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Mt Rosea, Grampians
 [ Overview | Climbs | Images | Map | Forum | Trip Reports ]
Crag Summary (PDF) Quick Stats
Climbs *** ** * Hardest Longest Rock Access
171 15 24 40 26 170m Sandstone 25 mins

Mt Rosea Cliff as viewed from the summit.Mt Rosea resides not far south of Halls Gap a fairly easy walk from the Rosea Camping Ground on Silverband road. (See: Approach Map). The cliff is tall, with some lines toping out over 150m, though the average line is more like 100m. The climbing is multi-pitch adventure style, with some awesome routes to inspire many a trad leader. You don't have to be a hardcore leader to head on up. There are plenty of intermediate three starred climbs such as "Mixed Climb" 120m which goes at grade 12, "Debutante" 117m grade 15, and "Herectic" 117m grade 17. A couple of routes that seem to attract a lot of climbers is "The Ascension" 117m grade 21, which shares the same impressive block and first pitch as "Fringe Dweller" 130m grade 21. When climbing on Rosea, take two ropes, a diverse trad rack and a big smile for that wild exposure!

Above Right: Main cliff at Mt Rosea as viewed from the summit. Below Left: Rosea Camping Ground.

Rosea Camping GroundThe Mt Rosea camp site is the best place to stay the night. While its not massive, I'm guessing it could accommodate about 20 tents without being totally cramped. No running water though, so bring your own. Camp fees do apply, though on my last visit the ticket dispenser was out of order. Large fireplaces exist, but you might want to bring some wood. It's a bit of a damp sort of place sometimes, with the shadowy trees hiding the sun.Turn Left Onto This Approach Track

To access the cliff, walk out of Rosea camp ground, on the clearly labelled Mt Rosea walking track and look for a left turn (pictured right) that comes up pretty quickly and is guarded by a fallen branch or two, like someone has tried to hide the track. Take this left! Do not continue up the new tourist track or you'll be in for a two hour hike to the summit. Assuming you took the aforementioned left, you'll zigzag up and very shortly see glimpses of the cliff through the trees. When you hit the cliff base, an ascending track called the giant staircase leads left, steeply up to the summit, while another track heads right along the base. 

Above Right: The vital left turn on the approach track, about 1km out of Rosea camping ground. Someone has etched the word "crag" into a fallen log at this turn off, but in all likelihood you won't see it.

Take the right along the cliff base and after only, say, 20 metres you'll be standing below the impressive and protruding Tourist Buttress staring up at the start of "The Ascension" 117m grade 21 (pictured below). The first pitch, shared by Fringe Dweller also grade 21, contains a distinctive layback or jam crack after which a wild chimney is encountered. Check out the video clip (2.7 Meg, 44 seconds) of a Natimuk local (who's name I didn't grab), as he fights the crack, then takes on the bold chimney moves with his back to the rock, facing out into space!
Natimuk local takes on Pitch One of The Ascension, grade 21.Natimuk local takes on Pitch One of The Ascension, grade 21.Natimuk local takes on Pitch One of The Ascension, grade 21.
Above: Natimuk local takes on the crux pitch one of The Ascension, grade 21 which shares the same layback or jam crack as Fringe Dweller on the massive protruding block. They went on to complete Fringe Dweller, 130m grade 21.

Kent leading the first pitch of HereticMichael leading the 2nd pitch of Heretic, grade 17.Ben topping out as second on the last pitch of Heretic
Above: Heretic 117m grade 17 starts 4m left of a large tree at the base (pictured above left). The route is quite an adventure and definitely recommended unless grade 17 happens to be your lead max. The first pitch goes at grade 15 and is easy enough except for a single crux overhang that threatens to tip you backwards for a couple of hard moves. The 2nd pitch (pictured above middle) is sustained grade 17 corner crack climbing. However with liberal use of stemming the feet lots of nice rest stances arise from which to place gear. The crux is the third pitch where-in a steep and pumpy corner crack/chimney is encountered. I'd say the moves here are actually harder than the grade. Quite a work out, especially with a day pack. The last two pitches are a romp. Graded at 17 and 16 respectively, they are actually a cruise compared the pitches below, with lots of bomber stances and huge jugs.

