Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - Trip Reports

Tells Us About Your Latest Trip!

Topic Date User

Jamming class at Mt Piddington 12-Oct-2012 At 11:22:34 AM PThomson

Message

Trad isn't about the epic grades, trad is about the experience. You've put together a good list of Classic ticks at Piddo so far, and your list of "ticks to do" is full of greats!

The Spartan is brilliant. To be safe you need a #5 cam for the start of the second pitch, but you can get by without it. Bring a normal rack other than that (it loves hexes!).

The bottom flake on flake crack isn't as awesome as you might expect (and you definately don't want to fall on it), but as a long single pitch climb, Flake Crack is way better than the sum of its parts. Bring some big gear for the initial flake, and same something big for pulling the top rooflet.

I found Amen Corner quite hard when I first got on it. It really is only 18, but it doesn't give it up easily. Just be prepared for the run-out squeeze-chimney in the middle, only Big Bros can protect it.

I'd also suggest Gemini (19), especially if you have reasonably big hands to make the crux fist-crack section easy. Completely safe climbing, and quite exciting.

Jonas sandbagged be onto Ballrace after we'd both just been up The Kraken (22). "It's only a 17..." he said. I fell off on my onsite at the start, and on my red-point attempt when I found out the hard way that my fist isn't big enough to fist-jam the crack. I've ticked it twice since then (and I love sandbagging people on it every time I go out to Piddo, now), with the trick -for me- being to approach the fist-crack section as straight up off-width, and embracing it as such. You'll love it.