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Saving... St Helens
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Introduction | There are plenty of granite boulders around St Helens, Binnalong Bay and the Bay of Fires. There are one or two problems scattered in most areas but not many have been developed. If you are in the area and have a car the best area found to date is at the end of Cosy Corner beach. Though, go exploring and you're likely to find some FAs for yourself. Areas that have been looked at/worth looking at: - Binalong Bay - One possible area just out of Binalong Bay as you head to the coastal walking track. Only worth visiting if you are in the area - Jeanneret Beach heading towards Cosy Corner. - Skeleton Point - Six metere faces at the point with poor landings. - Beer Barrel Beach (not much worth visiting) - Eddystone Point - Humbug Point - In the hills behind Cosy Corner are a lot of boulders | ||||||
Access | To get to Cosy CornerJeanneret Beach take the road to Binalong Bay from St Helens. Turn onto the Gardens Road (C248) a couple of kilometres before Binalong Bay. Jeaneret Beach is a couple of ks along the road just after a sharp bend, look for the sign. Cosy Corner is further along the road past the road at the Northern end of Cosy Corner beach. Take the next road right, it is on a bend and unmarked, this will take you to the car park and the first boulder on the headland. | ||||||
Camping | Camping available at Cosy Corner (North and South). |
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Jeanneret Beach
Jeanneret Beach sits between two rocky points, the Northern point is Round Hill Point the Southern point is unnamed and has a range of inlets and boulders with most being either dangerous or eggs.
The area immediately South of the beach has a range of boulders most being easy.
The area immediately South of the beach has a range of boulders most being easy.
| 1. | Seagull | V4 | (SDS) | ||
| Start in the big slot and head over. | |||||
| 2. | V1 | (SDS) | |||
| Lay back the flake. | |||||
Tourism Boulder
A boulder with some nice lines but generally bad landings.
| ★★ 3. | Tourism | VE | (Stand) | ||
| Nice problem. The sit adds a little difficulty but probably detracts from the problem overall. | |||||
| 4. | V? | (SDS) | |||
| Start on the blocks and head up the slots to a waddy topout over the starting blocks. | |||||
Enclave Boulders
Visible from the beach and about 50m scramble around the rocks or wander to the path then scramble down if the sea is running.
There are a range of easier boulders in the area that have been done, feel free to write them up and name them.
There are a range of easier boulders in the area that have been done, feel free to write them up and name them.
| 5. | Hard Project | V? |
| ★ 6. | Sugar and Salt | V4 | (Stand) | ||
| Layback the offwidth. | |||||
| ★ 7. | V3 | (Stand) | |||
| Start with both feet on the plinth. | |||||
Round Hill Point
Round Hill Point is the point between Swimcart and Jeanneret beaches.
Drive to the Jeanneret beach carpark and head for the beach. Walk
north around the shoreline till you come to an inlet with the
boulders. Takes about 5 minutes from the car.
Many of the boulders in this area are in the tidal zone, generally
meaning they will be climbable if the swell is under 1.5m and its not
high tide. Seems the swell is the most important factor.
Drive to the Jeanneret beach carpark and head for the beach. Walk
north around the shoreline till you come to an inlet with the
boulders. Takes about 5 minutes from the car.
Many of the boulders in this area are in the tidal zone, generally
meaning they will be climbable if the swell is under 1.5m and its not
high tide. Seems the swell is the most important factor.
Vertical Bloc
Vertical Bloc is the first boulder, hidden in amongst some smaller boulders.
The bloc has a thin diagonal crack with a couple of hard looking lines.
The landing is underwater at high tide.
The bloc has a thin diagonal crack with a couple of hard looking lines.
The landing is underwater at high tide.
Seaside Boulder
Five meters further around is the Seaside boulder.
This boulder is partially submerged at high tide.
This boulder is partially submerged at high tide.
| 8. | Easy Slab | VE | (Stand) |
| 9. | Arete | V? | (SDS) | ||
| Hard sit start. | |||||
| 10. | VE | (SDS) |
Ten meters from Seaside are a couple of columns in amongst the boulders.
| 11. | VE | (Stand) | |||
| Start in the hole. | |||||
| 12. | VE | (Stand) | |||
| Start on the block. | |||||
Big Block
Big Block is up from the water, Claire Barbara requires a quiet swell so the mats don't get to wet or wash away.
| 13. | VE | (Stand) | |||
| Climb the right arete. | |||||
| ★★★ 14. | Claire Barbara | V6 | (SDS) | ||
| Classic compression and slope climbing. The stand is worthwhile and a couple of grades easier. | |||||
Low Water Block
Low water block is partially submerged at high tide and wet if there is a swell running.
The boulder has a flake reminiscent of a shield on its southern side.
