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Crag & Route Beta

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Strangeness and Charm Video TR - Bungonia


nmonteith

20-May-2013
8:01:26 AM

This was an alzheimer ascent - I last did the route in 2000 and had very little memory of any of it! I actually backed off the last pitch this time as I was not at all happy with the lead bolt (rusty 5/16th inch carrot - fully threaded = 1/4inch bolt). I presume you go left at the bolt - I was a bit unsure and not willing to fall off. It's a bit amusing asking for beta for a route I have done previously! We heard some big rockfall a bit further upstream - you can hear it at one point in the video... wear helmets!


Big G

20-May-2013
11:38:04 AM

nice TR Neil. The face of your partner during the rockfall is priceless.

mikllaw

20-May-2013
5:46:17 PM

cold?
I've always wanted to do it, minus the walk out. I guess if I was fit I could finish up something on the north side haha.


Benjenga

20-May-2013
6:55:25 PM

Classic :)

Good to see the gorge has finally dried.

youngtuffdy

20-May-2013
7:52:32 PM

Backing off, you've changed Monty...next you'll be getting married :)

mellor

21-May-2013
8:50:38 AM

The last 3 pitches were bolted Sunday. The bolt you backed off on only took 2 hits with the hammer to snap and go sailing into the gorge. It was a very old Rawlplug. Now its a shinny new fat 12mm dyna, with the same easy run out. You step down after clipping that bolt move left then up the groove 8m? to some really good gear/thread, then another bolt, its not bad at all. The top chains have also moved up and right a little (5m) so you have a good ledge stance at the chain instead of a slab hang. Also better for the rap back down to the hole. So now clip the old anchor as last runner and move up the slab easily to new double chain. You still need one bolt plate on the 4th pitch, or small wire, or just sling the chicken head 1m below. Would be nice to remove the old chain in the hole belay for aesthetics but need an imperial size spanner or shifter...
Chris Warner

mellor

21-May-2013
9:02:10 AM

sorry I should say re-bolted...just replaced what was there


nmonteith

21-May-2013
10:10:12 AM

Wow - awesome! That's service!

There were three closely spaced new bolts up and left of pitch 2's belay. Any idea what they are for?

duploboy

3-Nov-2014
10:29:25 PM

My first time there just last Sunday.
Was also confused by the smorgasboard of bolts. All the shiny ones on pitch one had been chopped (and were completely unnecessary).

On the pitch 2 traverse they seemed mostly to REPLACE older ones. The Mike-Law Smith guide doesn't mention what was there, however.

The guide talks about 2 bolts on pitch three while now there are 3. I'm not complaining too much, because I'm a pussy but the first of these were next to some only *slightly* flared pockets that *should* take small cams. Is that how the FA was done?

And on pitch three there was a new hanger next to an old one, and another carrot in the middle of it all. Is the intention to remove the older ones to avoid a
carrot patch?' Again, I clipped everything I could, but I felt cheap afterwards. It seems a bit jarring with the scale and reputation of the place. At the same time I'm glad I got to be up there for some stellar climbing.

Ethical minefield. As you can see I don't judge strongly but I'm curious as to the history behind the original bolting, additional bolting and chopping.

One Day Hero

4-Nov-2014
1:16:41 AM

On 3/11/2014 duploboy wrote:
>On the pitch 2 traverse they seemed mostly to REPLACE older ones. The
>Mike-Law Smith guide doesn't mention what was there, however.

Yes, the bolts on the second pitch are one for one.

>The guide talks about 2 bolts on pitch three while now there are 3

That extra bolt was there in the 90s, different to the others, so probably not an original.

>And on pitch three there was a new hanger next to an old one, and another
>carrot in the middle of it all.

Pulling old bolts and patching the holes is lots of work, someone will get around to it eventually.

>Is the intention to remove the older ones
>to avoid a
>carrot patch?

That would be sweet, how about you do it?

>Ethical minefield. As you can see I don't judge strongly but I'm curious
>as to the history behind the original bolting, additional bolting and chopping.

Who really cares? It's mostly just a problem of the physical work required to get stuff done down there. The old bolts need to be pulled and the holes patched, eventually one of the six people who actually do work in the gorge will get it sorted.

duploboy

4-Nov-2014
10:16:31 AM

Deep breaths, Damian.

Was deliberately asking a question out of naivete/curiosity, and not having a go at anyone's work.


nmonteith

4-Nov-2014
11:28:50 AM

I still think whoever was involved in retrobolting then debolting the first pitch should go and clean up their mess. Patch the holes!!

duploboy

4-Nov-2014
12:50:18 PM

Thanks for the info both of you- i was just interested in the 'history' of the development. (how was it climbed originally, what bolts are additional and appreciated, what's legitimately chopped)

Never heard a case of retro-repentance before!
We (wrongly) assumed it was the result of another stoush between you guys... :-)


pmonks

4-Nov-2014
2:43:58 PM

FWIW I did the first two pitches in the late 90s - no bolts on the first pitch (until the belay - don't remember what was there though), and the second pitch had 2 old bolts, some nut / hex placements and a double bolt hanging belay with (if I'm remembering correctly) a chain.

[edit] I stand corrected - according to my notes the 2nd belay was 2 bolts each with a chain, and a fixed hanger.


nmonteith

4-Nov-2014
3:45:55 PM

On 4/11/2014 duploboy wrote:
>We (wrongly) assumed it was the result of another stoush between you guys...

That's all a media beat-up!

timbigot

4-Nov-2014
9:07:18 PM

Cheers for re opening this thread I didn't catch it the first time round. I didn't climb Strangeness but followed John Fantini up Siblings (until the crux pitch) so he could clean Overture prior to leading it. A very intimidating place the gorge, even with Fantini telling you it was fine and you should stop climbing so slow. A cool little video. Vaguely on this topic does anybody know a fella called Steve(can't remember his last name) who used to climb round canberra in the mid 90's, I think partnered John F on Overture. Maybe he is a Chocky?

duploboy

5-Nov-2014
10:35:11 AM

Hah- yeah Neil I thought the comment about 'that autistic bolt fairy' was a bit harsh too. :-)

As an average punter I appreciate (in most cases) the hard work you lot do to equip nice pieces or rock (and in some cases unequip it!)

Estey

5-Nov-2014
1:00:39 PM

On 4/11/2014 timbigot wrote:
>. Vaguely on this
>topic does anybody know a fella called Steve(can't remember his last name)
>who used to climb round canberra in the mid 90's, I think partnered John
>F on Overture. Maybe he is a Chocky?

Steve Fitchett? I think he moves in endurance sport circles now and is unlikely to lurk on chocky. PM me if you want to contact him.

timbigot

5-Nov-2014
8:05:22 PM

Yep I reckon thats the man, lovely bloke always super fit then aswell.

One Day Hero

5-Nov-2014
10:59:18 PM

On 5/11/2014 timbigot wrote:
>Yep I reckon thats the man, lovely bloke always super fit then aswell.
>
Yeah, Steve Fitchett is who you're thinking of. Not sure if he's still in the area, he got out of climbing in the late 90's to early 2000's.

There are 21 messages in this topic.