This is not a peak but an edge situated below Sundial Peak is readily reached along the Sundial walking track and dropping down past the Sundial to the lookout on top of the cliff (marked on most maps). It has heaps of loose and sandy rock, closed corners and big ceilings. Descent is via the south end of the cliff.
Chopping Block 30m 18
About a third of the way along the cliff (from the left) a large black block has fallen from the roof. The worst of the loose rock has also been removed. From the top of the rock move up and right into the line which leads to the big ledge. Exit left. David Schirra, Chris Baxter, Maureen Gallagher 25.10.87
Can either be gained from The Sundial car park or from Delley's Dell picnic site.
From The Sundial car park, follow the walking track until almost at The Sundial. When the track leads down to the right keep following it until it sweeps down fairly close under the cliff (which can be seen up in the right). When almost level withe base of the cliff amble up through the bush to the base of the cliff.
From Delley's Dell picnic site, which is about 4 km along the Silverband Road from the junction with the Dunkeld Road (and about 3 km downhill from the Rosea picnic ground), take The Sundial walking track for about 20 - 25 minutes until below the cliff. From here head straight up and the cliff should be reached in about 10 - 15 minutes.
Time From Car: 40 - 45 minutes from The Sundial car park.
30 - 40 minutes from Delley's Dell.
Climbs are described from right to left.
Aegis 60m 12
To the right of Chicanery is an orange wall with a jam crack on its right hand edge. 1. 25m (crux) Jam to the top of the flake. Move right and up to a ledge. Up the overhanging juggy wall and crack to a small stance and belay. 2. 35m Follow the steep corner to a long overhang at m Move right to an easing in the overhang. Pull up over this and then make a long traverse left to the edge of a deep vegetated line. Climb the arête on the outside of the final overhang. Move into the gully and belay off a Banksia. Peter Jacob, Peter Watling (alt), Kathy Burman. 10.2.74
Chicanery 48m 19
Takes the great stepped flake on the main face. 1. 24m (crux) Climb around the overhang into the wide steep crack. Climb this into the bottomless chimney above. At the big roof, move out right onto a steep juggy wall and climb straight up to a small stance. 2. 24m Straight up the line above which gives excellent exposed bridging to the top. Chris Dewhirst, Chris Baxter (alt), Mike Stone. 24.11.73 FFA John Smart, Norm Booth. Early 1977
Akimbo 45m 11
The groove left of Chicanery. Climb the steep juggy groove left of the blank wall to exit slightly left via a short chimney. Roland Pauligk, Peter Jacob, Anne Pauligk.
Sentinel Corner 50m 18-19,M1
Left of, and slightly lower than, the Chicanery face is a detached 50m pinnacle. Start in the magnificent corner in its left end. 1. 16m Move up and traverse right to a crack leading into the corner proper. Climb the crack and continue up the corner to arrive on a sloping ledge and belay in a slot. 2. 34m Move back right and peg the overhanging corner to a small ledge. Continue free to a small overhang. Exit left and continue up the line to the top. Mike Stone, Geoff Gledhill. 21.2.71
Sentinel Corner Variant 30m 20
A failed attempt to free the original line. This variant does allow the climb to be done free, albeit strenuously. 2. 30m Climb the slot above the belay to a stance on the left. Traverse back right to the original line and follow it. Chris Baxter, Dave Gairns. 14.2.87
GUARDIANS AMPHITHEATRE
This wall is above and left of Chicanery and is most easily approached from above by an abseil.
Mister Ped 35m 18
An enticing natural line with excellent pro. It takes the hand-crack system on the left side of the amphitheatre. Climb the left crack to the horizontal. Step right then up the crack, finish over the block. Glenn Tempest, Stephen Hamilton, Michael Hampton, Gary Schmitt. 21.1.90
The True Believers 18m 16
The left most of twin cracks on the next major buttress right of the amphitheatre. Faces Mt. Rosea and starts from the terrace halfway up the face. Stephen Hamilton, Tim Burke. 21.1.90
To find this crag follow the walking track towards Sundial Peak for about 15 minutes from the car park. A few hundred metres past the rocky outcrops high on the right, the track opens up at a sandy area with a couple of rock steps. Turn right into light scrub at a prominent boulder. Walk across the shallow valley and two ridges to the 15m leaning grey wall that faces Mount Rosea (about 500m off the track). I wandered around here and the only crag I found didn't appear to have any bolts and the descriptions couldn't be made to fit any of the features.
Pumping Hate 18m 22
The first line from the left. Up with Difficulty to clip BR, then steeply up the line through the overhang. Stephen Hamilton, Glenn Tempest 11.11.89
Trumpet Pumpet 17m 20
The overhung crack in the middle of the face, harder than it looks. Stephen Hamilton, Glenn Tempest 11.11.89
Happy Boy Gets A Pump 15m 24
Climbs the arete and wall at the right hand end, easily up to a BR. Continue up past another BR, then up and right. Glenn Tempest, Stephen Hamilton 11.11.89
Around to the right are two short cracks of good quality at about grade 8 or 9. These were both done solo by Hamilton and Tempest also on 11.11.89
Well, I think that is the end of the files that I had put together for a guide. There might be a few routes that maybe sitting in other folders that should have been included but I can't be bothered going through them all just to make life a bit easier for future guidebook writers.
If you have read the posts you will have noticed that a lot of them had "Time from car:" left blank, that is because I hadn't checked them out, that is for someone else to do. My recollection is that Devils Peak probably had the longest access time, all others should be less than that.
All of the above notes were made before the bushfires of a few years ago and the flooding rains as well, some, or a lot, of the tracks may have been realigned. Stumps and trees that were considered 'landmarks' may now be gone. That just means there is a bit of "adventure" to be had, go to it.
On 29/06/2014 BA wrote:
>Well, I think that is the end of the files that I had put together for
>a guide. There might be a few routes that maybe sitting in other folders
>that should have been included but I can't be bothered going through them
>all just to make life a bit easier for future guidebook writers.
>
>If you have read the posts you will have noticed that a lot of them had
>"Time from car:" left blank, that is because I hadn't checked them out,
>that is for someone else to do. My recollection is that Devils Peak probably
>had the longest access time, all others should be less than that.
>
>All of the above notes were made before the bushfires of a few years ago
>and the flooding rains as well, some, or a lot, of the tracks may have
>been realigned. Stumps and trees that were considered 'landmarks' may now
>be gone. That just means there is a bit of "adventure" to be had, go to
>it.
... Very impressive body of work that you have compiled there BA.
Us bottom-feeders are indebted to you, so thanks for that!
Thanks BA.
We have assembled all of this plus everything else we could get our hands on and have started checking access and descriptions. Too wet to climb unfortunately!
thanks.
On 29/06/2014 gfdonc wrote:
>Couple of comments.
>Aegis is reported as 25+25=50m in some writeups; I've assumed the pitch
>lengths in yours are correct.
They could be, why don't you find out :)
>I have Sentinel Corner going free by Gairns/Baxter in 1987 at 20.
From the above post: Sentinel Corner Variant 30m 20
A failed attempt to free the original line. This variant does allow the climb to be done free, albeit strenuously. 2. 30m Climb the slot above the belay to a stance on the left. Traverse back right to the original line and follow it. Chris Baxter, Dave Gairns. 14.2.87