The boulder has a flake reminiscent of a shield on its southern side.
| 15. | Right Shield | VE | (Stand) | ||
| Climb right of the shield. | |||||
| 16. | Left Shield | V0 | (Stand) |
Steep Boulder
Steep Boulder is higher than the other boulders and can be reached by walking around behind the previous boulders.
| 17. | Hard Project | V? | |||
| Head through the left series of holds. | |||||
| ★★ 18. | Robert George | V3 | (SDS) | ||
| Start with both hands in the right most crack. | |||||
Round Hill Point North Wall
A series of small walls face north on Round Hill Point. The best approach to these boulders is to walk to the southern end of Jeanneret beach then over the marum grass to Swimcart the walls are to the East when you hit the rocks.
| 19. | V3 | (Hang) | |||
| Up the arete. Sit needs doing. | |||||
| 20. | V3 | (SDS) | |||
| Start with both cracks. | |||||
| 21. | V0 | (SDS) | |||
| Crack and arete. | |||||
| ★ 22. | Water Cracker | V0 | (SDS) | ||||||
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Cosy Corner North
Car Park Boulders
These are the boulders next to the car park at the coastal side of Old Gardens Road.
The Thumb
| 23. | Absolution | V6 | (Stand) |
The Belly
This boulder is the large slabby dome right next to the Thumb.
| 24. | Descent route aka Ripple Thief | VE | |||||||
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| 25. | Micro-roof | VE | |||
| Follow good holds and smears to top via the micro-roof and slabby topout | |||||
| ★ 26. | Sharpie Direct | V2 | |||
| Start directly under the round flake, small edges and smears to juggy top right over the flake | |||||
| 27. | Palmerstone Bay | V0 | |||
| Start 1.5m left of the ramp following up the steeper bulge. Top out straight up via mantle like move up high. | |||||
| ★ 28. | The Ramp | VE | |||
| Start on the lowest part of the slab and follow the good edges and smears right up the ramp to the top. Good fun! | |||||
The Nose
This boulder is about 5 metres downhill from The Thumb and the only problem/project is on the downhill, ocean facing side. Bit sharp but good hard mantle if you're into that sort of thing!
| ★ 29. | Debauchery Project | V6-8? | |||
| Open Project. Start matched hanging off the two crimps on the right of the slabby face. Don't use the other blocks for feet. Hang, heel up and mantle, sounds easy! | |||||
The next problems are on a boulder 30m east of the Nose. A few lines can still be developed on these.
| 30. | Filler | VE | (Stand) | ||
| Stand start with good rail. Up and over the top. Somewhat contrived if you miss the large LH feet, but about the same grade. | |||||
| M Hitchcock 2017 | |||||
| 31. | Aretnaphobia | V1 | (SDS) | ||
| Sit start on the aerate. Head up through some pinches and lay aways. | |||||
| M Hitchcock 2017 | |||||
Waterfront Boulders
Take the track from the Northern side of the car park and head down to a little inlet. head right and you will come to the first few problems.
| ★ 32. | V0 | (SDS) | |||
| Grab the break then the jug. | |||||
| 33. | V1 | (SDS) | |||
| Use both cracks. | |||||
A few metres further round is a short overhanging crack.
| 34. | V0 | (SDS) | |||
| Climb the crack. | |||||
Continue around the Waterline until you come to a series of walls. This is the main area and will be awash at high tide.
Paddling Pool Boulders
| 35. | VE | (Stand) | |||
| Follow the diagonal. | |||||
| 36. | V? | (Stand) | |||
| Move up using crimps and diagonal. Sit should probably go. | |||||
| 37. | V? | (Stand) | |||
| Crimp fest up face. | |||||
| ★★ 38. | Make a splash | V2 | (Stand) | ||
| Lay off the arete all the way to the top. | |||||
| 39. | VE | (Stand) | |||
| The diagonal. | |||||
| 40. | V2 | (Stand) | |||
| Up the slab. | |||||
| 41. | V1 | (Stand) | |||
| Step up and grab the jug. | |||||
| 42. | V0 | (SDS) | |||
| Rock over your foot. | |||||
| 43. | VE | (SDS) | |||
| Layback the back arete. | |||||
| 44. | V1 | (Stand) | |||
| Too lazy for a sit. Start at the base of the crack. | |||||
| 45. | V2 | (Stand) | |||
| Smears and slopes. Hard sit possible. | |||||
| 46. | V? | ||||
| This problem is steep, slopey with not so many holds. The wettest of these problems requires mid to low tide. | |||||
| 47. | Low Brow (OPEN PROJECT) | V? | (Stand) | ||
| Stand start with the brow feature at waist height. Jump for the jug and mantle. Can get a little spoogy with the tide. | |||||
Heart Beat Blocks
A collection of boulders and small cliffs just north of the waterfront boulders. Mostly easy but there are some harder lines that have yet to be climbed. Access via the same carpark.
