Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - Crag & Route Beta

Crag & Route Beta

Area	Location	Sub Location	Crag	Links
VIC Arapiles	Grotto Wall / Voodo Gully	(General)	Voodo Buttress	[ Arapiles Guide \| Arapiles Images ]

Author

Arapiles hidden gems

duglash

18-Aug-2005
2:18:56 PM

I did another no star route at araps the other day that was just excellent and thought it would be
interesting to start a topic of people's favourite no star/ one star/ obscure routes they have loved.

The route was Sister Sol 21 on Voodoo buttress, I could also add In Phase 23 Northern Group and
Cayenne 24 Mitre


nmonteith

18-Aug-2005
2:22:48 PM

Can you tell us something about these hidden gems Doug?

duglash

18-Aug-2005
3:18:39 PM

They're just really great climbing that doesn't get rated in the guides.

Sister Sol is an interesting, technical varied face that gets steeper to a pumpy traverse out of trouble,
then a steepening face off a ledge on biggening holds, just hard enough to keep your interest up but not
so hard as to get you worried. The gear is good all the way, two yellow aliens were nice but not essential.

In Phase is just round the corner from Kachoong. It starts with a tricky slab steepening to a tricky
midsection and then pumpy steep stuff. Gear is good (a bit thin at the start) but very pumpy to place. I
reckon it's hard for 23, would believe 24.

Cayenne has a hard start out a roof, possibly much harder if you're short, and then quality pumping up a
curving line.

All three are all natural gear.

Arapiles is a crag of hidden gems, I find a fair proportion of the three star routes not that special, but a
large proportion of the one star/ no star routes excellent. You might say this has to do with expectations,
but I would do Sister Sol any day over Second Coming for example.

Nottobetaken

18-Aug-2005
7:34:21 PM

Totally agree with duglash on the 'In Phase' quality. Great route. Used to be 24 in Louise's guide. Also with no (or one) star but worth some more possibly include: Allez (24)*; Astral Plane (24)* (worth 3 when compared to Dreadnought!); Just about every route on Skyline Walls - including Fists of Fury (no stars - but how many routes have 6 undercling moves on them?); Exodus II (one - but maybe two - quite funky); Copyright Direct (one - mirror image of last route); and Non Stop (especially if you like pockets!) - all very good quality and amazing rock; Most people won't agree with me but Lennox (15) (no stars) is also pretty funky. Loboff (16) is great (no stars) - but probably too short for any.

duglash

18-Aug-2005
9:45:04 PM

Yeah, Allez is excellent (would believe 25 too) and has been rebolted.

Also really good is Exodus II and a half - the indirect finish going R from the crux. Has a contrived finish,
going back L once you've got to Copyright's jug, but the section to there is gold.


adski

19-Aug-2005
5:47:24 PM

great suggestions guys, i'll add them to my Araps - the leftovers V list

*hunts for a guidebook*

20-Aug-2005
6:29:19 PM

There's a hugely satisfying feeling doing awesome 'leftovers'.

At VD land, the gramps...
Suicidal Tendancies (24ish) is super as a 25 meter pitch. What a finish!
Lifes Sad Parade (25).. another rad route. Need wiggles though.

The best 0 star route i have ever done is Shufflepuff (21) at Nowra. How can a bolted slightly overhanging offwidth get no stars in the guide ?

Shame on you Rod.. SHAME !!!

Nottobetaken

21-Aug-2005
9:53:56 AM

Doug - Allez at 25 - agreed. Pretty brutal and non-stop. Can't quite make out where Exodus 2.5 breaks right though! What about finishing up CD - that would surely be pretty good anyway? A few other 'unknown qualities':

Revolution Rock (23)?
Tres Hard (25)?
Cuddly Fat (25)?

Anyone done these?

duglash

23-Aug-2005
11:01:26 AM

Exodus 2.5 goes right just where Exodus 2 goes left, at the end of the crux. It joins Copyright direct (and
Copyright I think comes in from the right) at a big jug. It then steps L ( a bit contrived) and finishes up the
thin wall. Yeah Exodus is one of my favourites, pretty damn good for one star.

I did a little direct start to Revolution Rock at 24. It's a bit scary (small rp's) but not particularly
worthwhile. Cuddly Fat has a chip or two and doesn't look that great. Never tried Tres Hard but Kim's
guide said "try to leave as little skin in the crack as possible to avoid inconveniencing the next party"...

