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Chockstone Forum - Crag & Route Beta

Crag & Route Beta

 Page 1 of 4. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 40 | 41 to 60 | 61 to 61
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Author
ACT beta

nmonteith
23-Mar-2010
2:51:33 PM
I was thinking about popping into the ACT this weekend for a day of higher learning and day of climbing. The only thing I've climbed in the ACT is some 14 trench at Boroomba Rocks when i was 15 years old. The weather report says 28'C - what is the hot weather options (i hate the sun)?. I'll be climbing with my GF so really only limited to single pitch routes with moderate approaches. Blue Lake could even be an option perhaps now that i think of it. What else is there? Is that sport area (Mt Cooree??) any good? Is there an online guide to it? I have an old copy of ACT granite from 1992 - so i think all the access info is a bit crap.Last question - where do i camp when i want peace and quiet!

cruze
23-Mar-2010
3:07:21 PM
If you reckon that Blue Lake is a moderate approach then you might want to consider the Australian Rogaining Championships at Providence Portal (near Adaminaby) - it would be a doddle!!

Black Range bouldering would be perfect.

Mt Corree is significantly cooler than Canberra but can be quite sunny. Online guide used to be available from Canberraclimbing.com. Otherwise you could just head for Jerusalem (as per ACT Granite) and try everything around to the right of it. From memory the classic routes from Jerusalem are 23 (laidback international - the lay back flake start), 22 (superjesus - underecut start then crimpy arete/face), 24-26 (on the big steeper wall) and then a 22 further round. Most of the other routes in the area are easier than 19. The drive up can be brutal on a low clearance car. Consider parking half-way up when the going gets bad.

Orroral Ridge might be an option for a bit of shade and an easy trundle along the ridge from the carpark.

Even Booroomba can be significantly cooler (5C) than Canberra. Around the South Buttress there are usually shaded areas esp in the morning.

As for camping, Honeysuckle campground is pretty good. Near Mt Corree you might just have to bush camp in the semi-closed campground at the base of the drive up the hill (about 5 km from the crag). Really nice spot before the fires, I am not entirely sure that it has been reopened for fear of falling timber.

Enjoy!
One Day Hero
23-Mar-2010
3:16:59 PM
You could try the south buttress of booroomba, most routes shady till 1pm. Lots of 18-23 with shiny new bolts. You will die of radiation poisoning at Corree, and its not that good anyway.

I really like Red Rocks, bottom belaying, almost sport cliff down at the river. Shade from 3ish, swimming, funky blocky climbing on red rock. Nearly 20 routes 16 - 24 (including 3 brand new ones put up by Andy and Chris)

Take 60m rope, draws, swimmers and mini rack (friends 0.5 + 3.5, wires 3 + 7) ...and a silt brush if its rained at all :)

wallwombat
23-Mar-2010
3:20:07 PM
On 23/03/2010 cruze wrote:
>Black Range bouldering would be perfect.

Do not go to Black Range.

I did and now own two crash pads and cannot remember the last time I put my harness on.

And I'm about to drive to from Goulburn to Armidale to go bouldering.

I blame Black Range entirely.

nmonteith
23-Mar-2010
3:55:41 PM
On 23/03/2010 cruze wrote:
>If you reckon that Blue Lake is a moderate approach then you might want
>to consider the Australian Rogaining Championships at Providence Portal
>(near Adaminaby) - it would be a doddle!!

Well the only time i've done it was with camping, skiing, ice climbing and rockclimbing gear on my back and it didn't seem too bad. :-) My tolerance for horrible walk-ins is quite high - but my partner is not so keen on the idea.

>Black Range bouldering would be perfect.

You couldn't pay me enough to go granite bouldering. I lived in Melbourne long enough to de-appreciate the merits of it.

>Mt Corree is significantly cooler than Canberra but can be quite sunny.
>Online guide used to be available from Canberraclimbing.com.

Cool - yep found it!
http://www.canberraclimbing.org.au/coree--hollywood.aspx

What driving times are these places from Canberra itself? I don't want to hit 6pm on sunday and have to do an 8 hour drive home to Sydney

nmonteith
23-Mar-2010
3:58:32 PM
On 23/03/2010 One Day Hero wrote:
>You could try the south buttress of booroomba, most routes shady till 1pm.
>Lots of 18-23 with shiny new bolts. You will die of radiation poisoning
>at Corree, and its not that good anyway.

