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Mount Buffalo Guidebook


nmonteith

9-Feb-2004
5:36:33 PM

ok my Buffalo beta...

Sultan - You need cams up to size #4 Camalot to protect the wide section on pitch 1. There is a manky aid bolt that could be used to protect these moves but it will be removed in the near future. There is only a single BR at the hanging belay at the end of pitch 2. Remove pitch 4 in the route description. It is far more logical to just climb the last 7m of slab as a continuation of pitch 3. The rap anchor at the top has been replaced with a nice new chain. It is only a 24m rap to the ground.

Maharajah - This can easily be led as one giant pitch. Two ropes recommended.

Huns Don't Cruise - has been rebolted with two hangerless glue in machine bolts.

Edge of Pleasure - the route description needs to stress the importance of bringing a good trad rack (up to hand crack size) for the first pitch. Thh current description makes it sound like a bolt protected slab route. The description for the second pitch could be much better. I had no idea which 'arete' to climb - there was three options and no sign of bolts. A better description woudl be - Mantle onto big chicken head jug to avoid squeeze and climb knife blade arete just right of this past 8 BRs to top. A rap chain is located above picth 2 but it won't help to get you down as it is 100m to the ground.


Superstu

12-Feb-2004
12:26:56 PM

Re: Neil's comment about American guidebooks and biggest cam size.

Most of the gorge and some of the bigger slabs would be ideally suited to the American / Yosemite topo style; with line drawings following the major features, X's for bolts, crack widths in inches and so on. Never got lost with these and you can fit a lot of information into less pages. Unfortunately the Yanks also like to skip any first ascent details or any historical notes; and after a while many of the climbs merge into one. If you're going to stuff your arms in some granite cheese grater all day long you may as well sigh and recall that someone came before you with shittier gear and no idea how hard it was going to get. (And they probably had ankle length boots, woollen pants & a flannel, and knew how to off width....?) Which leads me to the next question. Why are all the photos of the hot rock stars at Buffalo in tshirts and shorts? My greatest technological advance in buffalo climbing technique was to start wearing long pants & long sleeved tshirt, this upped my leading grade by several numbers. Do I just lack climbing skill or are these just men of kevlar?

Stu


nmonteith

12-Feb-2004
12:45:57 PM

Longs socks and floppy shoes was my answer to trench climbing.

James

8-Mar-2004
12:01:29 PM

more Buffalo beta....

Hump sumit area - Daughter of the Devil (20) has 3 bolts (not 2 as per the guide) & is possibly the most desparate grade 20 I've ever tried. Perhaps some holds have come off this (crystals were crumbling under my feet). I'd give it 22 (even for Buffalo).

Oval area (South Side of the Gorge) - Wicked Solitare (17) pitch 1 is very dirty, ok climbing otherwise, but the star only applies for the 2nd pitch (ie above the ledge).

Summit Rim - Home James (20) is more like 19, but 3 stars for the unique dykes it climbs.


Mike

9-Mar-2004
9:57:56 AM

Some Buffalo beta too...

Horn Area, Dreamworld, "Buffalo Soldier" (16), the guide claims "good protection" this should be amended to "sparse" or "less than inspiring". A nut or cam in the hollow sounding flake "protects" the start. At 1/3 height a tiny horn flake can be slung and maybe a loose, weighted sling over one of the fragile flake jugs, might (if you're lucky) hold a fall. At half height a small RP or the like might hold in a tiny crack. The only real protection comes at 3/4rd height where-in a reasonable nut can be sloted, and top out is protectable also. But all up, you'd not want to be at your lead max and conned by this claim of "good protection". Super fun route though, and super easy jugs.

On the same block, attempting to belay from above, ** "This Is Not Our Land" (19) from chains at top "Buffalo Soldier" is problematic given the hortizontal distance between the routes. It's still doable, just something to be wary of.

Robin

9-Mar-2004
8:21:54 PM

I agree Mike. I climbed Buffalo Soldier many years ago but my recollection was that I was wandering all over the place trying to find worthwhile gear, and my first good piecce was at about 2/3 height. I thought the 'good protection' must have been tongue in cheek.


neats

10-Mar-2004
10:35:44 AM

You are both right Mike and Robin. Although it has nice jugs and flakes, there isn't much protection, the finish was nice.

10-Mar-2004
1:19:15 PM

From ARGUS February 2001:

Buffalo Soldier (16) page 133
This climb, often used as a warmup for the excellent nearby routes, is described in the guide as having “good protection”. This is incorrect. At best the protection in the first half of the route could be described as just adequate. Be warned! The gear is not obvious and is intricate to place. Take RPs and a long sling is also useful at half height. The protection in the top half of the route is good. Other leaders consulted agree that the guidebook description is incorrect.

VCC members would be aware of the nature of the climb. That is why the VCC wants your feedback on Buffalo. Nobody has mentioned that Mick Hampton's map of the Monolith is wrong, but it is! What other errors are lurking in the guide? The VCC hopes to have a revamped update to Buffalo soon so give us some feedback soon.

