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Crag & Route Beta

Area	Location	Sub Location	Crag	Links
VIC Eastern	Cathedral Range	(General)	(General)	[ Cathedral Guide \| Images ]

Author

New rap route established North Jawbones

gfdonc

30-May-2011
10:22:30 PM

A new abseil descent has been added at North Jawbones.
The route follows the left edge of the right (Spiegal's Xanthene etc) buttress as marked:

The rappells are approx 55 and 56m so the ground can be reached in two raps with 2x60m ropes (see notes below for options with shorter ropes). First rap is two SS Petzl rings located a small scramble down from near the top of Travellers Slab. Head down and slightly left to reach the ledges, go over these and down the face about 8m further to two more rings at a small but comfortable stance.
From here, the second rap heads slightly right down the face (near Route Two) to the bottom.

Options: If you have 1x60m and 1x50m ropes, you might be able to reach the midstation by equalising the ropes as best you can. Otherwise, stop on a small stance on the face and downclimb the easy but exposed face (or belay to be safer). Don't forget to tie stopper knots in the ends of your ropes.
You can reach easy-angled slabs at the base with this rope combination and scramble down the last 2-3m of low-angle slabs.

If you only have 2x50m ropes you might still consider using the rap descent. Rap down to the ledges then belay or scramble down to the rings. For the second rap, head straight down the face over roofs (watch for sharp edges) to end up reaching a stance higher up in the gully, then bash down the last few metres.

Caveat: the short-rope options have not been tested. Abseiling can lead to injury or death, take suitable precautions.

Approximate cost of works $68, donations gratefully accepted.

citationx

30-May-2011
11:14:39 PM

On 30/05/2011 gfdonc wrote:
>Approximate cost of works $68, donations gratefully accepted.

Just put out a one-page guide and sell it for $6.80 a pop.

rolsen1

30-May-2011
11:40:37 PM

Good work, thanks.

gfdonc

31-May-2011
9:16:49 AM

On 30/05/2011 citationx wrote:

>Just put out a one-page guide and sell it for $6.80 a pop.

I've have to put some swear words in it though, wouldn't I?

citationx

31-May-2011
9:50:11 AM

btw, nice work. the massive photo has interested me. if/when I next drive to melbourne, I am likely to spend a day out that way.

rolsen1

31-May-2011
9:59:56 AM

On 31/05/2011 citationx wrote:
>btw, nice work. the massive photo has interested me. if/when I next drive
>to melbourne, I am likely to spend a day out that way.
>

Don't let the photo fool you, from the car park it looks like an amazingly steep cliff and then you get to it and its a low angle slab

citationx

31-May-2011
10:04:31 AM

On 31/05/2011 rolsen1 wrote:
>On 31/05/2011 citationx wrote:
>Don't let the photo fool you, from the car park it looks like an amazingly
>steep cliff and then you get to it and its a low angle slab

I did notice this having looked at the photos elsewhere on chockstone, but that's fine. seems like a good easy day out (the alternative would be buffalo slabs...)

jgoding

31-May-2011
1:15:27 PM

Great work Steve. Jennine and I bashed our way through the horrible thick nasty thorns before this was put in and are very very happy that you can now rap off.

I trust you received my donation for these works.

gtempest

31-May-2011
1:43:29 PM

Great job Steve. This will hopefully reduce the number of climbers using the old walk down descent. I'll include these new details on the Rockclimbs Around Melbourne updates page on our OSP web site.

gfdonc

7-Jun-2011
9:18:05 AM

Some additional pics supplied to me:

Top rap anchors

Rapping down and over the ledge

patto

7-Jun-2011
2:15:46 PM

Thank you very much. I think such an addition will be welcome by many.

Depending on how you measured the rappels it is quite possible that two 50m ropes would still work without any scrambling. 10% stretch is not unheard of.

For example I abseiled off the "45m abseil" on the left side of the right watchtower face. I used a new 60m that measured at 60.5m from new. Naturally though I had knots in the end and was very careful about what I was doing. I imagine that the abseil is more like 36-38m in the case of the watchtower face.

Now I just need to remember to bring a second rope next time I go to the North Jawbones.

gfdonc

7-Jun-2011
2:39:35 PM

Uh .. I should have mentioned that I calculated the length of rope required rather than the actual abseil length. So don't rely on too much stretch.

However in both cases I pretty much had my weight off the rope when I measured the remainder so the actual amount of stretch is probably minimal.

adamskii

7-Jun-2011
8:55:52 PM

great news for the local crag! thanks for your efforts..


IdratherbeclimbingM9

18-Jun-2011
3:54:30 PM

On 7/06/2011 gfdonc wrote:
>Some additional pics supplied to me:
>
>Top rap anchors
>

>

Hmm.
Would not this anchor have better spread the load, if the rings were installed offset in the vertical plane as well?
As it is, it must be placing higher loading on the bolts due poor triangulation (think yank 90 degree death triangle principle...).
Caveat; Yeah, yeah, it is only installed for bodyweight loading, however I have seen things used inappropriately many times in my climbing career to date...
;-)

gfdonc

19-Jun-2011
10:27:20 AM

Petzl's recommended practice - although I can't find the link just now.
Avoids shock load on the 2nd bolt if either fails.

RNM

9-Jan-2012
4:58:51 PM

Thanks Steve, used the rap descent on the weekend.

Recommend rapping with your ropes coiled to anyone else heading this way. My ropes snagged and twisted something terrible on the nobbly slab.

Still, better then enduring those bastard plants.

Was also happy to have the bolt on the Xanthene belay. And how hard is that crux move?! Had me a bit spooked. Be interested to know whether it has lost a hold or I am just getting soft. I suspect the later.

Fish Boy

10-Jan-2012
5:51:43 AM

The little finger pinching slot? It's always been like that....

RNM

11-Jan-2012
8:18:56 AM

Yep, getting soft.

Noticed a scar down to the right that I thought might have been a snapped hold. The finger slot mono, reach through move seemed a bit stiff at the time. Oh well.

JohnK

12-Jan-2012
9:12:03 PM

That's great work Steve, this cliff gets so much traffic this has been way overdue! Well done on taking the initiative. Beats the steep walk down through all the prickly bushes.

John K.


dr box

14-Jan-2012
2:30:33 PM

Nice work with the rap station, very handy.
was out at the south jawbones yesterday. a rap station there would also be a great idea. it was a very prickly walk into pulp friction. any chances? happy to help
to anyone heading out to the st jawbones, pants and long sleeves and a good idea.... also a big frigging knife to cut the over head high bastard bush!
the climbing was rad though

There are 37 messages in this topic.