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<guide><text class="heading1" new="false"
        number="null.">Proctors Road Quarry</text><text class="Editor"
        new="false"
        number="null.">by Matt Perchard, originally published in Craglets.</text><text
        class="text">As your drive up Proctors Road on the skirts of Hobart, there is a cool old quarry on the lefthand side that provides some good climbing. The land on which the cliff resides is owned by the Tasmanian University, and with the risk of liability looming, they have decided to close the cliff unless you make arrangements with them beforehand…
At the gates of the quarry you will find a phone number, which connects you to university property services. Property services will tell you that to use the quarry you merely need to fill out their standard indemnity form before each visit. This is not as bad as it sounds. Once you make yourselves known to them it is possible to fax them the indemnity, or to organise it over the phone (if you do the latter you need to pick it and sign it on the way to the quarry). After you’ve done this security will be informed and they will open the gate for you. It’s best if you give them a day or so notice, but you can get in with as little as fifteen minutes notice if the right authority is in their office (which is usually the case). Climbers have been ejected for not going through the proper process. It’s a pain in the ass for Uni as well as for us, so if possible give it a go until something better is sorted out. [AB]
The cliff is recommended for several pursuits. It offers some good leads on reasonable rock in the twenties as well as a collection of easier “beginners” routes that can be top roped or led. There is also some good bouldering available, often with nice flat landings. A spate of recent retro-bolting has transformed some of the previously unsafe routes into enjoyable climbs. You can thank Johns Domeney and Tiller for this work.
Access to the location is extremely easy. From the city head along Sandy Bay Road to the traffic lights at King Street. Take a right, then follow this up to near the top of Proctors Road. Assuming that you have arranged access, enter the quarry on the left and park within - belay from your bull bar if you wish. Parking close to the cliff is not recommended though, unless you have friends in the panel beating business.
The cliff is divided in two levels. The lower level offers all the difficult problems, mostly on the left as you enter. The upper tier offers good easier problems which are more suited to top-roping. There are no climbs in the lower quarry - if you want to climb on choss, see the Waterworks section.</text><text
        class="heading3" new="false"
        number="null.">Back Wall : Lower Tier</text><text
        class="text">The first set of climbs are on the Back Wall of the Lower Tier, which runs parallel to the road.</text><climb
        extra="" grade="21" length="20m"
        name="Cocaine Corner">Climb the slab and corner above. Can be protected naturally although the gear isn’t very inspirational at the crux - the route used to have a fixed piton at this point (there is a hangerless dynabolt just above this point but it is hard to clip). Adrian Herington.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="22" length="22m"
        name="Dilandia">Climb the slab and face to the flaky roof. Move up this, then follow the face above to the top. Simon Parsons, May/83.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="24" length="23m" name="Cold Turkey"
        stars=" * ">Four bolts lead to a chain. Simon Parsons Mar 83. A direct start up the faint arete 2m to the left was added Dec/93 by Marcel Jackson.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="25" length="15m" name="Delerium"
        stars=" * ">Start 1.5m left of Hit Me Quick. Three bolts. Marcel Jackson, Oct/93.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="19" length="23m" name="Hit Me Quick"
        stars=" ** ">Start just left of Sister Morphine Direct. Climb the slab then continue as for Sister Morphine. Originally the route had no gear but it has recently been retro-bolted (six bolts) and is now an excellent climb. Evan Peacock (solo), Oct/84.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="19" length="23m"
        name="Sister Morphine Direct">A direct line up the Sister Morphine groove. Originally the route had almost no gear. Simon Parsons, Mar/83.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="18" length="23m"
        name="Sister Morphine">The groove at the gum tree. Move right of the groove. A bolt to the right of the groove offers some protection at about 20m.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="18" length="30m"
        name="Opening Instructions">To the right of Sister Morphine is a leftwards trending flake system going up to a roof. The direct start is quite hard, although you can start it just to the right at an easier grade. Clip the bolt up under the roof at 20m, and then pass it on the left. Simon Parsons, Mar/83.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="19" length="13m"
        name="Ultima">Start about 3m left of Quick Trip, climbing past one fixed hanger then finishing as for Quick Trip (shares its second bolt). Jon Tiller, Jun/94.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="21" length="12m"
        name="Quick Trip">Starts about 15m left of Overdose, just to the left of the incipient overhanging crack (project). Climb up past three fixed hangers, traversing right when the ledge is reached. Marcel Jackson, Jun/94.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="26" length="30m" name="Overdose"
        stars=" * ">About midway along the back wall of the lower tier is a blank looking and gently overhanging wall. Climb up past three bolts, with crux moves near the top. Kim Carrigan, Apr/82.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="23" length="30m" name="Natural High"
        stars=" *** ">1) Ascend the face and overhanging groove, past four U-anchors. 2) 20 Climb the easier ground above on somewhat less secure rock. M.Law, G.Child, 1979.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="23" length="35m"
        name="Passover">A rising traverse starting after the second U of Natural High. Follow the grooves right past Faceless, Bent Spoons and Training for Austin to finish up Exploding White Flys. Marcel Jackson, Feb/94.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="27" length="15m"
        name="Faceless">This route takes a straight line up the steep slab (2 bolts) then overhanging wall (1 bolt) between Natural High and Bent Needles. Marcel Jackson, Jul/93.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="23" length="15m"
        name="Bent Needles and Straight Spoons"
        stars=" * ">Start at the bulge just right of Natural High. Ascend the bulge then follow the overhanging face above past two bolts (which make the original needles seem comparatively straight). Move left to finish at the first belay of Natural High. Justin Kennedy, Oct/84.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="23" length="23m"
