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Crag & Route Beta

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Sweet Dreams alternate finish

strerror

15-Feb-2012
11:18:59 AM

Actually you did also mention araps, which as ODH has pointed out in his own way, is a bit offtopic as frankly going to araps for a pleasant multipitch climb for a sydneysider is a little unrealistic.
Something that I think you're also not taking into account about sweat dreams is the setting. The setting is simply stunning and that, combined with comparatively good rock, and a bit of slab climbing, a traverse, vertical and a touch of overhang (ie varied climbing) make the route a classic to me.


Climboholic

15-Feb-2012
3:17:08 PM

On 15/02/2012 strerror wrote:
>Actually you did also mention araps, which as ODH has pointed out in his
>own way, is a bit offtopic as frankly going to araps for a pleasant multipitch
>climb for a sydneysider is a little unrealistic.
>Something that I think you're also not taking into account about sweat
>dreams is the setting. The setting is simply stunning and that, combined
>with comparatively good rock, and a bit of slab climbing, a traverse, vertical
>and a touch of overhang (ie varied climbing) make the route a classic to
>me.

As ODH said, there is tons of really good stuff in the Blueys. So why does Sweet Dreams get so many stars in the guidebook? My comparison with Araps was only to point out that it wouldn't even rate a mention at a place where there are good moderate grade climbs.

I agree, the setting is nice. But the slab climbing; yawn, the traverse; a boring scramble at grade 2 and the overhang; where? The only good pitch is the alternate finish which is harder than the rest of the climb and not worth the walk in and the other 3-4 pitches. It's possible to have fun on low grade multipitches, but Sweet Dreams is not it.

The Blue Mountains is a world class climbing area and the guidebook is selling it short by giving Sweet Dreams so many stars.

... But then again, my opinion of the climb could be tainted by the fact that I was holding back diarrhoea for the last two pitches the first time I climbed it (not sure if that was a reaction to bad food or the climb).


hangdog

15-Feb-2012
3:39:42 PM

Until they banned climbing on the 3 sisters nobody bothered with Sweet Dreams. The beginner adventure multi pitch route of choice was the West wall route on the sisters. They banned climbing on the sisters and then sweet dreams was rediscovered as an alternative.


nmonteith

15-Feb-2012
3:41:09 PM

Well on a good Saturday the route gets about 4 parties on it. If a route was crap it wouldnt be so popular. It still had plenty of ascents before the current guide with all the stars. It's a so called iconic climb of the mountains and many climbers first mutlipitch for example,


Climboholic

15-Feb-2012
4:07:06 PM

You're such a New South Welshman now Neil (offence intended).

:-P

Damien Gildea

15-Feb-2012
4:33:23 PM

On 15/02/2012 hangdog wrote:
>Until they banned climbing on the 3 sisters nobody bothered with Sweet
>Dreams. The beginner adventure multi pitch route of choice was the West
>wall route on the sisters. They banned climbing on the sisters and then
>sweet dreams was rediscovered as an alternative.

Yep, exactly. And a far inferior alternative it is too. I did it once, couldn't see the attraction, never been back. I did the WW3S eight or nine times at least, over six or seven years, sometimes in half a day, sometimes in an hour or so. But it got ruined mainly by groups of commercial abseilers - I never encountered a problem with climbing crowds, even on a Saturday. Not many places in NSW you can climb 7 or 8 pitches of easy rock and come out on something like a real summit.

widewetandslippery

15-Feb-2012
4:55:40 PM

+ another. Sweet dreams has location and length as does Marg Ridge.

For good multi pitch lower graded routes piddo, zigzag ang boyce offer some good rockclimbing.

The blueys does not have an Arachnus.

The other option for a sydney person is booroomba (I have gone there for 1 day via public transport, ODH right its a good crag) or the point. One pitch routes from some of those ledges don't feel that way at the time.

widewetandslippery

15-Feb-2012
5:15:26 PM

Wolgan, as damo666 says no summit but some good easy routed

I can't see why a couple of extra rings on a 14 sport route causes discussion, but best easy multis in the blueys is. Anyone done coffin climb at piddo? Was is good or memorable? Any other info nulls the onsight

mikllaw

16-Feb-2012
9:16:10 AM

Coffin climb not so good.
Darkside (14) behind the mirrorball pinnacle is pretty good


Climboholic

16-Feb-2012
10:57:20 AM

+1 for Booroomba

Also, bit more of a drive but - how about the Warrumbungles?

There are 30 messages in this topic.