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Climbing areas from Sydney to Arapiles

cmuench

12-Sep-2008
6:31:22 PM

Hey!
Will start my trip from Sydney to Arapiles via Nowra next week, would be happy if someone wants to join me!

But actually I wanted to ask if there are any climbing/bouldering spots on the way which are worth visiting them.

Or would you rather go directly to the Grampians after Nowra?

And beside that, can anybody tell mer roughly, when I should go climbing where in Australia concerning temperatures and weather. Will be here till next June and also want to go to Newzealand. When in my year should I do that best?
And where can I go climbing during the summer?


evanbb

12-Sep-2008
9:28:56 PM

Woo, that's a big question. I'll tackle the bits I know about.

I reckon late August/September is great for trad in the Blueys. I guess the trad crags (Piddington, York and Boyce) are all lower angle and more open, so they're getting good sun at the moment in lowish air temps. It never rains in September either. Bouldering around Sydney is brilliant early in the morning and most of the day during August when it's dry and a bit blowy, and coming into winter as well, May/June. June/July is often pretty wet.

You could go to Canberra/Booroomba on the way from Nowra to Araps, but it would mean a lot of extra driving. You ultimately want to end up driving south along the Hume highway to get to Araps, and from Nowra that probably means driving through Canberra, via Braidwood. If you do this, it's worth stopping at Booroomba which is south of Canberra. The rock's a pretty vigorous granite which isn't to everyone's liking, and it's mostly trad. Some good easy multi pitch there, and classics in the 16-20ish range.

More trad, and you're mad if you don't go to Point Perp while you're at Nowra. I reckon it's the most picturesque crag in Australia, and bloody good climbing as well.

cmuench

12-Sep-2008
9:47:17 PM

Cool, thanks for the information!
But do you think it might be better to do the trip to Nowra and the Grampians now and return to Sydney in Summer to go to the Blues then? Because I heard its the only place you can climb at then, is that right?


Capt_mulch

13-Sep-2008
6:06:33 AM

Don't miss The Rock on the way. About 20 mins South of Wagga. Same sort of rock as the Araps, all trad. From there you head West to Deniliquin then Horsham.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/New-South-Wales/The-Rock/2005/02/17/1108500199545.html


cruxmag

13-Sep-2008
7:46:20 AM

Tassie is great in summer. Most crags are coastal so get sea breezes. Grampians and Araps can be reasonable (25-30'C) for 80% of the time in summer. It just freaks out and cranks up to 40'C in Feb/March.


wallwombat

13-Sep-2008
8:37:54 AM

Christian is a grade 30+ sport climber. I don't know if The Rock is going to offer him a lot.


Capt_mulch

13-Sep-2008
8:51:25 AM

On 13/09/2008 wallwombat wrote:
>Christian is a grade 30+ sport climber. I don't know if The Rock is going
>to offer him a lot.
>
Well, I don't know why he's going to Araps then! (ok, there's the Henry Bolte Wall). Best to stop at The Rock on the way and learn to place some gear :-)


wallwombat

13-Sep-2008
8:56:17 AM

I'd say The Grampians, especially Taipan Wall and the Hollow Mountain bouldering are at the top of his Victorian hit list.


IdratherbeclimbingM9

13-Sep-2008
2:27:25 PM

On 13/09/2008 Capt_mulch wrote:
>Don't miss The Rock on the way. About 20 mins South of Wagga. >Same sort of rock as the Araps, all trad.
&
>Best to stop at The Rock on the way and learn to place some gear :-)

The Rock is OK, but I would not put it in the same league as Arapiles where the quality of the rock is much better than the loose and sharp choss that can be found at The Rock.

Here is an approx 6 week (+) itinerary for you.
1 Nowra, ... since you are keen on going there; 2 days.
2 Point Perpendicular, 2 or 3 days. (& good for a return visit in summer due being on the coast).
3 Booroomba, 2 days.
4 The Rock, 1 day.
5 Mt Buffalo, One week. (& good for a return visit in summer due its altitude).
6 Arapiles / Grampians, three weeks.
... after the initial 6 weeks then ...
7 Warrumbungles, a week.
8 Frog Buttress before it gets too hot, another week.
9 Whatever else in SE Qld.
10 Bulahdelah (heading back down the coast, a day or so).
11 Blueys (heading south again to avoid the heat, 2 weeks).
12 Tasmania
13 New Zealand.

cmuench

13-Sep-2008
2:45:48 PM

that sounds like a real plan, thanks! At least I get a rough Idea when to climb where :)
I can change it if I like a place very much...


