Yes it was a bit of a joke. We don't claim the Gorge to be one of Australia's premier climbing venues - that's the touristy spin that the journalist and the council put on it. However in defense of Cataract Gorge/South Esk, I will say that it is a major venue in terms of volume of climbs (aboout 900), and it is the most convenient crag close to an urban centre in Australia. Is there another city of 100,000 with so many climbs literally in the centre of town? The Gorge is way better than any of the crags close to Melbourne such as You Yangs, Camels Hump, Ben Cairn, Mt Alexander, Black HIll, Werribee Gorge. And there are a few one pitch climbs that would be 3 stars on any cliff in Australia. And for the hordes of you mainland tourists that are going to come and save our economy and climb in the Gorge, its a pretty good place to spend a few hours in between trips to the mountains. So certainly not one of the country's premier crags, but certainly a candidate for best local crag in an urban centre. |