Mt Dove
25-50 min
Afternoon sun
Slabby pink and grey granite, up to 60m
Introduction
About 500m north from the summit of Mt. Dove, and to the east of Dove Creek, is a prominent bulge of sweeping granite slab called Sow Spur. The cliff is up to 60m high and faces due west, and has some quite good slab climbs. Windy Hill is the cliff just below the summit of Mt Dove.
Access
Takes around 25 minutes. Park before where the road crosses Dove Creek (the Coles Bay side) Follow a path towards the cliff where you will hit a fire trail after 50m Follow the fire trail right for 50m then you will see a cairned track going through the scrub towards the cliff. This track is used as a descent option from the skyline traverse and is kept quite open by the traffic from bushwalkers -- a nice change for a Freycinet approach!
You can descend from each end of the cliff, or use the gully above Porked, or downclimb the obvious vegetated line just right of Durham at about grade 6. The cliff is up to 60m high and faces due west.
Sow Spur
Sow Spur
This line is the obvious crack splitting the pillar of Sow Spur. The way off is to downclimb it - its an easy solo.
M.McHugh, Robert McMahon, C.Viney 1967?
Joe Friend 1974.
Increased traffic would earn it a star. Takes the line up the steep slab 3m left of the Crack of Pork. Tenuous and sustained slab climbing, has your toes screaming for respite and your mind on full alert due to loose crystals underfoot . Start below COP and up the water worn groove below the main crack of COP for 3m. Traverse left to a bolt and follow the bolt line up the wall to the top, a crux at every clip as you wait for your feet to peel off. The second bolt needs a wire or a pre-bent hanger, and the top section is a wee bit run out.
E. Peacock, C. Reed Jan 1991.
Robert McMahon, Peter Jackson Apr 1971.
M.McHugh, R. McMahon, P. Jackson, May 1971.
Revolting and potentially dangerous. The obvious gully on the opposite side of the great flake of the Crack of Pork. Up corner to tree, continue in right hand line.
Robert McMahon M.McHugh May 1971
A pair of wings for the crux moves might be useful too. Start at the arête immediately right of the Pork of Doom. Climb the arête, up the thin face past 3 bolts and up an easier slab above past another bolt.
A. Adams, G. Cooper, Jan 1991.
It probably ain't legal either! Arguably one of the best routes on Sow Spur. Harder if you are short, and easier if you are long. 15m left of Pearler, at the steep arête. Climb the crack, then the crux, then the arête, then the face above past a bolt. 2.5 Friend essential high up.
1st half: A. Adams, P. Steane, G. Cooper Feb 1987. 2nd half: D. Fife P.Cullen, Dec 88.
M. McHugh, P. Jackson, R. McMahon May 1971.
D. Fife, N. Ward, Nov 1982.
Garn Cooper, Sam Edwards (alt.), Jan 1995.
Nothing beats the smell of cooked bacon. 20m right of Boaring, below a slight line up a short convoluted wall. Climb the wall.
Al Adams Garn, Cooper, Dec 1986.
M. Sands, D.Jenkins Jan 1989.
L. Closs, J. Friend, R. McMahon, 1974.
Through the roof.
D.Jenkins, M.Sands, R.Appel, R.Hyslop, Jan 1989.
But don't get chopped to bits! Start off the same big ledge as Stylised and power up the slab between Stylised and Durham Direct. Kit yourself out with a swag of RP's then follow the thin crack 3m right of Stylised for 35m, until crack yields its last placement (#4 RP). Move right 1m, place another RP and climb the crux slab immediately left of the RH thin crack toward a small ledge. Step right carefully onto ledge and breathe a big sigh of relief. Continue up line directly to headwall and belay.
Garn Cooper, Al Adams, Dec 1986.
P. Jackson, N. Duhig, Apr 1986.
Peter Jackson, M.McHugh Dec 1971.
One of the best, most interesting and well bolted slab climbs in the State. Start below a line of bolts leading up left to the most distinct white streak in the blank slab. Climb up leftwards over an overlap to join the streak. Make crux moves up, then left across it. Climb the runnel and then move right along a thin overlap, before climbing slightly left to finish. 12 bolts to DBB on fixed hangers (i.e. take leaver biners if wishing to rap descend).
Nick and Heather Hancock, Quinn Griggs Apr 2010.
I.Lewis, Kim Carrigan Jan 1975.
A first class climb, the top section is runout. Start 10 metres right of Black Pudding. Move up undercling layback flake until crack vanishes. Head up to overlap passing several good wire placements not visible from the ground. Turn the overlap easily and run it out to the next horizontal. Continue in this manner until you run out of rope and reach the top. Well protected up to the overlap, but run out and scarey above. Two rap bolts exist some 20m left of the finish of this climb.
B.Kennedy, et.al. Jan 1977.
Start 5 metres right of the Pig of Steel. Up slab following intermittent thin crack to weakness in overlap at 30 metres. Surmount and continue to top.
I.Lewis, Kim Carrigan Jan 1975.
