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Frog Buttress and Glasshouse |
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26-May-2009 3:40:54 PM
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Dave, me and possibly one or two other people will be going on a trip that will include a stay at Frog. Will probably be at Frog around the 4th till 7th-ish of July(though this is likely to change) and the glasshouse for a few days after that. Was wondering if any locals wanted to show us around, impart their local knowledge, sandbag us etc. Also any advice on how long to stay at frog/glasshouse (2 week trip in total and going to a number of climbing areas in between sydney and frog).
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26-May-2009 4:10:10 PM
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What grade and style are you climbing?
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26-May-2009 5:21:07 PM
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On 26/05/2009 Olbert wrote:
>Dave, me and possibly one or two other people will be going on a trip that
>will include a stay at Frog. Will probably be at Frog around the 4th till
>7th-ish of July(though this is likely to change) and the glasshouse for
>a few days after that. Was wondering if any locals wanted to show us around,
>impart their local knowledge etc.
Translation: We are coming up to Queensland. Who wants to sandbag us?
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26-May-2009 5:23:07 PM
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I promise i won't sandbag!
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26-May-2009 6:01:53 PM
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On 26/05/2009 nmonteith wrote:
>What grade and style are you climbing?
Well I am traditionally a sport climber but sportingly I trad climb. I can sport climb up to about 24-25 and my hardest trad lead is around 21. I can jam reasonably, though I have no idea how to jamb(im told its important in Queensland). Dave is about the same for sport and a few grades lower in trad. The third guy that might be coming wont be leading anything and probs wont get up anything harder then 16 or 17 though not really sure about his crack skills.
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26-May-2009 6:03:14 PM
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On 26/05/2009 nmonteith wrote:
>I promise i won't sandbag!
I take it you will be doing your utmost to sandbag us then?
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26-May-2009 6:45:45 PM
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ok, Frog Buttress is all about jamming (its 90% endurance cracks). The quality starts at about grade 18 - below that it's pretty average. Bring as many cams in the finger to fist size you can beg borrow and steal. It's not unusual to place 4 or more of the same size in a pitch. When i climb at frog i don't even bother taking up wires with me. You will certainly need to learn how to jam! Bring some tape to tape up your hands. There are a few classics that don't involve too many jams - Stars Look Down (20), Short Order (20), Down with his Pants (24) - err struggling! There is a few bolted aretes around the place but they are pretty old school and not terribly good IMHO.
If you enjoy sport climbign than Mt Tibrogargon in the Glasshouse Mtns is your ticket! Start out with a day at Slider Wall to get acquainted with the rock type (slippery blocky and slopy!). It's a very small wall in width but packed with quality - especially between gr 22 and 27. Next day go and clibm one of the bolted sport routes on Celestial Wall - and then spend the 2nd part of the day at Halfway House crag halfway up the mountain! Great routes and super atmosphere. Day three - climb one of the more adventurous easier multi pitch routes right of the Caves Route - Black Orpheous (8) is the easist but there are plenty of other scarier ones! The newer multipitch routes around Sunburnt Buttress are adventures due to being big (ie 200m) and a bit chossy. Mostly bolts though. Once you get to the top go and climb a fe wpitchs in the mega summit caves - home to lot of great very steep sport routes between gr 21 and 30. There is a few trad routes there as well - including the classic Trojan (13++++) that goes through some very steep territory. Forgot the other Glasshouse Mountains - they are pretty average. If you have a spare day go and get wickely pumped at Mt Coolum (about an hour from Glasshouse Mtns). The hip super popular sport crag about 5 minutes from Coolum beach. Lots to do and lots to climb! I suggest spending half your time at Frog and half at the Ghouse Mtns and Coolum.
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26-May-2009 8:17:38 PM
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On 26/05/2009 nmonteith wrote:
>ok, Frog Buttress is all about jamming (its 90% endurance cracks).~ You will certainly
>need to learn how to jam!
I think you misread my post. I can jam pretty good, its jamBing i have trouble with.
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26-May-2009 9:07:23 PM
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Don't listen to Neil, he's sandbagging you.
