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Crag & Route Beta

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

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Open Grampians projects


nmonteith

4-Feb-2008
6:18:10 PM

There really is a surprisingly large list of 'easy' hard routes isn't there! We need to direct some of these traveling Euros to these climbs - rather than just their usual ticks of Serpentine, Monkey Puzzle and Eye of the Tiger. Surely someone who climbs grade 34 could dispatch most of these projects with relative ease?

Dave J

4-Feb-2008
6:32:23 PM

On 4/02/2008 nmonteith wrote:
>There really is a surprisingly large list of 'easy' hard routes isn't there!
>We need to direct some of these traveling Euros to these climbs - rather
>than just their usual ticks of Serpentine, Monkey Puzzle and Eye of the
>Tiger. Surely someone who climbs grade 34 could dispatch most of these
>projects with relative ease?

theres a handful of unclimbed routes at araps too.
the inquistion
the seanand gerry routes
intrepid gully
nathan just recently sorted out Nati dread making it an absolutely worthwhile line now

most good climbers who come through seem content to tick punks off for historical value and maybe
serpentine as a token gramps effort.


nmonteith

4-Feb-2008
7:02:50 PM

Maybe we need to publish a guide called "great un-climbed grampians routes" and have it in the window of the Nati Mountain Shop?

jgoding

4-Feb-2008
7:34:45 PM

Hi,

there is an un-climbed steep orange scoopy line at the "Lost Pavilion" which I have been trying to give away for ages! Here's a pic from the side. It is on the RH side of centre. Stand under it and I hope you will agree it should be worthwhile!

Good luck to whoever wants it.


nmonteith

4-Feb-2008
9:07:10 PM

I've lugged the drill up the hill and rapped that route at the Lost Pavilion. I thought the start looked super desperate - maybe impossible. Lots of super shallow divits that look ok from the ground when you look up into them - but non-existant when you are looking at them from above. It's a long walk for something that might not work. Top is a bit chossy as well.


Macciza

4-Feb-2008
9:30:16 PM

On 4/02/2008 nmonteith wrote:
> Surely someone who climbs grade 34 could dispatch most of these
>projects with relative ease?

Bugger the Euro's - I'll pass the list and request on to Garth and see if he has a few days free . . .

simey

4-Feb-2008
11:07:55 PM

On 4/02/2008 Macciza wrote:
>Bugger the Euro's - I'll pass the list and request on to Garth and see if he has a few days free . . .

Garth wouldn't be interested. This thread is all about open projects.

devlin66

4-Feb-2008
11:09:48 PM

popcorn please!

Nottobetaken

4-Feb-2008
11:10:07 PM

On 4/02/2008 simey wrote:

>Garth wouldn't be interested. This thread is all about open projects.

Ha! Classic!


macciza

9-Feb-2008
9:55:14 AM

On 4/02/2008 simey wrote:
>On 4/02/2008 Macciza wrote:
>>Bugger the Euro's - I'll pass the list and request on to Garth and see
>if he has a few days free . . .
>
>Garth wouldn't be interested. This thread is all about open projects.
>
That was then , Times change - I think he'd be keen for some hard onsight FA's (like Paxti's) . . .
And he probably needs to get in condition for some of the 9a projects - mostly open . . .I
It might put him in the top 10 on 8a - he's currently 17th . .


nmonteith

29-Feb-2008
4:48:45 PM

>On 29/02/2008 nmonteith wrote:
>pretty hard route (28?+) south of Crystal Palace right next to the road
>- too hard for me though. 1 minute walk in - 7 or 8 bolts from memory.
>Very blocky Rifle style climbing.

>Chalkischeap wrote
>talking my language Neil, how do I find it?
>Is it any good? (life's too short for 1 star routes)

It's at a crag called Quartz Edge (in old Vic Ranges guide). I can't remember the exact distance but maybe a km south of Crystal Palace on the right side of the road. Cliff is about 50m from the road. Big overhung blocky wall and cave. Rock is fine grained quartzite with a tendency to shatter and flake rather than crumble like northern Grampians. Route will be sustained - with some slopy non-frictional holds and edges. It's pretty steep. Maybe worth a star? 20m long.

It goes up the seam in the right-centre of this photo. All the rest of the rock is empty of routes.


phil_nev

29-Feb-2008
4:51:20 PM

Looks bloody good for a one star route.

chalkischeap

29-Feb-2008
5:16:25 PM

Looks good to me. I'll check it out next trip. Thanks Neil.


nmonteith

29-Feb-2008
5:21:37 PM

It's the sort of route where it looks juggy from the ground - but there is actually no upwards facing holds! Just underclings and sideclings.

kieranl

29-Feb-2008
5:27:08 PM

Coming from the south, it's 4.1 km along the Vic Range Rd from the Fortress turnoff. There's about half a km of gentle downhill just before the road crosses a creek and swing around right for the last climb up Mt Thackeray. Park a 100 metres or so before the creek and the crag is off to your left. Most of the cliff is below the treetops so it's quite cool even on a sunny day. The rock's a bit funky which is probably why Neil is saying 1 star. There are probably a couple of other hard possibilities on the wall but this one is the plum. Ferret and me had a cursory look at it many years ago before leaving for something more accessible (grade-wise).


nmonteith

29-Feb-2008
5:31:46 PM

BTW - That entire road has been recently re-graded!! We almost had a head-on with the moving grader last friday. Now its easy for softroader 4WDs - and possible even for 2WD if you don't care about a few dings of your sump.

kieranl

29-Feb-2008
5:33:33 PM

Head on collision with a grader on the Vic Range Road... That would be one of the most unlikely reasons to abort a climbing trip.

29-Feb-2008
6:25:58 PM

i rapped a line about 5m right of monty 's that looked 26ish. Was pretty good, but i was too weak at the time....

16-Mar-2009
10:16:03 AM

On 4/02/2008 dalai wrote:
>Direct finish to Billy Ray would be good if you could divert the water
>above it to stop grit washing on the holds.. (28?)

the naughtie boy KP took advantage of the dry spell and sent this one about 2 weeks ago - now called Messin' With the Kid, 27. the seepage is nothing a few metres of guttering couldn't fix...

oh and he also did Simon Ozolin's project on Spurt between Menstrual and Dial-a: Nights In Venice 26

dalai

16-Mar-2009
12:38:36 PM

On 16/03/2009 WM wrote:
>On 4/02/2008 dalai wrote:
>>Direct finish to Billy Ray would be good if you could divert the water
>>above it to stop grit washing on the holds.. (28?)
>
>the naughtie boy KP took advantage of the dry spell and sent this one
>about 2 weeks ago - now called Messin' With the Kid, 27. the seepage is
>nothing a few metres of guttering couldn't fix...
>
>oh and he also did Simon Ozolin's project on Spurt between Menstrual and
>Dial-a: Nights In Venice 26

Great news about both routes. Given the length of the dry spell, it was definitely the right time to finish the VD project off. It will be interesting concensus of the grade once repeated, as one section was mighty thin... As for the guttering, I like your thinking!

I'd be interested in KPs view on both routes, especially the finish of Nights in Venice. I recall it looking particularly bouldery.

There are 48 messages in this topic.