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VIC Buffalo Mackey's Lookout (General) (General) [ Mt Buffalo Guide | Images ]

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The Count of Mounting Crystals 203m 15

gfdonc

24-Jan-2011
10:57:30 AM

Another new route on Mackey's, this one perhaps cleaner and better protected than most.

The Count of Mounting Crystals ** 203m 15

Enjoyable slab climbing in a proud position high on Mackey’s. Pitch 1 is perhaps one of the best slab pitches at the grade at Buffalo, and pitch 3 pulls through a body-height overlap. 60m rope essential.

Start: most parties will approach this via the first 6 pitches of Good Luck and Good Management (and this might become the preferred finish to that route). When done this way, the combined route is 498m with pitches of 12,14,14,13,6,9,15,12,15,6.
It would also be possible to rap in, but you’d need to scramble down the top slab to find the last belay bolt (SS FH in a good stance), then rap 58m to the bushy ledge, then 40m to the DBB, then 60m to the base, and retrieve gear on the ascent.

1) 60m 15. As for GL&GM pitch 7, start up the slab, move right to the crack, up this (cams, take a Fr#4 for the highest possible placement) and up to the bolt (FH) on GLGM. Then straight up the clean white slab, passing 3 more FH’s, to a DBB on a small stance just as you run out of rope.

2) 45m 12. Straight up over a small overlap (pro), then up the grey slab to a FH, then straight up over another small overlap and into the bushy ledge. One FH (and many small trees) for belay.

3) 58m 15. Up the slab to the overlap (high FH). Pull through this on good holds and follow the lovely dyke up the slab above (occasional pro) to a single FH at a good stance just before you run out of rope.

4) 40m 6. Up easily to the top, or scramble off right.

FA: Steve Toal, Mei Ying Liew, Damien Heath. 22 January 2011. Bolted on lead.

Pic: Mei Ying Liew seconding pitch 1.

Superstu

24-Jan-2011
11:15:04 AM

Cool stuff, looks like you found the good clean rock!

mikllaw

24-Jan-2011
12:11:47 PM

looks like another awesome oxygenfest. Hope to get back down there soon.

gfdonc

24-Jan-2011
12:32:00 PM

Someone better confirm the grades, too. Slabs have only 3 grades, sketchy, non-sketchy or desperate. The transition between sketchy and non-sketchy varies.

gfdonc

25-Jan-2011
3:18:08 PM

I've posted a collection of the Mackey's Peak routes into an interim guide,
http://staff.data.com.au/stoal/Chockstone/mackeys.doc

Cam McKenzie

31-Jan-2011
8:54:39 AM

We did the coveted second ascent (maybe?) of this on Thursday evening, and can confirm that it's quite a good route. Of the 10 pitches only 2 are scrappy and they're not too bad in the scheme of things.

We started up the route at 4:30 on Thursday night and topped out around 8:30, including an hour detour getting lost on the fifth pitch, when I followed the chalk up some grade 20 face moves that disappeared into a sea of granite. Not sure who went this way, but they obviously retreated like I did as the chalk disappeared after 10 metres or so.

Great job on the retro bolt of Good Luck and Good Management by Steve. The bolts keep the route sane, but it's certainly no clip up. I think the most gear I got in a pitch was 5 pieces (and the pitch was 60m long). Great effort by Geoff and Grizz putting this thing up to start with. Would have been very bold with no bolts.

Wendy

31-Jan-2011
9:35:24 AM

On 31/01/2011 Cam McKenzie wrote:
>
>
>Great effort by Geoff and Grizz putting this thing up to start with. Would
>have been very bold with no bolts.

I was torn between being appalled at Geoff dragging Anthony into effectively simulsoloing and wonder at his ability to get Anthony to do that. I've been trying to cultivate that sort of aura where people don't dare say no to you ever since. I'm still failing.

Cam McKenzie

31-Jan-2011
9:44:20 AM

On 31/01/2011 Wendy wrote:
>
>I was torn between being appalled at Geoff dragging Anthony into effectively
>simulsoloing and wonder at his ability to get Anthony to do that. I've
>been trying to cultivate that sort of aura where people don't dare say
>no to you ever since. I'm still failing.

Never underestimate the power of old man strength.

jkane

1-Feb-2011
12:41:44 PM

Love the name Steve.

gfdonc

1-Feb-2011
5:09:53 PM

From Cam's recent ascent (they got lost a bit):
"The description for the approach is pretty vague. ". (Referring to GL&GM of course). Yep but it's hard because there really aren't any good landmarks down in the gully. If you get to a slab with a dyke running horizontally across it and a bunch of dead timber at the bottom, you're slightly too low - if it's not wet, go up the slab, traverse left across the dyke, through the bushes and you'll be about right.

The grade on the slabby bit might be 14 rather than 15, but run-out in places of course.
However they avoided the overlap on p3 so I don't have a confirmation of the grade, 15 is still probably about right.

When starting, for pitch 6 of Good Luck and Good Management, move right across the scrub and then up a bit to the base of the crack and until you can see a bolt above you. This is say 2m up from the ledge, and there's an alternative sloping stance about 2m up the slab. You'll need this if your rope is 58m long.

rolsen1

1-Feb-2011
8:13:45 PM

On 31/01/2011 Wendy wrote:
>snip
>I've been trying to cultivate that sort of aura where people don't dare say no to you ever since. I'm still failing.

I've been failing with this as well.

I'm currently teaching two friends to lead trad (have taught two others previously) and have been trying to make them lead things they don't want too (but could) and I've been failing. They just think I'm cracking the $hits with them. I need to find the secret as well.

IdratherbeclimbingM9

1-Feb-2011
8:57:39 PM

Hmm.

>teaching two friends to lead trad (snip)

~> If they have that reaction, then try putting the concept of 'sandbag' later in the syllabus!
Heh, heh, heh.

There are 12 messages in this topic.