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Traveling and climbing in Victoria

kieranl

20-Mar-2012
2:31:33 PM

On 20/03/2012 nmonteith wrote:
>.... Grampians classics are some
>of the great routes of the world.
And then you have such unmissable crags as Barbican Wall :)

yevquest

20-Mar-2012
3:27:11 PM

I'm still around and enjoying the lively debate I inadvertently kicked up. I've climbed a pretty good bit in Europe already, northern Spain, France, Germany, Italy, and Greece so I'd rather go someplace different. I've also spent a lot of time at the Red and climbing in the deeper South so I'm well versed with sandstone. That being said, the pictures that I've seen of the Grampians and Arapalies certainly make it look more impressive than the Red (at least in terms of setting if nothing else).

Thanks again for everyone's input, it continues to be very helpful!

20-Mar-2012
3:41:39 PM

http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/413/cache/ladz-nalle-taipan-wall_41357_600x450.jpg

Wendy

21-Mar-2012
9:27:06 AM

On 20/03/2012 nmonteith wrote:
>On 20/03/2012 Wendy wrote:
>>have you been to the red, Kent? If that's his local, the Madness Cave
>>alone puts all of those routes to shame. It's all a matter of context.
>> The Red really does have 1000s of kilometres of cliff that are like
>bigger,
>>better versions of Muline and the Gallery.
>
>
>Errr - no it doesn't. The rock quality is totally different. The Red is
>all about repetitive pocket pulling pumpfests on steep gritty sandstone.
>Quite monotonous after a while. Also nothing is bigger than single pitch,
>and it's all below the tree line. The Grampians has amazing swirling smooth
>and surreal rock architecture - the hard routes have memorbale contorted
>and bizzare cruxes, sometimes with epic air under your feet. And you have
>them all to yourself 99% of the time. Unlike the Red were you have to queue
>for anything with 2 stars or more.
>
>Don't get me wrong - I loved the Red. I had a great time, but I can't
>remember any details about particular climbs - they all felt very same
>same. On the other hand, so many of the moves on the classics in the Grampians
>are imprinted firmly in my mind. Quoting Mike Law "The Grampians has fantatsic
>climbs, the Blue Mountains has fantastic crags". Same comparison can be
>made between Gramps & the Red in my opinion. Grampians classics are some
>of the great routes of the world.

Yeah, but you thought the New was as good as Araps! To paraphrase you, it's all single pitch and below the tree line ... that didn't stop you raving about it. You were also at the Red at the wrong time - we had crags to ourselves regularly and I don't think we queued for routes at all. Unlike at the Gallery which completely bottle necks as the rightmost 5 routes overlap and sucks almost as soon as there's a second party there. And Taipan can be a circus.

I think the Gramps are spectacular. I was just saying yesterday walking out from Skyline Walls (yes I know, not the Gramps ...) at sunset that I love the look of the Australian landscape. Our rock, our trees, our wildlife, big skies, it's all fabulous. But in terms of the actual climbing, the Gallery and Muline each have a dozen routes of about 15m. That really doesn't compare to the Red, which has crag after crag of loads of routes some of them 100-140ft pitches. I can take or leave most of the sport climbing in the Northern Gramps, there's the odd fun route, but my fav stuff is the trad. although Taipan is an amazing bit of rock. Even if I'm all the wrong proportions to climb on it. But even then, it's marred by crap bolting, and I've heard people fonder of it then I am suggest it is just a little repetitive in style.

maxdacat

21-Mar-2012
9:47:42 AM

On 21/03/2012 Wendy wrote:
>
Our rock, our trees, our wildlife, big skies, it's all fabulous.

and the serenity...

Wendy

21-Mar-2012
10:17:18 AM

I've got a new suggestion. I think you should definitely come to the Gramps. Because I know when I went to the Red, lots of people were telling me it's stupid to go to the other side of the world for climbing just like i have around the corner. But in terms of the sport climbing, I thought the Red was way better and happily spent 5 weeks there and could have spent another 5 easily. So now I'm curious as to how it feels in the other direction!

mattbrooks

22-Mar-2012
12:34:34 PM

Having climbed world over, I find myself coming back to the Grampians time over as one of the best places I have been in the world. As is the Blue Mountains, its diversity, wilderness and massive variety. Its very easy to take whats in your back yard for granted. Taipan is one of the most amazing cliffs you will ever climb on, its got it all, great rock, exposure, great moves and the environment you wont forget. Message me if you are looking for someone to show you around the stuff near Sydney, Nowra or Point Perp.

