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Chockstone Forum - Crag & Route Beta

Crag & Route Beta

Area Location Sub Location Crag Links
All NSW (General) (General) (General)  

Author
Old Baldy - nesting eagle

Andrew_M
26-Sep-2010
10:32:18 PM
Just thought I'd sent out a warning to anyone headed up climbing in the Wolgan in the next few weeks - eg over the October long weekend. There's a *very* large and *very* aggressive wedge tailed eagle that seems to be protecting a nest somewhere on the left hand end of Old Baldy. Maybe try to climb elsewhere to give her space for the next while.
citationx
27-Sep-2010
8:41:36 AM
We've discussed this before on here, the eagle in the Wolgan seems to be much more aggressive than other ones (if that's possible). We had a dude attacked by it even outside of nesting season and there have been other reports of it attacking people too.
Regardless, an even better time to leave it be would be now.

Andrew_M
27-Sep-2010
9:02:07 AM
Hey Steve, I missed that thread. That is a seriously cranky bird with no fear.

post edit: just had a quick search of posts and I think it's upped it's attack level. It's no longer happy with dive bombing - it grabbed my leg and (I swear) tried to pull me off.
bradc
27-Sep-2010
9:25:47 AM
that must have been horrific, my partner was swooped to within inches as we were rapping, and that was scary enough. what route were you on?

Andrew_M
27-Sep-2010
9:45:04 AM
Hey Brad, I saw your post.

It swooped me first on anthrax ripple - scared the bejeesus out of me as I was a fair way above gear. A good reason to put in gear even when the climbing is easy.

When it did actually attack I was (luckily) tight to the anchor belaying the second from the top of the lower tier (can't remember the name of the climb - around the corner from AR). It was very quick - came out of a blind spot and the first thing I saw was the huge shape and these evil looking talons wrapping around my calf and dragging, and then it was off. Luckily it mostly got hold of my trousers rather than my leg itself.

Hell of an impressive animal - you woudn't want to be a lamb or even a small child!
citationx
27-Sep-2010
2:26:58 PM
On 27/09/2010 Andrew_M wrote:
>Hell of an impressive animal - you woudn't want to be a lamb or even a
>small child!

Reminds me of the (untrue?) story about the little dog being taken from Thompsons point by a hawkish type bird and being dropped off across the river or some such thing...
Teehee (Sorry to offend anyone that did actually have their dog taken..)

E. Wells
27-Sep-2010
2:44:53 PM
this wedgy is well known for getting peeved which ever side of the valley your on. Its nest however is not 'on' the cliff (they nest in large gums) and so long as you are not in an open place its so damn big it cant swoop too close!
psd
28-Sep-2010
7:51:40 PM
OK I'm clearly clutching at straws here but any thoughts on whether scimitar and secret swinger would be far enough right to avoid this beast ... if it doesn't rain this weekend anyway ...
bradc
29-Sep-2010
8:39:28 AM
secret swinger is in a corner on the lower cliff, so should be OK, unless you sit around on top of the lower cliff belaying. Anywhere on the upper cliff, including scimitar, is exposed and open for swooping.
grangrump
29-Sep-2010
12:04:12 PM
On 27/09/2010 dangermouth wrote:
>Its nest however is not 'on' the cliff (they nest in large gums)

Down Canberra way there used to be a few eagle nests in the rocks (some were burned in the 2003 fires). I never heard of any climbers seeing them in use: may have been killed earlier by sheep farmers?
TonyH
6-Oct-2010
8:40:23 AM
On 27/09/2010 Andrew_M wrote:
>Hey Brad, I saw your post.
>
>It swooped me first on anthrax ripple - scared the bejeesus out of me
>as I was a fair way above gear. A good reason to put in gear even when
>the climbing is easy.
>
>When it did actually attack I was (luckily) tight to the anchor belaying
>the second from the top of the lower tier (can't remember the name of the
>climb - around the corner from AR). It was very quick - came out of a blind
>spot and the first thing I saw was the huge shape and these evil looking
>talons wrapping around my calf and dragging, and then it was off. Luckily
>it mostly got hold of my trousers rather than my leg itself.
>
>Hell of an impressive animal - you woudn't want to be a lamb or even a
>small child!

Jeez Andrew, that's got to be right up there in the "scariest climbing incidents" list. Do cranky eagles count as "objective hazards"?

There are 11 messages in this topic.

 

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