Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Author

Beginners bouldering near Melbourne?

ollie

10-Aug-2005
10:48:37 PM

Hi,
I've been scrambling around on various things (bluestone and plastic holds mostly) for the past six months and if I don't climb outdoors soon I think I'm going to do some damage to the rough brickwork of my lounge room wall. So despite the forecasted blizzard I'm heading out with a few friends this Sunday. I'm Looking for somewhere good for beginner and intermediate climbers/boulders that will probably be dry by Sunday if it rains on Friday or Saturday- maybe Mt Alex, Mt Sugarloaf or the You Yangs.
Any suggestions?

nmonteith

11-Aug-2005
9:01:36 AM

Are you looking for areas requiring ropes? or just bouldering??

nmonteith

11-Aug-2005
9:08:12 AM

You Yangs - a few ok boulders are in the Saddle and Northern Outcrop area. The rock can be very harsh
for a first timer though. The Youies has the best weather for Melbourne day trips, it sits in a window of
dry most of the year.

Sugerloaf - freezing cold and possibly wet.I imagine there is snow lying on the ground at the moment!

Mt Alex - can be good in winter but only if its not windy. Nice granite boulders around Dog Rocks and
Scorpian Rocks.

ollie

11-Aug-2005
10:15:28 AM

Thanks nmonteith. Just bouldering at the moment as we don't own any ropes.

dalai

11-Aug-2005
7:34:54 PM

There are quite a few local areas with a good mix of problems.

Of the publicly known areas, the You Yangs would be the pick given the current weather. Quick drying with a lot of available rock with some gems amongst the boulders. Saddle area, NW Outcrop and Lust butress environs are all reasonable. Major downfall is the coarse nature of the rock.

Sugarloaf has a great collection of problems, but would be super grim at the moment.

The granite belt NW of Melbourne has some good spots with more user friendly rock but may not be dry enough. Cobaw, Black Hill and Mt Alexander all offer good bouldering if you are willing to explore.

Of the other spots, well you will just have to wait till the Melbourne Bouldering Guide finally appears on the shelves... I think people will be surprised at the quantity, diversity of rock types and quality of what does exist.

tmarsh

11-Aug-2005
9:41:45 PM

On 11/08/2005 dalai wrote:

>I think people will
>be surprised at the quantity, diversity of rock types and quality of what
>does exist.

That's great news. Who would have thought that 'shit' came in just so many different flavours!

;-)

tim

dalai

12-Aug-2005
10:17:18 AM

There is more to bouldering than just a steep sandstone cave... The local bouldering is more technical and requires finesse as well as power to succeed, which usually shuts down power mutants like yourself Tim!

Don't try and make comparisons until you have seen and been!

simey

12-Aug-2005
1:55:01 PM

Good call Tim, although I am looking forward to the Dalai proving otherwise (when is this Melbourne Bouldering Guide coming out Martin?).

Nic Sutter gave me a tour once of Mt Alexander once and I saw some exceptionally fine problems although they do tend to be on the more difficult side. As a result I am dubious about the quality of easier bouldering to be found around Melbourne. I think I would get more out of a visit to Richmond Bridge.

By the way, I would have thought Hanging Rock would have had some fun easier problems (providing you dodge the authorities). Or am I totally wrong on that score?

nmonteith

12-Aug-2005
1:59:23 PM

I've spent a few good hours up at the summit boulder field of Hanging Rock. The rock is heavily featured
and suited more for under V5 problems (perfect for me!). I even dragged a matt up there and got no bad
looks from the rangers.

tmarsh

12-Aug-2005
2:07:02 PM

I'm just stirring. There's just something about granite that I really can't abide. Although like neil I've had some fun at the top of hanging rock.

Power mutant? Not for a long time, if ever, could I be accused of being that!

dalai

12-Aug-2005
2:07:36 PM

On 12/08/2005 simey wrote:
>Good call Tim, although I am looking forward to the Dalai proving otherwise
>(when is this Melbourne Bouldering Guide coming out Martin?).

It's called time Simon, and my lack thereof... ;-) As you and BA can probably attest to, it's is a lot more work than I had envisioned!

After I get back from the worlds end of September, I will ease off the training (ie. just the one session a day instead of two) and give it a bit of time to work on it.

Unfortunately a few new areas have been just recently discovered (though good because it adds to what's available) which only means more work!

Difficulty also is the lack of previous information to work off, so all needs to be compiled!!

dalai

12-Aug-2005
2:15:26 PM

On 12/08/2005 tmarsh wrote:
>I'm just stirring.

I know...

>There's just something about granite that I really can't
>abide.

I felt the same way initially, and when looking for local bouldering after returning from Hueco the first time, I avoided the whole granite belt for that reason (only really having the coarse You Yangs granite to compare with - though have even grown to enjoy there also). The granite though in particularly at Cobaw and Mt Alexander is a nicely featured fine grained stone.

>Power mutant? Not for a long time, if ever, could I be accused of being
>that!

Come on Tim, don't be so modest!

PN

12-Aug-2005
4:50:41 PM

There are a number of beginner friendly bouldering areas in and around Melbourne, such as Melton and Cobaw.

Lysterfield is a good area on granite boulders - but be warned that Dalai has back to base alarm systems connected to trip wires, lasers, plus frequent communications with the local birds, possums etc, and a rifle with sniper's sights pointed there from his back porch continually so if anyone ventures there he'll be onto you. Such is the way of the secret crag. Enjoy your climb there.....

dalai

12-Aug-2005
5:03:11 PM

Name rings a bell P.N... isn't that where the Commonwealth games MTB racing will be?

Anyone put down for tickets to watch?

Melton has some okay bouldering, but needs a major flood to clean out all the rubbish along the base...

Cobaw doesn't have all that much easier problems (depends on what defines 'beginner' easy problems)

nmonteith

12-Aug-2005
5:11:31 PM

On 12/08/2005 dalai wrote:
>Anyone put down for tickets to watch?

I got a few tickets.

dalai

12-Aug-2005
5:16:59 PM

Will see you out there then. ;-)

ollie

14-Aug-2005
9:31:58 AM

On 12/08/2005 dalai wrote:

>Anyone put down for tickets to watch?

With a bit of luck and hard work I might be working as a camera assistant at it- running around with hundreds of metres of cable and occasionally getting a glimpse of the race.

ollie

14-Aug-2005
9:36:43 AM

>It's called time Simon, and my lack thereof...
I might be able to help you out there.
I don't know much about bouldering, but I I do know a little about publishing. If you'd like a hand with sub-editting let me know when you've got a draft, and if I'll see if I've got a spare day to look over it.

dalai

15-Aug-2005
9:52:38 AM

On 14/08/2005 ollie wrote:
>If you'd like a hand with sub-editting let me know when you've got a draft,
>and if I'll see if I've got a spare day to look over it.

Thanks for the offer Ollie, I will keep it in mind. At the moment it's more about trudging through the bush and getting the topo photos, as it will be a comprehensive photo topo guide.

ollie

15-Aug-2005
9:36:55 PM

So I took the general advice and went to the You Yangs. Someone brought a rack so we climbed rather than bolder. Had a great time. Today I'm sore.
Thanks for your help.

There are 20 messages in this topic.