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Chockstone Forum - Crag & Route Beta

Crag & Route Beta

 Page 1 of 2. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 22
Area Location Sub Location Crag Links
VIC Arapiles Bushranger Bluff (General) Back Wall [ Arapiles Guide | Arapiles Images ] 

Author
"Trooper Two" Bushranger Bluff
bentobox
30-Apr-2015
9:56:51 PM
I climbed this not long ago.

I know gradings of climbs are always subjective and somewhat inconsistent, but is the Arapiles guide taking the piss when they've called it at 13?

How do you think it compares with other climbs (Arapiles and out yonder) of a similar grade? Do you think Bard/Muldoon/Lamplighter are much easier/harder?

I'm only a novice, the hardest climb I can claim is Rose Ramble in Freycinet (16) and that was a walk in the park compared to Trooper 2!

Anyway. Any feedback is appreciated - especially on recommendations for well protected climbs in the 13-16 bracket to check out.

Dave_S
30-Apr-2015
10:20:39 PM
On 30/04/2015 bentobox wrote:
>Any feedback is appreciated - especially on recommendations for
>well protected climbs in the 13-16 bracket to check out.

If you're talking Arapiles:

Toccata (15) is lovely, but perhaps hard for the grade, especially if you can't jam. Bring some cams and hexes up to fist size.

Agent Orange (15)

Kaiser-Resignation is probably the best grade 15 climb at Arapiles, but you might find the pitch 1 traverse crux a bit scary, and ditto for the moves off the ledge at the start of pitch 2.

Sabu
30-Apr-2015
11:03:46 PM
Welcome to Araps is all I can say.

I've found that almost regardless of the grade many routes there can have a sting in the tail and at times can feel much harder than the stipulated grade - even the easy ones (in fact especially the easy ones as you're not expecting it). The first time you lead the second pitch of Bard is a prime example. Easy climbing but down right f---ing terrifying if you're only climbing a few grades higher. Agamemnon is another. Super easy climbing but the position and direction you have to take makes you feel uncomfortable enough to start feeling likes it's much harder.

As for suggestions for well protected routes at Araps don't miss Muldoon (13), Lamplighter (14), Kaiser/Resignation (15) and Skylark (16) to name a few.

Eduardo Slabofvic
30-Apr-2015
11:13:28 PM
Libretto 17 (or how ever its spelt) 1st pitch is a cracking good lead with fantastic gear. 2nd pitch is a bit funky getting off the ledge though.

Horn Piece is another great lead at 13. Stiff for absolute beginners, but if you've done a few routes, you should be OK.

The other suggestions are good too

shortman
1-May-2015
6:57:06 AM
With the right gear, Watchtower Crack is a well protected cruisy 16. Watchtower Chimney is a cracker at grade 12, especially the 1st pitch.

ajfclark
1-May-2015
6:57:11 AM
Thecrag gives it 15. I've seen it climbed both direct and up the right of the cave, stepping back left above the cave. The former is more difficult.

I top roped it yesterday afternoon and thought it's probably about right for a 13 up the right and stepping left but I remember on lead the gear was a little fiddly and less straightforward than some other routes around that grade. It's also quite balancy and delicate, which reminds me of the crux on Piccolo (11) (Great route if you haven't done it!). I'm also fairly tall (187cm or 6'2"ish) so the step back left above the cave isn't too bad for me. In fact, looking at my notes, my partner, who is a good deal shorter than me, found the step back left above the cave very difficult.
Wendy
1-May-2015
7:53:30 AM
I just read the description in the guide for the first time, and they are on drugs. I would have said reachy with spaced gear and not obvious where to climb. I would stick with the really easy routes at Bushranger's and do some quality 13s elsewhere.

There have been some enthusiastic suggestions so far about what to climb when you say you have done 1 16 so far ...

I would suggest consolidating skills, familiarising with the rock and building confidence on a few awesome easy things like Arachnus, Dribble, Eskimo Nell. I'm not a massive fan of Bard, I think these routes are much better.Then Hell for Leather is possibly the friendliest 13 at the Mt. Horn Piece is great, exiting to the left rather than up the final nose is easier and less terrifying. Muldoon is a little committing out of the cave, make sure about your gear before you go for it. It's good fun. 1st pitch of Libretto is great at 14, you can finish up d major. Tremulo is way more friendly than Toccata, which is hard slippery and old fashioned. I love it, but I would'tn suggest it as an early 15! Touchstone (i just rap to the ledge below the corner, first bit is not that great and easy to hit the ground on). Agent Orange is great. The first pitch of Kaiser sucks with a stupid dog leg out left and right to avoid the grade 18 direct. I'd just go up the original Resignation. Which is fantastic but very exciting and pumpy for it's grade.

