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Chockstone Forum - Crag & Route Beta

Crag & Route Beta

Area	Location	Sub Location	Crag	Links
VIC Northwest	Camel's Hump	Western Cliffs	Omega Block	[ Camels Hump Guide \| Images ]

Author

Omega Block Super Topo


nmonteith

9-Dec-2005
3:58:52 PM

There is a bit of confusion in the VCC guide regarding exact locations of some of the routes. I whipped
up ths rough photo topo today which might help people decipher some of the variants of variants and
obscure traverses in the Boogie and Witch Area. Let me know if their are any errors.

170k PDF document is here
http://www.neilshaulbag.com/guides/pdf/omega_block.pdf

Robin

13-Dec-2005
9:53:22 PM

I haven't got out there yet to check it out but here's a few suggestions;

10. Broomstick climbs from the ground with 9. Bewitched being the variant heading off left. Also there were 2 bolts without brackets on bewitched - have they been replaced?

15. Warlock - looking at the photo I think the traverse goes lower and more horizontal.

12. Hollow screams V is actually the original, which would make 11. Hollow screams direct.

witch LH variant steps left at roof and finishes as for 14. unnamed. Not a bad variant and should be even better with the new bolt.

14. Unnamed looks very similar to First Touch 21. I was actually there on the day of the first ascent & I think it pretty much followed Unnamed but finished more up the blunt arete left of Witch crack rather than up the centre of the witch left hand variant.

Witch RH variant - two stars?? I seem to recall this climb is easily avoided by reaching far right to the buckets of Wishful thinking. I'm sure the climbing is better if it's climbed direct but it is squeezed in a bit.


nmonteith

21-Dec-2005
11:04:07 AM

A few ascents were made of route #18 yesterday. General consensus is grade 23 - with the crux being
past the top bolt (ie Witch LHV). Its slighty contrived in places but definatly worthwhile with quite
sustained climbing. I had a go at the grade 25 version of Hollow Screams and got totally spanked.
Bloody sustained and a hard crux move!


alrob

19-Feb-2006
5:46:06 PM

i just did the original Hollow Screams/Boogie Direct/25 today and found it quite good climbing. would be a little hard for people shorter then i (but when is that surprising) bit i found it quite ok at the grade. definately worth roping up for though!

shit, there were a lot of people coming and going up there today too, which is good to see. considering the weather situation (cold, moist and misty) on the drive up. another good day at the hump had!

12-Feb-2007
10:20:04 AM

I toproped a right variant to Bewitched on the weekend - it takes the blue line in the topo below. After breaking right from the 3rd bolt of broomstick it's surprisingly independent all the way to the summit (note Broomstick moves slightly further left (green line) than Neil's topo shows). The blue line has been at least partially done before because it has a rusty old carrot on it (see the first yellow dot). Up higher is a rusty old pin (yellow dot) which might be for the original line but is also used by powder hound so maybe not. Does anyone know the origins of the blue line and carrot? Did broomstick originally go to the carrot before moving back left into the upper grooves?

Anyway, the climbing on it is really good (at least as good as broomstick and bewitched) and IMO it should definitely be "salvaged" so that we can have another trade route on the block. This would require replacing the carrot and pin, and maybe the carrot should be moved slightly lower because the block at the start of broomstick is almost coming into the equation if you blow that clip and wing onto broomstick's 3rd bolt. It'd almost certainly also need a retrobolt to protect the moves over the bulge just above Warlock's traverse, because they are quite tricky (23ish?) and 3-5m above the carrot (and there's no trad). And it needs it's own lower-off too. The headwall is not as mossy as it looks - it only needed about 30 seconds cleaning (without even a brush) for it to be climbable.

I assume the retrobolt and carrot re-position would need somebody's approval - or maybe a consensus here would be enough. Thoughts?

On 13/12/2005 Robin wrote:
>Also there were 2 bolts without brackets on bewitched - have they been replaced?

yep - all rings now

>15. Warlock - looking at the photo I think the traverse goes lower and more horizontal.

correct - currently it's shown as going diagonally up left over a little bulge before meeting broomstick but it traverses just below the bulge

dalai

12-Feb-2007
10:32:11 AM

The lower carrot bolt could be part of a grade 23 variant that pre dated Hollow Scream by a long while and is not marked on Neils diagram?

