Grap Fureau
5-30 mins
All day sun
Vertical dolerite buttresses, up to 25m high. Mostly trad but with some sport and mixed routes.
Access
From the Corra Linn bridge drive 7km to where there is a sign for a water treatment plant. Park 400m past this at the gate on the left side of the road. Follow the track for about 10 minutes until you come to a large concrete water pipe. Turn left for another 100m to a cairn, then drop down the gully and follow that down on the right hand (upstream) side to the bottom of the downstream cliff.
Crag Steward
Rock climbers please contact the Cliff Steward (eskriver@climbersclubtas.org.au) if you have any queries or concerns regarding social or environmental impacts of rock climbing at this crag. Do not email regarding general travel, seasonal advice, or lost property - this is not the Steward’s role. If you have important safety information to communicate (e.g. risks due to recent and large rock falls) please also consider updates on thesarvo forum, facebook group and/or online guidebooks as appropriate. Please copy in cct@climbersclubtas.org.au if you feel you have a high level concern which may imminently impact the crag or climbing community.
Non-climbers, other users, land managers: please also contact cct@climbersclubtas.org.au if you have important climbing related queries at this location.
Hidden Crag
Access - Crag is on private property and access arrangements are not clear. If you have any information please pass on to CCT so we can update details and clarify with property owner in the future.
Drive and park as for Grap Fureau, and follow the trail as for that crag. At the T-junction turn left and follow the pipeline downstream for 20 minutes. This brings you to a concrete tower. Follow the overflow creek from the pipeline downhill on the left side for 300m to a cairn, then contour left for another 200m to a tree possibly still marked with 3 tapes. Down hill leads to Slit Skirt Buttress, Little Black Buttress, The Burma Face and Klingsor. Straight ahead leads to the Pillars. Alternatively and definitely quicker access is to drive along the highway and park at the gate (which gets locked at 3pm) to the Water Treatment Plant. Walk 1.3km along the road to a farm gate on the right just before a cattle grid. Follow the 4wd track across the paddock for 150m to a junction with a footpad. Turn right and walk another 150m to arrive at the concrete tower and overflow creek.
The Pillars From the three tapes junction contour downstream for 150m to an alcove shaped series of pillars.
The slabby arete on the left of the crag.
Neale Smith & Gerry Narkowicz, Sep 1983,
A superb finger crack at the back of the alcove.
Nik Deka, Mick Ling & Neale Smith, Sept 1983,
Chimney offwidth at the back right of the alcove.
Bob McMahon, Neale Smith & Gerry Narkowicz Sept 1983,
The freestanding pillar on the right. Climb right past the first bolt, then blast up the frantic arete past three more to a DBB.
Nick Hancock, Jan 2012,
Slit Skirt Buttress 30m downhill from the 3 tapes junction turn left at the rock cairn and follow your nose for another 30m.
The classic jam crack in the middle of the buttress becoming off-width towards the top.
McMahon, Narkowicz, 1983.
The thinner right hand crack around the arête and 4m right of Slit Skirt.
Smith, Deka, 1983.
The next 2 climbs are on the Little Black Buttress which is 30m downhill from the rock cairn turn-off to Slit Skirt Buttress.
The thin corner on the left hand side of the black face.
Deka, Ling, 1983.
The next route right.
Narkowicz, Smith, McMahon, 1983.
Another 30m downhill and down stream from Superman is a pair of pinnacles with 2 excellent routes on them, not to mention some of the longest routes in the North Esk. The first pinnacle is easily visible from the trees with double tape markers on them.
The thin seam on the middle of the upstream pillar. Start at the very bottom of the buttress in the thin cracks just right of the corner.
Narkowicz, Kuylaars, 1999.
The companion route on the downstream pillar. Climb up the intermittent crack system starting in the left trending slot.
Narkowicz, McMahon, Ling, 1983.
To get to the Burma Face head downhill 50m and upstream 50m from the Little Black Buttress. This should bring you to the top of this cliff which is right above the river. Rap in.
The left most route with a small roof at half height.
Ling, McMahon, 1983.
Climb the face to traverse right at the top.
McMahon, Haye, Alanvale college, 1983.
The corner right of BB.
McMahon, without Alanvale college, 1983.
If you continue downstream from Klingsor for 60m you'll get to The Prows. The name for which becomes obvious from the downstream side.
Climb the right hand prow which looks like a stack of blocks.
Ling, Narkowicz, 1983.
Another 30m downhill from The Glass Bead Game and around the corner for the final 2 climbs.
The corner with two cracks in it, to the left of the smooth face, with a snaking crack at the very top.
McMahon, Tierney, Cassidy, 1983.
Up the smooth face with the thin seam using arête. Original ascent used a piton in one of the horizontal breaks.
Kuylaars, Narkowicz, 1999.
On the approach to Hidden Crags proper is a short black buttress which may or may not be the one mentioned in Bob McMahon's guide. It has two hand/fist cracks in it. This is the right one.