Other ones I've remembered:

Mullumbimby Madness 15, Mitre - great varied buge, curving flakes up face, and roof/bulge at the top.
Want to be confident at the grade leading the start. Nice longish pitch.

Haphazard 23 Lunatic gully - short and stiff!, with great moves.

and Ethereal - not exactly a hidden gem but how good is it for one star? Perfect rock, varied, interesting
climbing and great gear.. i wouldn't ask for more on a 3 star route.

Nottobetaken

23-Aug-2005
11:44:32 AM

Talking about Ethereal - I prefer Running On Empty - very classy.
Have you tried The Empire Strikes Back (22) on Mitre? - apparently very scary.


cruze

23-Aug-2005
11:52:11 AM

Dropping down a few grades...

I remember on my first trip to Arapiles going out to Mitre Rock and doing Leather Bound (13). I thought that it was pure gold. Shares the same interesting and classy start as Penny Dreadful. Then through a nice layback off-vertical corner then I continued in the same pitch up the juggy/pocketed headwall. All in all a very classy varied 40m single-pitch climb. Yet it gets no stars.


JJ

23-Aug-2005
12:10:19 PM

On 23/08/2005 Dr G wrote:
Have you tried The Empire Strikes Back (22) on Mitre? - apparently very
scary.

Very you DrG, I'm surprised you haven't been on it ;-)

JJ

Wendy

30-Aug-2005
4:44:56 PM

5 fingered Mary (20) - Lou describes it as about as attractive as Hep B! It's a 3 star classic adventure. Each pitch is thought provoking, culminating in the offwidth roof crack through the summit roof.
Virginia (18) Lou's guide reminds you that she didn't say you have to climb this. It is however a striking overhanging corner with nary a thrutchy move on it, and complete with rap anchors now.
I like Lennox too, and it keeps amusing me how much Lou hated these style climbs when she wrote her guide. Don't take any of her crack bagging to heart, she's reformed now.
Flavius Maximus (15) is a sweet little face
Cul de Sac (20) - although only 10m, it'ss the serious battle heading out the pilot error roof and will rapidly sort out the glory seeking contenders there.
Mesa (direct at 9) - stylish beginners route now affixed with anchors. The blank section beneath the roof will raise the hearts of beginner leaders exponentially with decreasing height.
Eurylochus (13) - even better now there are rap anchors, depending on where you finish, they may be down and R of you.
Hell for Leather (15) similar to muldoon, I don't find it any harder.
Cerberus (18) Hyaena (18) and St Peter (17) excellent short trenching lessons close to camp. Cerebrus really is much easier than it looks.
Nut Case (19) useful when there are hoards over everything else at that grade on Central gully left. Can rap from Squeakeasy
Charity Buttress - lots of people have already discovered this is a great beginner area
I just discovered Lou only givers Reaper 1 star! How can this be? It's a stunner ....
Red Parrot Chasm (11) - I laughed the whole way up this. It's at least as good as Agamemnon. Amazing rock architure and a rebirthing experience to exit. A very big cam and a few RPs will make less confident leaders feel a bit happier on it.
Sport Climb this you Bastard (18) - I just had to do it for the route description. Exponentially harder with increased height.
Braindrops (21) - I managed to over look this for years, but it's a really interesting single pitch up the back of the Pharos
Driftwood (18) - the original flared chimney finish is essential. From the base of it, it's hard to know whether to backstroke or breaststroke up it. Another laugh a minute experience.
Sweet Surrender (17) - how many 17s take you through 3 roofs in 1 pitch? It is tough for the grade though
Stoker (18) - this steep diagonal crack was the best thing I did at Cambell's Kingdom.

Thinking about hidden gems also made me remember all the awful, filthy, sandbagged starred routes I've done ... there are some shockers, especially amongst the obscure 1 star routes. maybe another day when I've got time to kill.

duglash

31-Aug-2005
4:34:40 PM

Everyone I've talked to who's done it - must be close to 10 people - have raved about 5 Fingered Mary.
Looks hard!

Virginia is excellent, stays dry in light rain, and nearly always in the shde. You can bridge it mostly, it's not
nearly as old school as it looks.

Yeah Mesa and Eurylochus are well worthwhile.

St Peter isn't really a trenching lesson at all - a few jams and a finish on jugs, surprisingly nice really. I
simply don't believe you about cerberus. mr natural looks easier.

