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Chockstone Forum - Crag & Route Beta

Crag & Route Beta

 Page 1 of 2. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 23
Area Location Sub Location Crag Links
VIC Southwest You Yangs (General) (General) [ You Yangs Guide | Images ] 

Author
Is the You Yangs really that bad....

ado_m
22-May-2007
5:01:13 PM
Thinking of heading out to the You Yangs for an afternoon, but Neil Monteith's scathing criticism is putting me off...we will not be climbing anything super hard ie. mostly in the 13-17 range. Any thoughts?

Have been to the other crags in the area (Werribbe gorge, Mt Alex, Mt Macedon), hence the curiosity for something new.

audtracol
22-May-2007
5:07:06 PM
I thinks it's worth at least one trip, then you can make up your own mind. i don't mind going out there for a day trip occasionally. All those slabs wreck your shoes though!!!!

billk
22-May-2007
5:25:33 PM
On 22/05/2007 ado_m wrote:
>Thinking of heading out to the You Yangs for an afternoon, but Neil Monteith's
>scathing criticism is putting me off...we will not be climbing anything
>super hard ie. mostly in the 13-17 range. Any thoughts?
>
The You Yangs do have the virtue of being less than an hour's drive from Melbourne so you can go for just an afternoon.

Gravelpit Tor and Nightfall Pinnacles are two of the better areas and have a range of climbs in the grades you suggested. Just don't expect anything too marvellous.

Werribee Gorge is worse than the You Yangs IMHO.

Black Hill, Mt Alexander and Mt Beckworth are all nicer as far as cheesegrater granite goes.

AZ.Steve
22-May-2007
5:29:05 PM
The Youies are...Um ....uh..... There.
I've had fun days there and Shithouse days. but for the most part I've thought it was crap. Go to CattleStop Crag or the Northern Group for the pick of the bunch.
But why would you go to any other crag when you've got the worlds best cliff, Werribe Gorge at your doorstep. It's only an hour drive and a 45 minute walk away and there are two Great routes there. Both bolted!
Bring a bike to the Youies.
leniens
22-May-2007
5:36:39 PM
I quite like the You Yangs because they are close and I like slab climbing.
If it is not a Sunday, I would start at Big Rock to do some slabs.
Last weekend I"ve been to Figleaf slab, quite nice 10 (3 star), a nice 12 and 14, also a 18 and two quite nice 20's

But also some other spot are quite nice..., I like it there

muki
22-May-2007
6:15:15 PM
You yangs is way better than the choss pitt they call werribe gorge, it's got atmosphere, long climbs,
cracks, slabs, faces, trad, sport, lots of different areas to choose from, and a great picnic spot up at Big
Rock, so mates/family and non climbers can have a nice trip out as well, check it out, it's worth it!

D.Lodge
22-May-2007
6:41:32 PM
Live in Geelong and have climbed at the youies a fair bit. Really like the technical aspect of the climbs, your footwork and balance will get better there.There are great routes at almost every crag and ther are a lot of crags so you cant really go wrong. Claen your shoes toughen your tips and turn on your mind Have a good one
dalai
22-May-2007
8:02:48 PM
I guess the basis of Neil's comments is that much of the climbing is very similar - shorter slab plodding on some of the less user friendly granite you may have the misfortune to come across (picture a huge pile of bonded, broken car window glass to get an idea of the huge quartz crystals that comprise of the rock there).

But I love it ;-)

It's close to Melbourne...

Travelling through Little River* you get to see the ship under construction thats sitting in a front yard looking much like it did over 15 years ago...

It has short enough walk ins -used to be even shorter till the parks decided to block off the one way rally tracks around Flinders Peak...

It's in a rain shadow and was one of the few available local Winter spots pre gyms where you could still go even if the weather looked iffy. I have been there huddled in a cave during a hail storm and back climbing in an hour after it has stopped also because of the course nature of the rock and that there is little run off from the granite domes. Though Urinal Wall is a very popular spot which is a major exception to this rule and is over rated anyway...

It has enough esoteric little spots which you will for the most part get to enjoy by yourself with some nice little gems amongst the vast amount of rock out there. And it also has a good little mix of bouldering spots and problems that pick some of the better rock out there.

