Blog from January, 2014

Hi All,

My girlfriend and I will be travelling around Tasmania over Easter and I am really keen to take my climbing gear, though I am not yet confident on trad lead so would be looking for short sport routes or easy access for top ropes. I would be looking for grades below 17 or so, any information would be great, all I have seen are Waterworks Quarry and a few around Sisters Beach.

Thanks in advance!

Jordan

The scary "large loose flake" that was just below the top of the second pitch is now gone. Maybe it's because we've had a prolonged dry spell and its base had dried out, but it seemed a lot looser - and scarier - than I ever remember it being before. Consequently, I asked Di to send it earthward when she followed. With almost no persuasion it soon departed ...

Hi Everyone,

Im living in Burnie this year for a placement at the hospital, anyone around the NW coast that would be keen to climb?

Keen to climb any style/any grade, have car and gear.

Also if there are any woodies in the area, i have a few hundred holds to contribute and am keen to train!

Cheers

Alex

0438 587 729

Check out the photo gallery of Tassie Climbing on the new website for Climb Tasmania.

http://climbtasmania.com.au/

FYI the bolts are now back in Tularaemia, this time Us rather than Hangers so they should be a bit less visible.

Tony, Sniper and Al established Cracked Pepper on the Breaker Spur section of Bulging Buttress just over a year ago. It doesn't look like it has had much traffic, which is a real pity and the reason I'm doing this post. Di and I repeated it today and loved it. I reckon the first ascensionists have been a bit circumspect with their star rating. (Maybe it was still a bit damp when they cleaned and climbed it.) This route is well worth at least two stars. The so-called belay "ledge" at the start isn't all that wonderful but once you depart the climbing is terrific. It's well protected and sustained in difficulty on both pitches. There's a bit of lichen on it as it doesn't get much sun but it will clean up into a real beauty. In fact, if you were to run the two pitches together rather than step left to belay after 25 metres you'd end up with a 45 metre stonker, probably as good for its grade as Carpe Diem. Yes, I know that's saying something. (If you start the route with this intention you might want to double up cams between about BD 0.3 and 2.0 and make sure you have quite a few big wires. No micro cams or RP's needed.)

The first pitch is sustained at about 16 with a fantastic section of 17 or so before you get to the belay. The top pitch would benefit from a bit of brushing to heighten the enjoyment but there isn't any real problem and the climbing on this section keeps going at about grade 15/16. Once it's a bit cleaner it will be one of the best moderate trad routes on the mountain if it isn't already. Great fun for those of us bumbling along at about this grade and no doubt a terrific warm-up for others heading for something harder in the vicinity. Highly recommended.

Below is a photo of Di nearing the belay at the end of the first pitch.

Cheers

Doug

Hi, I am coming over from the UK and will be in Tassie in March, maybe for 3 weeks  Be good to find some local climbers to show me around. Psyched for Ben Lomond in particular.  Been trad climbing about 20 yrs and love crack climbing. Lead the occassional E2 5c, which is about 20-21, on a good day  Any advice would be good  Not sure if I need to buy a National Parks pass to reach climbing areas and best place to stay campgrounds or backpackers, in the Launceston area and if you have any spare time and want to climb please let me know! my email is helen.of.hoy@ntlworld.com  Thank you

*           Proteus                                   28m            20

A continually absorbing route following the corner between Atlantis and Savage Journey. It can be climbed cleanly on the outside with good moves or less preferably by jamming with resultant consequences.

Follow the crack until it widens and either lay off the edge, climb the arête or jam until it eases a little. A knee bar helps. About half way up either climb the L face or mantel shelf to reach a small ledge. Continue to a short V-chimney and novel finish through a hole behind a large block.

Kim Robinson, Claire Hewer and Phil Robinson    19/01/14

Im keen to get out for a few days over 5-9th feb if anyone up for it. Wherever, i dont mind.

I can climb 24ish and prefer trad and no savage walk ins if possible. 0422888846 danielhonneyman at hotmail.com

Hi there!Im looking for somebody who would like to go boulder anytime soon in south tasmania! Anybody who knows good spots. I have a crash pad!

Im with my girlfriend and we are from Canada! We would love to discover the bouldering in tassie! thanks!

-Jo

Found some clothing at Flange Buttress the other night (start of Fiddlesticks / Neon God). If you left something behind and think it's yours let me know here.

This week, Ingvar Lidman and I completed our 3 pitch grade 26 project at the Tyndalls. After 4 trips, static ropes hanging off the cliff for 6 weeks, about 24 hours of preparation on the cliff cleaning, shunting and bolting, very heavy packs up the hill and getting lost in the mist, the route named Sea of Mirrors was finally completed. For those who have climbed at the Tyndalls, you will know that when Lake Huntley is perfectly still, it becomes a gigantic mirror for the surrounding cliffs and the sky, hence the name, Sea Of Mirrors.  It climbs the arete of the second buttress left of the Icecream Cone buttress where Witchcraft goes up.

