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7-Feb-2005 4:52:45 PM
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Will Monks and myself are compiling a definitive Taipan Wall super photo topo. This is the current list
of routes that we know of on Taipan Wall. Does anyone know of any extras?
1) Mission Over Tokyo * [18, 55 m ]
2) Atomic Tadpole * [20, 55 m ]
3) Tokyo Rose * [18, 50 m ]
4) Tokyo Connection [18, 45 m ]
5) Ukrainian Geranium ** [20, 45 m ]
5B) Posie [23, 23m]
6) Sordid Orchids * [26 M1, 55 m ]
7) Sordid Orchids Direct * [26, 28 m ]
8) Black Adder * [29, 40 m ]
9) Dinosaurs Don't Dyno ** [26, 35 m ]
10) Clean Sweep ** [24 M1, 40 m ]
11) Dance of Life Dinosaurs Don... * [23 M1, 40 m ]
12) Dance of Life ** [24 M1, 35 m ]
13) The Mint * [21, 42 m ]
14) The Great Divide *** [27, 50 m ]
14B) Divided Years * [25, 16m]
15) The Chick is Trouble [26, 15 m ]
16) Daedelus ** [28, 65 m ]
17) The Seventh Banana *** [23, 27, 60 m ]
18) Sirocco *** [22, 26, 52 m ]
19) Father Oblivion ** [26, 52 m ]
20) Cardigan Street ** [31,28 55 m ]
21) Mirage ** [27, 35 m ] - also has a pitch 2 project (32?)
22) Medusa * [25, 45m ]
23) The Seventh Pillar Left Hand Variant *** [22, 25 m ]
24) The Seventh Pillar Free Variant *** [28, 8m ]
25) Seventh Pillar Direct Finish 14m mid-high 20s?
26) The Seventh Pillar *** [18M1, 118 m ]
27) The Seventh Pillar Right Hand Variant ** [21, 14 m ]
28) Malcolms dream Project 1 - 3-4FHs leading to L-facing flake (impossible)
29) Dave Jones Project 2 - 1FH leading to R-facing flake
30) Feather Boa *** 28 60m
30a) unknown FH on lip of roof to the R of feather boa??)
31) Lawrence of Arabia ** [21, 100 m ]
32) Scud Buster * [24, 75 m ]
33) The 'tell him he's dreaming' project below lawrence of arabia? by Nick White
34) Rage *** [30, 15m ]
35) Serpentine *** [29, 75 m ]
36) Sidewinder *** [27, 30 m ]
37) Naja ** 30 60m
38) Project 3 - bolts up black streaks/grooves R of Naja
39) Groovy ** [28, 30 m ]
39A) Groovy Extension - Cossey Bros?
40) Snake Flake * [26, 25 m ]
41) The Invisible Fist (of Prof... ** [26, 26 m ]
42) World Party *** [21, 27, 24 64 m ]
43) World Party Anaconda Pitch 1 Link-up [16, 25m]
44) Constrictor [21, 18 m
45) Anaconda *** [22, 28, 60 m ]
46) Mr. Joshua *** [25, 26 50 m ]
47) Project 4 - ringbolts up disconnected scoops R of Mr J.
48) Tourniquet * [30, 27 60m ]
49) Venom ** [28, 60 m ]
50) Kaa * [24, 80 m ]
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7-Feb-2005 7:47:51 PM
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Neil,
Combo route at grade 16. Start up World Party, right along ramp and up to 1st belay on Anaconda.
Cheers
James
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18-Feb-2005 3:53:18 PM
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(21) Julian Saunders has bolted a second pitch to Mirage which should be about 32
(27) Off the seventh pillar ledge are a couple of lines...the right hand one is the last pitch of
feather boa (28ish), the left one is the last pitch of the other route left of feather boa (29ish)
(28) Malcolm put the bolts in this....Riducouls Dyno to grade 23 water (I don't think this one is
possible)
(29) I put the bolts in this one...quite hard...Ive done it in about 4 sections.
(30) Feather Boa should have at least 3 stars
(48) Tourniquet has a second pitch (27) taking it to the top of the wall so should be 60m like
Venom
I'll look forward to seeing the completed topo.