I found Nut Case very hard! fierce for 19.


shaggy

31-Aug-2005
8:57:38 PM

Cerberus is really nice, and, as wendy says, it really isn't as hard or heinous as it looks, but if you really have an aversion to offwidths, you can always face climb it like Jing did (photo in araps section), but be prepared to add on atleast 10 grades!
Whilst on the topic of cracks, a short little gem is "Today", that is if you can get off the ground. 18 just near Running on empty etc...

Nottobetaken

1-Sep-2005
9:00:27 AM

Someone's a trench addict...
Agree with Virginia though - it's great. On the subject of obscure Arapiles gems - there are a lot along the base of Tiger Wall - starred or not. How many times do you see anyone on Out of the Blue (24) - looks great. Also, Is Vanja A Dog? (24) - looks excellent. The new route Bienerstisch (24) to its right is very good. And what of the lines going through the overlap left of Fox On A Hot Thin (Barnstormer etc)...? These things hardly ever see traffic!


Clancy

1-Sep-2005
9:34:09 AM

has anyone ever put together a "trench" ticklist for araps?


shaggy

1-Sep-2005
9:55:20 AM

Oh shite, clancy, don't get Wendy started, he he he!

Nottobetaken

1-Sep-2005
1:22:32 PM

I'll save Wendy the pain...
About 3 weeks ago – whilst still in the midst of a 3 month non-climbing session – I began to hallucinate…. and think of cracks. Not surprisingly the Return To Sender DVD had a lot to do with it (excellent Indian Creek footage). I have since taken some medicine and am back on the road to sanity – so I can safely say that the following ‘crack list’ (fingers/hands/body jamming whatever) can be donated to anyone that still suffers from this dreadful disease, (and here’s hoping that you get better!) Bring on the funky face routes I say…

The Keyhole (10)
Hope Variant Start (10)
Harlequin Cracks (10)
Eagle Cleft (11)
Red Parrot Chasm (11)
Salami (11)
Clymenstra Chimney (12)
Watchtower Chimney (12)
Ivan (12)
Kestrel (13)
Nero (14)
Necrophilliac (14)
Megalomaniac (14)
Lennox (15)
Bulger (15)
Watchtower Crack (16)
French Crack (16) – desperate!
Happy Ending (17)
Moby Dick (17)
Today (17)
St Peter (17)
Spellbinder (17)
Mari (17)
Scorpion Direct Start (17) – desperate!
Aardvark (18)
Siamese Crack (18)
Driftwood (18)
Beau Brummel (18)
Hyaena (18)
Gilt Edged (18)
Fang (18)
King Rat (18)
Claw (18)
Virginia (18)
Scorpion (18)
Cerebus (18)
The Rack (18)
Telemachus (19)
Morfydd (19)
Quo Vadis (19)
Cul De Sac (20)
Electric Warrior (20)
Thundercrack (20)
Christian Crack (20)
Five Fingered Mary (20)
Kingdom Come (20)
Wizard of Ice (20) – if you can climb this – then no point continuing with this list! You are a crack God.
Braindrops (21)
Trojan Top Pitch (21)
Straw Dogs (22)
Hellspite (22)
Glory Rodent (22)
Reaper (22)
Milk Blood (23)
Thansgiving Sunday (23)
Kryptonite Krack (23)
Kama Sutra (23)
Orestes (24) – probably easier than all the 23’s
Horrorscope (24)
Warmonger (24)
Die Loaded (24) – trench lovers delight
Life in the Fast Lane (24)
Paladin (24) – desperate!
Uncle Charlie’s Right (25)
Sonic Boom (25) (OK – so not a true crack)
I Can’t Breath (25)
Trojan (25)
The Undertaker (25)
Great Temptation (26)
Procul Harem (26)
Yesterday (26)
Denium (26)
Picking Winners (27) (you might have to do a bit of gardening first)
Fox On a Hot Thin Roof (27) - probably best to wear a gumboot for the finish
Slime Time (28) (seam)
Cobwebs (28) (only in because of the initial crack)
Project right of Cobwebs (33) – if you’ve done this list, then why not – it should be a piece of piss!


Clancy

1-Sep-2005
1:42:04 PM

just putting that together could take a while...let alone climbing it. though there are alot of climbs on that list that dont require thrutching...

There are 32 messages in this topic.