Ben seconding the first pitch of Debutante, 117m grade 15.Ben seconding the last pitch of Debutante, 117m grade 15.Mixed Climb, 120m grade 12.
Above: Ben seconding the first and last pitch of Debutante, 117m grade 15. Debutante is generally considered one of the best routes at Mt Rosea. A real adventure! Beware the first pitch (pictured above left). It contains an unexpectedly wild little traverse to a double bolt belay. Give yourself heaps of daylight hours if you're bringing up a large party. Above Right: Mixed Climb, 120m grade 12.

One thing to note about climbing on Mt Rosea is that its not hard to get off route. There are so many climbs, lines that cross over each other, combination routes, and variants that route finding needs to be on your skills list. It pays to photocopy the guide book topo and take it up with you. Also of note is that the whole crag is in shade during the afternoons - very welcome during summer. Many of the bigger routes could well take you the best part of the whole day if you have a party of three. Have fun and good luck!

Below: The dominate arête of Tourist Buttress as seen from the Debutante route. Climbs like "The Ascension" and "Fringe Dweller" head up this buttress.
Tourist Buttress


Climbs At Main Cliff, Mt Rosea:   Push For The Summit

Items in green made it into the Mentz and Tempest "Grampians Selected Climbs" guide, so might be more promising prospects.

Name Height Grade Stars
Melanoma 110 9 M4  
Melanoma Direct Start 77 12 M4  
Burning Daylight 140 20 2
Raw Prawn 110 12 1
Spelio Pinnacle 59 10  
Toreador 100 13  
Matador 100 13  
St Vitus Dance 87 17   
Big Chimney 100 9 1
Big Chimney Variant Finish 30 12  
Crock's Crawl 130 9  
Crock's Crawl Direct Start 28 14  
Crock's Crawl Variant 39 12  
Saturday Special 130 12  
Rameses 130 15  
Rise and Shine 130 20 M1  
The One Night Stand 110 23 1
The One Night Stand Variant 30 18  
Dinosaur Gully 100 15 2
Dinosaur Gully Variant Finish 30 15  
Bubbles-Dinosaur Gully Direct  90 17 2
Sloth 94 17 2
Sloth Direct Finish 28 16  
The Edge of Reality 100 23 2
The Last Act 100 22 3
The Last Act Variant 25 19   
The Last Act Direct Finish 25 19   
Curtain Call 140 21 1
Curtain Call Variant Start 22 18   
National Acrobat 120 22 1
Vosaxis 130 22 1
Drone Bee 60 15  
The Stinger 120 15  
The Stinger Variant 60 18  
The Stinger Direct Finish 22 14  
The Magellian Heart 100 18  
Vee Wee 96 16  
Bad Moon Rising 150 20  
Misspent Youth 150 17  
Silverband 170 10  
Bourgeois Blues 130 24 2
Royal Blues 120 14 M5 1
Twitter and Bisted 110 22  
Renate 90 18 1
Nightmare 90 22  
Ma Cherie 84 16   
Gillian 84 18  
Coronary Country 100 26 3
Coronary Country (P1 Only) 33 26 2
Cream 90 20 1
Abednego 87 16  
Abednego Direct 85 18  
Meshach 81 17 1
Big Boys Don't Cry 90 21 1
The Decameron 63 16  
Shadrach 75 15  
Shadrach Direct Start 33 16  
Margarita 23 18  
Bernie's Open Book 20 15
Easter Hangover 27 6  
Easter Wall 39 7  
Clutching at Straws 75 17   
Cammando Climb 74 8  
Cammando Climb Variant Finish 33 9  
The White Cockade 77 16 1
The White Cockade Variant 42 15  
Jiggery Pokery 120 17  
Bus Stop 110 17 2
Pall Bearer 130 18 1
Pall Bearer Direct Finish 25 16  
Call of the Wild 126 21 2
Call of the Wild Variant 23 21  
John Barleycorn 130 18 2
Shady Aid 120 17 1
Shady Aid Direct Start 40 16  
Martin Eden 112 19 3
Martin Eden Variant 20 17  
Shibboleth 130 18 1
Ralph the Snail Strikes Back 95 19 1
Mr Pye 40 18  
Titus 35 21 1
Fuschia 35 23 1
Sweet Maggots 120 16  
Flypaper Wall 130 11  
Flypaper Wall Variant 20 14  
Flypaper Wall Showpiece 33 12  
Flypaper Wall Variant Finish 33 15  
Abysmal Brute 120 19  

