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Mt Pilot - 29/12/04

Paulie

30-Dec-2004
12:22:23 AM

1st time back at Pilot in close to 3 years.

The fires have really had a marked effect on the area. Most of the vegetation described in the guidebook is no longer there (there are now 5 gazillion black stumps at the start of the trail to Bakery Wall), though there are a few big trees left standing. You can see the top of Bakery Wall from the fire tower now also (look west!). There are now no established trails, though the original trail is still easily followed in most places (if you know where to look!), so we'll be going about re-establishing that in the next few days.

The climbs are relatively unscathed, and in many cases the fires have actually made the climbs better by burning off any vegetation on the routes (All the routes on the Lower Tier are as clean as a whistle now!).

Beechworth Bakery has a loose foothold around the crux so watch that bit.

All in all, very enjoyable and great to be back on home turf again.

Nice to meet bump into you Worms, Jackie & others, let me know if you're heading out that way again.

Took lots of photos, so will try and get them up very soon,

Paulie

Jackie

1-Jan-2005
11:12:54 PM

Hey Paulie, thanks for bumping into us!
Hope the bouldering went well. We slacked off, sussed the two shorter bolted 17s down the end and Steve had his first lead on Breakfast at Ponderosa
Chances we'll crash on Corey (Wormz) pezza's place again so c u up there or in town
ciao :)

Wormz

2-Jan-2005
10:57:50 PM

G'Day Pauli,

likewise, good to see a few keen people getting up there, did you get any photo's out near beechworth, I'd love to head up and check it out someday. Went for a bit of a wanter and had a look at the Lower Tier, seems you could be dodging downed tree's on a couple of those lines, but it looks like there's a couple of nice climbs down there, some of those cracks at the right end looked interesting!

Cheers.

Corey.

Superstu

26-Apr-2005
1:13:38 PM

A friend and I sussed out Mt Pilot & Mt Stanley over the long weekend. Here are our tips for the VCC guide. I don't know if the second edition has had any updates, I don't own a copy and the downloadable guide is the first edition verbatim.

Bakery Wall - Cairns mark the trail through the burnt woods now.

I tried repeating Life in the Fat Line, but the first bolt is way low and the possible gear placement in the hole before the second bolt is no more ( I placed a nut in it and tested it with a solid tug - and it disintergrated!) Nice moves on topeyrope but a serious lead.

My Lust for Crust has a brilliant route name but the route is a bit painful for a warm up lead. Solo Man was great. Also The Beachworth Bakey; the loose foothold is still there. On Ponderosa I think finishing right of the tree would have been better than finishing left. Slide Away is good but the area is prone to erosion due to the fires and a big burnt tree has fallen over the route - any attempts to climb the route will now leave you, your shoes and your rope covered in black soot. Best left for a few years.

Mt Stanley - We could not find the crag that's 800m down the 4WD track after much searching, (I think one of the routes on it is called Guetamalan Disco Adventure). We also visited Talon Block, Grendel, Bosch crags and did a swag of routes. A simple map would be really good for the guide, there is no help how to find Talon Block once you find the allcom tower. Very short and technical routes on sharp rock. The whole area was burned less than a week ago as part of the NSE fuel reduction program, this has affected all crags which are now covered in black soot. Best to wait until next season before visiting. As we drove home down the Mt Stanley Road we noticed some of the burn had re-ignited with the unusual warm weather and a new bushfire was in full swing! The boyz of Mt Stanley Fire Brigade had a fun Anzac day afternoon...

BA

26-Apr-2005
4:20:49 PM

On 26/04/2005 superstu wrote:
>A friend and I sussed out Mt Pilot & Mt Stanley over the long weekend.
>Here are our tips for the VCC guide. I don't know if the second edition
>has had any updates, I don't own a copy and the downloadable guide is the
>first edition verbatim.

>Mt Stanley - We could not find the crag that's 800m down the 4WD track
>after much searching, (I think one of the routes on it is called Guetamalan
>Disco Adventure). We also visited Talon Block, Grendel, Bosch crags and
>did a swag of routes. A simple map would be really good for the guide,
>there is no help how to find Talon Block once you find the allcom tower.
>Very short and technical routes on sharp rock.

There is no updated info in V1.10 of the guide for either Mount Pilot or Mount Stanley. Paulie was going to do a map for Stanley but decided going OS was the better option (isn't it always?). In fact I had to edit out references to the map from the text. Want to change anything for the next edition Stu?

Superstu

26-Apr-2005
5:53:51 PM

I wouldn't be able to draw a map as I haven't been to all the crags at Mt Stanley.

Talon Crag is a little to the right of Bosch crag (looking out) i.e. towards Beechworth, say 100m. Grendel crag is obvious when you arrive at the Allcom tower, which confused us because as you read the guide you would think you would find Talon crag first!

Other than that some mention of the effect of the fires on Mt Pilot, in particular Flake Off is basically unclimbable, access to other areas fire affected; and erosion will be a major problem for the next few years. No single black tree stump for directions to the Bakery anymore!

Paulie

30-Apr-2005
11:28:49 PM

BA, we'll be putting up some new routes at Mt Stanley this coming summer, so will draw up a proper map off a topo when they're completed.

If the tree is still over Flakeoff/Slide Away at Pilot I'll cut it down also.

Stu, for info, you were never supposed to use the pocket on Life in the Fat Lane for pro, it's always been too fragile, shame it's no lnger there. I bolted it so you'd grab the pocket as an undercling, stand up and clip the 2nd BR...you're right though, it's quite a way to that 2nd bolt :)

Superstu

1-May-2005
11:25:33 PM

Oh you can still use the pocket to do the move alright, only a little bit broke off. Doesn't really affect the climb. Nice moves still.

The tree isn't over the climb Flake Off; its under it. Except you just get very black and sooty hanging around there. Plus the whole place wants to slide down the hill with no vegetation holding it together. Just a bit worried about climbers causing enviro problems. Especially since its in a national park now. I guess you'll check it out yourself anyway.

My finger tips have finally resumed normal sensitivity.

Stu (Woosy western district sandstone softie...)

gordoste

13-May-2005
10:38:37 AM

U guys let me know if you head out to Stanley... I'd be happy to help with topos/have a climb/walk around lost/all of the above. Went once but could only find a few of the climbs.

Paulie

13-May-2005
9:23:52 PM

Stephen, will be back in about 5 months. Many new routes to be done out that way mate...

Paulie

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