About 40m right of Black Pudding up Sow Spur. Up the thin corner running through two small roofs on the horizon. Protection good on the hard sections though poorer on those easier. Pleasant tree belay on right of large blocks. Exit right.
C.(Ditto) Rathbone, Phil Bigg, Nov 1976.
G.Kowalik, R.Williams, F.Dutton Oct 1971.
Climbs the west face of the perched boulder on the very top of Sow Spur, via 3 glued stainless carrots. Throw rope down other side for a belay to back up a good thread on top.
Nick Hancock Sep 2001.
Piglets
Two short but worthwhile climbs on a small cliff (named "Piglets") above Sow Spur. Traverse east from the very top of Sow Spur above 'Stylised' along to a little crag on the left, which looks about ten metres high from the base.
Left of an easy line in the middle of the cliff. Climb the wall and thin crack to belay back from the edge above an easy slab hidden from the bottom. Positive holds and good pro. A neat little route.
Alan Williams, Phil Robinson, 1 Aug 1999.
Twin cracks a few metres left of "This Little Piggy". Up right-hand crack before moving awkwardly left to a small sloping ledge next to left-hand crack. Follow this crack to the top.
Alan Williams, Phil Robinson, 1 Aug 1999.
Lizard Rocks
In the gully between Mt. Amos and Mt. Dove.
I.Lewis, Peter Jackson, Aug 1972.
To the right of centre is a big bay on the left of which is a very deep chimney which can be walked through. Climb up the front of the chimney to the top. Poor protection.
L.Wood, Peter Jackson 1976.
The widening hand crack left of centre of crag, presumably downhill from Melon.
Nick Hancock & Rob DeCesare, May 2006.
Where the cliff starts to run back up the hill to the left of centre is a large smooth wall with a sloping powerful line blocked at the base by a small overhanging corner. Climb the face left and step right above the corner into the main crack line. Follow this to the roof. Step left and up (crux) to bottomless chimney finish. Abseil off tree.
Doug Fife, Peter Jackson 1980.
About 5m to the right of Melon is a smooth, steep wall with a crack reaching about 5m up. Climb this to its end, then stretch a long way right to the base of a second crack (crux). Lay up this until the cliff stops overhanging, then continue up the easy angled off-width.
Marcel Jackson Jun 1994.
Across the valley to the west of Lizard Rocks is an obvious ampitheatre of overhanging streaked rock with slabs to the right. These are easily visible from Lizard Rocks and are about 300m below the cliffs of Mt. Amos. The following climbs are situated on the slabs.
About 5m left of Spitoon is an interesting slab with a short easy angled corner at its base. Climb this and then continue up the many parallel ribs of aplite to the top.
Marcel & Peter Jackson Jun 1994.
Takes the groove of water polished aplite in the middle of the face.
Peter Jackson, N.Ward 1984.
This is the black slab with vanishing aplite seam about 5m to the right of Spitoon. Pleasant and fairly easy slab climbing, though extremely runout at times.
Marcel & Peter Jackson Jun 1994.
Windy Hill
This is the cliff just below the summit of Mt. Dove. It can be seen from Coles Bay. It has a North Westerly aspect and is often windy. To get there it is easiest to go via Sow Spur as there is a track of sorts this way. This takes about 50 minutes. The climbs are worthwhile, and arguably better than most of the Sow Spur routes.
Windy Hill
You'll wish you were being chased around by a kinky friend when your hands feel the needle like granite crystals on this route. The first crack left of the arête (Out and Up) with a tree at about 1/3 height. Up easily to the sloping ledge at 3m. move right and then back left to turn the bulge and reach the tree. Follow the crack more easily to the top.
Andrew Bissett, Nick Hancock, Aug 2001.
Not so sporty. Poorly protected with suspect holds, but a great game if you've the stomach for it. Start at the left hand arête of the small cliff at the grey band. Climb up to the arête and the obvious hold. Cross over onto right hand face and follow the line of holds until you can go up the chimney.
Doug Fife, Noel Ward Apr 1981.
Between Out and Up and Blockheads is an awesome wall, with an open groove trending slightly rightwards. A tricky start leads to easier climbing into a steep groove. Undercling right and up, to a thin move right into a runnel. 3 U-bolts, good wires and medium cams.
NickHancock & Kieran Lawton, Mar 2002.
Move right from the above, past several lines and a large curving corner with a deep offwidth. There are some depressions and disconnected cracks in the face to the right, and then a prominent curving corner with a rough crack.
Doug Fife, N.Ward, Apr 1981.
Much better than it looks. Start 2m right of Blockheads. The dead straight apparent offwidth. Climb the crack to finish near Indigo.
G.Cooper, Peter Steane, Nov 1986.
Sustained, strenuous and airy. The second crack right of Blockheads.
N.Duhig, Peter Jackson, Apr 1986.
Robert McMahon, M.McHugh, Peter Jackson 1970.
Doug Fife, N.Ward, Feb 1982.
Doug Fife, N.Ward, Feb 1982.
Doug Fife, N.Ward, Apr 1981.
Garn Cooper, Al Adams, Mar 1986.
O.Nykvist, Pete Steane, Mar 1986.