Capt_mulch

14-Sep-2008
7:23:27 AM

>The Rock is OK, but I would not put it in the same league as Arapiles
>where the quality of the rock is much better than the loose and sharp choss
>that can be found at The Rock.
>
Definitely not in the same league, but definitely on the way to Araps from Sydney/Canberra.
I think the only chossy area there is the Main Face, which doesn't get climbed that much. The Towers at the north end all seemed pretty solid.

What's the climbing at Bulladelah Rod? I haven't heard reference to it before, and I've driven through there a hundred times (ahh, the old road through there was so much fun - sharing hairpin bends with 18 wheelers while the cat pisses in your lap - I kid you not...)

chris

14-Sep-2008
9:39:11 AM

How did "The Rock" ever get so much press?
It really is rubbish.
About as good as half of weribee gorge (ie all the bad bits), with only a 6 or 7 hour drive.
Don't waste your time Cmuench!!

cmuench

14-Sep-2008
2:28:55 PM

K, don't actually know if I should go to the Blues first like 3 or 4 days because of the weather or maybe stay in Sydney for a bit of bouldering...
What do you think about that? And is there anybody who would join me?


rodw

14-Sep-2008
9:36:54 PM

For once I agree with ya Dr C, took a walk around the place and thought WTF????


IdratherbeclimbingM9

15-Sep-2008
11:18:33 AM

On 14/09/2008 Capt_mulch wrote:
>The Towers at the north end all seemed pretty solid.

... till you go down the western side of them ...

>What's the climbing at Bulladelah Rod?

Shame on you Capt_m. There is much cavenous (roof specialty) limestone? climbing to be had there.
I think Crux mag recently did an article on it, along with other stuff found much further north in Qld.

>I haven't heard reference to it before,

It is hard sport climbing stuff, which sounds in the type/league of cmuench initial enquiry.

>(ahh, the old road through there was so much fun - sharing hairpin bends with 18 wheelers, snip

I agree. It always had that special quality about it didn't it! More than just the odd climber has had fun moments with potential head-ons there.


HM33

15-Sep-2008
11:32:28 AM

Bulahdelah isn;t limestone, Its a welded Tuff i think. very unique climbing though and the boys have been busy there this winter developing the massive cave.

its about 1 hr north of newcastle and visible from the Hwy.

widewetandslippery

15-Sep-2008
12:18:00 PM

Bulla. I think is the worlds largest deposit of andesite (spelling?) and its salty so the goats lick caves into the rock. mmm goat pee.

Really good crag. Don't go there and reck it.


Paulie

15-Sep-2008
5:03:51 PM

On 14/09/2008 chris wrote:
>How did "The Rock" ever get so much press?
>It really is rubbish.
>About as good as half of weribee gorge (ie all the bad bits), with only
>a 6 or 7 hour drive.
>Don't waste your time Cmuench!!

There are some chossy routes there for sure but routes like Chaos (24) and Space Junk (24/25) are on awesome rock and will test anyone's trad onsight ability, even if they do send grade 30!


gordoste

16-Sep-2008
9:36:20 PM

The Rock would only be worth visiting if you like discovering things yourself and venturing off the beaten track. All your climbing buddies will have been to Arapiles and the Grampians, but how many of them have been to a "local" crag in Australia? You will almost certainly not see a single person all day. Also, you will probably narrowly miss hitting your belayer in the head with a loose chunk of rock.
It is not a top-quality crag, but there are a few really nice routes (just enough for a day or so if you can onsight them all) and my favourite part is the lack of people. At the end of the day you will feel like you have had an adventure, even if you only climb 3 grade 15's...
Certainly not everybody's cup of tea. But I know that if I was in Germany for 6 weeks I would try and visit a couple of lesser known crags instead of just the famous ones -- I like to get some understanding of what it is like for the local people.

dmnz

1-Oct-2008
3:24:43 PM

NZ depends what yo uwant to climb. If it's rock routes esp the Darrans later on in summer is better with more stable weather, warmer conditions and less snow around.

But if you want to go mountaineering get there by late spring/early summer as it's been a warm year (both summer and winter) in 08

There are 23 messages in this topic.