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Where to boulder around Melbourne

Bowman

5-Mar-2016
1:06:38 PM

So I feel like I've done my fair share of research, and I think it's time for someone to give up the goose - where is one supposed to go bouldering around Melbourne?! And I'm talking natural features here, I'm familiar with the gyms and I'm not particularly keen on climbing various pieces of architecture.
Now there's a bit of info on theCrag about the You Yangs, so that's on the list, and Chockstone has presented Mount Alexander and Beechworth as possibilities, but now I'm trying to find the areas that people are too busy bouldering at to talk about - do they exist, or am I just overly hopeful of the proliferation of bouldering in Victoria? Given that there's no guidebook for it (apart from Bouldering the Grampians, but for the sake of the discussion I'm classing 3hrs drive away to be not close to Melbourne) I may just be excessively naive and hopeful...I had all but given up hope myself until the nice sales lady at Mountain Designs started talking about how all the other employees were such strong advocates of bouldering Victoria!
So it's time to give an insight into your world boulderers - where's the good stuff? (even not good stuff really, I just want to climb!)

ajfclark

5-Mar-2016
1:14:45 PM

Seems like Camels Hump has been a hive of activity recently with 85 problems listed on thecrag: http://www.thecrag.com/climbing/australia/camels-hump

Bowman

5-Mar-2016
1:47:47 PM

Good call, nice to see the bouldering section of it being filled out! Will definitely have to check that out soon

dalai

5-Mar-2016
2:05:05 PM

On 5/03/2016 Bowman wrote:
>So I feel like I've done my fair share of research

If the following list is it, I suggest your googlefu is weak...

Plenty of bouldering in and around Melbourne, just go explore.

Bowman

5-Mar-2016
3:11:53 PM

Happy to admit my googlefu may be lacking, also happy to accept any pointers in the right direction on my exploration!

shortman

5-Mar-2016
10:37:44 PM

On 5/03/2016 Bowman wrote:
>Happy to admit my googlefu may be lacking, also happy to accept any pointers
>in the right direction on my exploration!

Dalai will give you nothing. He seems to enjoy the cloak and dagger stuff...like Melbourne bouldering has some sort of mystical plentiful vibe...buy a comfy car and drive to the Grampians every Friday.

EvDog

6-Mar-2016
9:19:14 AM

Mt. Beckworth, my friends and I have been developing stuff there for the last few seasons. At about 1 1/2 hours drive its by far the best day trip-able bouldering near Melbourne that I have done. It also benefits from a real guide: https://www.thecrag.com/climbing/australia/mount-beckworth

Been spreading the word for a while but its hard to sell granite bouldering to Victorians who are thinking of You Yangs, Cowbaw, Black Hill, and Lysterfeild trips, where holds tend to break and good lines are few and far between. If you boulder V3 and under there is perhaps a nice day trip in it for you, but if you climb around the V5 mark and harder Beckworth has a slew of great lines. Mind the weather, its very exposed up there and if its above low 20's your gonna bake and slip off the very fine grained and glassy rock. Take multiple pads and crew to spot you, many of the good lines are highballs. If your keen PM me once the weather comes good, I'll likely be there often.

dalai

6-Mar-2016
12:46:44 PM

On 5/03/2016 shortman wrote:
>Dalai will give you nothing.

Seriously if someone thinks all there is are some boulders in the You Yangs and a few documented problems at Camels then they really haven't tried!

Most of the local crags around Melbourne have reasonable bouldering, with the only real exception being Werribee Gorge.

You Yangs, plus Granite belt areas Black Hill, Cobaw, Mt Alexander have good granite bouldering - some in Maldon too. Lysterfield is fine too for somewhere close. Cathedrals for Sandstone blocks - although not another Font, I've spent many a day up there at the 3 developed areas. Camels for Trachyte - plenty more developed that isn't listed on Thecrag. Then there are the Basalt edges both natural and quarried around town offering another 200+ problems up to V7.

Cloak and dagger only as some is on private land, others on public but unlikely to be deemed a suitable recreational use and could easily get banned by someone not keeping a low profile. Once an area gets known there is always going to be a percentage of people doing the wrong thing and stuffing it up for the rest of us!

I made a good start on a guidebook with a number of areas written up, but given the above I shelved it.

There are 8 messages in this topic.