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Aid climbing - Classic climbs of Australia |
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30-Jan-2019 7:44:38 AM
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Looking for advice for classic and/or trade aid routes in Australia. Rope aid solo'd Ozy Direct last month which was quite nice, and looking for other objectives in the aid/big wall realm before I head back for my second trip to yosemite later this year. Would prefer more moderate grades (ie C1-3), and steep for easier soloing, but obviously beggars can't be choosers.
Also, would anyone know if the totem pole is still aided (and whether it goes clean?).
Dave
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30-Jan-2019 11:06:54 AM
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On 30-Jan-2019 Davedave wrote:
>Looking for advice for classic and/or trade aid routes in Australia. Rope
>aid solo'd Ozy Direct last month which was quite nice, and looking for
>other objectives in the aid/big wall realm before I head back for my second
>trip to yosemite later this year. Would prefer more moderate grades (ie
>C1-3), and steep for easier soloing, but obviously beggars can't be choosers.
>
>Also, would anyone know if the totem pole is still aided (and whether
>it goes clean?).
>
>Dave
Lots of routes out there... A couple that are highly regarded are Passport to Insanity, and 7th Pillar - in the Grampians.
In my opinion a route doesn’t need to be strictly an aid route to be done clean aid style. Anything you can’t get up otherwise is a candidate!
Re Totem; I haven’t done it, but I’d have no qualms about clean aiding its original aid route; though I’d expect it to be harder than C3, even with modern gear like hand placed Peckers etc.
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30-Jan-2019 5:57:30 PM
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On 30-Jan-2019 Davedave wrote:
>Also, would anyone know if the totem pole is still aided (and whether
>it goes clean?).
I reckon it would be pretty demanding going clean, but I am no expert. Maybe the Gallegos Variant at the start could be a better approach (what is effectively now Deep Play to the ledge). At least most of the bolts on the Totem Pole you can trust.
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31-Jan-2019 6:00:38 AM
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Melanoma at Rosea. Rarely climbed these days. Finishes with a huge roof.
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31-Jan-2019 6:26:01 AM
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'Classic'....I guess this depends on what attributes one associates with such a description!
Surely one or several of the aid routes forcing their way up Dogface would qualify....iconic wall, notorious rock conditions, first ascents by the legend Ewbank himself! The names themselves are epic....Gigantor, Colossus, Titan, Giant, Gargantuan, Leviathan, Goliath etc etc etc
For something bigger and more modern....what about Big Glassy or Big Glassy Corner deep in the Wolgan?
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1-Feb-2019 5:08:07 AM
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On 31-Jan-2019 kieranl wrote:
>Melanoma at Rosea. Rarely climbed these days. Finishes with a huge roof.
Did you ever get up that?
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1-Feb-2019 6:27:52 AM
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On 1-Feb-2019 phillipivan wrote:
>On 31-Jan-2019 kieranl wrote:
>>Melanoma at Rosea. Rarely climbed these days. Finishes with a huge roof.
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>Did you ever get up that?
No. Don't think my back will cope with that sort of thing any more.
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1-Feb-2019 6:43:40 AM
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If anyone is going to do Melanoma, let me know - I'd love to take photos.
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8-Jul-2019 12:23:29 PM
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Thanks for the suggestions. For some reason a friend seems keen on big glassy, but from the crag description it looks like a nailing route ? Would anyone with direct experience know if this is still the case and the suggested pin rack or whether it helps to have any specialised kit for clean aid trickery.
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8-Jul-2019 5:47:18 PM
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Been down there a couple of times ...
Fever, the left corner, would be ok for the first few pitches, from memory... they also go free so worst case is pulling s few moves here and there ... then rap off before it gets too weird...
GreatUntoothed/Big Glassy Corner ... dame deal .. first 4 or so pitches are lovely climbing on pretty good rock ... was quite disappointing how good the first time there ... Rap from bolts below dodgy clay/shale section to tree sticking out of wall and again to base to get off ...
Or try Gigantor on DogFace ... same deal ... god clean with the odd free move here and there, quality rock with pretty good gear for the most part ... goes completely free if needed ...
Hope that helps ...
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8-Jul-2019 6:50:50 PM
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Lord Gumtree was/is another popular aid trade route.
Is the Beerwah Bolt Route still a thing? I remember it being frightening rusting mank in the 90s.
Everybody I know who has been aiding down the Wolgan has nightmares.
There are three accounts of climbing Big Glassy here:
http://www.sydneyclimbing.com/confluence/display/nswrock/Wolgan+Stories
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10-Jul-2019 7:45:13 AM
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On 8-Jul-2019 superstu wrote:
>Everybody I know who has been aiding down the Wolgan has nightmares.
Hmmm I don’t... not for the aiding ... but I suppose I used to smoke a lot of pot ...
We we actually somewhat disappointed at just how good the rock was there ... it was supposed to be ‘DogFace on Drugs’ ... and having done both I can safely say it wasn’t ...
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10-Jul-2019 7:59:38 AM
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Yes, the beerwah bolt ladder is still quite climable at about C1+-ish (depending whether you think some of those bolts would realistically hold a fall. Quite a nice solo as you can do it in two pitches.
Watching the video of HB describing a fall above BG as likely to zipper the gear and fall/penji into the side of big grassy on his IAD solo of ozy direct and lord gumtree was enough to put me off getting on LG.
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12-Jul-2019 5:44:55 PM
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Clouded Queen at Buffalo - how about the Ogive at Bundaleer?
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15-Jul-2019 6:21:58 AM
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Clouded Queen, definitely a wise choice , It would be good for someone to dust the cobwebs off that one. I have a detailed topo if your keen.
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15-Jul-2019 7:27:39 PM
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I’d be keen on the topo for future reference...
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18-Jul-2019 2:45:53 AM
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Macciza,
Just happened on this thread and wondered if you ever came across Huntsman Spiders while climbing Dog Face? I will never forget leading the crux pitch on Goliath with John Ewbank when a really big Huntsman came out of the expanding flake. I was far more scared of the spider than the expanding/hollow flake!
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18-Jul-2019 4:25:47 PM
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Haha ... none that spring to mind off the top of the head ... but that’s not to say I don’t have suppressed memories...
I do recall a free attempt at Goliath that was quite memorable... avoided a funny nasty fall down low, but eventually had to resort to some aid to get to belay ledge... pretty shocking final free moves to a belay which I couldn’t actually spot had me instead lowering off a single large wire before the ledge ... a good call as the rope only just got me back to the ground... might have to head back for the wire sometime..
Cheers
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