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Moonarie on foot? Oct 6

AZ.Steve

5-Sep-2006
10:00:49 PM

Moonarie! God this place beckons! I am trying to meet some friends there the second week of October. They are coming from the Blue Mountain and I am coming from the Grampians, Friday the 6th. I can catch a ride back with them so am investigating public transport. Trains run from Ararat to Adelaide every day, but how does a brother get from Adelaide to Hawker by public transport.

Is anyone going to Moonarie that weekend? I can leave the Grampians on Friday the 6th or be in Adelaide by train at 7pm.

DaCrux

6-Sep-2006
1:01:50 AM

Greyhound (http://www.greyhound.com.au) and Premier Stateliner (http://www.premierstateliner.com.au) have bus services to Pt Augusta. From there you can get to Hawker with Gulf Getaways (http://www.bussa.com.au/timetables/wilpena_pound.html) or to Quorn on the Pichi Richi train (http://www.prr.org.au/cms/index.php) lol :P
Probably better if you can get a lift with someone.

Robb

6-Sep-2006
10:05:17 AM

There'll be quite a few adelaide crew heading up for the oct long weeekend. might be able to sort a lift out.

AZ.Steve

6-Sep-2006
11:26:55 AM

Beefy, when is this "Long Weekend" I keep hearing about?
How does one wear a harness and gear while in a frock? Are skirts permitted?
If you could help me find a ride from Adelaide that would be great. Shared costs of course.

Nottobetaken

6-Sep-2006
11:45:06 AM

This years 'Frocktoberfest' will be happening on the weekend of 30 September - 2 October. Apart from the obvious dress code, Frocktoberfest 2006 will feature a day of '80's climbing wear' - thus glow-in-the-dark lycra tights will be mandatory. Some sort of unofficial invite will be circulating unofficially in the near future. It should however be noted at this stage that the wearing of dubious clothing in the hamlet town of Quorn (or any other such nearby outcrop of civilisation) shall undoubtedly get you arrested. You have been warned!

cantcrimp

6-Sep-2006
12:37:54 PM

You will be lucky to be arrested. Better the cops get you before the locals. Thems tuff folk up there and they don't take lightly to those queers.

Does Quorn (or ony other nearby out crop) actually have any form of civilisation?

Also BL does this mean that your are heading to the land of enduro crimp slabbing?

Nottobetaken

6-Sep-2006
12:49:50 PM

>the land of enduro crimp
>slabbing?

Now that you put it that way...
- maybe not!

AZ.Steve

6-Sep-2006
12:54:00 PM

So I take it Hitch Hiking is not a good idea in these parts.

nmonteith

6-Sep-2006
1:19:30 PM

Pop into the scenic town of Snowtown on the way there...

cantcrimp

6-Sep-2006
2:11:57 PM

I hitched up there a few years ago, actually come to think about it it was around the time people were sticking other people in barrels full of acid. I was on the dole at the time too! Lucky I didn't get a bath.

Seriously hitching up there is fine. The loacls are pretty interesting and usually keen to give folk a ride.

AZ.Steve

6-Sep-2006
3:26:06 PM

Cant Crimp, did you hitch out of Port Agusta? Is there much traffic?
I looked into this train to Quorn and it takes 3 hours $54 to travel about 41 k's.
The bus runs three times a week to Hawker, but not on the days I need it.
TAXI!

ant

6-Sep-2006
6:19:24 PM

I've hitched around there before - no problems. But you will probably be carrying a huge pack with camping gear, which decreases your chances considerably.

Best place to pop the thumb out is at the Quorn turn-off, about 5km before Port Augusta.

Superstu

7-Sep-2006
8:01:16 AM

I hitched around the U.S. successfully by strategically placing the climbing rope on the outside of my pack... if the locals aren't curious to what you're up to, then usually the tourists are..

