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Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

 Page 2 of 3. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 40 | 41 to 47
Author
Top roping at Buffalo

gordoste
18-Jan-2011
3:33:46 PM
On 18/01/2011 One Day HEro wrote:
>Meh, as long as they stay nervous they ain't gonna kill 'emselves........they
>probably won't get much climbing done by time they find the routes and
>suss the setups, but I had a lot of fun working that stuff out when I was
>starting.

Totally agree, Buffalo is fine but as you rightly say, they might not get much climbing done. I was just pointing out that there are other crags in the area that are much more toprope-friendly.
PhilB
18-Jan-2011
4:12:44 PM
At last some positivity! ;-)

Thanks again for all the feedbacks, especially the non-judgmental ones...

As it's been said, we will probably spend most of the time looking for climbs and setting them up than actually climbing. But it's also part of the learning process and we all have to start somewhere.

I think it would be far more dangerous if I went to a shop to buy a rack and start placing protections without having a clue about what I'm doing. At least I know how to set and equalize an anchor and I've got some gear for it...

Paulie
18-Jan-2011
7:51:25 PM
I used to train newbies how to climb at Buffalo, it's a brilliant place to learn the basics and there's no better place to learn footwork, balance and weight transfer. I suggest heading to the Gorge Carpark and practicing friction and crack moves in the small craglets near the disabled access lookout, then head to the Lake Catani crags where you'll find some easy slabs and crack routes, all easily toproped. After that you can throw them on the routes near the Hang Glider ramps, personally, I tend to find that newbies find routes like Banana Blase etc extremely scary and difficult, plus they're trade routes and you don't want to tie them up all afternoon :-)
Wendy
18-Jan-2011
8:13:59 PM
as a side note, the chalet road is closed at the moment. A bike might be the best way to get there from the main road. I have a vague recollection of there being some boulders on the right just before the chalet that you can make up some easy climbs on too.

I personally wouldn't wish most of the silly epics i had as a bumbly without a decent teacher on anyone, but if you want to learn the hard way, which may or may not be fun and may or may not turn out to be dangerous, go for your life. Please be super careful and over cautious no matter how dumb you think you might look building a 17 point anchor if you need to.
One Day Hero
19-Jan-2011
1:26:45 AM
On 18/01/2011 davidn wrote:
>Didnt you grow up on granite though? It can be quite a different experience
>for people brought up on other types of rock.

I grew up on a soccer pitch (like all good wog kids do), spent a year in the gym learning how to muscle through moves and misuse my feet, then my first experience of real rock was a grade 15 slab at Gibralter.............bit of a shock to the system!

My 7th pitch on rock (and 2nd ever lead) involved being sandbagged up a desperate 19 (Revolution). Geoff (who looked a bit like Jesus) thought I needed some gentle misinformation to help me harden up.........so my 2nd ever lead resulted in my 1st ever whipper! I guess most people learn to climb a bit differently these days.
One Day Hero
19-Jan-2011
1:35:14 AM
On 18/01/2011 kieranl wrote:
>Strangely I find myself agreeing with ODH on this one (better shoot myself).

You say.....that we've got......nothing in common
No common ground to start from.............

.....and I said......."what about..........breakfast at Tiffany's?"..............
gfdonc
19-Jan-2011
9:40:52 AM
On 18/01/2011 Wendy wrote:
>as a side note, the chalet road is closed at the moment.

Clarification, information please? Meaning: the entire side route to the top of the Gorge is closed?
singersmith
19-Jan-2011
9:50:21 AM

>as a side note, the chalet road is closed at the moment.

I'm sitting in the Gorge parking lot alone at the moment. They are working on the road but it's down to one lane there for a couple of hundred meters and there's a stoplight.

Original poster, don't be frightened into a retreat to the outdoor climbing gym; come on up here and enjoy yourselves.
gfdonc
19-Jan-2011
10:18:50 AM
Fantasies of Gail (15) on the South Side near the waterfall was a pleasant surprise on my last trip. Fantastic position, nice climbing, clean rock. I've got a pic on my home computer to post.

You could toprope it. The only logistical issue for bumblies is that it's a rap in to a small ledge, and if you overshoot you'd be dangling. If you had 2 ropes you could put them on belay from the top and then when they reach the ledge/stance they could unclip the rap rope and come on up. You'd need to be positioned to the left (facing out) of the rap rope to belay effectively. You can check the route out from the other side of the gorge (first lookout past the waterfall).

Wendy
19-Jan-2011
10:44:56 AM
On 19/01/2011 singersmith wrote:
>
>>as a side note, the chalet road is closed at the moment.
>
>I'm sitting in the Gorge parking lot alone at the moment. They are working
>on the road but it's down to one lane there for a couple of hundred meters
>and there's a stoplight.
>

awesome, i'll be up there on saturday all psyched for country road if you're still around.