Dave J

22-Mar-2012
1:51:24 PM

On 21/03/2012 Wendy wrote:
>I think the Gramps are spectacular. I was just saying yesterday walking
>out from Skyline Walls (yes I know, not the Gramps ...) at sunset that
>I love the look of the Australian landscape. Our rock, our trees, our
>wildlife, big skies, it's all fabulous. But in terms of the actual climbing,
>the Gallery and Muline each have a dozen routes of about 15m. That really
>doesn't compare to the Red, which has crag after crag of loads of routes
>some of them 100-140ft pitches. I can take or leave most of the sport
>climbing in the Northern Gramps, there's the odd fun route, but my fav
>stuff is the trad.
With all due respect Wendy, I'm not sure that you would have even been on any of what I consider to be the good sport routes in the Grampians Wendy. KPs list was a reasonably good start I thought.

>although Taipan is an amazing bit of rock. Even if
>I'm all the wrong proportions to climb on it. But even then, it's marred
>by crap bolting, and I've heard people fonder of it then I am suggest it
>is just a little repetitive in style.

I'd not heard that....and, having done most of the routes there, I've not experienced it either. I haven't climbed at the Red but I have climbed in a fair few other spots and some of the lines in the Grampians (particularly Taipan) stand out as being the best few lines I've climbed. And if you can climb 28 then you can pretty much have a good time on most of the best routes at most of the best crags in the Gramps which are as good or better than most of what Ive done elsewhere in the world (Wendy you'll be pleased to hear that you've still got the best of what the Grampians has to offer ahead of you).

From photos I've seen the Red seems a bit like the Blue Mountains in that it looks like a great spot to get fit but none of the routes really stand out as amazing lines.

It would be interesting to hear what someone who had done a lot of climbing at the Red had to say about all that though. So yevquest, come and visit.

Wendy

23-Mar-2012
8:54:43 AM

On 22/03/2012 Dave J wrote:
>On 21/03/2012 Wendy wrote:
>>I think the Gramps are spectacular. I was just saying yesterday walking
>>out from Skyline Walls (yes I know, not the Gramps ...) at sunset that
>>I love the look of the Australian landscape. Our rock, our trees, our
>>wildlife, big skies, it's all fabulous. But in terms of the actual climbing,
>>the Gallery and Muline each have a dozen routes of about 15m. That really
>>doesn't compare to the Red, which has crag after crag of loads of routes
>>some of them 100-140ft pitches. I can take or leave most of the sport
>>climbing in the Northern Gramps, there's the odd fun route, but my fav
>>stuff is the trad.
>With all due respect Wendy, I'm not sure that you would have even been
>on any of what I consider to be the good sport routes in the Grampians
>Wendy. KPs list was a reasonably good start I thought.

Ok, maybe my view reflects the sport routes up to 25 ... still, I've been on Monkey Puzzle, Mr J, Invisible Fist, Sirocco ... actually, i'll give you that hanging out on the first belay on Mr J is very cool, but as most people do the first pitch and lower of the anchors, they miss out on that bit. But they are all in great, out there locations. But how are Anglular Perspective and One Bend to the Left that are that different to routes in the Red? They are both not very exposed bit of the crag, single pitch climbing ... I know everyone seems to think the Red is repetitive pocket pulling, but I did all sorts of funky stuff - no shortage of knee bars, arm bars, hip jams, body wedges, arse placements ... and stuff from slabby nonsense to horizontal.

>
>>although Taipan is an amazing bit of rock. Even if
>>I'm all the wrong proportions to climb on it. But even then, it's marred
>>by crap bolting, and I've heard people fonder of it then I am suggest
>it
>>is just a little repetitive in style.
>
>I'd not heard that....and, having done most of the routes there, I've
>not experienced it either.

I can't remember who did say that, but it was tongue in cheek aimed at the assertion that the Red was all repetitive pocket pulling ... you could also say Taipan was all dynos and slopers ...

But yevquest did say he was attracted to China for a different style of climbing, so it seemed relevant to point out that the Gramps and the Red have a little in common.

I admit, I've not climbed anywhere that i'd move to in preference to here ... but it's not really the sport climbing that keeps me here - i'm way more psyched by Archemedies Principle and Passport than any of those routes listed. And I have spent all of my summer in a trench around the corner from Angular ... So maybe my opinions should be taken with a grain of salt ....

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