Sea Of Mirrors  125m  26  *** (Fully Bolted)

Access: From the top of Deeper Water, follow rough footpads along the cliff top which soon become a cut track through deep scrub (the base jumpers track). Follow this past the top of Witchcraft for about 150m to where some tat on a tree branch indicates where to turn off to the cliff edge via another cut track, about 20m or so, and all up about 25 minutes walk from the camping cave. Rap from a large tree about 5m down through a gap in the bushes to a DBB. Fix this line so you can hand over hand back up to the top.  Double ropes are required for the 3 raps to the ground. For the first 40m rap, trend slightly right down to the top of a small pinnacle, then another 5m down to a small ledge on the arete and a DBB. Second rap is 45m down the face to a small stance on the arete, then another 40m down the arete to the bushy terrace and a DBB on a rocky stance about 3m off the ground.

1. 40m, 26. A sustained pitch of unrelenting crimps and small sidepulls either side of the arete, with the first 20m being slightly overhanging. An outstanding pitch and a great lead by Ingvar in a 55 minute epic ascent. 15B
2. 45m, 24. From the belay, trend left for 3m then blast straight up the wall for more sustained and tenuous climbing on small holds, with 2 bulges providing the crux. Just below the belay, an overhanging arete provides some steep climbing on bigger holds out of character with the rest of the route, but a surprising and pumpy conclusion to this huge pitch. Handed to Ingvar by Gerry in a moment of weakness and fading light, after 4 lead attempts including a 10m fall. Gerry managed to finally second it free. 15B
3. 40m, 22. Up the slab to the top of the pinnacle, then step left onto small ledge and confront short vertical wall below the big slab. A tricky move followed by some careful slabbing on tiny edges to the base of the vertical headwall. A terrific section follows with some thin and challenging moves to get established on the headwall until halfway up some big cobblestone jugs materialise. Jug up on amazing big pebbles then turn the lip onto small crimps for the final run-out slab. From the DBB, jumar or batman up your fixed line for 5m to the tree. 10B
   FA: Ingvar Lidman and Gerry Narkowicz. 13th January, 2014

Climbers  Meet celebrating 100^th anniversary of climbing in Tasmania

On March 27 1914, the Malcher brothers, climbing guides from Austria, traversed the Cradle Mt skyline, the start of mountaineering as we know it in Tasmania. To celebrate the event, (and the 50^th anniversary of the CCT first formation) we have booked the Blandfordia Alpine Club Lodge in the Cradle Valley for a climbing meet for the weekend of 27^th – 31 March.

Nic Deka is arranging for a slide presentation on the history of Tassie climbing for us (and the general public) at the visitors centre on the Sat pm (wine and nibbles supplied).

The brothers did the first traverse from Waldheim, via Mt Campbell and back down the Horse Track, making the first recorded ascents of all the peaks, Little Horn, Weindorfer’s Tower etc along the way, a traverse that has probably never been repeated in full since. Other possibilities, if you don’t want such a big day, include the nearby Rysavy Ridge, abseiling the 350m waterfall off the plateau, climbing Airborne Skink, new routing.... Got any nail boots and an alpenstock stashed away?

More details later on the Forum but make a date in your diary. Preference will be given to CCT members but all are welcome, space permitting. A great time to meet climbers, share some history and possibly wine, and to go climbing.

AND has any one got any slides/photos/digital snaps of early or historic wilderness climbing in the Cradle Mt to Lake St Clair reserve – or anywhere really in Tas  - to go into the presentation? Stunning shots of a range of climbs/climbing/climbers for Tassie would be the go. Email me on tmckenny@outlook.com  and I will arrange to pick them up or forward them to me  electronically.

Cheers

Tony

Euphrasia                              45m     18                                            Upper Pooch Gully

A  pleasant route following various short steep cracks on the nose of the buttress immediately south of upper Flange Buttress, approx. 15m R of Circus Wall.

Abseil (50m rope) into the depths of Pooch Gully using the U bolts on the sloping boulder at the top of Flange Buttress (GPS MTW170).

(1)   30m (17)          Climb the corner for a few metres until one can hand traverse L onto a ledge on the arête. Follow the arête past a number of widish cracks using mantel shelves and layaways rather than jams. Finish with an awkward exit, taking care not to touch the block at the top. Belay on a large ledge.

(2)   15m (18)          Climb past two shelves and follow the steep, widening crack system to the top. Keep out of the V chimney by bridging and using a layaway on the R wall.

Phil and Kim Robinson                                11-01-14

Climb Tasmania has a new website. Check it out at http://climbtasmania.com.au/

It is primarily an online store for our guidebooks including the new selected best climbs to Tasmania. There will also be updates to our guidebooks as new routes are done, and the occasional blog of climbing news.