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<guide><text class="heading1">Introduction</text><text
        class="text">Traditionally the opinion has been that Tasmania has no bouldering. Despite the efforts of Marcel Jackson and a few others in putting up problems at Proctor's Quarry and Gnarly Spider in the early 90s, there wasn't much on offer.
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        class="text">Lately a small group of climbers has spent lots of time and effort discovering new bouldering areas. The most significant of these are Oatlands and Elderslie. </text><text
        class="text">Tasmania now has some very worthwhile bouldering areas. This guide is an attempt to record the majority of new problems being done. It is a collaborative effort, and people who have information on new or old problems are welcome to contribute.</text><text
        class="heading2">Warning</text><text
        class="text">Climbing is an inherently dangerous activity. No liability is accepted by the authors of this guide for people injuring themselves at the described areas. Use a bouldering pad and teach your friends how to spot properly.</text><text
        class="heading2">Guide Contributors</text><text
        class="text">Thanks to the following people who have contributed to this guide:
Kim Robinson, Jon Nermut, Stu Bowling, Marcel Jackson, Mick Berry, Garry Phillips, Roger Parkyn, John Anderson, Nick Hancock and Dave Humphries.</text><text
        class="heading2">Contributing</text><text
        class="text">This guide is available on line at http://www.thesarvo.com</text><text
        class="text">The web version of the guide is designed to be constantly updated. If you have new areas or problems to add to the guide then go to the website and check out the Contributing section to find out how to add them online, or go to the Contact page and email them.</text><text
        class="heading2">Grades</text><text
        class="text">This guide book uses the V grading scale, originally from Hueco Tanks but now used throughout the world. The table below gives a rough comparison between V grades, route grades, and Fontainebleau grades. You'll probably find that the grades are very variable, but you get that. Stars are used to indicate quality, but they are pretty random too. If you want to argue about them then send us an email.</text><text
        class="text">Quite a large number of problems are marked as V?. This means that the grade is not known at the time of publishing. If it is marked as a project then it has not yet been climbed. Projects are open to anyone, and if you climb one then let us know about it.</text><text
        class="text">The symbol (SDS) in a problem description indicates a sit down start. (Stand) means a standing start. (Highball) indicates that the problem is high enough that you could seriously injure yourself if you fall off it.
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        class="heading2">Area Map</text><image new="false"
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        class="heading2">Conditions</text><image new="false"
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        class="text">The weather in Tasmania is generally mild, but is highly changeable. It's cold and wet in winter, and mild in summer. Summer temperatures are nowhere near as high on the mainland, although days in the 30s are not uncommon.</text><text
        class="text">Generally the weather depends on the wind direction - if it's blowing southerly then the south will be cold and wet and the north warmer and drier. Vice versa for a northerly. The east coast has the best weather and is in a rain shadow, except when it blows easterly. As you can see from the climate graphs above, Bicheno has the least amount of rainy days. This applies to Coles Bay as well.
The best and most settled weather occurs January to April. Despite the vagarities of Tasmanian weather, it possible to climb all year round, and the locals manage to find somewhere to climb most weekends of the year. </text><text
        class="heading2">Getting Here</text><text
        class="text">There are two options to get to Tasmania from mainland Australia - fly or take the ferry. Both options start at about $A200 return. The Spirit of Tasmania sails from Melbourne into Devonport, and a new service is starting from Sydney to Devonport in 2004. Cars are heavily subsidised on the ferry and are very cheap (often free).
Virgin Blue and Qantas fly from Melbourne and Sydney to Launceston and Hobart. It is worth watching for cheap Internet fares.</text><text
        class="text">Links:
http://www.spiritoftasmania.com.au
http://www.qantas.com.au
http://www.virginblue.com.au</text><text
        class="heading2">Getting Around</text><text
        class="text">For the majority of the areas in this guide having a car is essential for access. If arriving from interstate or overseas you can either rent one or bring your car on the Spirit of Tasmania. Redline is the major bus operator in Tasmania. It runs regular buses between the cities and down the east coast. You can get the bus from Hobart or Launceston to Oatlands, and also to Bicheno (see the map below). From Bicheno there is a connection to Coles Bay. Metro Tasmania run city bus services in Hobart and Launceston. As a last resort hitch hiking is possible, but as with everywhere, is not recommended.</text><text
        class="html">Links:
http://www.metrotas.com.au
http://www.tasredline.com.au</text><text
        class="heading2">Potential Areas</text><text
        class="text">There is fair potential for new bouldering areas in Tasmania, someone just needs to get out there to explore and develop. Possible potential areas might be:

Mt Cameron East and the rest of the far NE (granite)
Flinders Island (granite)
Mt Owen and the rest of the West Coast Range (conglomerate)
The South West (quartzite, conglomerate)
Sisters Beach and Rocky Cape (quartzite)
Bruny Island (sandstone, dolerite)

If anyone gets around to exploring these areas then let us know!</text><text
        class="heading2">What's Not On</text><text
        class="text">There are commonly accepted climbing ethics that apply in Tasmania. The most obvious one that applies to bouldering is that manufacturing holds, or chipping, is simply not acceptable. Dirty chippers have marred areas such as Gnarly Spider and Rosny Rocks. That said, cleaning the rock in preparation for a first ascent with brushes is a necessary part of developing new areas. Sometimes there is a fine line between aggressive cleaning and chipping, especially in soft sandstone. But there is a simple distinction that should help clarify the issue:
Cleaner = Good climbing citizen
Chipper = Fuckwit 
If you don't understand this then piss off back to Europe, and take your stinking pof with you.
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        class="heading2">Access</text><text class="text">A few of the areas in this guide, such as Elderslie and Richmond, are on private land. Do not climb at these areas without first seeking permission from the landowner. In general please try and be conscious of access issues at all bouldering areas - try not to be too loud, destructive or obnoxious. Don't walk or drive over private land without permission. Clean off your tick marks and pick up your rubbish. 
Remember that your stupid actions can affect the whole climbing community, and that if you cause access to be suspended, everyone is going to be very pissed off at you.
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