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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 2. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 29
Author
TR Big Bird, The Gib, Mittagong
mikllaw
12-Nov-2012
12:20:53 PM
Every time I drive past Mittasgong I remember the The Gib, it looks like a granite pudding with a steep right-angled corner cut out of it, but it is some trachyte-like rock. It was popular in the 70s but the 25 second approach has put people off. There are 11 good sports pitches there, and my poxy 2 projects (I got stopped dead on one so bolted an easier project next to it which I am also stopped dead on).

Phil Ward donated some Ubolts so (to make some belayer bait) I bolted a 3 pitch slab and steep thing ending on a strange beak and did the FA with Gareth last week. I came back for another pathetic, pawing, fumble on the easy project yesterday and then climbed Big Bird to exit.

P1 (17) is an arete with a sloping finish.

My Italian workmate mastering the mystery of the mantel on P1.

P2 (20) is a punchy layback up an overhung corner, then an easy ramble to a bulge with a thin move through it. This shot shows the 1st belay and the steepness (RH corner and bulge on arete) above.


P3 (18) is a weird set of moves up a hanging beak- as there is already a climb called "Masterbating on the Spear of Destiny" I decided to call the route Big Bird.

Patrick wrestling with the beak.

More info on:-
http://routes.sydneyrockies.org.au/confluence/display/nswrock/Mt+Gibraltar

Big G
12-Nov-2012
1:34:30 PM
On 12/11/2012 mikllaw wrote:

>
>P2 (20) is a punchy layback up an overhung corner, then an easy ramble
>to a bulge with a thin move through it. This shot shows the 1st belay and
>the steepness (RH corner and bulge on arete) above.

Punchy! make sure you leave something in the tank for this pitch! Laying back off frictionless rock is hard work. Then gaining the arete/slab is fairly daunting!

The beak section is awesome!

The slabs on the main wall are great fun too.
mikllaw
12-Nov-2012
2:09:06 PM
On 12/11/2012 Big G wrote:
>Punchy! make sure you leave something in the tank for this pitch! Laying
>back off frictionless rock is hard work.

punchy, it makes you feel paunchy

benjenga
12-Nov-2012
3:45:40 PM
Looks like a great feature, may have to swing by there one day soon.
technogeekery
12-Nov-2012
10:07:53 PM
Cool looking climb.

jkahd
15-Nov-2012
10:11:35 AM
nice one! added to the [growing] list of multis to check out! ta.

nelson castro
20-Nov-2012
4:44:33 PM
Looks like this would be a very challenging one to climb. :)

wallwombat
20-Nov-2012
5:09:59 PM
Thanks Nelson.

See ya on the rocks, "adventurous activity" bloke.

xxx

Winston Hitler
PThomson
30-Dec-2012
4:33:32 PM
G'day Mikl,

Marek and I climbed this one today. Got a late start because of the rain (went to Mount Alex until midday, when things dried out enough to hit up The Gib). From start to finish it probably took about 1.5 hours, though we certainly weren't climbing fast.

So, here's my review:

P1 - Short, Easy slab, made easier if you can jam =P. Pleasant ramble, probably a good introduction to easy friction slabbing (my introduction was on the Beulah bolted routes... Not a gentle introduction). Warning: the crack is guarded by a moderate sized-lizard who seemed to want me to friction slab my way around the crack, rather than working my way up it. (I'm told he hates trad climbers).

P2 - Easy laybacking (again, made easier if you can jam), into an awkward slabby crack which proved to be quite entertaining. I couldn't remember the route description, so I was kind of surprised at the relative difficulty of the final move past the bulge. Crazy granite friction-slab maneuvres, which seemed nails hard until I came up with a simple technique to mantle past it (Marek found my mantling trick made it very doable, as well). Probably my only concern here is that if any more footers go, this move really WILL be nails. All in all, a worthwhile pitch, and the Belay is in a funky position on the slab.

P3 - Weird moves to get into the crack under "the beak". Marek decided that heel-toe camming and much desparation was the way to go (points for hilarity to be awarded, and for sticking with it to get the pitch clean). I went for fist-stacking to get my feet on the crack, then easily over the beak and cruise to the top. Funky and weird. Probably not as good as I was expecting, but maybe the whole "masturbating on the spear of destiny comment" had me a bit too excited.

Overall: good value, Unique, and it was a pleasant way of exiting the crag. Maybe 1.5-2 stars on a 3-star system. Thanks for the new route, Mikl.

I was really psyched to try Sluj Gulpa and P1 of of Slow Twitch, but we were both kind of munted from Weaselburger yesterday, so we'll hopefully hit up those other climbs (and the 20 and 22 bolted slabs) next weekend. Question: how feasible would it be to run Sluj Gulpa together into a 60m superpitch? It doesn't look too wandery...

mikllaw
30-Dec-2012
11:15:42 PM
cool, a repeat!
The climbing isn't mega, but it definately ain't the Blueys.
Sluj Gulpa is double as a single pitch, but the drag would be a drag

vwills
31-Dec-2012
7:30:54 AM
Whats the shade options down at the Gib? I had always thought it a winter crag but looks like thats not correct.
mikllaw
31-Dec-2012
8:34:45 AM
It faces north to north west so avoid hot afternoons, winter is good but Mittagong is a bit damp and misty in winter.
Another roadside attraction for any trips down the Hume
PThomson
6-Jan-2013
7:57:45 PM
Hey Ness,

Back out at The Gib again today with Marek and Nathan. We got baked about at about 12:30. By that time most of my party were keen to head out (we'd gotten in decent mileage thanks to an early start), but I refused to leave without getting on Sluj Gulpa.