I was quoting the vic roads website. wonder how many of the other "closed" roads are actually still accessible???? Seeing I have to navigate through other major flood areas to get there!
widewetandslippery
19-Jan-2011
10:51:18 AM
On 19/01/2011 One Day Hero wrote:
>On 18/01/2011 davidn wrote:
>>Didnt you grow up on granite though? It can be quite a different experience
>>for people brought up on other types of rock.

Thats why climbing granite is good fun because its not what you always climb.
>
>I grew up on a soccer pitch (like all good wog kids do), spent a year
>in the gym learning how to muscle through moves and misuse my feet, then
>my first experience of real rock was a grade 15 slab at Gibralter.............bit
>of a shock to the system!

ODH, gym baby. hehehehe
>
>My 7th pitch on rock (and 2nd ever lead) involved being sandbagged up
>a desperate 19 (Revolution). Geoff (who looked a bit like Jesus) thought
>I needed some gentle misinformation to help me harden up.........so my
>2nd ever lead resulted in my 1st ever whipper! I guess most people learn
>to climb a bit differently these days.

I learnt to climb toproping around Sydney with school mates. The op will have a good time where ever he goes and I'm sure they won't be anymore dangerous than one of M9s learn to aid weekends up there.

cruze
19-Jan-2011
11:23:50 AM
First climb I did was top-roping a bluestone wall above the light tunnel in Canberra. No indoor shenanigans. From memory we slung a shrub (generous description). Second outdoors climb I did was a 3 day trip camping at Booroomba where we multipitched on the South Buttress and Northern Slabs. In both cases I climbed with guys who had no more an idea than I did which was zero. I distinctly remember yo-yoing the first pitch of Drunken Delight (8) in my older brother's commando boots (at least the sole was rubber) and lowering off gear I didn't even know how it worked. If the op is sensible enough he will have an awesome time and have a story to tell for the rest of his climbing days - "Buffalo granite? Bah - piece of piss, went there on my first outdoors trip. Great views!"

Use your head, think about your anchors and test them before getting too far off the ground. Go for it!

gordoste
19-Jan-2011
2:18:43 PM
You had it easy. Back in my day we had to climb in bare feet on overhanging granite with no holds. And it was cold... bitterly cold! My nose fell off on my 2nd ever lead, which was the north face of Gasherbrum IV. Did I mention the gear? Well, we didn't have anything except a sewing kit and molasses. At least we learnt to be creative!

cruze
19-Jan-2011
2:40:41 PM
Fair call... Just trying to point out that top-roping isn't brain surgery.

Sarah Gara
19-Jan-2011
2:40:42 PM
On 18/01/2011 Wendy wrote:
Buffalo...leave it be and just enjoy walking, swimming,
>cycling and relaxing there.

siunds bloody brilliant wendy - I have two thick books I want to read... x
Wendy
19-Jan-2011
2:46:50 PM
On 19/01/2011 Sarah Gara wrote:
>On 18/01/2011 Wendy wrote:
>Buffalo...leave it be and just enjoy walking, swimming,
>>cycling and relaxing there.
>
>siunds bloody brilliant wendy - I have two thick books I want to read...
>x

no, no, no, no, you have a brave and intrepid leader, so you don't need to sacrifice all that quality climbing time to reading ...

Li
19-Jan-2011
3:02:15 PM
My second ever outing was at Buffalo. We top-roped something on Chinamans Wall (I think that's what it's called) opposite the carpark hut at the Horn. My partner was an experienced climber so I didn't feel too daunted, although it did feel very exposed and we had to abseil down to the base of the climb. The grades weren't that high and I had a ball playing around on the wall. We then went over to the Monolith and he led another climb which I tried to hack my way up, but being a 21 it was a little too ambitious for me....had a couple of falls, scraped the shit out of my arms/legs on the rough granite, but had a lot of fun. I think Buffalo is a beautiful area and I've been back there a few times.

Sarah Gara
19-Jan-2011
3:12:54 PM
On 19/01/2011 Li wrote:
had a couple of falls, scraped the shit out of my arms/legs on
>the rough granite, but had a lot of fun.

hmmm long trousers and ankle protectors for sarah methinks... x

gordoste
19-Jan-2011
4:57:05 PM
On 19/01/2011 gfdonc wrote:
>Fantasies of Gail (15) on the South Side near the waterfall was a pleasant

Yes this is a really good route. However it is very squishy with 2 people on the tiny ledge (not really a ledge, just a shelf) at the start of the climb. Also, the climb does not go straight upwards. If you were toproping it, I would recommend having the belayer perched at the top of the slab so they can see the climber. You would just need a short rope (10m or so) to go from the anchor down to the belayer.
PhilB
19-Jan-2011
5:02:10 PM
Thanks a lot boys and girls for the info! Much appreciated.
I'll be up there this WE and will try some of those routes. And it doesn't matter what we will end up doing, we will have lots of fun!!!! That's the whole point isn't it?
Thanks again and take care!

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There are 47 messages in this topic.

 

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