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TR Big Bird, The Gib, Mittagong

mikllaw

12/11/2012
12:20:53 PM

Every time I drive past Mittasgong I remember the The Gib, it looks like a granite pudding with a steep right-angled corner cut out of it, but it is some trachyte-like rock. It was popular in the 70s but the 25 second approach has put people off. There are 11 good sports pitches there, and my poxy 2 projects (I got stopped dead on one so bolted an easier project next to it which I am also stopped dead on).

Phil Ward donated some Ubolts so (to make some belayer bait) I bolted a 3 pitch slab and steep thing ending on a strange beak and did the FA with Gareth last week. I came back for another pathetic, pawing, fumble on the easy project yesterday and then climbed Big Bird to exit.

P1 (17) is an arete with a sloping finish.

My Italian workmate mastering the mystery of the mantel on P1.

P2 (20) is a punchy layback up an overhung corner, then an easy ramble to a bulge with a thin move through it. This shot shows the 1st belay and the steepness (RH corner and bulge on arete) above.

P3 (18) is a weird set of moves up a hanging beak- as there is already a climb called "Masterbating on the Spear of Destiny" I decided to call the route Big Bird.

Patrick wrestling with the beak.

More info on:-
http://routes.sydneyrockies.org.au/confluence/display/nswrock/Mt+Gibraltar

Big G

12/11/2012
1:34:30 PM

On 12/11/2012 mikllaw wrote:

>
>P2 (20) is a punchy layback up an overhung corner, then an easy ramble
>to a bulge with a thin move through it. This shot shows the 1st belay and
>the steepness (RH corner and bulge on arete) above.

Punchy! make sure you leave something in the tank for this pitch! Laying back off frictionless rock is hard work. Then gaining the arete/slab is fairly daunting!

The beak section is awesome!

The slabs on the main wall are great fun too.

mikllaw

12/11/2012
2:09:06 PM

On 12/11/2012 Big G wrote:
>Punchy! make sure you leave something in the tank for this pitch! Laying
>back off frictionless rock is hard work.

punchy, it makes you feel paunchy

benjenga

12/11/2012
3:45:40 PM

Looks like a great feature, may have to swing by there one day soon.

technogeekery

Online Now
12/11/2012
10:07:53 PM

Cool looking climb.

jkahd

15/11/2012
10:11:35 AM

nice one! added to the [growing] list of multis to check out! ta.

nelson castro

20/11/2012
4:44:33 PM

Looks like this would be a very challenging one to climb. :)

wallwombat

20/11/2012
5:09:59 PM

Thanks Nelson.

See ya on the rocks, "adventurous activity" bloke.

xxx

Winston Hitler

PThomson

30/12/2012
4:33:32 PM

G'day Mikl,

Marek and I climbed this one today. Got a late start because of the rain (went to Mount Alex until midday, when things dried out enough to hit up The Gib). From start to finish it probably took about 1.5 hours, though we certainly weren't climbing fast.

So, here's my review:

P1 - Short, Easy slab, made easier if you can jam =P. Pleasant ramble, probably a good introduction to easy friction slabbing (my introduction was on the Beulah bolted routes... Not a gentle introduction). Warning: the crack is guarded by a moderate sized-lizard who seemed to want me to friction slab my way around the crack, rather than working my way up it. (I'm told he hates trad climbers).

P2 - Easy laybacking (again, made easier if you can jam), into an awkward slabby crack which proved to be quite entertaining. I couldn't remember the route description, so I was kind of surprised at the relative difficulty of the final move past the bulge. Crazy granite friction-slab maneuvres, which seemed nails hard until I came up with a simple technique to mantle past it (Marek found my mantling trick made it very doable, as well). Probably my only concern here is that if any more footers go, this move really WILL be nails. All in all, a worthwhile pitch, and the Belay is in a funky position on the slab.

P3 - Weird moves to get into the crack under "the beak". Marek decided that heel-toe camming and much desparation was the way to go (points for hilarity to be awarded, and for sticking with it to get the pitch clean). I went for fist-stacking to get my feet on the crack, then easily over the beak and cruise to the top. Funky and weird. Probably not as good as I was expecting, but maybe the whole "masturbating on the spear of destiny comment" had me a bit too excited.

Overall: good value, Unique, and it was a pleasant way of exiting the crag. Maybe 1.5-2 stars on a 3-star system. Thanks for the new route, Mikl.

I was really psyched to try Sluj Gulpa and P1 of of Slow Twitch, but we were both kind of munted from Weaselburger yesterday, so we'll hopefully hit up those other climbs (and the 20 and 22 bolted slabs) next weekend. Question: how feasible would it be to run Sluj Gulpa together into a 60m superpitch? It doesn't look too wandery...

mikllaw

30/12/2012
11:15:42 PM

cool, a repeat!
The climbing isn't mega, but it definately ain't the Blueys.
Sluj Gulpa is double as a single pitch, but the drag would be a drag

vwills

31/12/2012
7:30:54 AM

Whats the shade options down at the Gib? I had always thought it a winter crag but looks like thats not correct.

mikllaw

31/12/2012
8:34:45 AM

It faces north to north west so avoid hot afternoons, winter is good but Mittagong is a bit damp and misty in winter.
Another roadside attraction for any trips down the Hume

PThomson

6/01/2013
7:57:45 PM

Hey Ness,

Back out at The Gib again today with Marek and Nathan. We got baked about at about 12:30. By that time most of my party were keen to head out (we'd gotten in decent mileage thanks to an early start), but I refused to leave without getting on Sluj Gulpa.

Mikl - How does Sluj Gulpa not get raved about more often?

I decided to try and do it as a giant pitch, but at the end of P2 (onsight to this point) I was tired of the drag and brought up my second. I definately don't recommend doing it that way, as the amount of slack in the system meant that if I'd fallen I would've hit the belay ledge at the end of P1 for about the first 3 draws of P2.

I fought with everything I had in the 35 degree heat and blazing sun on P3, and finally fell off next to the final bolt (1m from the finishing jugs) without being able to clip it. Took a nice whipper. Pulled back on and got it clean to the top. What an amazing pitch, it's such brilliant climbing that it DESERVES everything you have to give, and you fight just that little bit harder.

The entire climb is great, technical, varied, and -if I'm honest- visionary, considering the amount of NOTHING on either side of the entire line.

Since I'm working hard at usurping you're thread. Here's a photo of Marek and me on P1/P2 linkup of Sluj Gulpa (23).

mikllaw

7/01/2013
8:03:16 AM

good effort in the heat, the black rock is like an oven! It's a pretty cool and varied line, yours is probably the 3rd adcent since it was retrobolted. Too funky for most Sydneysiders

You look like you're belaying in the middle of P2, the belay is higher with a Ubolt and hangers.

There are 14 messages in this topic.