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VIC Grampians (General) (General) (General) [ Grampians Guide | Images ]

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Black Range - climbing area near helipad??

shortman

18-Feb-2013
10:09:46 AM

If you turn right at the helipad (which doesn't really look like a used helipad) and drive to the end of the road (off Rees Rd), there is a series of little cliffs where you can actually park your car on the rock. There are a couple of pitons around and I was just wondering if there is any recorded info on the area. Apparently Phillip Armstrong is the man to talk to. Anyone else know anything?

It is not in any of those old skool guides, but quite close to some crags that are.

This is the area.

nmonteith

18-Feb-2013
10:13:23 AM

Helps if you give us some idea on the area you are talking about. I presume somewhere in the Black Range?

shortman

18-Feb-2013
10:49:59 AM

On 18/02/2013 nmonteith wrote:
>Helps if you give us some idea on the area you are talking about. I presume
>somewhere in the Black Range?

Yeah, I always have trouble with entering crag info with the format offered.

I think it is just outside of the black range or there abouts. I thought the pics might help with ppl in the know??

EDIT - Any chance u could label it properly for me Neil? I can't edit that part???

nmonteith

18-Feb-2013
10:55:48 AM

On 18/02/2013 shortman wrote:
>EDIT - Any chance u could label it properly for me Neil? I can't edit
>that part???

I find it easier just to make the title of your topic contain the required info! :-)

jimfalla

18-Feb-2013
10:58:43 AM

Please do not park your car on the rock and preferably don't drive past the helipad. There is lots of archeology in this area, as you will see if you open your eyes. The locals were truely out there climbers.

And don't bloody retro bolt anything either....Enough damage has been done here already by nob heads with drills.

ajfclark

18-Feb-2013
10:58:44 AM

Does the update for the black guide help?

http://www.vicclimb.org.au/includes/file.php?id=81

shortman

18-Feb-2013
11:07:23 AM

On 18/02/2013 jimfalla wrote:
>Please do not park your car on the rock and preferably don't drive past
>the helipad. There is lots of archeology in this area, as you will see
>if you open your eyes. The locals were truely out there climbers.
>
>And don't bloody retro bolt anything either....Enough damage has been
>done here already by nob heads with drills.

Settle down cowboy, I aint' boltin' anything, except maybe for that 2 meter boulder with the hard move near the top....not. Didn't come across a single bolt in the entire area btw. Just a few pitons.

BA

18-Feb-2013
11:07:57 AM

If you get the 'old skool' 1997 "The Black Guide" it will help.

If visiting the crag just for a day in the Boys Toupee Area then the following might interest you. Park your car near the helipad (next to the turn off into Saddle Camp) and follow a disused, but flat, easy road into the right hand end of the cliff. The Boys Toupee Area and In Search Of Water will be just up to your left when you reach the cliff. About 8 minutes walking time.

If you keep following the cliff line you will be at Burrunj North. Climbing first happened in this area over 40 years but the "modern" development a mere 20 years ago

shortman

18-Feb-2013
11:13:39 AM

On 18/02/2013 ajfclark wrote:
>Does the update for the black guide help?
>
>http://www.vicclimb.org.au/includes/file.php?id=81

Maybe?

shortman

18-Feb-2013
11:50:55 AM

This is part of the area-

Anyone recognise it?

BA

18-Feb-2013
12:08:03 PM

No. Is it to west as you approach the Boys Toupee Area? How many minutes walk from the road is it?

shortman

18-Feb-2013
12:35:53 PM

On 18/02/2013 BA wrote:
>No. Is it to west as you approach the Boys Toupee Area? How many minutes
>walk from the road is it?

This photo is taken from in front of my car. So about a minute walk in.

shortman

18-Feb-2013
12:44:55 PM

It's not too clear, but the oval marks a piton.

nmonteith

18-Feb-2013
12:52:59 PM

I miss Grampians rock. Looks lovely.

The good Dr

18-Feb-2013
1:25:03 PM

On 18/02/2013 shortman wrote:
>
>
>It's not too clear, but the oval marks a piton.

A lot of stuff around there was climbed and subsequently ignored in the late 80s early 90s, that wall included. Basically the routes were not that good, so left to rot. There are also odd rusting carrots scattered on a couple of walls from earlier again. You should also look at the most recent management plan for the area which has a in place a ban on installation of fixed protection for climbing.

Other than that it is a cool place to explore. Further along that cliff to the south is some old graffiti from 1913 and 1930 (if you can find it). As James Falla mentioned there is also a large amount of aboriginal art and other archaeological remnants. Be careful as it is often not obvious to spot.

shortman

18-Feb-2013
1:43:52 PM

Thank you good doctor. And I repeat, I'm not bolting anything, and the piton was not placed by me. What I can't protect I'm self belaying, or dropping a toprope down.

shortman

18-Feb-2013
2:56:58 PM

On 18/02/2013 BA wrote:
>No. Is it to west as you approach the Boys Toupee Area? How many minutes
>walk from the road is it?

I reckon it might be the little unnamed cliff in the black guide that is south-westish of Boys Toupee. Hard for me to say because my exploration is still limited to this one little area so far.

steff

18-Feb-2013
5:24:29 PM

Please park at the helipad, or better at saddle-camp. The track is actually a closed track and every traffic makes it more obvious for other people who do not care. The flat rocks at the base of the cliffs host actually quite some rare orchids, some of which have been recently destroyed by a car hooning around....

shortman

18-Feb-2013
6:15:34 PM

On 18/02/2013 steff wrote:
>Please park at the helipad, or better at saddle-camp. The track is actually
>a closed track and every traffic makes it more obvious for other people
>who do not care. The flat rocks at the base of the cliffs host actually
>quite some rare orchids, some of which have been recently destroyed by
>a car hooning around....

Thanks Steff. I did notice some unflowering orchards, but I still think we may be talking about a different place. Hooning would not possible. U couldn't even u-bolt there.

Just so you can understand what happened -

Here I was happily driving, looking for remote and private places to climb, where I stumble across this intersection and think hmmm which way? I think I'm gonna back track to that other road back there a bit. Keep in mind I have a low to the ground sedan. I ramble along for a bit, and come to a cliff, then stop the car. I get out and think shit, my front wheels are on rock. I then explored and climbed a bit. I dug a hole for my poo. I then drove to araps to get someone to come back the next day to do some more climbing. This we did. I have not been back since.

I will park my car where you say and be mindful of all the things you and others have mentioned.

steff

18-Feb-2013
7:02:23 PM

actually, you can hoon around very well. Where the track bends left to the "old helipad" you can drive straight onto the flat rocks. I am living 20km from this place and it is my favorite Black Range spot. It is great climbing, has some funny hidden bouldering and is in general a very special place to hang around for a day, so by all means, explore that place more. Thanks for taking our concerns serious!!!

There are 20 messages in this topic.