Really you have nothing to loose, just head out for a day. It's better than battling the rabble and rubble at Werribee... You never know, you may actually enjoy it too?

*Post edited to correct the town that the ship is located in

MisterGribble
22-May-2007
9:59:12 PM
The rock at the Youies is very coarse so an afternoon of crimping will leave you with sore tips and sore toes. As regards where to go, there are some great climbs there but they are scattered about, so with the exception of the best 3 crags (Gravel Pit Tor, Big Rock and the North Western Outcrop,) you probably wouldn't stay at the same crag for more than a couple of routes.
Agree with Dalais comment about Urinal Walls, no idea why the routes there get stars, they are all fairly ordinary. (also, hate to be pedantic, but the ship is in a front yard in Little River, not Lara.....unless there's 2!)
Black Hill, particularly round Milawa (17) is much better quality rock (finer grained), well bolted and you can do lattes in Malmesbury when you get red tips. Winter is 3 months long, why not go to both!
dalai
22-May-2007
10:26:17 PM
On 22/05/2007 MisterGribble wrote:
>also, hate to be pedantic, but the ship is in a front yard in Little River, not Lara.....unless there's 2!

There could be only the one rusting hulk - my mistake. Both towns do start with L...

I guess with the rain we are finally seeing, if he starts loading animals up in pairs it might be time to get worried. ;-)

Actually thinking more on this, it is very convenient he is building it so far from the water but very close as the crow flies to Werribee Park Zoo!

ado_m
23-May-2007
10:13:25 AM
Thanks very much for all the advice, will be heading there on Sunday to check it out...
fish boy
23-May-2007
10:40:17 AM
There is a duathalon there mate on Sunday...lot's of people
Dave C
23-May-2007
1:07:55 PM
On 22/05/2007 dalai wrote:
>On 22/05/2007 MisterGribble wrote:

>There could be only the one rusting hulk - my mistake. Both towns do start
>with L...

Actually, there is a second 'rusting hulk' in Lara but fortunately I'm really not offended by the term.


red
23-May-2007
2:15:59 PM
Climbing at the youies is like wanking with a cheese grater - slightly amusing but mostly painful!

westie
23-May-2007
5:04:20 PM
On 23/05/2007 red wrote:
is like wanking with a cheese grater

mate you need to think about your implements a bit more - or try your left hand.

westie
23-May-2007
5:06:47 PM
Hey,

at those grades try the Urinal (pretty short routes though) or Flinders slabs. I went there a couple of weeks ago with two others and we ripped it up. Its still only small slabs thought but makes a nice change. Better access in most parts than Werribee Gorge.

MisterGribble
23-May-2007
9:59:47 PM
>There could be only the one rusting hulk - my mistake. Both towns do start
>with L...
>
>I guess with the rain we are finally seeing, if he starts loading animals
>up in pairs it might be time to get worried. ;-)

Next time you drive up to Sydney, check out Holbrook, about an hour north of Albury. There's a submarine in the middle of town!
Maybe the residents of these places are taking Al Gores warning of a 30 foot rise in sea levels seriously!
dalai
24-May-2007
9:52:03 AM
On 23/05/2007 MisterGribble wrote:
>Next time you drive up to Sydney, check out Holbrook

LOL ;-) In front of the sub is my standard stop on the exciting drive north where I usually pop the top on the Kombi, put an espresso on the stove and stretch the legs...

All just because the town prior to WW1 was Germanton and the locals thought it inappropriate. They changed the name to Holbrook after Lt. Norman Holbrook's name hit world headlines for the most daring underwater raid in the war by making a hazardous journey through the Dardanells to torpedo and sink the Turkish battleship Messoudich.
gfdonc
24-May-2007
10:07:52 AM
Westauwant wall is nicer than Urinal Wall imho .. gets lovely sun this time of year too.

ado_m
24-May-2007
5:13:24 PM
Whilst you guys are helping me out, any idea where I get a rough topo of the area which shoes where the different crags are located. I've got the mini guide lurking around somewhere, but i don't think that has anything useful in it. A bit reluctant to purchase the SE guide.

 Page 1 of 2. Messages 1 to 20 | 21 to 23
There are 23 messages in this topic.

 

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