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Chockstone Forum - Crag & Route Beta

Crag & Route Beta

Area	Location	Sub Location	Crag	Links
All NSW	(General)	(General)	(General)

Author

Granite Sport climbing in NSW/ACT?

Batey

Online Now
28/03/2012
2:57:39 PM

Thats the dirction i want to head with climbing (ive said on other threads that my old man was a trad climber in late 80's early 90's). I think reading his old guide books and listening to his stories has influenced me. Just find it hard to step out there and find a new partner to learn from so to say. Just thought ni would ask the question.


nmonteith

28/03/2012
3:01:19 PM

Firstly - finding anything under grade 18 and a sport route will be a REAL struggle. The following suggestions are more around the grade 20-23 range.

Some options....

Buladelah (north of Newcastle). It's some sort of weird metamorphic volcanic rock - very different to sandstone (minimal friction and blocky holds). There is heaps of sport routes and this time of year is perfect.
http://www.thecrag.com/area/11769685

The Gib (Mittagong - Southern HIghlands)
Fine grained granite - some sport routes.
http://www.climb.org.au/index.php?page_id=10&action=crag&crag_id=255

Tarana (West of the Blue Mtns)
Lots of granite slabs and walls - a bit runout compared to the usual Bluies sport route.
(Is there an online guide somewhere?)

widewetandslippery

28/03/2012
3:01:27 PM

Tarana is much more sport like than the ACT but still the bolt distances are further apart. The ACT offers way better climbing. I agree with ODH, Suck up drop 8 grades and climb with a rack. Granite climbing is very different to sandstone and I confess I avoided it for a long time because it just seemed all to hard.

You are really missing out if you don't learn how to climb granite early on.


rodw

28/03/2012
3:03:35 PM

For something different to sandstone and sport climbing try Nelson bay/port stephens area ...it has sea side granite (Rhyolite from memory)...Morna point would be your best bet for your grade...

http://www.thecrag.com/area/11769661

Plus its way closer than Buladelah and much better spot for a weekend. ( or lengthy day trip)


nmonteith

28/03/2012
3:05:58 PM

Good call Rod! That area would be perfect - not the greatest climbing in the world but plenty of grade 18 granite sport routes - right on brief! Morna Point is the most suitable and extensive of the mini sport crags there.


rodw

28/03/2012
3:07:14 PM

Can even place some wigglys if needed for practice and have bolts for backup if needed

Batey

Online Now
28/03/2012
3:20:49 PM

On 28/03/2012 nmonteith wrote:
>On 28/03/2012 Batey wrote:
>>I have been cinsidering this for ages but just afraid to take the plunge
>>i guess. Ive got all the gear (2 sets of wires, set of hexes, set of
>old
>>WC friends with ne slings) just got to step out and do it on some grade
>>10 well protected routes.
>
>Mt Piddington is your friend.

Was expecting that respose from someone very soon.

One Day Hero

28/03/2012
3:27:32 PM

Actually, what's the top access like at Tarana? Can you walk to the tops of many of the routes?

Seriously, if you want to learn to climb on granite in the minimum time, toproping is my number one tip. Remove the fear component, learn how to use your feet, then add the fear in slowly.

This is also the best technique for learning to crack climb, Point Perp being the primo toproping crack school in probably the whole world (just make sure you learn how to prussick off your knot before you head down there!)


nmonteith

28/03/2012
3:36:21 PM

On 28/03/2012 One Day Hero wrote:
>O.k., this is really starting to get on my nerves. Rhyolite is not granite!!
>Volcanic rock is not granite!!......Rod, Monty, I'm looking at you two.

Ha ha! In his opening sentance he asked for "something other then sydney and blue mountains sandstone." - so that's why I suggested those crags! I do know what granite is, its the horrible stuff surrounding almost all of Melbourne.


rodw

28/03/2012
3:39:15 PM

On 28/03/2012 One Day Hero wrote:
>O.k., this is really starting to get on my nerves. Rhyolite is not granite!!
>Volcanic rock is not granite!!......Rod, Monty, I'm looking at you two.

Lol semantics...but to quote wiki....

"Rhyolite can be considered as the extrusive equivalent to the plutonic granite rock, and consequently, outcrops of rhyolite may bear a resemblance to granite."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhyolite

Either way its different to Sandstone.

widewetandslippery

28/03/2012
3:50:37 PM

The NSW bouldering ara near captains flat , north black rangecould be a good start. My favourite granite near sydney. And you will get scared.


Zarb

28/03/2012
4:01:21 PM

Come to Canberra if you want to clip bolts on granite. Because after looking at the bolt spacing on these "sport climbs", you will quickly want to learn trad.

Ps: And be prepared to find grade 10's extremely hard.


cruze

28/03/2012
4:10:58 PM

On 28/03/2012 One Day Hero wrote:
>Actually, what's the top access like at Tarana? Can you walk to the tops
>of many of the routes?
>
>Seriously, if you want to learn to climb on granite in the minimum time,
>toproping is my number one tip. Remove the fear component, learn how to
>use your feet, then add the fear in slowly.
>
>This is also the best technique for learning to crack climb, Point Perp
>being the primo toproping crack school in probably the whole world (just
>make sure you learn how to prussick off your knot before you head down
>there!)
Many of the quality routes at Tarana can be toproped with easy access to the top and pretty decent anchor options. Some of them might be worth leading. A highly underrated venue. Noone from Sydney drives past the Blueys and noone from Canberra leaves the ACT to go climb granite (Tas, WA, Black Range and Qld granite notwithstanding) except me on quite a few occasions. The weather at Tarana is often better than the Blueys.

widewetandslippery

28/03/2012
4:46:48 PM

I do, but I don't drive, I usually get public transport then a lift.

Batey get all the gear out and have a go. Some of the best routes are on gear on granite, at all grades everywhere (except Melbourne but that's because iot sucks as a climbing city)

psd

28/03/2012
5:49:32 PM

On 28/03/2012 One Day Hero wrote:
>Actually, what's the top access like at Tarana? Can you walk to the tops
>of many of the routes?

Pretty good - easy to walk to the tops of most of the routes on Deckout Butress and Coffin Hole Gully and maybe a few other routes here and there. Deckout Buttress is pretty toprope friendly but for the longer ones in Coffin Hole you would want a top belay (rope stretch, slippery start moves etc.). None of it is very 'sports climbing' and you might need to get a bit creative with ropes and top anchors but between those two areas you could have a great day on the rock.

There are 43 messages in this topic.