Cheers
BA


nmonteith

10-Mar-2004
1:53:59 PM

I will be heading up this weekend. Do you need high quality photo topos? With my new digi-SLR i can take A4 quality 300dpi pics which are perfect for guides.

10-Mar-2004
5:36:53 PM

I'm just a minion Neil, ask Kevin Lindorff directly. I don't know what he has done or needs doing in that regard.


Superstu

11-Mar-2004
5:30:17 PM

I finally made it to Isotope Wall, after two unsuccessful attempts following the old guidebook. The only way that made sense was to follow the gorge track all the way to the obvious viewpoint overlooking Angels, (just before dropping down the final gully before Angels). Then bash on up to the bottom R of the wall and sidle back L. Some back tracking but simpler than leaving the gorge track near Devilled Cream buttress and getting lost on dodgy ledges.

As for the wall - it's some of the best rock at Buffalo! We only managed Wild Blue Yonder, and still got confused trying to find the final pitches. Give it two stars once the bolt is replaced. (Grades change with the evolution of climbing, so why shouldn't stars to?) We exited to the giant cave which marks the start of Vortex. You can escape through a hole in the cave (up left, not the one straight up!) and pop out on the top of Devilled Cream buttress and drop down the other side back to the gorge track. Finishing up Vortex and then Home James would make a great three-route three-star combo -- next trip! Now that I know how everything connects down there, such possibilities exist. That's why a big topo of the whole area, right from Devilled Cream to the R end of Isotope, would be fantastic.

I would be happy to compile such a topo, but I might need someone to drag my sorry arse up the harder routes, especially since the bolts on the older routes are very bad and all need replacing e.g. Goat Island, Diamond Dogs

As for an abseil descent route to Isotope Wall. Maybe a new rap chain where the old chained tree got burnt, but really considering any approach from the summit would also require down climbing the yuk chimney near Smear Tactics, hand over hand down the awkward rusted chain, scrambling down a badly eroded/burnt short gully, then two 50m raps on sharp rock... maybe the walk in isn't that bad after all.

Stu


Paulie

12-Mar-2004
1:18:27 AM

Did you find the traverse on the 1st pitch as loose and scary as I did?? IMO that bolt doesn't need replacing as the gear there is not too bad. We also found the last pitch a bit of a vegetable bash!

I think this has been mentioned before: 1x50mtr rope (25mtrs) will reach the ground from the chains on top of Sultan/Maharajah.

A rundown on the techniques required to get off/belay the 2nd on that route on the tor that overhangs the walking track to the Horn (19?)...either that or belay chains/bolts.

I think describing gear sizes is a bit too much for some trade routes on Buffalo as it may lose some of that adventure climbing sense that you get...ie., a route description for Sultan doesn't really need to include cam sizes, that should be obvious from the ground.

However a better description of the crack-slab section on the 1st pitch of the Edge of Pleasure would be good as it's quite scary and dangerous if you don't know what to expect...but then again, that's part and parcel of the Buffalo experience!

James

12-Mar-2004
10:51:48 AM

the drawings in the current guide show Isotope Wall being a fair way left of the top of Devilled Cream. How far left from Wild Blue Yonder do you have to go to get to Vortex?? Up or down at all?? The Wild Blue Yonder/Vortex/Home James link up sounds great - I will try & line someone up for it this weekend!! also sounds like Goat Island could be a alternative starting route.


Superstu

15-Mar-2004
4:37:26 PM

I haven't done Goat Island yet; Geoff Gledhill made the comment that the bolts on Goat Island Variant were quite bad and scarey and I'm assuming they're the same bolts. Kieren Loughran made the comment in the Buffalo update that the bolt/piton on the 2nd belay on Diamond Dogs was dodge and made the third pitch serious.

I'm also a little confused where GI actually goes, as a description I read on Chockstone sounds like the variant.

If anybody wants to replace the bolts on GI, WBY, DD, etc. I will be happy to pay for the hardware. (I don't have either a drill or the know-how.) Would prefer hangerless bolts; I find hangers detract from the aesthetic beauty of an (almost) natural line. I'm guessing but those original bolts probably went in while on lead?

Almost all the bolts I clipped that weekend seemed fire-affected. We also did Crowlands and the lower two bolts were nice and brown, the top one shiny silver. Judging by the charred remains of trees below this climb, the fire was rather fierce around there. The silly hangers on the slab climb to the left were still shining though, you could probably spot them from the lookout. I don't know what fire does to carrots and glue-ins.

Finding Vortex: It's at the mouth of the giant cave up left of the rap tree for Wild Blue Yonder 1st pitch. The cave has ferns in it and is very distinctive. We tried following the 2nd pitch description to WBY, i.e. traversing R to belay at Goat Island's belay, where-ever that is. (Not very useful description if you haven't first climbed GI!) After a wandering pitch we reckon WBY headed up the arete through trees and broken cliffline so we traversed back L into the gully, unroped, walked down past the GI rap tree and back up into the cave. Haven't done Vortex yet but it might require some hand tape. This would be a shame as the rest of the combo route involves face climbing only. I think this combo should be called Wild James [19].