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18-Feb-2005 4:10:40 PM
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Thanks Dave,
I will email you a WIP progress version so you acn check that the topo lines are correct. In the next week or so....
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18-Feb-2005 7:48:21 PM
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very good.
I wasnt sure if you wanted to know about the things that hadn't been done or just the ones that
had.
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21-Feb-2005 8:46:04 AM
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I woudl like to record the locations of every route and project. Confusing lines of bolts need to be marked 'confusing line of bolts leading no-where'.
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21-Feb-2005 10:02:55 AM
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Nice work fellas.
>20) Cardigan Street ** [31??, 55 m ]
yes, I believe that's what Garth graded the first pitch (unrepeated?). Second pitch 28 by Stuart.
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21-Feb-2005 1:15:48 PM
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Stuart thought the first pitch of cardigan street was 31 and thats what garth gave it when he did
it......And to my knowledge it hasnt been repeated. The first pitch is very bouldery (23 with 2 really
hard moves in the middle) and I always thought much better way to do the route would be to do
mirage and then a pitch of 25 or so to get you to the top pitch of cardigan street. Would make for
a much more consistent route that way.
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11-Nov-2005 8:55:06 AM
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Hey Neil,
How is the the topo going? Any chances of a look see.
Cheers
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11-Nov-2005 9:04:02 AM
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This topo is part of the 'grand plan' stapylton guide. Online in the near future.
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11-Nov-2005 11:17:28 AM
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I would say that Father Oblivion (26)** is as good a quality as Sirocco and some of the other routes you have given three stars... but I am obviously biased.
Kaa (24)* should definitely get 2 stars. It's great fun and being the easiest free route up Taipan makes it accessible for a lot of other climbers.
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11-Nov-2005 1:06:20 PM
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On 11/11/2005 simey wrote:
>I would say that Father Oblivion (26)** is as good a quality as Sirocco
>and some of the other routes you have given three stars... but I am obviously
>biased.
>
Father O is every bit as good as Sirocco and if they were on some other cliff they would get three
stars...but since they need to be distinguished from the really really good routes on the wall the should
probably only get 2 each.
The stars allocated here are all a bit wierd on this list
as far as Im concerned the best handful of routes on the wall which should all get 3 stars are
16) Daedelus [28, 65 m ]
20) Cardigan Street (for the top pitch 28) [31??, 55 m ]
30) Feather Boa [28 60m]
35) Serpentine [28, 75 m ]
42) World Party (for the 24 top pitch) [27, 64 m ]
For historical purposes these should probably make the 3 star list as well
26) The Seventh Pillar [18M1, 118 m ]
46) Mr. Joshua [26!, 50 m ]
...Followed by the 2 star routes
14) The Great Divide [27, 50 m ]
18) Sirocco [26, 52 m ]
19) Father Oblivion [26, 52 m ]
21) Mirage [27, 35 m ]
34) Rage [30, 15m ]
36) Sidewinder [27, 30 m ]
37) Naja 30 60m
39) Groovy [28, 30 m ]
41) The Invisible Fist (of Prof...[26, 26 m ]
45) Anaconda [28!, 60 m ]
48) Tourniquet [30, 12m ]
49) Venom [28, 60 m ]
50) Kaa [24, 80 m ]
...One star
6) Sordid Orchids [26 M1, 55 m ]
10) Clean Sweep [24 M1, 40 m ]
12) Dance of Life [24 M1, 35 m ]
17) The Seventh Banana [27, 60 m ]
40) Snake Flake [26, 25 m ]
Followed by the rest
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11-Nov-2005 1:17:58 PM
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Stars given above are from the original 1990's guidebooks. I'll take your stars suggestions onboard -
although I will have a preference for giving more stars than less. For example I think Dance of Life is a
totally superb route - at least 2 stars. Snake Flake would be three stars at any other Grampians crag...
ah the dilemma of having such a super crag in our own backyard....
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11-Nov-2005 1:33:49 PM
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>Snake Flake would be three stars
>at any other Grampians crag...
>ah the dilemma of having such a super crag in our own backyard....
>
>
May so but its one of the least good routes on the wall.
