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Chockstone Photography
Australian Landscape Photography by Michael Boniwell
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Chockstone Forum - Trip Reports

Tells Us About Your Latest Trip!

 Page 1 of 4. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 40 | 41 to 60 | 61 to 78
Author
Werribee Gorge Nobs

neb
30-Jul-2006
11:13:15 PM
Hi all,

Just thought I would vent my anger at RMIT uni today who were at Werribee Gorge,

1. One of their top rope set-ups was dangerous, using bolts in the wrong direction, (hey fine we all get lazy).

2. When I got to the bottom they had almost taken up half the crag with about 8-9 ropes set up, and maybe 10 participants climbing (when they weren’t making stupid noises, and singing songs out of key)

All of the above I don't really care about because they were there first, but the naive shits had the audacity to take a jack russel into a state park!!, which has been one for over 100 years.

I feel better I got that out now (Thank god for the internet)


DaCrux
30-Jul-2006
11:48:22 PM
Good thing there's no mountain lions in Werribee Gorge
RIP Biscuit
darkxst
31-Jul-2006
7:45:48 AM
8-9 ropes? perhaps you need to learn how to count. we had a grand total of 4 ropes setup.

i dont believe the top rope setup in question was dangerous. the force on the ring bolt was in an upward direction but was not torquing the ring bolt in anyway (and there was no outward force on the bolt either) perhaps one of the bolting gurus can comment on this ? also i believe the bolt was backed up by a large hex.


Paradise
31-Jul-2006
10:36:29 AM
Hey Neb,
Thanks for voicing your concerns. As a member of the club but not on the trip I'll bring this up for discussion at our committee meeting tonight. The dog was a definite no no. Unfortunately it's difficult not to piss people off when you rock up to a crag with a big group, but I will bring up for discussion how we can minimise this. I can’t comment on the top rope set up having not seen it but I can reassure you that our climbing leaders have extensive (external/professional) training and experience. Hope you had some fun anywayz, the sunshine must have been nice. Please, if anyone ever has an issue with what we’re doing come and talk to us-we’re just out there to have fun and don’t want to infringe on anyone else’s enjoyment.
Trish Paradise
RMIT OUTDOORS CLUB
VICE PRESIDENT

BigMike
31-Jul-2006
10:48:20 AM

For verily it is written, that a fleeing soldier counts every foe twice, and a pissed-off climber counts every toprope twice also...

Topropes DO count as two! One going up ... the other half coming back down again. Easy mistake to make.

"They Trished Paradise, and put up a parking lot ..."

I'm just riffin', folks, I warn't there....

But on to more important things ... RIP Biscuit!? Say it isn't so!

Mike
31-Jul-2006
11:12:58 AM
Co-incidentally KP & I were at Weeribee Sunday too and also suprised to see a large group there mid-winter. Though inappropriate in a park, the small dog seemed well behaved however, and the top ropers stood aside and waited patiently while we lead 2 routes they wanted to work, despite them being ahead of us in the queue for the later of these. They also offered to remove their ropes if we wanted to do anything else they were on.

They seemed polite to me, at least in the morning, didn't see much of them in the arvo. I was spanked after 3 climbs and spent the afternoon relaxing in the sun while kent styled a face route just right of the unmentionable 17 crack on the rightside of the crag.
dalai
31-Jul-2006
11:36:37 AM
Great to hear you have finally tied into a rope again Mike!

Kent repeated Thomas the Crank Engine or Fuel The Fire?

To go to Werribee and not expect an onslaught of topropers and abseilers galore is somewhat naive...

Mike
31-Jul-2006
12:07:38 PM
On 31/07/2006 dalai wrote:
>Great to hear you have finally tied into a rope again Mike!

Yeah, second time climbing for the year! Lead Big Ears, 2nded Snatch, then whimpered up a lead of some 17 as far to the right of the crag as you can go. More choss than anything, though Kent called the raining ruble "Werribee Gold".

>Kent repeated Thomas the Crank Engine or Fuel The Fire?

I could be wrong, but maybe Nero on the Rampage (24)? Right of the nightmare wide crack (17/18?) that I'm still trying to block from my memory . Just before the boardwalk ends.
dalai
31-Jul-2006
1:20:44 PM
On 31/07/2006 Mike wrote:
>On 31/07/2006 dalai wrote:

>>Kent repeated Thomas the Crank Engine or Fuel The Fire?
>
>I could be wrong, but maybe Nero on the Rampage (24)? Right of the nightmare
>wide crack (17/18?) that I'm still trying to block from my memory . Just
>before the boardwalk ends.

Ah Golgotha. When you said

On 31/07/2006 Mike wrote:
> while kent styled a face route just right of the unmentionable
>17 crack on the rightside of the crag.

I thought you meant Veni Vidi Vici...


neb
31-Jul-2006
10:57:36 PM
Thanks for your reply Trish,

Like I said the other issues don't really bother me as you guys were there first, and the bolt was used in an unsafe direction in my opinion, but I don't have to climb on it.

I may be wrong about how many ropes were set up and if I am then I apologise, it was 11:00 when I wrote the post.

But when you rock up to the cliff confronted with a group of people wearing RMIT Outdoor club T's the last thing I would expect to see is that they thought it would be nice to bring a dog in to a park!? I would expect that an outdoors club would respect the park a bit more…..

I don’t think it’s negligible by me to tell you guys that one anchor out of three is unsafe, when you clearly have instructors there.

Did you really have no choice Billy?? Its not a baby it can be left at home can’t it??
Dy
1-Aug-2006
1:07:24 AM
I was there that day too, and it wasn't that dog in the picture, it was way bigger. I had a sandwich for lunch and it actually bit me on the leg when i didn't give it any.

