Blog from March, 2012

Hi folks,

I've been in tas since Feb working on the Tasman Peninsular 8 days on 6 days off. I'm free to hike and climb six days a fortnight. Looking for a climbing buddy for the days off.

I've got a car, a rack and a couple of ropes. Happy to climb sport, trad, or even top rope. Mt Wellington, Tasman Peninuslar, Frenchman's or anywhere else on my days off. I really only lead to about grade 17 at the moment but will grovel up on second if need be.

Send me an email or call on 0401780339 if you're interested. I might not have reception where I'm working.

Cheers,

Cam

Hi, I was climbing at Hillwood on the weekend (25/3/2012) and I think I might have left my climbing shoes somewhere there, they may be in the carpark. Yellow Scarpa's, if anyone has any info it would be much appreciated.

Did you leave some gear on the anchors of one of the routes at Waterworks recently? If so, give me your contact details so I can arrange to get it to you.

Cheers

Doug

Proctors Road Quarry will be open this Tuesday 27th 1700-2030

The catch is due to public liability you will need to be a member of the Tas Uni Climbing Club to be covered by their insurance.

You can sign up on the night, it is $40 for non uni students (bring cash)

It's not a bad place to climb, something different is always good :)

Guide is here http://www.thesarvo.com/confluence/display/thesarvo/Proctors+Road+Quarry

Hopefully cya there

Jed

Oh, Umm, oops. This is a singles site, isn't it?! But seriously, I'm planning a trip down hemisphere this Fall (or your Spring), November, and really don't know what I've gotten myself into :) Any help in the way of direction and partnering would be great! Is it easy to find people to climb with? Do I need a car? Thanks ahead of time!

Ryan

Saw some interesting activity on Cape Raoul  on Tuesday.  We were minding our own business, sailing passed the Cape, when we realised that one of the pillars was inhabited.

Anybody know who they are?

I have been doing quite a bit of bouldering in the Gorge lately - adding a fair number of problems as well as repeating many that have already been done. As most of what I feel to be the best problems aren't currently in the guide, I've decide to update it and in the process do a bit of an overhaul to make all the styles and images consistent, ect. I've currently only updated the Sunny Side, but will continue to update the other areas over the next few weeks as I have time. If, when perusing the updated version, you find I've downgraded and changed the name or completely omitted your super-sick-project, I apologise in advance and feel free to change/add it back. Additionally, if your out bouldering and think my grading is off and you've got a good idea what you think the proper grade should be, feel free to change that too. Its usually just me out by myself doing these problems and I have a hard time anyway assessing difficulty in the easier grade range.  When I'm finished with the update I also intend to post some video of the best problems, both to provide beta and to give a feel for the type of climbs to be had. Hopefully it will be utilized in the future.

Three points for folks climbing at Hillwood:

• Although the climbers who opened so many of the routes at Hillwood did a brilliant job setting up Tasmania's premier and unique sport climbing area (most notably, Gerry Narkowicz, Mark Rewi and Norm Selby), some of the anchors could have been better realised. Quite a number consist of bolt hangers, each with a shackle added which tend to twist ropes badly when retrieved after doing your climb. There are now improvements to three sets of these sorts of anchors above the Chessboard, with the addition of chains to the shackles. They are on:
  • Revelation Six Sixteen
  • Ligament Laxity
  • Arse About Face/Nothing Left to Give. NB: one of the shackles on this anchor set-up is adequate, but would be better were it replaced with a larger one. Also, it would be good to take a bolt-cutter and remove one link from one of the chains so that they are equalised.
• Nothing Left to Give (19) has four bolts. The first is a bolt + hanger set-up, the following three are carrots. I found that I couldn't get a RP hanger on the second one, and the first one was very difficult to get a hanger on. If you want to do this route I suggest you either use hangers with a bigger hole or hang wires off the first two bolts.
• Not in the guide because it was done after the guide came out is Religious Rubbish (20), which uses the first bolt on Ghost Rider, then moves left and up on the black hangers. I reckon it's worth two stars, and mention it here because I was surprised to hear that a number of people who regularly visit Hillwood weren't really sure what it was and haven't been on it.

Cheers,
Doug

I'm heading to tasmania this weekend, I don't know how long time to stay yet, it depends on the weather.

Someone who want to take a day with me at the cliffs? I have climbed alot but don't do so hard climbes (yet) sportclimb and tradclimbing around 15-17.

Planning to rent a car in Tasmania.

/Benny

To Beard Strokers and Ipod Kids,

Re Geryon, PB etc., Well done heroes and legends, good to see wilderness climbing with due epics and suffering is not dead.

As to blogs they can be fun to read or boring when there is too much self glorification administered.

However I did find the Geryon one entertaining. It’s about time there were a few more beards and long hair around again.

Precipitous Bluff (PB) Photos:-

PB in winter from the air:-
PB Main Face:-
 PB Range Traverse:-
PB (Topping Out):-
Thirsty Beard Stroker in a sleet shower returning from a climbing trip to PB (1980s):-

Since everyone else seams to be shamelessly self promoting their blogs, I thought I would do the same. http://www.cjclimbs.blogspot.com.au This is the story of the new route me and Simon did at the Acropolis with pics and video. For the beard strokers, it may be a bit boring. For the iphone generation, I hope it inspires some to do a bit more fun-style documentation of their adventures! Also in the near future, I will be putting up last years exploits in Yosemite when I free climbed el cap and half-dome, as well as when I accidentally used poison oak as toilet paper. Something for everyone!

cj

Hi All,

I am moving to Hobart in a couple of months and have been trying to find out a little more about climbing in the area. I was gutted to hear that the Uni climbing gym closed recently, AND the Edge gym is also closed! Are there any indoor climbing gyms in Hobart at the moment? Is the Uni climbing gym considering re-opening? I have my fingers crossed!

Claire

Due to popular demand, and Al & Tony finally giving in, I re-ordered The Organ Pipes guide last night to be L to R.

Note that the old R to L version is still available for the time being at Mt Wellington Guide 2007 however this will no longer be maintained.

I did the first bit using a script then have done a first pass at fixing stuff that was wrong.

It now needs thorough proof reading to pick up all the broken stuff, eg out of order text and climbs or stuff that doesn't read correctly any more.

Please post anything you pick up here and I will fix it.

I'm not going to open up editing access to all (yet) as the next bit of editing and fixing needs to be controlled or we will end up with a mess. However I would very much appreciate proof reading and corrections posted here by anybody who has the time and effort, and I will make the corrections.

Hopefully in the next few month's you'll see a bunch of new photo topos.

We'll then make further changes to the organisation of the guide if the new formalised tracks and signage go in so that the guide pages match the new access tracks.

I came across this video from DMM on Chockstone and thought it was pretty salutory. Worth a look I reckon if you want your ropes to last.

Cheers

Doug

Hi All, I have a project near Deloraine - its called Flinty Rock. Its a large glacial erratic approx 200m long and 40m high. There are maybe 10-15 climbs on it of varying grades. Wondering if anyone is interested in spending a day on it with me. Will be working out anchors, rappelling down the face and hopefully doing some climbing. I am hoping to get onto it this weekend if weather permits. Let me know if interested. Thanks. : )