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

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The Preying Priest 290m 15, Mackeys Slabs, Buffalo

Superstu

30-Jan-2011
8:08:55 PM

This route takes the prominent large slab at the far left of Mackey's Lookout Slabs (as seen from the road below). The climbing is good but the access is not.

Follow the walking track along the top past Mackey's Lookout, past the Stiletto Slab cairn, cross the creek and continue to the eastern most point (where the track swings back and passes behind a boulder). Bash down ridge for about 40 minutes until you come to the top of the slabs, then continue down the right side (facing out) to the base of the slabs (about another hour). The first pitch is on a lower slab just below the larger expanse.

1. 50m (15) Start is marked with a purple ribbon tied to a shrub. Good luck finding it!
Up centre of slab past floating flake at 15m (2" cam below, nut above) then run it out (30m), to top of slabs and belay in bushes.
Bash a further 15m through scrub and up chimney (grade 4), to wooded ledge. You are now beneath the main big slab.

2. 60m (15) Restart at hole 15m L of cave.
Classic slabbing straight up to dyke (no pro), then up easily to L-leading trench. Belay on chockstone (body belay).

3. 55m (9) Up following L-leading line (good pro), then at 30m follow stylish R-leading dyke across the slab to belay at bushes above short overlap. Big dropoff on R.

4. 65m (11) Up thin seam 3m L of bushy line, then follow huge dyke upwards (L of distinct water runnel), to belay at flake below headwall.

5. 45m (9) R and up easily (no pro) to belay in trees at top.
Bash up and R to track.

Stu Dobbie, Rod Kerr (alt leads) 29-01-11

Miguel75

30-Jan-2011
8:55:43 PM

Excellent work Superstu and co. It sounds like fun. We looked over towards TPP when climbing Stiletto and wondered.. Fun name too.

IdratherbeclimbingM9

1-Feb-2011
9:04:14 PM

Photos or it didn't happen!
Heh, heh, heh.

Climbau

1-Feb-2011
9:32:38 PM

Nice work fellas.

IdratherbeclimbingM9

25-Mar-2011
12:41:34 PM

Stu sent me his photos (thanks again Stu), that although won't win a photo competition, give potential repeat ascentionists an idea of what is involved on TPP.
~> So I shall post them in a remake of the route description for clarity...

This route takes the prominent large slab at the far left of Mackey's Lookout Slabs (as seen from the road below). The climbing is good but the access is not.

Follow the walking track along the top past Mackey's Lookout, past the Stiletto Slab cairn, cross the creek and continue to the eastern most point (where the track swings back and passes behind a boulder). Bash down ridge for about 40 minutes until you come to the top of the slabs, then continue down the right side (facing out) to the base of the slabs (about another hour). The first pitch is on a lower slab just below the larger expanse.

1. 50m (15) Start is marked with a purple ribbon tied to a shrub. Good luck finding it!
Up centre of slab past floating flake at 15m (2 cam below, nut above) then run it out (30m), to top of slab and belay in bushes.

Quote for the pitch on the day we did it...
“This rock is hot!”, said by Stu as he bicycles his feet to pad upwards!

Bash a further 15m through scrub and up chimney (grade 4), to wooded ledge. You are now beneath the main (continuous), big slab.

Stu with fantastic snakedyke-fisheye feature at ‘restart’.

Looking in the opposite direction with a white cave feature in the background. There is a creek bed/gully in there, so it is actually bigger than it looks.

2. 60m (15) Start at hole 15m L of cave.
Classic slabbing straight up to dyke (no pro), then up easily to L-leading trench. Belay on chockstone (body belay).

“Blerrie heck, you’re not wrong Stu, this rock is hot, he says while blowing air on his fingertips to cool them!”
Nah. Am actually taking a rehydration sip from the camelback!!

~> It is actually a little steeper than it at first appears!
(Detail from within last photo; heh, heh, heh).

3. 55m (9) Up following L-leading line (good pro), then at 30m follow stylish R-leading dyke across the slab to belay at bushes above short overlap. Big dropoff on R.

View looking back down P3 from its top belay.

4. 65m (11) Up thin seam 3m L of bushy line, then follow huge dyke upwards (L of distinct water runnel), to belay at flake below headwall.

Looking up the fantastic major dyke/water-runnel feature from half way up P4, to belay point at base of final ‘headwall’.

5. 45m (9) R and up easily (no pro) to belay in trees at top.
Bash up and R to track.

The start/end (departure from hairpin on Big Walk Track), of burrowing through bush, with a rack twice the size of what was needed!

Stu Dobbie, Rod Kerr (alt leads) 29-1-11

Now that it is a cooler time of year, this route, enjoyable as it was for us, would be even more pleasant!

Pat

26-Mar-2011
12:02:00 PM

Sounds like it needs a pretty small rack. Any pointers about what/what not to bring?

Superstu

26-Mar-2011
12:37:20 PM

> Any pointers about what to bring?

A bulldozer.

IdratherbeclimbingM9

27-Mar-2011
10:05:37 PM

>> Any pointers about what to bring?
>
>A bulldozer.

Failing that, a limited selection of small to mid size gear, and some slings, wouldn't go astray!

There are 8 messages in this topic.