abseiling are aware of the issues and to my knowledge are utilising other areas at the moment till the Chiltern Ironbox National Park Management Plan is fully implemented; at which time they may choose to use Mt Pilot again, but within accordance to its management plan. The m.p. includes a designated mustering area and potential (yet to be approved/installed), abseil anchor, as well as interpretive signs etc. There has been mention of restricting group numbers ...

Climbers have already demonstrated continued adherence to the self imposed ethic of avoiding climbing in the vicinity of nesting birds during their breeding season which includes Winter/Spring

The endangered flora consists of a relatively small number of individual plants and are particularly vulnerable to trampling by ‘groups’ of people.

Imo although Mt Pilot would generally lend itself to abseiling at specific spots, the climbing is somewhat limited for beginners and does not necessarily coincide with the abseiling spots. The easier grade climbs are dispersed quite widely and the main climbing areas tend to favour mid/high-teens to low 20’s grade climbs, many of which have loose sandy top-outs since the fires.

Other than Mt Buffalo (for proximity only, to Wangaratta), any other places that I can think of that might be in the reasonably user friendly category for school groups are further away (eg The Rock, up Wagga Wagga direction).

Dr Box

10-May-2008
12:05:11 PM

if your looking at Mt Kooyara/Melville Caves, you might as well look at Mt Alexander too

Paulie

16-Jun-2008
12:28:20 PM

If you decide to use the Bakery Wall at Mt Pilot please DO NOT put the ropes straight through the top anchors! Please use slings and gates. Thanks :)

Oh yeah and buy the Eastern Vic guidebook too!

Paulie

earwig

16-Jun-2008
2:09:31 PM

Cathedrals - Sugarloaf area, lots of groups, a two hour drive each way. School groups need to book during the week. Otherwise, Tenerrife and Big Hill near Euroa might work for you.

Paul

16-Jun-2008
2:32:21 PM

On 16/06/2008 earwig wrote:
>Cathedrals - Sugarloaf area, lots of groups, a two hour drive each way.
>School groups need to book during the week. Otherwise, Tenerrife and Big
>Hill near Euroa might work for you.

With the logging going on at the moment in the Cathedrals it might de difficult getting a bus in there.

gfdonc

16-Jun-2008
6:01:02 PM

On 16/06/2008 earwig wrote:
>Cathedrals - Sugarloaf area, lots of groups, a two hour drive each way.
>School groups need to book during the week.

Huh? How does that work?

billk

16-Jun-2008
6:09:28 PM

On 16/06/2008 gfdonc wrote:
>On 16/06/2008 earwig wrote:
>>Cathedrals - Sugarloaf area, lots of groups, a two hour drive each way.
>>School groups need to book during the week.
>
>Huh? How does that work?
>

This is just for one or two small walls in the Sugarloaf area not the main slab.

I presume school groups book with the ranger. I've seen a noticeboard somewhere (maybe in the Sugarloaf carpark) listing who has the wall booked.

earwig

20-Jun-2008
12:59:00 PM

Ring the ranger - 5772 0200 - and tell 'em where and what you want to climb. Ne fees, just more school groups then rock. It's a busy place. Bookings are taken for the boulders, flypaper and main face.

And the road's open - watch for lgging trucks and use your uhf (ch 17) to let them know you're in the area.

There are 12 messages in this topic.