This traversed left from Boogie as per Hollow Screams (grade 25 version -#12) which led to the arete and what was the length of chain bolt, then continued left into and up Broomstick...


nmonteith

12-Feb-2007
10:38:21 AM

Bloody hell! With AlRob claiming a new link-up and this route this place will SURELY have reached
saturation point.


alrob

12-Feb-2007
10:49:27 AM

On 12/02/2007 nmonteith wrote:
>Bloody hell! With AlRob claiming a new link-up and this route this place
>will SURELY have reached
>saturation point.

no way! there's still some more squeeze jobs to be had!

btw, i was trying hollow screams on the weekend. initially i was told it goes right into the scoop a bit after the 2nd bolt, to the pocket. i think that's a bit soft, a bit of a cop out. keeping on the arete and going straight up wasn't much harder, and i think is the true line.

marty, is this how brooksy climbed it?


phil_nev

12-Feb-2007
12:30:56 PM

isnt a true line the line of least resistance?


nmonteith

12-Feb-2007
12:46:22 PM

MOST resistance. The line of least resistance is around the back side.

12-Feb-2007
12:48:49 PM

On 12/02/2007 dalai wrote:
>The lower carrot bolt could be part of a grade 23 variant that pre dated
>Hollow Scream by a long while and is not marked on Neils diagram?

Maybe.... although my interpretation was that this went across to the start of the blue line, 3-4m below the carrot. Moving left higher to the carrot looks desperate for 23! Either way, the blue line covers a reasonable amount of "new" stone (unlike Al's Bop/Satanic link-up!) and climbs fairly well so its a waste for it to be ignored - Melbourne's miniscule stable of ok routes can do with every addition it can get!


nmonteith

12-Feb-2007
12:55:15 PM

you have to do the hideous start to Broomstick though. We really need to glue a big fat gym hold on for
that move.

dalai

12-Feb-2007
1:13:00 PM

On 12/02/2007 nmonteith wrote:
>Bloody hell! With AlRob claiming a new link-up and this route this place
>will SURELY have reached
>saturation point.

No way!!

I've been thinking at the possibility of linking Hollow Screams direct direct continuing up this face! The original direct direct by finishing in the Hollow screams grade 25 variant finishes too early...

@alrob I'm not sure how Brooksy ended up doing this. Though when we were working on it just after he had bolted it was straight up the arete I think (not sure of any pocket) but do recall it was pretty close to Boogie plus using a sloper blob for the right hand...

He left it for me when he went overseas prior to its first ascent but the line didn't inspire me to go back and do it!

On 12/02/2007 WM wrote:
>Maybe.... although my interpretation was that this went across to the
>start of the blue line, 3-4m below the carrot. Moving left higher to the
>carrot looks desperate for 23!

I thought it went straight left to the blue line also. But figured it may be a possibility?

chalkischeap

12-Feb-2007
2:08:30 PM

Good idea Dalai - suggested rules for Hollow Screams:

1. Scoop out of bounds – as described by Al.

2. Wimping out right at bolt 4 to Boogie jugs (Hollow Screams 25 variant) out of bounds – go straight up the arête instead – 3 move boulder problem. Has this part been climbed before? Wills new carrot replacement bolt may be useful here (application approved).

Boy are we desperate for steep rock.

dalai

12-Feb-2007
2:20:16 PM

Agreed chalkischeap! The line will be Hollow screams direct variant of the variant direct direct...

Chalkischeap - did you check out the wall I drew the topo for you for around the back side?


nmonteith

12-Feb-2007
2:23:28 PM

f--- me


alrob

12-Feb-2007
2:29:10 PM

On 12/02/2007 chalkischeap wrote:
>Good idea Dalai - suggested rules for Hollow Screams:
>
>1. Scoop out of bounds – as described by Al.
>
>2. Wimping out right at bolt 4 to Boogie jugs (Hollow Screams 25 variant)
>out of bounds – go straight up the arête instead – 3 move boulder problem.
>Has this part been climbed before? Wills new carrot replacement bolt may
>be useful here (application approved).
>
>Boy are we desperate for steep rock.
>

remember we gotta add the sit starts to all these routes too now. Then i'll get to eliminating thumbs on the crux holds.

dalai

12-Feb-2007
2:31:04 PM

You were using your thumbs? Don't tell me you were also using heel hooks??!! You know both those aren't allowed!


alrob

12-Feb-2007
2:31:58 PM

On 12/02/2007 dalai wrote:
>You were using your thumbs? Don't tell me you were also using heel hooks??!!
>You know both those aren't allowed!

oh come on! not allowing heel hooks is getting a little contrived don't you think?

chalkischeap

12-Feb-2007
2:53:37 PM

....... no matching and remember to stay square-on at all times - this is just training you know !

Like the idea of the sit starts too (only half joking, these will probably be the best boulder problems around)

No Dalai, haven't yet ventured down to the lower cliff.

There are 37 messages in this topic.