Name Height Grade Stars
Tourist Direct 150 11  
Tourist Direct Variant 63 8  
Tourist Direct Variant Finish 36 12  
Nyingtong 130 14  
Doc's Chimney 130 14  1
Crank Hard, Crank Fast 25 22 2
Cruising 82 22 1
Crank Hard, Crank Fast-Cruising 82 22 1
Tourist Buttress 116 23 2
Tourist Buttress Variant Start 51 16 1
Tourist Buttress Variant 1 21 15  
Tourist Buttress Variant 2 25 14  
Tourist Buttress Arete Finish 40 9  
Scarface 35 20 1
Scarface Direct 38 23 1
Tourist Buttress-Scarface 120 23 3
The Ascension-Scarface 100 21 3
The Ascension 117 21 3
Skywalker 160 23 2
Fringe-dweller 130 21 2
Fringe-dweller Direct 18 23 1
Fringe-dweller Variant 16 17  
Fringe-dweller - Skywalker 70 22 2
The Prescription   110 22 2
The Presciption Variant 1 110 16 M2  
The Presciption Variant 2 50 22  
RIP Comer 123 18 1
RIP Corner Variant Start 44 20  
RIP Corner Variant 36 16  
Dry Reach 40 21  
Requiem 120 17 2
Requiem Direct Finish 55 17  
Requiem-The Last Rites 130 19 3
The Last Rites 124 19 3
The Loved One 130 23 1
Square Route 40 16 1
The Toff 120 19  
Debutante 117 15 3
Debutante Direct Finish 36 16  
Debutante Direct Start 22 19 1
It'll End in Tears 80 24 2
The Toff Direct 120 22 3
It'll End in Tears-The Toff Direct 120 24 1
Debutante Direct Start 24 20 2
(Unnamed) 15 26 2
Angry Young Men 60 26 1
The Jesus Factor 60 23 2
Speculation 135 15 1
Speculation Direct Start 24 15  
Speculation Variant Start 26 17  
Speculation Variant 75 15  
Dust to Dust 110 16
Heretic 117 17 3
Ashes to Ashes 110 22 2
Diane 120 18 3
Diane Direct Start 33 18 1
Diane Direct Finish 23 17  
Diane Direct-Heretic 120 17 3
Hard Times 146 19 2
Hard Times Variant 1 50 20 1
Hard Times Variant 2 22 19 2
Mixed Climb 120 12 3
Mixed Climb Variant 30 14  
Jismhead 42 18  
Work Fodder 33 19  
The Seventh Seal 140 16 3
Knick Knack 33 19 1
Warszawa 110 20 1
Holocaust 110 20  
Solitude 120 21  
Fear and Loathing 110 21 1
Desperado 130 21 1
Mug's Alley 110 13  
Tequila Sunrise 130 16  
The Goon Show 120 11  
Colonoscopy 15 14  
Prince of Darkness 20 20   
Natural Selection 13 22  
The Seventh Lamb 55 16  
St Valentine's Day Massacre 30 15  
Diane Super Direct 35 19  
Big Boys Don't Cry Alternate 15 18  
Memories of Provence 90 22  
A Bottle of Brut 140 19  

 

Further Reading:   Push For The Summit
Grampians Selected Climbs - Guide book authored by Simon Mentz and Glenn Tempest and available from local climbing shops or the VCC.
South Eastern Grampians - 1991 Guide book by Chris Baxter.
Mt Rosea - A few routes described on Will's Climbing site.

 


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