From: theCrag
Peyton Place
Access - Crag is on private property and access arrangements are not clear. If you have any information please pass on to CCT so we can update details and clarify with property owner in the future.
If you're going to walk from Hidden Crag to Grap Furoh or vice-versa then this place is well worth a visit. Access: From the t-junction above Grap Furoh follow the pipeline towards Hidden Crags for 500m. A rock cairn and some orange tags mark the way.
The left hand crack.
McMahon, Narkowicz, 1983.
The stepped corner useful for reference.
Narkowicz, McMahon, 1983.
The arête with a large flake at 5m height.
Narkowicz and McMahon, 1983.
The fused corner with a FH.
McMahon, Smith, Narkowicz, 1983.
The thin corner with a stump sticking out at 2/3rds height.
Narkowicz, McMahon, 1983.
The arête and face with 2 FH which are reachy to clip.
Narkowicz, 1999.
Grap Fureau
Access - Grap Fureau is currently closed for climbing and/or public access on request from the land owner. This is separate closure to that of Riverbend and Crystal Palace - and thus may be more long term in nature. Please adhere to the land owners wishes - so any future access relations/discussions are not further compromised. If you have any additional information or updates, please contact the NCCT.
This crag has a very different feel to it from your typical dolerite cliff. Stunning orange rock with black faces make a great visual contrast. There are two sections of the crag separated by about 100m of casuarina. Some of the rock on the upstream cliff has a strong resemblance to Arapiles. September/October can be difficult to climb here unless you can have rational conversations with screaming falcons. To get there take the road to Ben Lomond, until 7 km past the Corra Linn bridge where there's a sign for the water treatment plant. 400m past this is a locked gate on the left with a dirt road behind it. Don't park here if you want to be able to drive your car home. Park further up the road. Follow the track for about 10 minutes until you come to a large concrete water pipe. Turn left for another 50m to a cairn, and orange tape. Follow this dropping down the gully on the right hand (upstream) side to emerge at the bottom of the downstream cliff. About 20 minutes walk all up and easy to find.
Upstream Section
The climbs on the upstream section are about 100m upstream and slightly uphill from the end of the downstream buttress. As per the editors (read despot) instructions climbs are described left to right even though you will be walking past them right to left. So the easiest way to read this is to go to the end of the descriptions and work back to the start.
30m from the end of the main buttress is a small orange crag. Climb the finger crack in the scoop and up to arête.
McMahon, Narkowicz, 1982.
The orange corner 2m left of Class of '82, just right of the orange roof 2m off the ground.
Narkowicz, McMahon, 1982.
40m uphill from Lay Down Sally is a thin crack passing through an overlap.
Narkowicz, McMahon, 1982.
30m left of Lay Down Sally is a strange looking conglomeration of blocks sticking out to form little roofs. Climb up these.
Narkowicz, McMahon, 1982.
2m right of Montezuma. Through the little roof low down to the off-width/chimney above.
McMahon and Narkowicz, 1982.
Start in the corner of Ruling Class for a couple of metres until it is possible to traverse left onto the clean orange face. Climb the face past good horizontal cracks. There are 2 bright orange protruding blocks near the top that move a little but seem solid.
Andrew Geeves, Ben Veltkamp, May 2008.
Up the orange corner 5m left of Warlencourt. Currently has a fallen tree on the top of it.
McMahon, Narkowicz, 1982.
Off-width crack 10m left of Lay Down Sally. Most of the off-widthing can be avoided. Starts of the ledge with the she-oak on it or add some extra distance by climbing the groove beneath it.
McMahon, Johnson and Lewandowski, 1983.
7m left of Lay Down Sally on the wall right of Wallencourt. Blast straight up the face past the intermittent cracks. Excellent.
Smith, Ling, 1982.
The big corner 2m left of Lay Down Sally. Goes up just left of the roof 2m off the ground.
Narkowicz, McMahon, 1982.
Just right of the roof. Layback the hand and finger crack in the corner, 25m left of Flesh in the Sewer. Good climbing.
Narkowicz, McMahon, 1982.
The left slanting crack starting 3m right of Lay Down Sally.
McMahon, Narkowicz, 1982.
Up the prow through the bulges 3m right of Rio Negro. As the name suggests probably done before but never recorded.
April 2019
More bulging baby bottom style climbing on the blunt arête 8m left of Rory Jack Thompson 3.
Tierney, Narkowicz, 1984.
Up through bulges in the first corner of the buttress on Arapelisian style rock.
Tierney, Narkowicz, 1984.
As you walk across to the upstream cliff from the downstream cliff you will see a fantastic looking orange face. The next two climbs are on this.
Good climbing up the prow on the left. Same start as Pioneer Chicken Stand then move 3m left at the ledge.
Narkowicz, Tierney, 1984.
Cracked face to ledge then thin crack above.
McMahon, Smith and Ling, 1982.