Billy what's your problem?!?!?!? It just ruined my day and all I wanted to do was solo and have fun.

And Trish - where do you get off?!?!?! Last time I remember, the only thing ROC cared about was drinking beer and having spa parties!

Which is why i need to renew my subscription....man I gotta get out of Aceh
rnm
1-Aug-2006
1:54:39 AM
I think it's great that there were all those people getting introduced to climbing.

Bit of a shame they have to get shat on by arrogant jerks like Neb and Dy, but I guess there are fools like that in any sport.

Taking the dog wasn't on (I'm not a dog fan), and it would be a shame if climbers taking dogs into the area jeopardised climbers access.

I've been out to Werribee and it's not exactly a pristine 100 year old state park. I was actually able to spot where other people had been BY THE BLOODY GREAT WALKWAY, and the BOLTS, and the CHALK and the LITTER....

... gee whiz, having that dog out there, and all those other people, must have really ruined the Dy and Nebs spiritual back to nature experience!

Perhaps he/she and every other arrogant climber should post public notices before they go on a climbing trip, so that everyone can ensure they avoid the area, thus ensuring the almighty ones have their crags to themselves, as seems to be their right.

I would like to congratulate the organisers of the trip on introducing so many people to the sport.

Shame on the arrogant and presumptuous fools who expect a venue such as Werribee to be free from such groups. I’ve climbed around the world for over 10 years, and I can reasonably say that if you want a peaceful time free from instruction groups, DON’T go to places like Werribee! Pretty simple at the end of the day!

And I’m not sure why Neb had to get on here, and whine and name, and try to shame, when it appears he/she didn’t voice their opinion at the time.
dalai
1-Aug-2006
8:44:30 AM
On 1/08/2006 rnm wrote:
>Taking the dog wasn't on (I'm not a dog fan), and it would be a shame
>if climbers taking dogs into the area jeopardised climbers access.

Groups at Werribee is nothing new and to be expected as the norm. I'm surprised there weren't more groups quite frankly.

But as a State Park it is clearly defined that "Dogs, cats and firearms are not permitted in the park."

The dog just shouldn't have been there period! Climbers as a general rule don't have the best of relationships with the authorities. Taking a dog into the park (by one of the groups organisers who would know surely know this) will do nothing for this relationship. As was said, it's a dog, it can stay at home!

On 31/07/2006 scratch wrote:
> I am however very concerned that you saw an anchor you thought was unsafe, and neglected to tell anyone!

I worked in the industry for quite a few years, and would even when training at other gyms still be watching out for others belay errors etc and point them out to the staff to correct (unless it was dangerous right then and would jump in myself)

Outdoors I would also comment if I felt people were unsafe, but would continually get the "I know what I am doing, get *******". So after a while of that, I stopped commenting and just packed my kit and walked away.

Now I don't bother roped climbing so don't have to be concerned with dealing with such confrontations anymore thankfully... I just go to my secret bouldering areas which i have all to myself!
kp
1-Aug-2006
10:43:29 AM
I had a good time at rubbly gorge. Loose rock, crumby gear and groups are par for the couse out there. Was a nice day to be out in the sunshine though.

Ben..you really should have voiced your opinion there and then. As mike has suggested earlier... I asked if i could butt in for a quick lead of one of the routes they were in the process of setting up, and the guys seemed aok with it.

scratch
1-Aug-2006
10:54:32 AM
Look.. I've already apologised about the dog.. I am aware on people's concerns.. Don't want to get into details Neb, but I had to pick up the dog in Mt Beauty the day before, and drove to Werribee that morning, so really had little chance to drop her at home in Melbourne. Anyway, it was wrong, I'm sorry. oh, and in case no one picked up that the other guy was joking, the dog was not bigger and didn't bite their leg :P
gfdonc
1-Aug-2006
11:04:54 AM
Dogging aside, isn't the 'real' gripe here the occupying of routes with topropes for extended periods?
i.e. should people top-roping get on then get off - just as someone leading would expect to? Or is it really OK to leave ropes set up 'all day'?

ps Crowds? Had Werribee to ourselves last trip out there .. but that's what you get for picking a rainy Sunday in July ...

phil_nev
1-Aug-2006
11:28:06 AM
kill billy's dog!!!

Scratch
1-Aug-2006
12:05:09 PM
I think it's pretty easy for people with a top rope to move the rope if someone wants to lead a route.. That's what we try to do anyway! Not sure if anyone should have priority at a cliff, but a leader is likely to spend less time on the route than a bunch of top ropers, so it's a pretty easy call to make.. That's what I reckon.

Thanks Phil... I'll let sally know.. :-)

Bob Saki
1-Aug-2006
12:11:27 PM
On 1/08/2006 Scratch wrote:
>I Not
>sure if anyone should have priority at a cliff, >
>


Even I know the rule if the person wanting you're route is a better climber than you. Make haste and find an area he/she won't want to climb - road cuttings are a great place for this. These cliffs are put on the earth for real climbers i.e. people who warm up on Grade 22 or 23.

My advice leave the crag entirely, if yuo're game you may hang around the sub 15 routes and just hope our betters don't decide to releive themselves down those routes as they would never climb them!

Better yet burn your rack and take up something you can actually do competently like walk the dog!

Scratch
1-Aug-2006
12:26:27 PM
One out of three anchors unsafe is a great rule Neb.

We usually operate on the premise that if we bring back 9 out of 10 participants, it's a good day out... but I might have to include your safe/unsafe anchor ratio too!

 Page 1 of 4. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 40 | 41 to 60 | 61 to 78
There are 78 messages in this topic.

 

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