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Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

 Page 2 of 3. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 40 | 41 to 49
Author
Oh Araps, give me your 19s, 20s, 21s!
widewetandslippery
23-Oct-2008
2:07:01 PM
Entertaineer area in the N group.

I reckon pick an area out of the guide with numerous routes that grade and have a slash. Stars are for the people on the "Friends" thread. If you head off to do a particular route you inevitably do some good/some bad in the vicinity, at least you'll get the hang for spotting a winner or crap route and do some routes no one that recomends that are awesome, its so much more common to do recommended routes that are ordinary.
gfdonc
23-Oct-2008
2:23:07 PM
On 23/10/2008 cruze wrote:
>I kind of thought that Rosy Shy and Poppies were one move wonder climbs.
> Wild Oats is a 19 in a similar vein. Not to say the routes aren't really
>good though!

Actually I approach Poppies directly up the slabby wall "direct" which is good - rather than via the start of Bard, which is how it's written up. Should I stake a claim on something. (joke).
Despite the blank look you can get a couple of wires in.
The hard move at the bottom of the flake on Poppies makes it a two-move wonder I thought, add the direct start for 3 moves.

I would have added Sideshow but it's not worth walking up there just for that .. but if you're in the area, then definitely.

cruze
23-Oct-2008
2:49:09 PM
On 23/10/2008 gfdonc wrote:
>On 23/10/2008 cruze wrote:
>>I kind of thought that Rosy Shy and Poppies were one move wonder climbs.
>> Wild Oats is a 19 in a similar vein. Not to say the routes aren't really
>>good though!
>
>Actually I approach Poppies directly up the slabby wall "direct" which
>is good - rather than via the start of Bard, which is how it's written
>up. Should I stake a claim on something. (joke).
>Despite the blank look you can get a couple of wires in.
>The hard move at the bottom of the flake on Poppies makes it a two-move
>wonder I thought, add the direct start for 3 moves.
>
>I would have added Sideshow but it's not worth walking up there just for
>that .. but if you're in the area, then definitely.
>
Yeah I am full of it. I was thinking of the Desired as written up in the select guide. I haven't done Poppies. Apologies all around. I know where Poppies is and the slab below the belay of Checkmate/Bard. Maybe I should try it as penance?

The Desired is very good at 19 and is the "one move wonder" that I was thinking of. Although it isn't too easy a move.

Sabu
23-Oct-2008
2:52:48 PM
On 23/10/2008 Joad wrote:
>On 23/10/2008 Sabu wrote:
>>On 23/10/2008 Tlockwood wrote:
>>>On 23/10/2008 Sabu wrote:
>>>>Five fingered Mary (20) and Wizard of Ice (20). Have a fun weekend!
>>>
>>>lets not be recommending climbs you're too scared to jump on yourself
>
>Yeah Sabu, always happy to give a recommendation of something you;
>a. Have not climbed (they'll probably have the guide book anyway)
>b. As Tim said too scared to jump on yourself
>And therefore;
>c. should not be recommending

And i would've gotten away with it if tim hadn't have spoiled the show...!
SimMad
23-Oct-2008
3:26:37 PM
Ah excellent, a healthy dose of sage advice with a sprinkling of murderous intent. All that I could hope for and more.

Thanks one and all, especially Sabu.

shiltz
23-Oct-2008
3:36:02 PM
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (20) is a nice way up to Flinder's Lane if you want to do the absolute classic Quo Vadis (19). Alterntively just do The Good, The Bad (pitch 1 and 2) and then rap off (chains in the cave) and do No Future (21).

Capt_mulch
23-Oct-2008
3:38:18 PM
fish boy
23-Oct-2008
5:32:34 PM
On 23/10/2008 Tlockwood wrote:
>On 23/10/2008 Sabu wrote:
>>Five fingered Mary (20) and Wizard of Ice (20). Have a fun weekend!
>
>lets not be recommending climbs you're too scared to jump on yourself

You seconded the crux and dropped your helmet in the process so you can keep your skirt on.
fish boy
23-Oct-2008
5:36:37 PM
"wink" for above too tim, I do love you. Happy 21 too, I forgot...up at Buff so I am sure you'll forgive me.

I like Fly Lichen Eagle, for get the grade.
Blythe St and a couple of others near it are good too...
Wendy
23-Oct-2008
9:14:55 PM
On 23/10/2008 gfdonc wrote:
>OK, I'm in:
>19: Tannin, Judgement Day, Quo Vadis, Poppies (not very popular but I
>like it), The Wall of the Afternoon Sun, Lemmington (ignoring earlier comments),
>Rosy Shy.
>
>20: Thunder Crack, Stranger's Eliminate, Dazed and Confused, Vanoise,
>Firedance (just noticed in the guide it's been downgraded; it seemed very
>easy for 20), Blue Hawaii, Little Thor.
>
>21: The Wraith, Blyth Street, Auto Da Fe, Kachoong, Taste of Honey, The
>British Beat if you like thin steep slabs, New Image, Chinese Algebra,
>Comic Relief
>
>Add Pearls Before Swine (20) to Sabu's list (you are evil).
>Taste of Honey is better climbing than Kachoong.
>

Sorry to start tearing your list to shreds Steve, but ...

