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Crag & Route Beta

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VIC Grampians	(General)	(General)	(General)	[ Grampians Guide \| Images ]

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Best Middle Grade climbs in the Grampians

JDB

24-Apr-2013
2:31:47 PM

Heading to the Gramps for 4 days, what would you recommend as the best middle grade (14-21) trads climbs, preferably multi-pitch.


shortman

24-Apr-2013
2:44:44 PM

Sword in the Stone 17, Mt Difficult...great day out.

24-Apr-2013
2:48:49 PM

Mt rosea

Cam McKenzie

24-Apr-2013
2:53:22 PM

Definitely Rosea.

Stapylton Amphitheatre has some good stuff too (Simpleton, Navarre, Spillway, Sweet Dreams, Navigator), but Rosea's better, and it's closer to the pub.

kieranl

24-Apr-2013
3:12:23 PM

Any day at Rosea won't be wasted.
The Sloth with DF 17, Bubbles/DG DF 17, Gillian 18, John Barleycorn 18, Martin Eden 19, The Ascension 21, Last Rites 19, Debutante 14, Speculation 15(!), Heretic 16, Diane 17, Hard Times 19, Knick-Knack 19
That should occupy your first couple of days ;)
Saturday is looking to have the best weather prospect for Rosea but the next couple of days look possible too, with maybe a shower or two. I'm going to give it a look tomorrow cause if you don't try you never get there..


nmonteith

24-Apr-2013
3:30:03 PM

Bundaleer has many excellent routes at those grades - mostly single pitch but a couple of 2-3 pitch routes. Blimp is a winner....

Grey and Green Walls area at Stapylton - especially Simpleton (18) are also awesome.

gfdonc

24-Apr-2013
3:49:43 PM

Ah John, this is close to a troll isn't it?

But I'll bite .. haven't you been thinking about 'manning up' for The Ascension since, oh, you were in your 40's?

Nevertheless .. The Last Rites, ***19. The Lonely Race, ***19. Both in my 'top 10' I'd reckon.

Thread hijack for the trolling .. if you were alternating leads with a partner who wasn't confident leading 16, which pitches of Heretic do you think you'd give them, if any?
I was thinking they do pitch 1, and 3. Then I would run 4&5 together. I recall the crux bulge on p1 was intimidating but well protected, but the initial corner was a bit awkward and was gear fiddly, or was it just me?
P3 needs some oomph for the first few moves but the gear is good, the corner continuation is steep but not too hard.
Comments?

gfdonc

24-Apr-2013
3:51:03 PM

On 24/04/2013 nmonteith wrote:
>Bundaleer has many excellent routes at those grades - mostly single pitch
>but a couple of 2-3 pitch routes. Blimp is a winner....

Especially Gerontian Direct which is underrated, I thought it was better than the original route. Sadly, this didn't make it into your guide Neil.

Wendy

24-Apr-2013
4:17:33 PM

Whilst not disagreeing with any of the reccomendations, I would have a look at the weather and crag orrientation in your decision making.

Bundaleer - goddamn freezing from midday.
Rosea - goddamn freezing from 2
Simpleton - never sees the sun
Grey and green walls - comes into sun about 3
Mt difficult - comes into sun about 2

So i'd plan some careful time and attire decisions around that. It's thoroughly miserable to be on the top pitches of rosea in a tshirt when it comes into the shade. Instant hypothermia.

If you want any warmth going, look at Asses Ears. Plenty of stuff in the mid-high teens there as well.

gfdonc

24-Apr-2013
4:23:48 PM

Just interpreting Wendy's posting for us warm-blooded folk:

>Bundaleer - nice shade from midday.
>Rosea - nice shade from 2
>Simpleton - good on a hot day
>Grey and green walls - too hot after about 3
>Mt difficult - morning venue only.

Slip, slop and slap!


The good Dr

24-Apr-2013
4:24:40 PM

Apart from The Stapylton Ampitheater, Bundaleer and Rosea

Mt Difficult - Queen Bee 15***, Sword in the Stone 17***, Nostalgia/up, up and away 18 **,

Asses Ears - Wirilda 18***, La Petit Mort 19 ***, Die Young/Euthenasia 17***, Don't Croak 15 **, Snow Flurries 20*

Death March Wall - Lay Back and Enjoy it 18**, Savage God 21**, Not Drowning, Waving 18***, Diaghilev 19***, Whispers 16* - all single pitch but the walk in counts as about 10 pitches and you will have the place to yourself.

kieranl

24-Apr-2013
4:29:38 PM

For something a bit lower than Rosea and Bundaleer, Redmans Bluff is worth a look.
Peanuts 18 was pretty good. I understand the belays have now been godinged. Pocahontas I found an adventure though it was so long ago that I'm not sure if that means it is good or not.

