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Climbing trip to Australia at The Grampians

ciprians

23-Aug-2005
6:00:34 AM

Her everyone,

I will come to Australia this October, and I would like to meet over the internet australian climbers that might be interested in climbing with me.
I live in US, and I can onsight 24, I can redpoint 26, and boulder V7. I also can do trad climbing single and multi pitch. I can do trad 20. I enjoy multi pitch sport and trad. I will bring all the necessary gear.
I would appreciate if anyone will reply or give me info regarding this matter.

Other stuff about myself: I am orriginally from Romania, and live in US for the past 10 years. My father moved to Australia Melbourne, and I am exicited that I will come and visit him.

Thanks,
Chip

Jackie

23-Aug-2005
8:06:17 AM

Hi chip, hope you like melboune! I wont be here when you are, but im sure you will meet many friendly people. If in doubt, just rock up to arapiles with a smile and some gear and im sure you find someone to climb with
seeya, jackie

climbingjac

23-Aug-2005
12:34:23 PM

Hi Chip,

I also won't be in Melbourne at that time. However, it sounds like you will be staying with your father in Melbourne. So, the best thing for you to do is go the the climbing gym and introduce yourself to some other climbers that appear to be climbing similar grades to you, and ask to go climbing on the weekends with them.

Address of gym:
Cliffhanger Climbing Gym
Corner of Dohertys Road and Grieve Parade
Altona North

Good days to go are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Best day for meeting lots of people that climb outdoors on the weekend is Tuesday.

Good luck!

dalai

23-Aug-2005
1:30:40 PM

If Chip doesn't have access to a car, it's near impossible to get to Cliffhanger!

Hardrock in the Eastern Suburb of Nunawading - 16-18 Varman Crt is easily accessable by train via the Lilydale/Belgrave line.

ciprians

23-Aug-2005
11:53:17 PM

First of all I thank you all which replied back, that is so nice of you.
I will definetly hit the gym there and get to talk to the climber comunity in Melbourne.
Also I will rent a car for the time I will be there so I will have transportation. I read that to get to see many climbing places you need one.
Anyhow thanks again.

jack_lasportiva

2-Sep-2005
1:12:29 PM

well, I'll be in the area on my own for months, I climb 1-2 grades less than you though.
Just call me. 0406052499

Eduardo Slabofvic

4-Sep-2005
10:45:30 PM

You can get to and from Arapiles on public transport, but not much public transport in the Grampians. Hitch hiking from Horsham to Arapiles is easy, as many climbers drive this rout every day. Probably only around Halls Gap.

ciprians

16-Feb-2006
8:34:29 AM

Australia, Melbourne - Grampians, Mt Arpiles, Mt Buffalo - Feb 25 - March 20

Is anyone interested to go climbing between the dates of Feb 25 and March 19.
I want to climb at Gamps, Arps and Buffalo areas but I do not know any climbers in the area.
I can redpoint sport 12c, I can do trad 11. a, and boulder V6/V7.
I will have my gear rack, sport climbing equipment.

Anyone interested that might want to climb within this period of time?

I previously wanted to go in November but I had to delay my trip, now I got my tickets and packed my bags and I am ready to go.

Is it hot over there now or it is climbable?

Thanks a lot,
Chip

nmonteith

16-Feb-2006
8:56:06 AM

On 16/02/2006 ciprians wrote:
>I can redpoint sport 12c, I can do trad 11. a, and boulder V6/V7.
>I will have my gear rack, sport climbing equipment.

Translation to Oz grades - sport 27, trad 22

>Is it hot over there now or it is climbable?

The summer heat is rapidly disappearing. Nice mid 20'C every day although a few more hot days are
expected in the next month.

gfdonc

16-Feb-2006
11:34:21 AM

On 16/02/2006 nmonteith wrote:
>On 16/02/2006 ciprians wrote:
>>I can redpoint sport 12c, I can do trad 11. a, and boulder V6/V7.
>
>Translation to Oz grades - sport 27, trad 22

This still bugs me, I still can't work this out. How is it that ppl can climb only so hard when placing gear but 5 grades harder when clipping bolts? That they can make the move with a ring bolt at their knees but not with a bomber Friend?

Maybe I'm just a fuddy duddy who doesn't understand sport climbing, or perhaps I'm secretly hoping one day I'll magically find I can really climb 27 when I leave my rack in the pack (but somehow doubtful).
- Steve

Dalai

16-Feb-2006
11:48:11 AM

Hi Ciprians - get yourself to Arapiles and you will have no trouble finding partners to climb with (note: if you don't have partners every day there is also brilliant bouldering at Arapiles in the grade range you boulder.)

On 16/02/2006 gfdonc wrote:
>This still bugs me, I still can't work this out. How is it that ppl can
>climb only so hard when placing gear but 5 grades harder when clipping
>bolts? That they can make the move with a ring bolt at their knees but
>not with a bomber Friend?