Has anybody done Silicon Fish (21) by Kevin & Peter Lindorff? My theory is that Wade Steven's route Turtles All the Way Down [19] is a repeat, albeit with three new bolts.

Stu


nmonteith

15-Mar-2004
5:12:35 PM

I have yet to see any evidence that fire can effect bolts. Many of the bolts on the Plateu are non-stainless so will turn brown with rust evetually. There is also many bolts made of some sort of grey/brown steel which don't seem to rust as badly as other non-stainless bolts.

I only remeber one short section of jamming in Vortex on pitch 1. You wouldn't need tape gloves unless you are really soft!


hex-TROLL

15-Mar-2004
5:51:13 PM

It' s not so much the effect that fire has on the bolts , as the effect fire has on THE ROCK , IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDING the bolts.Bolts in hard-rock have been known to 'scallop' after intense bush/'woods' fires---ya know wa' I mean ?

Mikl might have some beta for heat-stress on the bolts.

Luv, (Professor) HEX.

James

16-Mar-2004
9:51:00 AM

I ended up doing Where Angels Fear to Tread on Saturday instead but could clearly see the cave where Vortex starts. I also spied the huge dyke (above the cave) that Vortex apparently climbs. Back down on the left side of Isotope Wall, I saw a left leading (smaller) diagonal dyke which I assume is the one referred to in the Goat Island (& varients) descriptions.

Someone mentioned that the start of the South Side track was hard to find since the fires - we didn't have any trouble finding the start at all. Just go behnd the hanger glider ramp (on the rock slabs where they set up the gliders) & the (vague) track can be seen from there. After a short distance, cairns appear & mark the way.

I can understand the troubles you had locating the wall, due to the trees its hard to see the wall until you are past it. But for all the whinging (& the occasional mistake) in the current Buffalo guide, I now actually think it does a pretty damn good job of describing the area/access. The various crags/walls are just so complex that its very unlikely that any guide to Buffalo will be as easy to follow as a Gramps/Arap guide (or similar).
who's up for a trip down to the South Side of the gorge??


Superstu

16-Mar-2004
5:34:59 PM

I'm up for any trip down that area again - email me when you want to go.

Are all the trees on Angels still there? I heard rumours they had burnt but from the lookout they all looked fine.

I started on my big Yosemite-style topo of the south side of the gorge, working from notes & memory. After trying to work out the relative sizes of the different faces, I'm wondering if I should be starting with a photograph, holding a piece of paper over it, and marking the major features as a starting point. The current Buffalo guide has one drawing of the south side which is good - it looks like it might have been drawn from a photograph taken on the other side of the gorge.

I have another topo of the Teflon Tortoise area (includes Cyborg, Body Heat, The Candidate, etc) which links in with Home James/Banana Blase area and possibly a few more routes which I'm not aware of yet because each route seems to have its own written approach description. When you put them all together you realise you can avoid the rap into Teflon Tortoise and Turtles All The Way Down if you approach from below past The Candidate. (The rap trees above the Turtle routes were torched, you need to set up hexes in the cave behind to organise the rap as described in the current guide.)

After drawing up Devilled Cream buttress, Isotope Wall and Vortex on the same topo I realised that I can't picture the last pitches of King Hit and its variant. Not that anybody will really care, the first pitches are heavily treed and probably gross!

The start of the South Side track used to be on the walk to the underground river, and marked "Mushroom Rock walk". Parks have "hidden" this start for obvious reasons. I just mentioned it once because chockstone's buffalo page mentions this start to the track.

I was thumbing through old Argus's the other day and came across Wade Steven's article about the best sportclimb in Australia (his route stick jumping hippy logic at buffalo) which is a hoot. My recommendation for the 'bedtime stories' section of the new guidebook. Perhaps also Mikl's "Rubber and Gravity" which appeared in Rock eons ago.

James

17-Mar-2004
10:38:45 AM

the trees are certainly still on Angels (the yuk chimney pitch had plenty of spikey nasties on it also). There was tat on 1/2 of them as well (someone must have had an epic retreat).

I am not 100% convinced on the value of the making a big huge topo of the South Side of the Gorge - the problem being you can't see the whole thing on the approach from above!! It would be better to have a series of smaller photo-topos taken from the places where you can actually see the walls (eg: 1 below the last pitch on Angels would be great). I assume that these are all part of the VCC plan for the new guide though.


pAULIE

17-Mar-2004
10:37:02 PM

Previous remarks regarding the vegetation cover obscuring the 'topographic view' are quite correct. Therefore, I think that photos would be an excellent tool, but only when standing under the wall, looking up at the routes, with the routes highlighted in blue/red (etc) eg., Wild Blue Yonder on Istope Wall, you don't really see the route until you're underneath it (or up to the right (facing the wall). Same goes for areas such as Catani Crags (and such in that area)...following bolt lines in these areas doesn't always work due to the proliferation of new routes!

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