        name="Training for Austin">Climb the thin groove 2m right of Bent Needles. Simon Parsons, Mar/83.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="25" length="15m"
        name="Suicide Bridge">Start on a distinctive overhanging corner. Six bolts and a chain. Marcel Jackson, Jul/93.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="16" length="22m"
        name="Exploding White Flies">Start 2m right of Training for Austin. Scramble up loose ground to the first bolt, then continue up the line. Eight bolts. Jon Tiller, Jan/94.</climb><text
        class="text">(Editor’s note: some people think that starting up this route, crossing to Suicide Bridge at the third bolt then crossing back after the chain on Suicide Bridge, constitutes a new route but I don’t).</text><climb
        extra="" grade="19" length="30m" name="Futuo Lacettae"
        stars=" ** ">Start 15m right of Exploding White Flies at the base of a flaky slab. Follow the bolts to the chain link (can be used as a belay) then more bolts to the top. Despite the fact that, for many years, this section of rock was written off as choss this route is excellent. It is destined to be very popular as, in the sub-twenty region, there are few quality clip-ups in Hobart. John Tiller, Aug/94.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="18" length="10m" name="Holiday in Lizardland"
        stars=" * ">Start 10m right of Futuo Lacettae in a chossy corner. Climb pas three bolts. The top-rope chain for this route is accessible from the second tier which may help locating this one. Jon Tiller, 1996.</climb><text
        class="heading3" new="false"
        number="null.">Lower Tier : Right Wall</text><text
        class="text">The section which runs perpendicular to the road is referred to as the Right Wall of the Lower Tier.</text><climb
        extra="" grade="10" length="10m"
        name="Solid City">About 10m along the right wall is a nice easy leftwards trending corner.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="17" length="10m"
        name="Rock n Roll; No Rocks are Rolling">A few meters further along the wall is a shallow groove. Follow this up, finishing either up the corner to the left or the face on the right.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="20" length="10m"
        name="Transformer">Start as for Solid State. After clipping the second bolt, move out left, up the line of weakness to a bolt. Continue straight up to finish. D.Grey, Apr/96.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="20" length="10m" name="Solid State"
        stars=" * ">A few metres right of Rock n Roll is another groove. Climb the wall/groove past four U-anchors. Easier ground leads to the top. Simon Parsons, Mar/83.</climb><text
        class="text" new="false"
        number="null.">Editor’s note: The grading of this climb appears to be of fundamental and quintessential importance to many climbers. After hours of sometimes heated debate the vexing decision, “grade 19 or 20*”, still remains unsolved in some peoples’ minds. I have autocratically cast the deciding vote.</text><climb
        extra="" grade="17-19" length="10m" name="Commune " new="false"
        number=""
        stars="*">Several variants exist on the black wall right of Solid State. Jon Tiller provided the steel.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="12" length="10m"
        name="After Work">Starts from a ledge two metres above the ground. Bolts need key-hole hangers. Jon Tiller, Oct/96.</climb><text
        class="text">For the next 20m to the right the cliff is pretty chossy. The next couple of climbs are beyond this, on the small compact wall directly below the road.</text><climb
        extra="" grade="19" length="7m"
        name="Nose Job">The arete and face left of Hair Lip. One bolt.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="17" length="7m"
        name="Hair Lip">This is the obvious crack which winds its way up the face. Climb the slab to the overhang, then follow the crack to the top. Good protection.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="18" length="7m"
        name="Plastic Surgery">Climb the line of weakness 2m right of Hair Lip. There is a good sequence of face moves which, unfortunately, are unprotectable.</climb><text
        class="heading3" new="false"
        number="null.">Upper Tier</text><text
        class="text">Above the Right Wall of the Lower Tier is the Upper Tier. The climbs on this tier are generally easier and less secure, with many loose holds, frequent rock falls and lovely sloping, greasy holds. Protection tends to be limited so leading is not recommended.</text><climb
        extra="" grade="17" length="15m"
        name="Bombs Away#">Start 2m right of the big blue “A”. Climb up through the broken face to the flake. Traverse to the left 4m to the overhang. Pull up directly through this (crux)) then finish easily.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="18" length="10m" name="Nukem All"
        stars=" ** ">Climb the line of bolts (key-hole hanger required for first) to a chain. The crux is between the third and fourth bolts. Jon Tiller, Sep/96.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="14" length="15m"
        name="Stoned by Non-Addictive Substances#">Start off the big block 2m right of Bombs Away. Ascend the broken groove tending rightwards, passing right of the overhang.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="16" length="15m"
        name="No Takers#">Climb up to the ledge then continue directly up. The crux is conquering the orange-tinged rock just above the ledge.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="16" length="15m"
        name="No Takers Variant#">From the ledge, trend right then move back left at two-thirds height to follow the easiest possible route to the top. The cliff to the right is less stable than Nutgrove Beach on a windless day. Nevertheless, a few routes can be found.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="11" length="12m"
        name="Proctoscope#">The black slab-like feature on the right of the Upper Tier. At least four variants are possible.</climb><climb
        extra="" grade="13" length="10m"
        name="Prostrate#">The drill-line. Difficulty tends to vary week to week depending on what rocks are currently on the climb.</climb><text
        class="heading3" new="false"
        number="null.">Southern Outlet</text><text
        class="text">The next climb isn’t even at Proctors Road but I couldn’t think of anywhere else to put it. It is on the cliff that is on the left as you drive down the Southern Outlet towards Hobart.</text><climb
        extra="" grade="16" length="20m" name="TUCC - Totally Unstable Choss Climb">Another two-stroke-powered gem from the choss-master. Follow the bolts. John Domeney, Aug/93.</climb></guide>