Winter Climbing

Ice & Mixed Routes

Various bits of snow and ice climbing have been done over the years in Tasmania. Unfortunately the conditions are very variable and unreliable.

This section needs a proper write up. It would be good to have proper access and route descriptions for some of the Ben Lomond stuff. Bill?

The text below comes from a forum thread:

from tony 5/4/2004
The front face of Cradle is rarely in condition although the top of Wiendorfer's Gully can be fun at times. Usually just a snow plod as it melt v quickly and remains unconsolidated.Not a lot of ice.
T'other side has been climbed on but best has been on the west/sw end of the mountain where a number of gullies have been climbed.

Lots of ice has been climbed on the "White Candlestick" near Jacobs Ladder on the Ben (first climbed in 83?)and more at the Knuckle and Stacks Bluff. Check out with the Launceston climbers who get up there regularly.
I have slides of the Candlestick somewhere if you want pictures.

from Jon 5/17/2004
The Foresight gully on the W side of Geryon holds snow very late into the season. Could be interesting if it ices up. There is a photo on Grant Dixon's site of some winter climbing on Geryon:
http://www.view.com.au/dixon/3-7.htm

Craglets also mentions that the Geryon Traverse (traverse along all 4 peaks starting at either end) has been done in winter. That would be epic.

from Grant Dixon 5/21/2004
I'm just back from some real snow - the Karakoram in Pakistan.

In addition to those places suggested, I have also played around at Mt Anne (south side), Mt Geryon and Federation Pk. The west face of Mt Field West may be OK in certain conditions also.

Geryon is a fair walk (as is Ossa) so you'd want to be sure of the conditions. Federation Pk is a waste of time - too maritime (and a long walk). Stick with somewhere accessible that you can get to quickly. For example, a cliff below The Knuckle on Ben Lomond (rather than Stacks Bluff itself) has been popular with some northern climbers (it can be reached readily, partly by vehicular track, from Storeys Creek.

13/01/2005:

I spent a few days on Mt Ossa last Winter (2004) during a clear cold spell (-8 degrees at Liaweenee at nights). Under such conditions prospects for climbing in the area, especially gullies amongst Ossa's bluffs and perhaps the southern cliffs of Pelion West looked excellent. Ossa was all glazed ice and avalanched snow slides; to indicate the conditions, I had only an ice axe and instep crampons so had to cut steps much of the way up Ossa's normal route (it was a walking and photo trip).

Grant

from Bill Baxter 10/8/2004
This winter the Knuckle was in the best condition I've ever seen it. The ice remained near freezing for most of the day, it was thick enough to take the full length of a screw.
The Knuckle (above Sphinx Bluff) has a lot (10+) of good lines 20 to 40 metres and at an angle 65 to 75 degrees.
The route of the season for Peter Booth and me was not here but on Baleen Crag next to Stacks Bluff. The Trident is 5 pitches, 160m, Scottish Ice 5. The last 70m is a headwall as steep as dolerite gets 85+ degrees. Exciting stuff!

Note there is now a guide to Ben Lomond Ice on this site.

The picture is of me at the Knuckle on The Runnel, 40 metres, S4.

from Garry Phillips 12/12/2005

If you are after some good mixed ice then mt anne south face is the go. I did quite a bit out there in 1994 etc and can say that it has huge potential for hard core lines. The scotish winter climbers would love it.

umm hi people
i am 13 and would love to do ice climbing/ mountaineering when im older. i already do grade 19,20 rock climbing and i was just wondering if you guys had any tips?
thanks
btw that pic looks pretty cool
Will