>Maybe I'm just a fuddy duddy who doesn't understand sport climbing, or
>perhaps I'm secretly hoping one day I'll magically find I can really climb
>27 when I leave my rack in the pack (but somehow doubtful).
>- Steve

Maybe trad climbing doesn't interest them and don't get on trad much? My highest trad onsights were grades below what I onsighted sport. This was because I stopped climbing on trad early on and focussed on sport as trad didn't interest me!

If you focussed on training rather than lugging your trad weight belt up easier grades you could climb grade 27!

If you feel like a sport vs trad debate, why not rehash one of the previous topics rather than offer no constructive reply for ciprians request for climbing partners!

cruze

16-Feb-2006
12:01:18 PM

Maybe he doesn't redpoint his trad climbs, but he does redpoint sports grades. Maybe he just climbs more/harder with a waistbelt of draws rather than jingling wigglies. Who knows (but him)?

I think that the ability to climb harder on bolts than on gear is more the norm rather than the exception nowadays and probably comes down to what climbing you have access to locally. Compare a climber from the Blueys to someone from Natimuk.

drdeviousII

16-Feb-2006
12:30:31 PM

On 16/02/2006 cruze wrote:
>Compare a climber from the Blueys
>to someone from Natimuk.

One spends their time actually climbing, the other spends their time on Chockstone posting lengthy
replies using an alias!

gfdonc

16-Feb-2006
2:10:47 PM

Arrr. Isn't it always fun to stir up a hornet's nest?

On 16/02/2006 Dalai wrote:
>If you focussed on training rather than lugging your trad weight belt
>up easier grades you could climb grade 27!

Ooh-er. Dalai comes back with a personal attack! But they say it takes a troll to catch a troll .. so here I am .. now who is the catcher, and who is the catchee?

How the hell would you know how much or little training I do? And isn't lugging a weight belt around a good training aid? ;-p

>If you feel like a sport vs trad debate, why not rehash one of the previous
>topics rather than offer no constructive reply for ciprians request for
>climbing partners!

Sorry to hijack your thread, Ciprian. It wasn't a personal attack, just an observation.
- Steve

Dalai

16-Feb-2006
2:27:06 PM

Actually was meant as a positive rather than a negative... that with specific training you would easily climb 27. (by the way 12c is hard 26 not 27).

Read it how you like - the joys of text rather than speech.

As Cruze already mentioned also. How many people redpoint routes on trad?

On 16/02/2006 gfdonc wrote:
>Arrr. Isn't it always fun to stir up a hornet's nest?

Whatever 'floats your boat' Steve. Boring day at work?

gfdonc

16-Feb-2006
2:54:44 PM

On 16/02/2006 Dalai wrote:
>Actually was meant as a positive rather than a negative... that with specific
> training you would easily climb 27. (by the way 12c is hard 26 not 27).
>
>Read it how you like - the joys of text rather than speech.

Hard to reply within the same limitations of this medium .. sincerely, it is encouraging to believe that this is possible. I am training fairly well at present but seem to have a 'ceiling' of around 22 or 23 i.e. I can and have onsighted 21 trad recently but can't haul my ass up hard 23 or 24 even on toprope. Hence my frustration at the remarks that kicked this off.
That said, I haven't tried to siege anything lately. Oh, except Bloodline (22), which threw me off a few times and sent me home with a finger flapper.

phil_nev

16-Feb-2006
4:23:19 PM

Thats ok steve, Bloodline is nails, easy 24 maybe???

ciprians

17-Feb-2006
2:10:53 AM

Hey everyone,

You guys are funny. Here is "the secret" ... I used to do trad long time back ( I climb for about 20 plus years and started in Romania where at the time there were no gym climbing) During this time I took a brake from climbing and started back up just with bouldering and sport. Recntly I got back into trad and I am taking it easy in trad. You know I want to feel again confortable placing gear right.
That is why I take less risk in trad. I am sure I will be able to climb harder trad soon but for know I am doing it that way. In sport ... hmmm I try even harder routes then 12.c (26/27) cause I can fall as many times as I want so I do not care.

Anyway I thank you everyone for your helpul information. I probably go to Arpiles and then try to hit the Gramps.

Is going to the gym in Melbourne a good idea to meet other climbers that might have the interest in going climbing outside for the weekend?

Anyway ... I am very excited in visiting and climbing at these beautifull places.

Chip

gfdonc

17-Feb-2006
2:53:54 PM

Yes. Plenty of people in the two main Melbourne gyms, posting a note there (or just meeting people) is a good place to start.
Until Verve opens in the city later this year, there are only two gyms worth visiting, one east of the city (Hardrock in Nunawading), one west (Cliffhanger in Altona). Hardrock is easier to get to by public transport (not far from the train station). Both have web sites.

But as mentioned in many of these forums, there are always people looking to climb in the campground at Arapiles.

Dalai

17-Feb-2006
3:11:58 PM

Staying in Burwood, closest gyms are

Hard Rock Nunawading. Vertical height to 15 metres .
The Lactic Factory Abbotsford. Newly opened bouldering specific gym
Over the Westgate Bridge is Cliffhanger Altona North. Vertical height to 20 metres - unfortunately hard to get to on public transport.

There are 20 messages in this topic.