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Crag & Route Beta

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

Author

Any word on Blue Lake yet?


Macciza

25-Jul-2014
8:11:22 PM

Thanks everyone
Looks like I have things sort on the axes
Will give you a call about shoes

Forecast for tmw at Perisher -4 to 1 with 30+ winds and snow showers
Hopefully it should be fun, will try to get shots....

Cheers all
MM


Capt_mulch

26-Jul-2014
3:38:56 AM

>Forecast for tmw at Perisher -4 to 1 with 30+ winds and snow showers
>Hopefully it should be fun, will try to get shots....
>
The Kosi is much more fun when the weather is marginal - much better value for money. Being on skis in marginal weather is less fraught in that you can pick routes/areas that are easy to bail from quickly. It looks like it my be nice and clear for a couple of days once that weak front passes.


Macciza

28-Jul-2014
3:06:51 PM

Hi All,
with particular thanks to grangrump for snowshoes etc . .

We got there, did stuff, and got back - not entirely to plan, but oh well, got a picture . . .

More details later

MM


Duang Daunk

28-Jul-2014
6:05:38 PM

>
Put some sunnies on the dude in M9's picture, and we have the same dude for sure.


Zarb

11-Aug-2014
8:11:03 PM

So what's it like people? Worth the slog up the hill on a quest for Ice?


Macciza

12-Aug-2014
6:35:49 PM

Cold....
Yes....

TimP

12-Aug-2014
9:40:04 PM

Ask Fuzz who responded on the recent Mountaineering thread 10/8:
"There is a company called Australian School of Mountaineering based in katoomba, they do courses in Australia. I did one last week and thought the info and experience they gave was top quality. Try them. The courses are situated never blue lake in Kosciuszko NP in the snow, fun."


sbm

12-Aug-2014
9:49:56 PM

The skiers have been complaining the chutes are too icey and not in condition to ski. Sounds good for climbing.


Macciza

13-Aug-2014
1:00:53 AM

Hopefully heading down again for NZAC trip 23/24th
Definitely fun to be had down there . . .
Still need some tools . . .


Sabu

13-Aug-2014
9:56:45 AM

On 12/08/2014 sbm wrote:
>The skiers have been complaining the chutes are too icey and not in condition
>to ski. Sounds good for climbing.

Two weeks ago the chute at Buller were looking pretty well skied, lots of soft snow around which made going up main street a pain. We had a play on some ice around the corner from the ridge which was fun. Figured out this was on "The Amphitheatre" according to the old guide on here. Probably heading up again this weekend to check out the waterfall area.

This is my climbing partner's wife on her first go at ice:

Damien Gildea

15-Aug-2014
9:34:27 AM

I was climbing in there yesterday. It's OK but not great, not fat. The gullies are quite banked out with snow, taking several feet off some potential climbs.

There are maybe three decent flows that are worth doing. The one (see photo) over on the climber's right of the cirque that is usually the longest/steepest has had a lot of sun and is quite blue and fat in parts but melting out fast and chandeliered at the top.

The cornice at the top of the main gully is not very big at all this year, only extending a foot or two. No sign of avalanches or cornice falls at all, unlike last year.

The approach from Guthega was quite soft and the day very hot, but generally most of the high terrain is fairly icy and swept bare.

Note that the camping area on the left of the road on the way in near Island Bend is closed for asbestos removal, as are parts of the camping areas down on the right at Island Bend itself.

dalai

15-Aug-2014
11:16:49 AM

Sabu - might want to make it clear you are referring to Buller from what I can gather? Discussion is about the condition of Blue Lake...


Sabu

15-Aug-2014
11:50:43 AM

Ah yes - although I assumed sbm's mention about the chutes was in relation to buller but perhaps I was wrong!


Duang Daunk

15-Aug-2014
12:01:09 PM

Buller vs Blue Lake?
It's about ice isn't it, and that is pretty much all the ice we have in Oz to climb.
It isn't like the conditions for both are radically different last time I saw a weather map.


Macciza

21-Aug-2014
5:24:20 PM

Anyone headed down this weekend?
May be looking for a lift . . .
Cheers


BlankSlab

22-Aug-2014
2:28:38 PM

Curious on you guys who trip out to blue lake often. If you head out for summer climbing whats the earliest to head out there after snow melt? Late november?
Also wondering if the walk in from charlets to the crag is alright for a day trip to climb out there?

climberman

25-Aug-2014
9:57:10 AM

On 22/08/2014 BlankSlab wrote:
>Curious on you guys who trip out to blue lake often. If you head out for
>summer climbing whats the earliest to head out there after snow melt? Late
>november?
>Also wondering if the walk in from charlets to the crag is alright for
>a day trip to climb out there?

Late Nov should be Ok this year, there'll be the odd drift (asumming no mass of 200mm+ rain events).

Charlotte Pass to the lake is around 4.5 to 5 k each way. Lovely walking. be fine for a day tip if you like walking those distances.

If you decide to camp please don't camp in the catchments of the lakes :)

grangrump

25-Aug-2014
1:40:13 PM

Wait for the bitumen to be open to Charlotte Pass (the trudge up from Guthega is only for snowtime).
It's best in Spring or Autumn, so before it gets too hot.
But watch out for march flies!

Damien Gildea

25-Aug-2014
2:05:53 PM

I climbed there for two days in December last year. Walked from Charlottes Pass to the Lake in around an hour with heavy packs, so easy for a day trip.

The crag seeps, so it's probably better to wait until it's been hot and dry for a week or so, otherwise many of the cracklines will be wet and slimy.

climberman

25-Aug-2014
4:54:57 PM

On 25/08/2014 grangrump wrote:

>It's best in Spring or Autumn, so before it gets too hot.
>But watch out for march flies!

They are evil.

They also love denim blue. Fk knows why, but they do. I never wear blue up there any more. Make your friends wear it, they act as decoys.

There are 42 messages in this topic.