Lamplighter is very good, but the second pitch is long, technical and exposed and not always obvious where to go if you are new to route finding. The 3rd pitch is entertaining thrutchiness that may be unfamiliar to you. A big cam makes it feel saner. Remember there is a wall behind you and you are not trying to do grade 20 slab moves out there.
johnpitcairn
1-May-2015
8:10:07 AM
I'd add a vote for Kestrel (13), though it is long at 50m and you need 2 ropes to rap off (or scramble up to Flinders Lane).
gfdonc
1-May-2015
9:18:01 AM
+1 for first pitch of Libretto, great climbing and well protected, but then finish up CS Concerto for a more sustained and exciting outing that's slightly easier than Libretto pitch 2.

+1 for Hell For Leather.
Dave_S
1-May-2015
11:23:10 AM
On 1/05/2015 Wendy wrote:
>Muldoon is a little committing out of the cave, make sure about your gear before you go for it.

There's gear to protect that move? :-D

I don't recall finding anything after the piton until I was around the corner...
jdb
1-May-2015
11:26:58 AM
On 1/05/2015 Dave_S wrote:
>On 1/05/2015 Wendy wrote:
>>Muldoon is a little committing out of the cave, make sure about your
>gear before you go for it.
>
>There's gear to protect that move? :-D
>
>I don't recall finding anything after the piton until I was around the
>corner...


I managed to winkle two peanuts near where the second piton used to be ie in the overlap just before 'the move'
kieranl
1-May-2015
11:43:20 AM
On 1/05/2015 Dave_S wrote:
>On 1/05/2015 Wendy wrote:
>>Muldoon is a little committing out of the cave, make sure about your
>gear before you go for it.
>
>There's gear to protect that move? :-D
>
>I don't recall finding anything after the piton until I was around the
>corner...
There is a good wire placement but it doesn't look very promising until the correct size wire slots in. And I do hope that you backed up that piton,,,
bentobox
1-May-2015
12:36:28 PM
Thanks heaps for all the feedback and suggestions!!

simey
2-May-2015
11:11:51 PM
On 30/04/2015 bentobox wrote:
>...is the Arapiles guide taking the piss when they've called it at 13?

>How do you think it compares with other climbs (Arapiles and out yonder)
>of a similar grade? Do you think Bard/Muldoon/Lamplighter are much easier/harder?

I really don't know why this climb has been singled out as being hard for the grade. I would say it was definitely easier than Orange Crush (graded 14) which is on the same wall and has a bouldery start and then a much pumpier continuation. And it is no where near as difficult as The Ghost of Melville (15) and Hangman (15), both on the Shady Side of Bushrangers Bluff.

As for comparing it to Bard, Muldoon and Lamplighter... well I consider all of those to be more demanding leads than Trooper Two.

Trooper Two is in a friendly location, on good rock, with good wires. It needs to have something slightly challenging about it for it to get the grade of 13. This is the first time I have heard that the grade is out of whack and to be totally honest I'm not convinced that it should be changed.

bentobox
3-May-2015
7:02:40 AM
I'm not saying anything needs to be changed.

As I said, I know everything's subjective but it just threw me off that this is the first climb I've ever really been challenged by and for a short route at a low grade, I thought I may have been missing something.
rolsen1
3-May-2015
2:24:20 PM
On 3/05/2015 bentobox wrote:
>I'm not saying anything needs to be changed.
>
>As I said, I know everything's subjective but it just threw me off that
>this is the first climb I've ever really been challenged by and for a short
>route at a low grade, I thought I may have been missing something.

I tried and failed to get a newish leader to lead this, it was well within her ability but she wouldn't commit to it. I think the small size and the lack of depth of the gear is possibly the issue, that said the gear is plentiful and bomber. For what it is worth, I think the grade of 13 is about right.
gfdonc
3-May-2015
9:42:02 PM
Just to put it in perspective, I recall belaying my 50+ yo friend who's a grandmother up it. Onsight. And that was before her hip replacement. No, I'm not making this up.

HTFU?
Wendy
4-May-2015
7:32:27 AM
On 3/05/2015 gfdonc wrote:
>Just to put it in perspective, I recall belaying my 50+ yo friend who's
>a grandmother up it. Onsight. And that was before her hip replacement.
> No, I'm not making this up.
>
>HTFU?
>

Just to put that in perspective - I have belayed 50+ year old women up 23s. Onsight.
MichaelOR
4-May-2015
9:44:45 AM
50 is the new 30?

joycepg
4-May-2015
5:13:10 PM
On 4/05/2015 MichaelOR wrote:
>50 is the new 30?
Having just turned 50 myself, I can completely confirm this :-)

 Page 1 of 2. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 22
There are 22 messages in this topic.

 

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