Wendy

24-Apr-2013
5:05:30 PM

On 24/04/2013 gfdonc wrote:
>Just interpreting Wendy's posting for us warm-blooded folk:
>
>>Bundaleer - nice shade from midday.
>>Rosea - nice shade from 2
>>Simpleton - good on a hot day
>>Grey and green walls - too hot after about 3
>>Mt difficult - morning venue only.
>

That's the summer agenda! It's not summer right now ... i've tried climbing all of those areas in late autumn (except simpleton, who'd do simpleton other than when you need to escape the heat? how many other all day shade adventures are there to be had?) and the moment there's no sun, it's no fun.
>
>

Wendy

24-Apr-2013
5:08:45 PM

On 24/04/2013 The good Dr wrote:
>
>Death March Wall - Lay Back and Enjoy it 18**, Savage God 21**, Not Drowning,
>Waving 18***, Diaghilev 19***, Whispers 16* - all single pitch but the
>walk in counts as about 10 pitches and you will have the place to yourself.

Don't think you can get into Death March wall post fires yet.

I seem to remember the First Dial being nice and sunny - it's single pitch but had some enjoyable 19-21s. Of course, that was 15 years ago I went there, so my memory may leave a little to be desired.


Superstu

24-Apr-2013
5:09:04 PM

Basilisk direct finish 16 **** at bumbleer
Not affected by sun, shade or rain!

Wendy

24-Apr-2013
6:57:00 PM

I love how basilisk df is rapidly gaining stars (Neil's update even added them) but I still reckon save it for next summer. it's one of the first routes into the shade on the cliff, so you can tootle up there on a 35 + day, enjoy the inbuilt airconditioning of bundaleer and start rambling up it about midday. at this time of year, shade about 11. cold cold cold ....

simey

25-Apr-2013
10:05:56 AM

On 24/04/2013 Wendy wrote:
>I love how basilisk df is rapidly gaining stars (Neil's update even added
>them)

What do you mean? The Grampians Select Guide gave it two stars and Neil's guide has only given it one star.

If we re-do our book I would give actually give it three stars. It is a decent long pitch and the climbing all the way to the roof is very good. Meanwhile the roof is unique and very well protected despite its outrageous situation. Whatever grade you climb, it is a route you won't forget in a hurry.

rolsen1

25-Apr-2013
11:27:28 AM

On 24/04/2013 gfdonc wrote:
>Ah John, this is close to a troll isn't it?
>
>But I'll bite .. haven't you been thinking about 'manning up' for The
>Ascension since, oh, you were in your 40's?
>
>Nevertheless .. The Last Rites, ***19. The Lonely Race, ***19. Both
>in my 'top 10' I'd reckon.
>
>Thread hijack for the trolling .. if you were alternating leads with
>a partner who wasn't confident leading 16, which pitches of Heretic do
>you think you'd give them, if any?
>I was thinking they do pitch 1, and 3. Then I would run 4&5 together.
> I recall the crux bulge on p1 was intimidating but well protected, but
>the initial corner was a bit awkward and was gear fiddly, or was it just
>me?
>P3 needs some oomph for the first few moves but the gear is good, the
>corner continuation is steep but not too hard.
>Comments?
>

Probably not much help. A very long time ago I remember the short corner somewhere in the middle, maybe at about 40m, being the bit I had trouble with.

Agree with Rosea for mid climbs, Emu Rock hasn't been mentioned, great steep climbs with massive jugs at 15,16 and 17.

Wendy

25-Apr-2013
2:05:27 PM

On 25/04/2013 simey wrote:
>On 24/04/2013 Wendy wrote:
>>I love how basilisk df is rapidly gaining stars (Neil's update even added
>>them)
>
>What do you mean? The Grampians Select Guide gave it two stars and Neil's
>guide has only given it one star.
>
>If we re-do our book I would give actually give it three stars. It is
>a decent long pitch and the climbing all the way to the roof is very good.
>Meanwhile the roof is unique and very well protected despite its outrageous
>situation. Whatever grade you climb, it is a route you won't forget in
>a hurry.
>

Simey, we agree! I know that doesn't happen often .... I was referring to the earlier thread on Neil's new book which only gave it 1 star, when I thought if you were handing out 4 stars to moderate grade climbs (which he hadn't done), I'd put it up there. It's the best pitch of it's grade in the gramps (for all those reasons you list, i know it sucks that we actually agree on something). Neil has since given it 3 stars in his online updates.

Wendy

25-Apr-2013
2:06:39 PM

On 25/04/2013 rolsen1 wrote:

>
>Agree with Rosea for mid climbs, Emu Rock hasn't been mentioned, great
>steep climbs with massive jugs at 15,16 and 17.

That would be because you can't get to Emu Rock at the moment either.

There are 24 messages in this topic.