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VIC Grampians Halls Gap (General) (General) [ Grampians Guide | Images ]

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Blazed Rock

James

24-Jun-2004
6:06:47 PM

Has anyone been here?? Blazed Rock is the big obvious orange crag on the left when driving from Ararat to Halls Gap. Its about 10km's or so before Halls Gap.

We tried to find a few weeks ago, following the discription in the Tempest/Baxter Selected Victoria guide. The directions were straight forward.... from the parking spot its apparently a very short walk (10mins up the hill), but the complicating factor was awesome Victorian weather.... it was raining & visibility was less than 50m through the cloud.... after stumbling round in the rain & cloud for 40mins we gave up.

Are any routes written up anywhere else?? There are only 4 or 5 in the guide mentioned, but the sound good & the cag would be a closer option for a day trip....

any info would be appreciated.

WM

24-Jun-2004
6:28:05 PM

I think Baxter's South East gramps guide has info for that area (edit: no it doesn't!). The 'obvious' orange cliff (just N of Pomonal) I vaguely remember being called Tunnel crag or something cause its at the end of Tunnel Road? Its not all that big though.

I like your thinking daytrip-wise

nmonteith

24-Jun-2004
6:33:57 PM

Blazed Rock is at the end of Tunnel Road.

jh

25-Jun-2004
9:00:14 AM

Sounds like you were at the right parking spot, follow the walking track up and south for approx 5-10 min. You should come across a small track (rock steps) on your right leading about 50-100m to base of cliff, can't miss it.

Climbing is limited, but good quality rock and climbs make it worth while.

Try
Gnome 17
Thunderbirds are Go 21

PS Full description in Baxters South- East Gramps Guide or VCC South-East update (download from website) guide/ Note the access notes are no longer correct, due to new walking track which starts from Historical Pump House and Carpark

nmonteith

25-Jun-2004
10:26:25 AM

Maybe i am blind - but i tried for the third time last night to find the description for this crag in Baxters SE Gramps guide. I could not find it. It certainly isn't on the map of crags on the front and back pages.

BA

25-Jun-2004
11:25:24 AM

Baxter's SE Gramps guide stopped at the Barbican line of cliffs, the cliffs further north were described in the VCC Wonderland Guide (out of print). Two climbs only are in the Baxter/Tempest selected guide to Victoria. They were not covered in Baxter's Wonderland Range guide 'cause they are in the Mount William Range. Because of that they were reprinted in the SE Grampians Update that appeared with the Feb 2001 issue of Argus and is available as a free download from the VCC website.

WM

25-Jun-2004
11:54:00 AM

Thanks BA.
Neil you're right its not in Baxters SE gramps guide, I checked last night too (and edited my previous post)

the online PDF update is at http://www.vicclimb.org.au/media/pdf/updates/se_gramp_1.pdf

jh

25-Jun-2004
11:59:42 AM

Sorry, it is in the
'New Climbs in the South-Eastern Grampians' A Rock Guide by Chris Baxter

nmonteith

25-Jun-2004
12:42:57 PM

ahhhh JH - i knew i had read them in a proper guide somewhere! I will dig up that un-used guide tonight.

James

25-Jun-2004
5:41:17 PM

cheers Bill & co - we definitely were in the correct spot & probably walked 300+m up the hill. We must have missed the crag due the cloud ... I wasn't exaggerating the lack visibility - it was a truely crap day!!

A side point, there is also a very new big huge blazed track, just above & parallel (ie moving up & across the hill, south?) to the established track. Not sure what its purpose is, but it was an eyesore due to star pickets & fluro paint all over the place.

nmonteith

20-Jul-2004
4:12:42 PM

Kent and I spent the last moments of daylight on sunday at Blazed Rock. The crag is small but very nice. Compact, with a look and feel much like Black Ians Rock or Major Mitchell Gully Leftside. The rock is bulging orange of the absolute best quality. I attempted the three star splitter crack of the Grim Reaper (19) which felt completly desperate for the grade. It looks like it should be grade 22+ and it dosn't climb much easier - and i am not your typical gym bunny. Tempest and his crew must have been in fine form when they ticked this one off in the mid 70's. The walkin is very cruisy - 10 minutes of flat formed path with big steps. This cliff gets a lot of walker traffic by the looks of thing. Well worth the visit!

mousey

20-Jul-2004
8:59:13 PM

>it was a truely crap day!!

crap weather? in victoria? noooo wayyy!!!
(im just jealous because i lived in vic for 7 years but ive never been to araps/gramps)

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