Ok, Sabu was naughty, actually the Dr was naughtier still, but at least on nasty cracks there's heaps of gear and no excuse for dying. However, depending on how confident you feel at the grade, some of these things could be ugly. Poppies I have never done because I keep hearing from reliabvle sources about poor gear and in particular, a poor belay. Wall of the Afternoon Sun, you should be warned is a run out slab. Stranger's Eliminate in also pretty ugly getting to the bolt. Dazed and Confused takes very small gear at the start which is also the crux and has some interesting gear in general. Little Thor I just find disgusting from way too much traffic. Auto De Fe is a run out slab. The British Beat, you will deck (yes people have done) if you fall clipping the second bolt, which also happens to be 3/4 of the way up the route. Comic Relief is very committing to start. You don't want to fall of the first 5m or so and they're not easy. I'd think twice about Quo Vadis and Blyth St as well if they are at your limit.

Really, all you need to do is scour the guidebook, you're only going to get a vast array of opinions here which cover all the starred routes anyway. If you're after easy ticks, a certain style or super well protected routes, maybe people could offer some more specific suggestions.
prb
24-Oct-2008
12:08:25 AM
4 at each grade from me:

19 Judgement Day, Lemmington, Quo Vadis (solid!), Rats Alley (character-building at the grade)
20 A Taste of Honey DS (very solid!), Ethereal (21 in new guide which surprises me), Tannin Direct (excellent, underrated), Thunder Crack (jambs are optional)
21 A Taste of Honey, Auto (pro when you need it), Comic Relief (the finish seemed more exciting than the start), Kachoong (ignore any critics)
JAMES
24-Oct-2008
6:35:23 AM

if you want to climb in that part of the world (ie the front of the Bard Buttress) you are better off sticking to the Bard, Checkmate & Euryidice (spelling?).

I thought Popies was overrated & a bit scary in one spot. Well its ok, just doesn't deserve the stars or hype IMO. My memory of the Desired is a one-move reach problem & then the 2nd pitch becoming very lichenous & easy far to quickly.
gfdonc
24-Oct-2008
9:38:17 AM
Thanks Wendy. The original post wasn't asking for well-protected routes, just the good ones. If they'd asked the question differently I'd have responded differently.
I welcome and respect your opinions, nevertheless in the interest of providing information here's a response.

On 23/10/2008 Wendy wrote:
>could be ugly. Poppies I have never done because I keep hearing from reliabvle
>sources about poor gear and in particular, a poor belay.
Actually I'm not sure I've done all of the route, as I've strung bits of it together with other routes on that buttress. However I've done the first pitch intact and thought it was great, and can't imagine what the 'poor belay' could refer to.

> Wall of the Afternoon Sun, you should be warned is a run out slab.
There's a bolt or two at the crux, I don't recall the run-out bits being hard, except maybe the start of the third pitch off the ledge which I remember being a bit scary with some 2&3 RP placements, about 17.
Of course if you do it the essential variant is to finish up the last pitch of Take Five which is great.

> Stranger's Eliminate in also pretty ugly getting to the bolt.
I agree with that one, I stood on that stance for ages before getting the gumption to launch forwards.

> Dazed and Confused takes very small gear at the start which is also the crux and has some interesting gear in general.
Yeah, but the wires and moves are good.

> Auto De Fe is a run out slab.
There's enough gear there, the crux is well protected with RPs, and I reckon it's one of the best routes at Araps.

> The British Beat, you will deck (yes people have
>done) if you fall clipping the second bolt, which also happens to be 3/4
>of the way up the route.
Hmm .. this is probably a fair concern. I took a 5m fall from the last hard move near the top, so it's hard to argue with your suggestion.

> Comic Relief is very committing to start. You
>don't want to fall of the first 5m or so and they're not easy.
I've heard of accidents here but don't understand why. You can get a good 1RP in, two if you have them, then pull up and there's a good medium-size wire placement above your head. It's a bit hard to place but you can pull up to place then go back down for a rest. This covers the hard moves in the first 5m.