What style of routes are on the south buttress? Im not really interested in slabby padding nightmares - prefer well featured wall climbing or crack climbing.

> I really like Red Rocks, bottom belaying, almost sport cliff down at
>the river. Shade from 3ish, swimming, funky blocky climbing on red rock.
>Nearly 20 routes 16 - 24 (including 3 brand new ones put up by Andy and
>Chris)

Looks good. Any camping nearby?

>Take 60m rope, draws, swimmers and mini rack (friends 0.5 + 3.5, wires
>3 + 7) ...and a silt brush if its rained at all :)

Whats a silt brush?

wallwombat
23-Mar-2010
4:02:13 PM
On 23/03/2010 nmonteith wrote:

>You couldn't pay me enough to go granite bouldering. I lived in Melbourne
>long enough to de-appreciate the merits of it.

I used to think the same thing. Then I went to Black Range.

IdratherbeclimbingM9
23-Mar-2010
4:06:00 PM
On 23/03/2010 nmonteith wrote:
>What style of routes are on the south buttress? Im not really interested
>in slabby padding nightmares - prefer well featured wall climbing or crack
>climbing.
>
Integral Crack is worth going to Booroomba for, and you could consider anything else to be a bonus. The camping there is good too.

I hope to be up there myself this coming Sunday, but I will probably be looking for what you consider to be "slabby padding nightmares", depending on who I can get for a partner.

cruze
23-Mar-2010
4:06:51 PM
Black Range granite is nothing like Youies/Black Hill/Strathbogie Granite. It is more featured, finer texture and nowhere near Melbourne.

IdratherbeclimbingM9
23-Mar-2010
4:09:45 PM
It is still bouldering though.
Heh, heh, heh.

rodw
23-Mar-2010
4:15:15 PM

>What driving times are these places from Canberra itself? I don't want
>to hit 6pm on sunday and have to do an 8 hour drive home to Sydney

8 hrs???....You going via Armidale to do some bouldering on the way home?

Just to go to Wingello..that way the snakes will be full by the time it gets cool and I head down there.

pmonks
23-Mar-2010
5:05:33 PM
On 23/03/2010 nmonteith wrote:
>You couldn't pay me enough to go granite bouldering.

Surely you've hit up some granite bouldering areas during your various international jaunts?? Much of the bouldering in the Sierras is AWESOME, and they're 75+% granite!

> I lived in Melbourne long enough to de-appreciate the merits of it.

Ah that explains it - Melbourne makes me de-appreciate most things.
deadpoint
23-Mar-2010
6:12:43 PM
Hi Neil,

South Buttress is a 20min uphill walk and a 5 min downhill walk.
You will get lost if trying to decipher the guide.
There a few bolted routes on the south buttress, I suspect they won't suite your style!!!.

Other option is Gibralter, 15 mins walk from car parking. Flat except the last 5 mins, pretty easy. It's also a bit more of a sport crag, with a variety of mixed routes. I may be going up there on Saturday morning 8 am or so (with the wife)

So if you are around I can do the guide trick.



One Day Hero
24-Mar-2010
10:03:06 AM
On 23/03/2010 nmonteith wrote:
>Whats a silt brush?

A silt brush is something like a toothbrush only bigger which is used to brush holds after a torrent of silt has poured down the wall coating everything in 5mm of slick powder! :) Every crag has its weakness, I don't think its rained too much lately.

Red rocks is down on the Murrumbidgee, 1km from the burbs and marked on the street directory! There is a little mini guide written by me, don't know if there are any left in the shops, someone from canberra will lend you one.....beware of car theives if you park at kambah pool!! Instead, park in the burbs further south (golf course estate, see street directory) and follow your nose to get to the river

Gibralter is nice but faces north, the dude who's going there obviously likes the sun!

Black range is pretty good if you can get a guided tour, and that's coming from a nonboulderer......really!

