Chockstone Forum

      Sponsored By
      ROCK
   HARDWARE

Chockstone Photography

Australian Landscape Prints

Chockstone Forum - Crag & Route Beta

Crag & Route Beta

Area Location Sub Location Crag Links

All QLD (General) (General) (General)

Author

Weipa, FNQ

andi nismo

22-Feb-2007
11:32:35 AM

Hi all, might be moving to Weipa on the Cape York Peninsula. Anyone know of any climbing/bouldering in the top half of the Peninsula? Any info would be greatly appreciated.

ant

22-Feb-2007
11:37:58 AM

Shouldn't you be asking questions about Weipa and the Cape on a barramundi fishing forum?

andi nismo

22-Feb-2007
12:24:47 PM

How many Barra fisherpersons do you know who are into climbing? Though I will be partaking in a spot of it myself. I know know I'm asking a lot to hope there's any type of climbing up there, what about buildering (god, I must be desparate!)

ant

22-Feb-2007
2:32:06 PM

On 22/02/2007 andi nismo wrote:
>How many Barra fisherpersons do you know who are into climbing?

None unfortunately. I have spent a bit of time on the other side of the Gulf in Groote and Gove. Not many people to climb with other there either. There is however alot of small rock outcrops, and particularily granite tors. Some of it was OK to boulder. The bauxite outcrops around Gove were higher, but really crumbly.

As you can escape from Weipa with a decent 4WD, and access coastal areas with a boat, it wouldn't hurt to ask the locals. They probably wont know the difference between choss & decent rock, but it is a start.

Are you going to work for Comalco? Ask for a window seat when you fly over to look at the place.

Superstu

22-Feb-2007
9:15:42 PM

On the east coast of the peninsula I have seen outcrops of granite with possibilities. A beach close to Cooktown has large outcrops with potential, also further north at Cape Melville. Cooktown is fairly accessible, Cape Melville is serious 4WD with long distances.

Greg Child once wrote an article for the US mag "Climbing" about some crags in Quinkin Country, which is in the middle of the cape. I've got a photocopy of the article lying around at home buried somewhere but I'm sure you could track it down again. When I emailed the editors asking about the article they faxed it to me!

There are climbers in Townsville and Cairns who might know something...

Paul Caffyn's book about his epic sea kayaking circumnavifation of Oz described the west coast of the cape as so incredibly flat, muddy and tedious that two blokes attempting to repeat the circumnavigation skipped the whole gulf with a 10 day epic sea crossing!!! Definitely develop a taste for barramundi me thinks...

Here is cape melville...

ithomas

23-Feb-2007
9:32:44 AM

Weipa is about 4m above sea-level. Most of the Cape is below 100m. Better to fly down to Townsville for a few days on Mt Stuart! The rock outcrops described by Greg Child are in fact pretty extensive. They are however EXTREMELY significant to the local indigenous communities.Besides the significance to local people, the caves and shelters contain cultural materials and artworks which are internationally significant and PROTECTED BY LAW. It would be foolish and insensitive to try climbing without asking permission. If you approached a council with some tact you may get permission, but probably not. Outcrops on private/leased land may offer some promise but the above warning concerning cultural significance and protective legislation still apply. The following is a list of the main councils Aurukun; Bamaga; Doomadgee; Hope Vale; Injioo; Kowanyama; Lockhart River; Mapoon; Mornington Island; New Mapoon; Pormpuraaw; Torres; Umagico; Weipa; Wujal Wujal: all of these are run by Aboriginal people and each represents dozens more tribal and clan groups within which are individual traditional owners and custodians of particular places.

jimfalla

23-Feb-2007
9:52:16 AM

Poor climbing weather aside, the Eastern side of the Northern Cape has some fantastic possibilities for the adventurous.

Cape Melville as shown in the photo above (shows the tiny tiny bit) is gob smacking in the extreem. A bit like Black Mountain (the Mountain of Certain Death, near Cooktown) but many times bigger, Melville is a tropical paradise with fox tailed palms and piled up featured granite boulders. Most bouldering here will be very dangerous as langings tend to be bottomless pits...(full of huge pythons) However 'adventure scrambling' is unsurpassed, demanding and exhausting. Not for the faint hearted and help is a LONG way away if you end up rattling down into the bowls of the mountain. Certainly the best I have ever done.

Cape Direction has lovely featured orange granite boulders and has a few little problems done by some keen sea kayakers in the 90 s. I do not know how or if it is accessible other than by boat, and it is on Aboriginal land. (isn't it all).

Noble Island, just south of Cape Melville, is made up of the most intricate and geologically interesting swirl of minerals I've ever seen. Just a little bit crumbly but solid enough for some real out there adventure. The peak of the island is about 150 m on an area of about 5 ha, set on an inner reef, maybe 10 km off shore. The East face of the island approaches vertical straight out of the coral trout and is most likely unclimbed. (it would need ropes and grimpons). The South ridge is the 'easy' access to the summit and has had ascents by many crusty prawn fishers and paddlers homesick for araps. The Western face is a bit like the Atridae at Araps (to my eyes anyway) and was soloed at about grade 10 - 15 in the 'obvious' (to his eyes anyway) line by Jon Muir in the 1990s. It's a great Island. (possibly the best in the world)

The Flinders Group of islands in Bathurst/Princess Charlotte Bay has heaps of sea cliffs for you to explore (especially Stanley Island, the southern one, if my memory is not decieved...)

I am sure there are heaps of other outcrops to be checked out up there and to my mind the tropical heat etc. will beat off most sporty types and keep the adventure as it was meant to be.

Don't expect to find the new Fountainbleu (but maybe you will...), get yourself a boat (how could you not ) and a shot gut and have a good time.
(and can I come too??)

climberman

23-Feb-2007
7:36:07 PM

Andy,

Buy a 14' tinny, and get an 8 weight, 10 eight and a 12 weight and start heaving flies to Queenies, barra, GT, Goldens, longtails and Snubbies.

From a climbing angler (yet to land a barra).

Wading is for croc berly.

There are 8 messages in this topic.