Anyway, how many psycho serial killers run around with huge packs, helmets and colourful ropes?

nmonteith

7-Sep-2006
9:04:56 AM

On 7/09/2006 superstu wrote:
>Anyway, how many psycho serial killers run around with huge packs, helmets
>and colourful ropes?

I think you need to watch out for the people driving the car! A friend told me he was picked up by a semi-
trailer driver in the USA. Apparently the driver had a video projector system where he could project
hardcore gay porn onto the windscreen in front of him whilst he was driving (apparently he coudl still see
through the windscreen?!) Lets just say my friend got out at the next opportunity!

Chuck Norris

7-Sep-2006
10:09:12 AM

Reminds me of a Col Reece story....Back in the dim dark eighties a bunch of climbers camping at Araps
made some plans to go climbing at Moonarie. Col left a few days earlier than the rest who were making
there own way up. At port pirie, col (driving alone i should note) saw Louise Shephard hitching by the side
of the road (wearing a dress 'cos it made getting a lift easier'). Apparently, Col slowed down, leant out the
window and after a friendly "See you at Moonarie" drove off leaving Louise behind.

Thankfully croweaters are a friendly bunch these days and i couldn't imagine beefy doing that to anyone,
provided they had their own occie straps to attach themselves to the roofrack.

Robb

7-Sep-2006
10:31:04 AM

Are you coming up stu? be good to see you up there.

Chuck Norris

7-Sep-2006
10:40:17 AM

50/50 at this stage. Have to see how the coming weeks pan out, if i do go it'll be a whirlwind trip. Though
I've already booked a couple of weeks off next april and reserved a spot in the cave.

Ronny

7-Sep-2006
1:09:54 PM

On 7/09/2006 stugang wrote:
>Reminds me of a Col Reece story....Back in the dim dark eighties a bunch
>of climbers camping at Araps
>made some plans to go climbing at Moonarie. Col left a few days earlier
>than the rest who were making
>there own way up. At port pirie, col (driving alone i should note) saw
>Louise Shephard hitching by the side
>of the road (wearing a dress 'cos it made getting a lift easier'). Apparently,
>Col slowed down, leant out the
>window and after a friendly "See you at Moonarie" drove off leaving Louise
>behind.

I had heard this story, so a few years back I asked Col whether this was true when I was at Moonarie. He got this sort of crazy glint in his eye, and with a big smile said "Yeah... and it was raining"

Ronny

7-Sep-2006
1:12:12 PM

AZ Steve,
I'll PM you a phone no. this arvo. Looks like I'll be in Pt Augusta for work for the first three weeks of October, and looking to go to Moonaire as often as possible. So if you can get a bus to there I should be able to give you a lift.

AZ.Steve

29-Oct-2006
11:40:44 AM

Yes it is possible. I left Horsham on the V-line bus at 1:30 pm Friday and made it to Adelaide around 7. Then transferred to a Stateliner bus and arrived in Pt. Augusta around 1:15 Saturday morning (oh GOD)! Stayed at a friends place and she gave me a ride (Thanks Sarah) to Moonarie the next day. I would not suggest trying to hitch between Pt Augusta and Moonarie because there is virtually no traffic. You can however take a bus to Wilpena and they might drop you at the dirt road.
Moonarie, in my opinion has the best rock in Australia, second only to Werribie Gorge. Every route was a highlight, especially Flying Buttress, Nemesis, Hypertension and The Endless Pitch. We took a day to adventure climb and potentially put up 4 new routes. Wandering all the way to a bright red cliff on the lowest tier farthest left, visible from camp. We FFAOS’ed a new *18 single pitch called “Burn Out”, a cool 16, 2 pitch corner, a crap 17, 2 pitch corner. I attempted this thin line (probably 22) on the second tier in Roystons gully left side but a hold broke off and scared me into retreat. We then busted up the left crack in a double crack system on the farthest right of this cliff. I bet this climb had been done before; too aesthetic! But if not well call it “Huxley” 17*.
There are not too many places where a climber can go out for a day and establish new quality climbs on solid rock ground up. Moonarie is one of those places.

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