Sth butress of booroomba-
Integral (19), well protected face climbing

African Walking Tree (21), face climbing with spaced but good gear

The whole gully around African has recently been renovated with new lines bolted and old ones fixed up. 5 or six good routes with bolts/mixed 18-22 all in the shade till mid arvo (3 good routes are up the step in the gully which requires a superfun gr10 chimney to access.......or rap in from the top of African)

And....you have to try Euryproctus (10m, gr20), the classic sandbag crack when you walk down. Put up in the 70's and yet to be onsighted in the modern era, it has repelled climbers who can tick gr27.........I finally struggled up with a half day, multi person siege!!



evanbb
24-Mar-2010
10:07:49 AM
On 24/03/2010 One Day Hero wrote:
>And....you have to try Euryproctus (10m, gr20), the classic sandbag crack
>when you walk down. Put up in the 70's and yet to be onsighted in the modern
>era, it has repelled climbers who can tick gr27.........I finally struggled
>up with a half day, multi person siege!!

Is it really that hard? It's a 'strong' line too. I like the look of it.

wallwombat
24-Mar-2010
10:20:58 AM
There is a PDF guide to Red Rocks on the CCA website with nice photo topos.

I think the ACT Granite guide has put a lot of people off even trying Euryproctus, considering it says something like "this climb has put more people off crack climbing than any other - keep walking poopy pants".

deadpoint
24-Mar-2010
11:08:40 AM
Sun is not a problem at Gibralter, plenty of shady routes. If you are heading that way email me at david (adot) cameron (with an @ ) gpsports (adot) com

Damo mentions that the Square Gully area has been rebolted, then this is a great option, as its nice and shady all day.

When I was last there the carrots came out on Jack of Diamonds and a few pitons no longer had eyes...luckily I had enough small wires to make it somewhat sane for the insane.

African Walking Tree is a blast. Face, slab, rising traverse. one bolt and a bunch of wires and a cam or 2, good clean fun.
deadpoint
24-Mar-2010
12:45:38 PM
On 24/03/2010 evanbb wrote:
>On 24/03/2010 One Day Hero wrote:
>>And....you have to try Euryproctus (10m, gr20), the classic sandbag crack
>>when you walk down. Put up in the 70's and yet to be onsighted in the
>modern
>>era, it has repelled climbers who can tick gr27.........I finally struggled
>>up with a half day, multi person siege!!
>
>Is it really that hard? It's a 'strong' line too. I like the look of it.

It's all about style and technique, the modern sports climbers are just not used to that style. If you spend a couple of months with you hands in a crack it seems to get easier.

That said Euryproctus is not you average crack, you have to head out through a ~2m roof with some sick stemming, you need a pretty good reach, I am not so sure how shorter people would go on it.

I know a few years ago (when the fires were around) I spent the whole winter every weekend going to Nowra, my sport climbing went from comfortable on 20's to red pointing 27-28. Then when I went back to Boroomba and jumped on a slabby 19 - Echidna , I quickly realized my footwork was totally lacking, I crimped my way up the whole climb making it totally desperate, it seemed like a Nowra 25. A few more visits, with the slab brain enabled it was a walk in the park, hands free rests on every move and graded just right.

crm114
24-Mar-2010
2:20:05 PM
I have a mate up there Neil if you want me to put you in contact with him. He has climbed a bit around there in the last few years.

Bouldering in the Black Range is a bit better than Black Hill - more features and less outright slab. I would not up to Canberra just for the bouldering but would be worth a day trip as an add-on to some other day trip elsewhere.

Facebook me and I can give you his mobile.


Adrian

wallwombat
24-Mar-2010
2:45:12 PM
On 24/03/2010 crm114 wrote:

>Bouldering in the Black Range is a bit better than Black Hill - more features
>and less outright slab. I would not up to Canberra just for the bouldering
>but would be worth a day trip as an add-on to some other day trip elsewhere.

"a bit better than Black Hill" !!! WTF? You obviously haven't spent much time up there.

widewetandslippery and I have spent at least half a dozen weekends camped up there and I have driven down there by myself from Goulburn a number of times and we haven't even scratched the surface. There is so much new stuff to be done, if you have a look around. And I'm not talking about having to bushbash for miles. Last time we were there we put up at least ten new problems in a weekend, just off the road or near other established areas.

I think this is largely because hardly anyone goes there. Chris Warner is the only Canberra climber I have ever seen there. The others must all be hanging off the front of the National Library or top roping at Kambah.

But anyway, Neil, I know you aren't really a boulderer, so I would suggest you go somewhere else. I reckon you would like Coree. Interesting climbing with holds that all seem to face in funny directions and lots of nice big bolts. That's my suggestion.

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There are 61 messages in this topic.

 

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