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Sat: Skiing, Falls Creek. Sun: Climbing, the Rock |
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28-Aug-2005 8:58:05 PM
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I've been living up here on the Border for about 18 months now and have enjoyed some awesome climbing (Buffalo, Pilot, the Rock) and skiing (Hotham and Falls). But never in the same weekend, until now.
On Saturday it was off to Falls for what will proboably be the last weekend of the season for me (probably the second last for the resort). I managed to get some really smoth 180's and folled up with 180 switch. Though it was nothing in comaparison to the Snowbaord style championships, there were some attempts at a 1080 (with some serious wipeouts). So invetiably I got home with a sore ass from my less succesfull jumps, an stressed thighs and abs from hauling my board around. It got a bit warm and all the vent holes in my jacket and pants were open and I still smelt like a hobo afterwards.
After an hour in the spa and a couple of hours sleep I was good to go again. Not quite 'bright and early' 9am, I headed off to the Rock. I haven't climbed since before the snow season so I took it easy (the walk in is workout enough). At the base of the towers I wondered up and down for a while looking for somehting I hadn't done, or something I had that hadn't scared the piss out of me in the past. I settled on Angie (One I had not done, but that from the ground looked like it might be a bladder empting experience). I hit the base of the traverse and almost rested, before noticing the awesome rest just 1m out onto the traverse, once out there I noticed anothre good rest. Then there was all good gear and the odd foot placement to the easy stuff. It turned out to be an awesome ramble, and I highly recomend it. Also, got up scratched knees for like the 5th time, and scoped some lines that I have memories of being great, but on re-inspection they are vegitated and chossy. Did I mention the sunshine and the 22-5 degrees.
So there it is, where else can you be skiing one day, climbing in a T-Shirt the next and (sadly) back at work the next.
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28-Aug-2005 10:52:19 PM
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On 28/08/2005 dan wrote:
>>So there it is, where else can you be skiing one day, climbing in a T-Shirt
>the next and (sadly) back at work the next.
Ten years ago a saw tbe possibility a morning ski, sail in the afternoon and capped off with a game of golf ... while studying in Vancouver. Sounded good at the time :-)
Now I'm happy on a weekend with a bike ride in the Sat. morning, a few hours in at work catching up on the rest of the week, a indoor boulder in the evening and a sail on the Sunday :-(
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28-Aug-2005 11:12:14 PM
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On 28/08/2005 dan wrote:
'for what will proboably be the last weekend of the season for me (probably the second last for the resort).'
What do ya mean Dan they still have 97cm- thats not going to disappear in a week.
You're scaring me I'm going for a week at Falls in about 3 weeks time....
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29-Aug-2005 9:35:31 AM
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Flat Creek?
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29-Aug-2005 3:28:31 PM
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>Then there was all good gear and the odd foot placement to the easy stuff.>It turned out to be an awesome ramble, and I highly recomend it.
The original line stays with the crack and takes the bulge/overhang straight up.
If you step left to the easier stuff from your last rest when turning the overhang then you need to take a grade off the climb.
Classic line especially when done on hexes and not SLCD's.
It is interesting other peoples experiences at cliffs in common. I find I have done 'Angie' numerous times but have not yet done 'Scratched Knees' ! I dare say when next I attend that none of my partners will want to do it (SK) due to having already done it untold times!
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30-Aug-2005 12:54:15 PM
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When my missess was still single, she lived in wang which was great becuase we had similar weekends - though we never did both on the same weekend like you. Buffalo was our backyard - such a nice place. Angie is a great climb - unfortunately some of the rock at The Rock is a bit chossy in other areas. I never did the 17 which starts near Angie and traverses through the guanno (can't recall the name - something WW11 related I think), but that looked nice to.
Cheers, Richard
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30-Aug-2005 1:20:15 PM
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'Lest We Forget'
It is indeed another classic for its grade ...
>can't recall the name
& a nice pun Richard!
Tips for a stellar outing on it at a consistent grade (17).
* Double up your pro & extend your runner/s before turning the ceiling.
* Once ceiling is turned on RHS, head straight up the wall above instead of trending right to re-belay.
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30-Aug-2005 2:09:25 PM
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On 28/08/2005 dan wrote:
>So there it is, where else can you be skiing one day, climbing in a T-Shirt the next and (sadly) back at work the next.
At Buffalo you can ski to some of the crags (such as the Cathedral and Dreamworld) and then climb. I once did Sultan with snow covering the Plateau, yet the climb itself was perfectly dry and very pleasant to climb. We actually planned to do Maharajah, but the wind was freezing on that side. Sultan was sheltered and suprisingly warm. Afterwards we skied over to Cresta and enjoyed a few of the runs over there.
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30-Aug-2005 2:45:46 PM
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>planned to do Maharajah, but the wind was freezing on that side
This is an oft quoted lament !
It can be exceptionally good, but likewise you can have some of the seemingly coldest moments of your life there as it seems a finicky sort of place for wind which can spring up surprisingly quickly.
Its a climb worth pursueing though and Sultan is certainly in the same class!
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30-Aug-2005 6:41:05 PM
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>At Buffalo you can ski to some of the crags (such as the Cathedral and Dreamworld) and then climb.
Dare ya to do it in a T-Shirt :).
Yea, it felt easy, that's why I called it a ramble. Following it through the roof looked like an awesome option, At an hour each way I'm unlikely to get up there too many more times. I'll try to get some quality time in at Buffalo this year and practice my multi-pitch technique for the Gramps and Bluies.
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8-Sep-2005 7:53:36 PM
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On 30/08/2005 simey wrote:
>At Buffalo you can ski to some of the crags (such as the Cathedral and
>Dreamworld) and then climb.
So true, we walked (with toboggans in tow) into The Castle in late winter on a gorgeous sunny day about 6 years ago now, and climbed a bunch of routes, then tobogganed all the way back down - what fun!
Most of the routes at the Towers (The Rock) are brilliant, my def fave is "Outside Edge", what a climb!
Paul
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9-Sep-2006 6:49:12 PM
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hey!falls creek is not flat!!!
we are still open with the same amount of lifts, they were getting a bit patchy but it's been snowing for a few days and theres enough settling now to cover up any mud that was around! so dave i hope that there will still be some for you! that would be the closing week, yes i'll cross my fingers.
we have the omeo road open again soon so we can jet out to strawberry saddle for a quick climb! blow those winter cobwebs away!!
bring on summer
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10-Sep-2006 8:23:39 AM
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it might be flat but we have still managed to maintain two of australias best terrain parks castle and drovers
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