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Is Blue Lake On? - (2013 season)

huwj

25-Jul-2013
11:37:34 PM

Anyone been up there this last week or two?
Any ideas what condition the ice is in?

Cheers

Huw

Macciza

25-Jul-2013
11:59:22 PM

Don't know myself, but I would certainly like to join up with any crew headed out there ..
Have some gear - boots, crampons, general stuff but need to get or borrow axes . . .
MM

Climboholic

26-Jul-2013
10:56:09 AM

We got back Wednesday after being up there for a week XC skiing. We had all our ice tools but didn't bother heading accross to Blue Lake because we figured the conditions wouldn't be worth it with the warm weather and rain last week. We got a heap of snow while we were up there which should be consolidated by now. It's been cold for the last few days so the ice is probably starting to get good.

I'm hoping to get up there 24-25 Aug.

Nick Da Frog

26-Jul-2013
11:01:58 AM

@Climboholic
Drifting from main topic here...
How was the snow? and where did you go? heard mixed report with poor base, scrub and rocks sticking out everywhere, etc...

braedenh88

28-Jul-2013
8:47:34 PM

just got back from ice climbing trip in NZ up on black peak which was sick as, at pretty keen to keep the psych, so if any trips heading out anywhere on anything id be keen to tag along if available

phillipivan

28-Jul-2013
9:37:42 PM

On 28/07/2013 braedenh88 wrote:
>any trips heading out anywhere on anything

Want to go climbing at the Chimney Pots? No ice, but it meets the 'any', 'anywhere' and 'anything' criteria with flying colours.

ajfclark

28-Jul-2013
10:05:22 PM

Aren't the Chimney Pots are closed?

phillipivan

28-Jul-2013
10:34:22 PM

That's probably for the best; say what you will about them, but the actual rock there is horrible.

braedenh88

28-Jul-2013
10:53:47 PM

chimney pots are open atm, just everything else around vicrange is closed still
will go on anything and anywhere but was pointing towards more winter adventures.. but grampians scene is rockin atm, mostly been awesome winter besides past little bit of rain

Damien Gildea

29-Jul-2013
2:22:56 AM

Was up there on Saturday. It's not great, I thought it would be fatter. It's more like late June or early Sept. No truly fat ice but some OK bits here and there. Lots of things that look OK are hollow or too thin over rock. OK for toproping but hard to get screws for leading. There was one nice lower angled but decently long Scottish style ramp on the western side, but it was too thin down low to protect on lead. Quite a bit of grass showing through on the eastern slope, quite thin snow cover all over for late July. Lake was frozen over but I wouldn't walk on it. Snow was too thin and soft in places for snow stake anchors, so take nuts and slings if you want to toprope.

Access T CliffCare

29-Jul-2013
8:25:07 AM

On 28/07/2013 braedenh88 wrote:
>chimney pots are open atm, just everything else around vicrange is closed
>still
>will go on anything and anywhere but was pointing towards more winter
>adventures.. but grampians scene is rockin atm, mostly been awesome winter
>besides past little bit of rain
>
Hi Braedenh88,
Unless there has been some changes last week that I am unaware of, the Chimney Pots along with the rest of the Vic Range is still closed. If you think that they are open because people have been heading there that would be because they are heading into closed areas. Estimated reopening times are on the victoria range closed thread. It would be great if people could respect the closures. There are a diverse range of reasons why different areas are closed and it's not just about a closed road or two. I might start another thread about this. Hey Braedenh88, you could help out by passing on this info to all the people who are rocking out in the Grampians scene atm.

Cheers
Tracey

Damien Gildea

29-Jul-2013
9:25:00 AM

From Saturday 27th July.

More pics at: http://tinyurl.com/p78mm6e

braedenh88

29-Jul-2013
10:37:18 PM

no worries tracy,
thought i just heard on grapevine that was open for some walking, but obviosuly not. think may have just been the firecrews doing works up there. slightly forget sometimes that they have keys to gates and all..
its a beautiful place this country and good to try let it grow back and revegetate

huwj

30-Jul-2013
2:26:47 PM

Thanks for all the replies, especially Damo – full condition report with pics! Awesome. Not sure it looks fat enough to warrant the drive up from Melbourne, but if it does form up a bit more over the next few weeks I'd love to hear about it!

There are 14 messages in this topic.