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Crag & Route Beta

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All NSW (General) (General) (General)

Author

Retro-bolted Pox, Rosa Gully, Seacliffs

mikllaw

5-Jan-2014
9:00:58 PM

Rosa Gully isn't very popular, but there is one decent easy route there, Pox, a trad 17 I put up in 1979 or so. The FA was interesting, it was my friend Gary's first lead, I think I climbed up and got gear on the first ledge and then he led through, We went a few meters right to get through the bulge then traversed back left 5m and belayed on the next ledge. The gear was ok but it was very wandery. I led the top pitch which was was on grey crumbly rock and wasn't too flash.

Anyway, while doing The Last Wave, I looked across and thought it might make a good route if it were straightened out. I rapped down it thinking it might still be an ok trad route with maybe a bolt or two added, but was quickly disabused of that notion.

It now is a sport route that has the same start then goes easily through the roof and up flakes and cracks. Where the rock gets unpleasant (and the handjam crack through the final roof is full of prickly pear cactus) there's a loweroff.

The grade has drifted up to 18, but it's quite a pleasant route.

sbm

5-Jan-2014
9:44:36 PM

Awesome, I'll get out there soon and do this one as well!

Other routes I've been thinking about with an eye to clean/rebolt are Violet Town over at Diamond Bay (still on carrots?), and Posturing off of the Rosa Gully ledge, which sounds like it goes through some cool territory (the little group of corners and aretes up high above the ladder?).

mikllaw

6-Jan-2014
5:57:56 AM

Violet town, What'll the neighbours think, Ordeal by Fur, and Moore are all on carrots and could be replaced.
Posturering is not too hard, good positions (just scary and runout). Both it and Obscurity could have a few bolts and belays added to keep them as good trad routes.

I think there could be a good leftwards finish to Obscurity too, to avoid the crazy flake of cheese, it goes up the right side of the cheezy pancake.

sbm

6-Jan-2014
8:58:14 PM

And done. I thought the rock was good for the sea cliffs, great climbing! James broke a smaller foothold but held on.

Gary's first lead, seriously? ( "was it also his last?") Stone. Cold. Badass. If I ever meet him I owe him a beer and also he can talk about the good old days for as long as he wants. You could probably get good passive gear in parts, but definitely a lot of sketchiness.

sbm

6-Jan-2014
11:28:28 PM

More pics from my phone.

James descends the gully of scunge, trash, stormwater and disease.

And a car or two

A bit nicer down by the seaside

Looks like Mikl's extensive cleaning work

What's this, sport mode set to "european"

An extremely crappy photo of the route

Silhouette

The flake of "A Certain Flair"? Moments after I took this I got drenched by a wave, the phone was ok though! Never turn your back on the ocean...unless you're belaying I guess

mikllaw

7-Jan-2014
10:00:17 AM

It originally went a long way right and traversed back to belay on the second ledge. Oddly enuff, the old Sun, sea, and sandstone guide said follow the crack past lots of decaying gear. But no gear and no crack

mikllaw

7-Jan-2014
11:23:54 AM

A certain flare is further right
Just right of pitch 1 of Obscurity (dotted line)

sbm

7-Jan-2014
1:27:12 PM

Also remember Dave Goldie's photo from his repeat of Obscurity. Much respect.

I actually met Dave at Adventure Time, when you did your talk on the sea cliffs.

pmonks

8-Jan-2014
2:46:49 AM

On 7/01/2014 mikllaw wrote:
>Oddly enuff, the old Sun, sea, and sandstone guide said follow
>the crack past lots of decaying gear. But no gear and no crack

Don't trust that guide - the editor is a [redacted by Chockstone thought police].

I don't recall updating that route from what was in your 1991 Rock guide, Mikl. I did walk all around down there taking notes, and climbed a fair bit at Diamond Bay, but I didn't ever muster the courage to do any of the routes in Rosa Gully.

mikllaw

8-Jan-2014
5:51:59 AM

in that case you must have copied from one of my works of fiction. . The entire wall on the north side seems to have been wet since last century and is covered with corrosion product. The south wall is dry and ok rock.

mikllaw

14-Jan-2014
10:00:37 AM

Here's an old and blured shot of Obscurity. From the ledge you jump out to the lip and slam in some cams, give yourself CPR, and ooze up the corner.

Jeff is currently retrobolting Jurds on Toast, which 'might' be a lot harder than 15, but looks like a good 40m pitch on good rock.

sbm

14-Jan-2014
10:36:41 AM

On 14/01/2014 mikllaw wrote:
>Here's an old and blured shot of Obscurity. From the ledge you jump out
>to the lip and slam in some cams, give yourself CPR, and ooze up the corner.

Obscurity or Posturing?
>
>Jeff is currently retrobolting Jurds on Toast, which 'might' be a lot
>harder than 15, but looks like a good 40m pitch on good rock.

Ah, gotta get down there and sort out the lines I want to climb on the south wall before it all gets done!

mikllaw

14-Jan-2014
1:38:02 PM

sorry, posturing

sbm

15-Jan-2014
8:08:21 AM

>Ah, gotta get down there and sort out the lines I want to climb on the
>south wall before it all gets done!

Haha wasn't this prescient...bit of a shock to rap down a line with drill in hand, only to realise halfway down it already has bolts in it! Well done Mike.

mikllaw

15-Jan-2014
8:18:40 AM

sorry
there's a good harder thing about 5m L of Jurds on Toast, and a good DS to matts Climb

sbm

15-Jan-2014
10:52:26 AM

On 15/01/2014 mikllaw wrote:
>sorry

No worries, it's the funniest thing thats happened all week."All in the game yo, all in the game" as they say.

I mean there are kilometers of barely developed sandy choss that few people in Sydney want to touch.

There are 16 messages in this topic.