> I'd think twice about Quo Vadis and Blyth St as well if they are at your limit.
QV is solid for 19 (I think it's 20) but Blyth St has to be the easiest 21 at Araps, there's a bolt on the crux and now with a new route crossing it there's another bolt to clip on the only other run-out bit. The top section is easier, and gives you gear just when you need it.
Wendy
24-Oct-2008
9:57:20 AM
On 24/10/2008 gfdonc wrote:
>Thanks Wendy. The original post wasn't asking for well-protected routes,
>just the good ones. If they'd asked the question differently I'd have
>responded differently.

I realise there were no specifications, I just think it's good to give some warnings when reccomending routes. I am in fact one of the world's great wimps when it comes to running things out, and some of your routes were things I'd never lead again - Wall of the Afternoon Sun was in fact the clinching factor in my current avoidance of slabs. It didn't have the bolts in it when I did it though. I think it's the 2nd belay that was of concern on Poppies. It did used to go straight up the slab somewhere at 20+ and no gear - is that the start you did? I'm getting the impression that you're much fonder of slabs than I am! I think Simon changed it to make the grade more consistant and avoid the unprotected bit. I had all the forementioned gear in Comic Relief and was still crapping myself - 1rps of any quality are not my preferred gear between me and the deck. The top moves might be harder, but the gear's good and you can't hit anything. I have done Dazed and Confused multiple times so it's not too bad, I just think it's nice to warn people what they are in for ...

I wouldn't disagree about them all being worthwhile routes, well actually, except British Beat, at least on the Watchtower Faces you get an awesome setting for all that slabby nonsense.
>
widewetandslippery
24-Oct-2008
10:21:38 AM
If my previous post on this topic was not understood put it this way. Sit on the dunny. Pick up your brand new araps guide book, start flicking. Find an area with a few routes in the grade you want to climb. Pick up and open up all your old araps guide books (if you dont have any get em while they last, lots are on shelves cheap) on the same area. Read all descriptions. Lay they books on the toilet roll holder, between your knees, on the door knob (unless you can see the tele from your loo in which case the door is obviously open) and any other book recepticle. See those names and numbers and get romantic. Disregard others views of quality, quality is often not quality only fashion, dream on and find an area to climb and climb it. Araps is perfect for this.
gfdonc
24-Oct-2008
11:14:28 AM
On 24/10/2008 Wendy wrote:
>bolts in it when I did it though. I think it's the 2nd belay that was of
>concern on Poppies. It did used to go straight up the slab somewhere at
>20+ and no gear - is that the start you did? I think Simon changed it to
>make the grade more consistant and avoid the unprotected bit.

Ah, I'm going to have to dig my old guidebooks out to check, didn't realise this route description had been changed. For the record I was pleasantly surprised with that 'direct' start, I think I got a wire and a small cam in, and the moves were nice. They wouldn't have stopped me decking as I got higher but by then you're virtually on Bard which has no protection either.

>I wouldn't disagree about them all being worthwhile routes, well actually,
>except British Beat, at least on the Watchtower Faces you get an awesome
>setting for all that slabby nonsense.
The other route I would have mentioned is Take Five, because it's great, except the first pitch is a horror show, and despite generally being OK on runout slabs I swore never to lead it again, and would never recommend it to anyone. Irreversible high-step gr 19 moves through bulges, 12m up, with only a tipped-out cam on a pebble plus a 1RP for pro.
simey
24-Oct-2008
11:30:56 AM
On 23/10/2008 widewetandslippery wrote:
>its so much more common to do recommended routes that are ordinary.

Good posts WWS.

The funny thing about stars and hyping up routes is that peoples expectations change accordingly. Climbing a three-star route and discovering that you would only give it two stars is less satisfying than climbing a one-star route and thinking that it should be given two stars. The reality is that both routes are worthy of two stars but your perception beforehand often affects your overall experience.



Zebedee
24-Oct-2008
11:59:55 AM
Trinity Wall, a must do 21.
gfdonc
24-Oct-2008
12:48:00 PM
I'd be cautious about combining references to the Araps guide and a dunny in this forum. Eduardo might be watching.

On 24/10/2008 Zebedee wrote:
>Trinity Wall, a must do 21.

Yeah, it's on my list for Cup weekend. It's the only 3-star 20/21 I haven't done, I think. (and I have high expectations).

tnd
24-Oct-2008
1:18:41 PM
On 24/10/2008 simey wrote:
>...The funny thing about stars and hyping up routes (snip)...

Some day someone should produce a guide without star ratings. I hate them, they feed people's herd mentality. "I went to the crag and immediately looked for all the three-star routes." Baaaaa! Baaaaa!

A lot of the time (not in simey's case I'm sure!) star ratings are based on one person's opinion - the FA (hardly unbiased), the author, whoever wrote that part of the guide etc. I think it's best to ignore them and have a look in an on-line source such as thecrag.com to see what punters who've climbed the routes are actually saying.

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There are 49 messages in this topic.

 

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