Mikl - How does Sluj Gulpa not get raved about more often?

I decided to try and do it as a giant pitch, but at the end of P2 (onsight to this point) I was tired of the drag and brought up my second. I definately don't recommend doing it that way, as the amount of slack in the system meant that if I'd fallen I would've hit the belay ledge at the end of P1 for about the first 3 draws of P2.

I fought with everything I had in the 35 degree heat and blazing sun on P3, and finally fell off next to the final bolt (1m from the finishing jugs) without being able to clip it. Took a nice whipper. Pulled back on and got it clean to the top. What an amazing pitch, it's such brilliant climbing that it DESERVES everything you have to give, and you fight just that little bit harder.

The entire climb is great, technical, varied, and -if I'm honest- visionary, considering the amount of NOTHING on either side of the entire line.

Since I'm working hard at usurping you're thread. Here's a photo of Marek and me on P1/P2 linkup of Sluj Gulpa (23).

mikllaw
7-Jan-2013
8:03:16 AM
good effort in the heat, the black rock is like an oven! It's a pretty cool and varied line, yours is probably the 3rd adcent since it was retrobolted. Too funky for most Sydneysiders

You look like you're belaying in the middle of P2, the belay is higher with a Ubolt and hangers.

sbm
22-Jul-2013
7:53:59 PM
We went down and did this on saturday.

While the forecast for the southern highlands was 45km/h winds and ten degrees, at least was below the snow line, so the Gib sounded like a fun day out, with Mt Alex as a backup in case it rained.

I somehow managed to wake up at 8:30, despite having a few too many drinks at a small social gathering the night before. I managed to pack eight whole quickdraws in the rope bag, before I curled up in the foetal position on the bed and groaned softly for a bit. Damon came around and picked me up. and soon a Maccas's breakfast provided the necessary grease and trans fat to fight back the nausea and make me feel human again.

We arrived at the Mt Jellore lookout at the crack of noon. It was windy and cold, but it got better the moment we rapped off of the edge, and the base was wonderfully warm and sheltered.

Dodging broken glass and trash, we arrived at the base of the route. Bulti dispatched the first pitch up the little trench and slab, and brought me and Damon up on the double ropes. The belay ledge appeared to hacked out of of some tropical bambo-tree thing growing on the cliff.

Despite knowing better, I accepted the lead, and wobbled up the steep layback corner with some stemming and desperate jamming. On top of the block, I checked out the crux bulge, and had a token attempt or two before downclimbing. At this point it felt like a pigeon had died in my mouth, so I gave up and hauled on the draw and mantled, limbs powered by dehydration, to the belay on the hanging slab.

The wind made communication difficult, so I just hauled on the ropes until the seconds started moving. Aid shenanigans were required by all to get past the crux.

At this point were were faced with the big bird's beak itself. Bulti led the last pitch, and we all enjoyed the excellent position as we scrambled up and over the beak to the top.





This pitch does need more brushing.





Not really a classic, but three stars for weirdness and a welcome change from sandstone, whatever the hell rock it's made of. Closer than the Blueys if you live near the M5. I will get on Sluj Gulpa for sure next time, it looks amazing.
PThomson
23-Jul-2013
7:58:59 AM
Trachyte... Kinda feels like granite but creates weirder formations, and has a tendency to be more chossy. It's also quite rare in Australia.
mikllaw
23-Jul-2013
10:42:36 AM
the 3 slabs in the corner are worth doing too (slow twitch 21, The Antyclimb 21, The italian route 20)
http://routes.sydneyrockies.org.au/confluence/display/nswrock/Mt+Gibraltar
The route right of Big Bird is easier and fun (comyns 20) but the first pitch is easy trad.

I was about 2m left of where the climber is on your shots on the beak, found it much harder when I repeated it recently

IdratherbeclimbingM9
23-Jul-2013
11:14:53 AM
On 23/07/2013 mikllaw wrote:
>I was about 2m left of where the climber is on your shots on the beak, found it much harder when I repeated it recently

Interesting photo angles.
Which one is closer to ‘real’?
~> As it looks to invite a route straight up the aręte to undercling the beak??






PThomson
23-Jul-2013
11:28:26 AM
Hey Mikl,

The grades you listed for those climbs are different to the published ones, but I actually find these grades you gave more accurate.

I found the Anty Climb (21) and Slow Twitch (21) really good, but the Italian Route (20) is on really bad rock, and keeps getting harder with every repeat ascent.

Comyns (20) 2nd pitch is harder than the Big Bird second Pitch at the same grade, even for a friction slab.

Sluj Gulpa (22, 22, 23) is a must-do Superclassic! I've taken some monster falls off that last pitch!

-Paul
mikllaw
23-Jul-2013
12:41:52 PM
The angle is in between the 2 photos, definately possible to free the old aid roof then go up nose to beak

 Page 1 of 2. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 29
There are 29 messages in this topic.

 

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