| 48. | Open project | V? | (Stand) |
| 49. | Open project | V? | (Stand) |
| 50. | 104bpm Traverse | VE | (Stand) | ||
| Low slab traverse. Go between "133bpm Left" and "The Heart Beat" in either direction | |||||
| M Hitchcock 2016 (but previous ascents likely) | |||||
| 51. | 133bpm Left | VE | (Stand) | ||
| Climb the left side of the slab | |||||
| M Hitchcock 2016 (but previous ascents likely) | |||||
| 52. | 13bpm Right | VE | (Stand) | ||
| Climb the centre of the slab. | |||||
| M Hitchcock 2016 (but previous ascents likely) | |||||
| ★ 53. | The Heart Beat | V0 | (Stand) | ||
| Balance up the pedestal to the flake, which is followed to a mantle and slab. | |||||
| M Hitchcock 2016 (but previous ascents likely) | |||||
| 54. | Open Project | V? | (Stand) | ||
| Start on pedestal and follow the undercling flake right. Looks desperate. | |||||
| 55. | 149bpm | VE | (SDS) | ||
| Climb up cracks with opposing jugs. | |||||
| M Hitchcock 2016 (but previous ascents likely) | |||||
| 56. | 132bpm Left | VE | (SDS) | ||
| Left arete | |||||
| M Hitchcock 2016 (but previous ascents likely) | |||||
| 57. | 132bpm Right | VE | (Hang) | ||
| Right arete | |||||
| M Hitchcock 2016 (but previous ascents likely) | |||||
| 58. | Open Project | V? | (Stand) |
| 59. | Open Project | V? | (Stand) |
Sloop Reef Point
Lovely day spot with mostly highballs with good landings, as well as the ultimate surprisingly deep natural rock pool just 20m away from the wall!! Can park at Sloop Reef Point and the wall is south about 20 meters along the shoreline. Climbs are from left to right btw.
| 60. | VE | (Stand) | |||
| Left hand crack. nice enough | |||||
| 61. | VE | (Stand) | |||
| Face just right of corner. cool rock formation | |||||
| 62. | VE | (Highball, Stand) | |||
| Crack between small and tall boulder, can bail early over small boulder to take out the highball, grade stays the same | |||||
| ★ 63. | V1 | (Highball, Stand) | |||
| Nice problem starting on arête. Head up then traverse right through obvious line to ledge then topout direct. | |||||
| Eli | |||||
| ★ 64. | V0 | (Highball, Stand) | |||
| Obvious crack | |||||
| Eli | |||||
| 65. | Afternoon Pleasantries | V6 | (Highball, Stand) | ||
| In corner up right hand slab. Start on very small opposing crimps and directly up from there. | |||||
| Eli | |||||
| ★★ 66. | Hey... That looks easy! | V6 | (Highball, SDS) | ||
| nice little problem, tricky pretty much all the way through :) Stand start still good at V4 | |||||
| Eli | |||||
| 67. | VE | (Stand) | |||
| Start in the corner, nice and easy | |||||
| 68. | V0 | (Stand) | |||
| Brilliant climb, start on jugs under overhang and traverse right then up on obvious easy line | |||||
| 69. | V0 | (Stand) | |||
| Another brilliant climb. Directly up orange wall on good holds | |||||
Reserve Hillside
Plenty of granite boulders on this hillside, position and some images are on Google maps.
http://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=115989656407107465266.00046d738268eb40057a0&ll=-41.211592,148.24625&spn=0.054432,0.132093&t=h&z=14 f.
http://maps.google.com.au/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=115989656407107465266.00046d738268eb40057a0&ll=-41.211592,148.24625&spn=0.054432,0.132093&t=h&z=14 f.
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1 Comment
Hamish Jackson
Hi Eli,
it is enlightening for me to see your photos and descriptions. We bouldered at Cosy Corner and surrounds as a family (Peter, Marcel and me) a few times back in 1987/88 - we had a really good time all round with the swimming, beach life etc. It was our fav beach holiday spot, I suspect the area may have become more populated/developed since then - I've been meaning to go back and check it out again. I was only 12-13 years so there was considerable uncertainty in my mind about how good the place really was and how much more potential it had. I would think you have covered almost all the stuff we did at Cosy Corner, plus more.
I remember trying "The Thumb"; it felt impossible to be honest! Marcel had recently broken his back after a ground fall and had to wear a full thoracic brace which made for some bizarre photos (along with the terrible garish fashion accessories we donned in those days). Hamish