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Chockstone Forum - General Discussion

General Climbing Discussion

Author
WA the Final Frontier
for fox sake
8-Jun-2007
8:24:37 PM
As myself and JP are off to the big blue yonder on Tues, it's turning out to be harder than Carlton winning a game to find info about the climbing areas.

Without the help Of Mikl (who's on a similar plan to us) there seems to be a serious lack of WA info online, even clicking on WA climbing links reveals a lack of info more accustomed to the North West Frontier (thats Pakistan by the way!) You'd think those guys out west would love to have some of us easterners coming over to put out grubby mitts on the rock.

So come on WA-ers, spread the word

HM33
8-Jun-2007
9:31:15 PM
How much info do you need?

this look pretty detailed to me

http://www.climberswa.asn.au/climbwa/


ecowain
9-Jun-2007
9:51:09 AM
Plenty of climbing in WA. Perth, Margaret River, Stirlings, and the wonderful granite coast from Walpole to Albany. I'm sure there's more up north, but I don't have any of the guides with me now, and I've only climbed in the south. Be prepared to drive.

First time over there I bought the old "rockclimbing in western australia" book. Found it in MDs in Katoomba, and I've since seen copies of it in sydney. Then in Perth and Albany, the whole collection of newer, well put-together area guides were all available in the outdoor shops.

Just be prepared to look around and drive. (and, I reckon, the older WA climbs have their own interpretation of the Ewbank grading system :-)

mrbumble
9-Jun-2007
10:05:49 AM
There are some older mini guides hidden on the CAWA website, if you're game to spend time guessing the URL's, or by googling the locations. I found Dampier, exmouth and kalbarri mini guides that way, I just haven't found anyone that climbs up here....

http://www.climberswa.asn.au/climbs/dampier.html
http://www.climberswa.asn.au/climbs/exmouth.html
http://www.climberswa.asn.au/climbs/kalbarri.html

The southern locations seem to be covered between their "official" online guides and books that are still in print

climberman
9-Jun-2007
12:00:19 PM
Visit Peak Charles on the way over. I have only spent 20 mins there while driving through for work once, but it's a f----off situation - looks fantastic.

ecowain
9-Jun-2007
12:03:47 PM
The longer routes on Peak Charles look full on! Agree that it's very impressive though.

I guess it goes without saying, but take care climbing on the south coast sea cliffs. The biggest swells I've ever seen have been along there. West Cape Howe...

Question for WA-ers. Has anyone climbed on Chatham Island before it became off-limits? The east face of that was always mesmorising for me from the shore opposite.
ghost
9-Jun-2007
12:13:45 PM
Peak Charles
Not the most accessible climbing area in Australia (820km southeast of Perth and 2601km from Melbourne), nevertheless Peak Charles definitely deserves a visit if you're in the area. A large dome crafted from fine orange granite, it contains many smaller faces and gullies where most routes are found. The range of climbing styles and grades should satisfy most people.

ROCK: Fine orange granite

LOCATION: Peak Charles is approximately 120km north west of Esperance in WA. If youre crossing the Nullarbor Plains turn south at Kalgoorlie.

Norseman is about 120km south of Kalgoorlie. There are two turn-offs one at 55km and the other 70km south of Norseman, turn right onto one of them. These roads rejoin as the Lake King road some 25km further on. Some 5km past this junction is the turn-off to Peak Charles. It is another 20km to the peak along a sandy but good two wheel drive road.

Access from the west via Lake Grace and the Lake King road is less certain and better with a 4wd after rain.

CAMPING: The camping area has a great dunny, plenty of fire wood and not quite level camping sites.There is no water or other facilities provided. Vehicles are not common in the area so it€s best not to break down.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Spring and Autumn are the best times of year to climb. Winter can be cold and wet while Summer is hot, but there is always somewhere shady to climb.



Yyyyyyeesssss vvveeerrryyy nnniiiccceeee

for fox sake
9-Jun-2007
3:42:56 PM
Cool, thanks guys. I guess i just wasn't looking deep enough!
Onsight
9-Jun-2007
11:07:12 PM
On 9/06/2007 ecowain wrote:
>... Has anyone climbed on Chatham Island before it became
>off-limits? The east face of that was always mesmorising for me from the
>shore opposite.

I spent a week on Chatham Island a few years ago, on an Australian Geographic expedition with Greg Mortimer, Howard Whelan and several WA climbers. It was a fantastic place, stunning, really fun to explore.

This was organised with the Parks Dept, apparently getting permission was tricky. We helped get several rangers/scientists get on the island so that they could check if a particularly rare fern could still be found. It has a very limited habitat and is only found on Chatham and one other island and the no-one had been on Chatham for years to check if it could still be found there. Happily there was plenty to be found. With that out of the way the rest of us hooked into the climbing. Good granite; but a fraction rough and crumbly to call superb. There’s some really good looking cliffs but I thought the potential was limited. The others did some good looking routes, some of several pitches. I put up a nice 22 arête with Gordon Brysland, on the other side of the pinnacle to the route in the photo below, placing four bolts which I then later removed. I don’t think our group left any bolts at all; it seemed to make sense given no one was likely to be climbing there again for years… Getting on and off the island was difficult; especially getting off as the weather closed in and the swell got rough; thank lord Greg is a zodiac magician.

All up a great experience. This is the only photo I’ve currently got scanned in.


DJ Biggs
9-Jun-2007
11:54:22 PM
just been running around near dampier in a choppa looking at rocks and finding boulder fields which look like a lot of fun.....could be the next frontier of the lazy bouderer "choppa bouldering" flying to peaks to do a few moves to the summit then chopper off. If any one is up that way drop me a pm as I will most likely be up theree for a bit.
Cheers

ecowain
10-Jun-2007
7:35:35 AM
thanks simon, I've always wondered that. The whole area along the coast there is incredible!
take!
11-Jun-2007
8:38:11 PM
I'll see your zodiac and up you a choppa...

There are 12 messages in this topic.

 

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