As you walk across from the downstream cliff to the upstream cliff a small buttress is visible up the hill about half way across.
Up finger crack in the corner going around roof on the right.
Narkowicz, Tierney, 1984.
Downstream Section
The remaining climbs are on the downstream section.
Starts just left of Blues Power. Traverse left to the middle of the face then goes straight up.
Narkowicz, Fry, 1984.
On the left hand end of the buttress are 2 corners close enough together to look like they could be the one climb. Blues Power takes the left hand corner and continues up the hand crack on the left.
Narkowicz, Ling, Smith, McMahon, 1982.
The grey and black corner 1m right of Blues Power. which then finishes up the right finger and hand crack.
McMahon, Narkowicz, Smith, Ling, 1982.
The face 5m right of Mac The Knife. Looks loose but is apparently solid.
Ling, McMahon, Smith, Narkowicz, 1982.
In the middle of this crag, 2m left of NPFW, the crack going through several bulges and overlaps.
Narkowicz, McMahon, 1982.
The corner capped by a large block at half height, 15m left of Peregrination.
Smith, Narkowicz, McMahon, 1982.
The corner just right of No Place For Whimps finishing up the same corner.
McMahon, Smith, 1982.
The next line right of TSONITM.
McMahon, Smith, 1982.
Topo: theCrag contributors, CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, theCrag
The blunt arête 2m left of Peregrination. Carry a rack only if you need the weight.
Narkowicz, 1984.
The twin corner with a tree on the ledge just above the base.
McMahon, Mohler, Smith, 1982.
Second Amphitheatre
The next series of climbs are around the corner from Peregrination. In what is sometimes called the Second Amphitheatre.
On the very end of the amphitheatre. Goes up orange wall to corner, over small roof with bush, then up off-width.
Narkowicz, 1984.
15m left of Shooting Rabbits is a series of corners, go left at the roof and climb the chimney.
McMahon, Fry, 1982.
Climb the first corner of Shooting Rabbits to the ledge then continue up the blank arête above. Good runners but difficult to place. A bit reachy.
Narkowicz, 1985.
The corner 1m left of Pocahontas. Climbs up a series of 4 corners.
Smith, McMahon, Mohler, 1982.
From the ledge after the twin cracks of Pocahontas continue straight up the arête. Initially done with pre-placed wires. Add a grade for placing them as you go.
Narkowicz, 1999.
The orange face with a thin crack that becomes 2 further up. 2m left of The Code. Climb the thin cracks to the ledge, continue up the fused corner (originally protected with a piton). Finish up the finger/hand crack with an overlap at the top.
Moon, McMahon, 1985.
The corner 1m left of Rat's Castle with pig face (don't you wish you'd paid attention in botany class now) growing out of the ledge 6m up. Continue up the next corner with a hand crack. Finish up the final crack of Pocahontas for a bit of extra spice.
McMahon, Fry, Mohler, 1982.
The big blocky chimney.
Mohler, Smith, McMahon, 1982.
Twin cracks in black corner eventually becoming hand and off-hand crack.
Ling, Deka, 1982.
Bold but excellent climbing up blunt arête 3m left of Wages of Sin to thin crack/face at the top.
Narkowicz, Cameron, 1985.
Difficult start to piton runner and then up crack system above. Apparently it is cheating to bridge across to Estimation corner (add 2 grades if you avoid it) but it's self-flagellation if you don't.
McMahon, Ling, 1982.
The thin crack in the black corner left of the off-width up to ledge and continue up corner above.
Smith, Mohler, McMahon, 1982.
The glaring off-width to the same ledge as Stuck in the S Bend.
Hans and Thomas Mohler, 1982.
The first climb in the next amphitheatre. A thin "S" shaped crack leading to a small ledge and then find your way to the top.
Narkowicz, Tierney, 1984.
First Amphitheatre
The next series of climbs are around the arête in the First Amphitheatre.
Climb finger and hand crack in corner to ledge then continue up through bulge and off-width.
McMahon, Smith, 1982.
4m left of Inheritors is a face with 2 carrots to ledge and then 2 more up the final wall. Excellent climbing.
Ng, 91.
Thin crack in right angled corner 15m left of D-Day.
Smith, Narkowicz, McMahon, 1982.
The flaring off-width just right of Inheritors.
Smith, McMahon, 1982
Thin seam in face half covered by a dead she-oak at the top. Hopefully some kind soul has removed the she-oak. 2m left of Hans Solo.
Smith, McMahon, 1982.
The easy corner.
Hans Mohler, 1982.
The hand to off-hand crack up the arête.
Mohler, Smith, McMahon, 1982.
Climb the arête right of the off-width.
Tierney, Narkowicz, 1984.
The next 2 climbs are on the tier above Foot and Mouth. Access by scrambling across and up from the descent track.
Climb the left hand crack to the chimney.
Narkowicz, Tierney, 1984.
The right hand crack to the overlap then the face above.
Narkowicz, Tierney, 1984.