You should head straight for Crookneck and go nowhere else, except maybe Kangaroo Point for a bit of
absailing.
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26-May-2009 9:38:10 PM
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On 26/05/2009 Olbert wrote:
>I think you misread my post. I can jam pretty good, its jamBing i have
>trouble with.
ah opps. Plenty of stuff for you to do then! My picks on the 3 star crack routes...
Resurrection Corner (18) - sustained double fist crack corner. Will destroy your feet.
Child in Time (22) - very very sustained face crack finger hand thingie. Best of the grade at Frog.
Cannabis Crack (20) - not popular due to squeezy corner style. I thought it was a great physical challenge though!
Egotistical Pinapple (20) - short little steep crack. Popular because its not too involved!
Piranha (20) - very long and varied twin cracks face - awesome!
Insomnia (21) - shallow corner crack then surprise offwidth finish!
c--k Corner (21) - Stonker landmark hand crack corner (tape up!).
Infinity (19) - the original classic face hand crack of the cliff. Sustained!
Sorcerers Apprentice (19) - Just another varied crack which goes a long way
Thor (20) - One of my favourties - offset corner cracky thing which is steep
Decade (22) - Sort of face climbign but with shit pro. Memorable!
Short Order (20) - Grinning ear to ear after this. Shallow corner but you climb it like a face route.
Bitter and Twisted (22) - this and the next 3 routes are the ultra 3 star classic cracks right next to each other
Conquistador (21)
Devils Dihedral (20)
Deliverance (23)
You'll have a great time!
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27-May-2009 4:42:36 PM
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Infinity
Iron Mandible
Devils Wart
Plume
Gladiator
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27-May-2009 5:27:37 PM
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On 26/05/2009 nmonteith wrote:
>Infinity (19) - the original classic face hand crack of the cliff. Sustained!
Isn't that the the one you have to jamB diagonally on? If it is then that rules it out of the above criteria.
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27-May-2009 10:53:25 PM
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despite what Neil says its still worth taking a set of wires up most Frog climbs. c--k corner or c--k crack (I think? or the climb next to it) has a really thin RP face section right at the top.
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28-May-2009 8:23:32 AM
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On 27/05/2009 james wrote:
>despite what Neil says its still worth taking a set of wires up most Frog
>climbs. c--k corner or c--k crack (I think? or the climb next to it) has
>a really thin RP face section right at the top.
Yere, c--k Corner is the one that has that little hidden surprise corner finish at the top.
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28-May-2009 9:27:06 AM
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I thought that protecting the sane climber's start to Infinity also required small wires. Then again if you weren't sane you could just grovel up the proper, direct start...
Also, at the more moderate grades I had a traveller's rack and just put some thought into some safe cam shufflling. Particularly the top section of Infinity and also Iron Mandible.
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28-May-2009 4:15:57 PM
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When I climbed there I did use cams, but also placed plenty of wires and hexes.
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28-May-2009 4:24:25 PM
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When i first started climbing at Frog in the early 90s i placed heaps of hexes and wires, but now with more cams in my arsenal and climbign partners with even MORE cams i just combined them all to make a mega cam rack - and found i kept topping out on route after route without placing any wires. I think i was carrying triples and sometime quads of every sized cam including tinnie weenie ones. :-)
Obviously there are many climbs at Frog that can only be protected by small wires - but this is not the norm. The norm is great stonking cam sucking crack lines skyrocketing into the blue sky!
Pic of Jackie with our combined rack at Frog in '07!
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16-Jun-2009 10:23:05 AM
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Whats the camping like at Frog? Cost, facilities, access?
Super stoked to be hitting it up in 2 weeks !!!!!
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16-Jun-2009 10:36:38 AM
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$9.70 per night for 2 people
Very basic facilities (ie toilet, picnic tables and tap water)
Sites are not marked - you just pitch your tent on one of the little cleared patches of ground with wooden border around them.
Most importantly you need to BOOK IN ADVANCE online -
https://www.epa.qld.gov.au/parks/iaparks/gds/IAGDS020.do?parkId=9
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16-Jun-2009 10:38:42 AM
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Cheers.
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