Rage and Sidewinder are both very good but they perhaps sholdnt get the same number of stars as
serpentine really
nice to be talking stars not grades
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11-Nov-2005 1:41:40 PM
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On 11/11/2005 simey wrote:
>Kaa (24)* should definitely get 2 stars. It's great fun and being the
>easiest free route up Taipan makes it accessible for a lot of other climbers.
I didn't really like this route. Wanders around very strangely on the 2nd pitch. I didn't get a chance to do
the two upper pitches though as my partner injured his neck whilst contorting through the first pitch.
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11-Nov-2005 4:06:38 PM
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On 11/11/2005 Dave J wrote:
>For historical purposes these should probably make the 3 star list as well
>26) The Seventh Pillar [18M1, 118 m ]
>46) Mr. Joshua [26!, 50 m ]
Gee, I would have thought Mr Joshua would get three stars for the climbing alone. I reckon it's pretty hard to fault. It doesn't have the stopper moves that are a feature of some of the other Taipan routes. It's direct, climbs the entire cliff and both pitches are quality. I've spoken to a couple of visiting climbers (Peter Croft, Ken Palmer) who have each onsighted the entire route and they both reckoned its one of the best routes they had done anywhere.
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11-Nov-2005 4:09:10 PM
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Don't worry Simey - it will certainly be getting *** in the guide.
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11-Nov-2005 4:38:01 PM
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On 11/11/2005 nmonteith wrote:
>>Snake Flake would be three stars
>>at any other Grampians crag...
On 11/11/2005 Dave J wrote:
>May so but its one of the least good routes on the wall.
Only at Taipan do you get one star routes that look like this... [pic of Ben Cossey on Snake Flake]
http://www.chockstone.org/Grampians/TaipanWall/Members/NeilM/SnakeFlake1l.jpg
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18-Nov-2005 4:52:05 PM
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Hi guys,
Just to weigh in with 2cent's - awesome idea to produce a definitive topo to the wall Neil - it would make an unreal wall poster a la the Yosemite Super topo. Pretty much agree with all the commments above, including Father O worth 3 stars (can't believe I'm saying that on a public forum). Only addition I'd make is that there is no way Feather Boa is 28 - it took me four full days complete with a last move bungle and having to come back for another redpoint. Its at least a full grade harder and quite commiting, but the grade is difficult to define as the cruxes are by no means straight forward. Regardless it's the best route I've done on the wall and one I'll remember forever. The last pitch is really cute too.
By way of comparison, around that time I did a bunch of other routes supposedly as hard or harder on the wall 2/3rd try - so to give FB 28 you'd have to give venom 25/26, and groovy, Cardigan St & anaconda - 26 too. Whilst on the topic of Anaconda it's worth mentioning that doing all three pitches in a single pitch on a 70m is highly recommended. In fact it's possible to do World party as a single pitch as well - great fun.
Mr J also deserves 3 stars at least - has to be the best 25 in Australia.
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19-Nov-2005 8:04:57 PM
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This thread should be renamed "Jonesing for Tiapan"
On 18/11/2005 Jonesy wrote:
>definitive topo to the wall Neil - it would make an unreal wall poster a la the Yosemite Super topo.
Yes yes....I'd buy one
>Father O worth 3 stars (can't believe I'm saying that on a public forum).
I cant believe you said that either...we'll never hear the end of it. You could give all the routes on the wall 3
stars really...but what would be the point...you could just write at the start "all the routes here have three
stars BUT the realy good ones are...." the problem with a lot of the routes on tiapan is they have either a
stopper hard move (as simey mentioned) or a big edge in the middle of them (like father O, sirrocco and
seventh bannana to name a few). I think its the continuity that makes things like the top pitch of cardigan
street stand out from the others.
>The last pitch is really cute too.
Very good...I didnt know anyone else had done the top pitch. There another cute top pitch just to the left
which has yet to have the first pitch added....maybe you should look into this when you're down next (a
great 40 meter pitch 30ish that sneaks off left at the top if your armspan is a bit more than mine or an
amazing 33/34 if you go straight up and are good at monos). Either way its one of the proper 3 star set
and it could all be yours.
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