Elderslie

5-20 min
Mixed
Sandstone

Introduction

The bouldering at Elderslie is quite good, on sandstone boulders situated amongst dry woodland.
This page describes the bouldering on public land at Heathy Gully Reserve.

History

It was originally discovered by Mike Berry and developed by Stu Bowling & friends in early 2001. These original areas on private land sooner or later became inacessible. The area got some more life in 2006 with the discovery of the Gully by Jon Nermut and Dave Humphries, and then later the Arch and the Terrace.

Access

To get there from Hobart: drive up the Midlands Highway towards Brighton. Take the left hand road just before Brighton (Elderslie Road). Follow this road for 15 minutes or so before reaching Elderslie (not much more than a few farms and a golf club). Take a right a few kilometres out of Elderslie (Clifton Vale Road) and follow this dirt road for about 5 kilometres before reaching a Y intersection; take the right road (to Dysart), you will go up a rise and then the road will go down again, at the bottom of this hill on the left is the fire trail about 1 kilometre from the intersection. Continue on the road past the Roadside boulder for another couple of hundred metres, around the corner. Park at a large pull-out on the left opposite a gate.

Go through the gate on the opposite side of the road, and cross the river at the ford (usually less than knee deep, except after rain - when you might want to think again). Head across the paddock to the entrance to the valley. Once through the gate, head left up the hill to where it flattens out. Follow the fairly flat and clear area up the valley, until you find the first boulder (Crystal Boulder). Total walking time about 10 minutes.

Elderslie land tenure

GPS

The Gully

The Gully has much more potential to develop. Unlike most of Elderslie, the boulders are on Crown land, so access shouldn't be as much of an issue. There is a large amount of wildlife in the gully, including snakes and wallabies, so dogs probably aren't a good idea. To get there, continue on the road past the Roadside boulder for another couple of hundred metres, around the corner. Park at a large pull-out on the left. Go through the gate on the opposite side of the road, and cross the river at the ford (usually OK except after rain). Head across the paddock to the entrance to the valley. Once through the gate, head left up the hill to where it flattens out. Follow the fairly flat and clear area up the valley, until you find the first boulder (Crystal Boulder). Total walking time about 10 minutes.

Crystal Boulder

Unnamed

V0(SDS)

Left arete

The Crystal

★★V5(Stand)

Sloper problem in middle of face. The obvious sit start is a project.

Unnamed

V1(SDS)

Jugs to the right. Pretty dirty.

Third Turd Boulder

There are a couple of slab problems on the next boulder along from the Crystal Boulder.

Third Turd

V3?(Stand)

Slab 1m left of arete

Unnamed

VE(Stand)

Arete

Unnamed

VE(Stand)

Right of arete

Paydirt Boulder

Keep going through the trees from Third Turd to find this boulder.

Unnamed

V0(SDS)

Unnamed

V0(SDS)

Left arete

Unnamed

V1(Stand)

Mantle

10.

Unnamed

V1(Stand)

Swing start up to highest part of boulder, from holds to the right.
You could potentially start as for the Paydirt sitstart, to make this a V4 or 5 maybe.

11.

Paydirt

★★V4(SDS)

Right arete of steep face. Sit start using the hold on the arete, throw for juggy lip and top out.

Jon Nermut

12.

Unnamed

V2(SDS)

Short arete on back of boulder.

Butterflies Boulder

From Paydirt, head further along then up the hill to find this large boulder.

13.

Butterflies

★V4(SDS)

Steep start in under arete, then step left onto slab and top out.

This is the back side of the Butterflies boulder.

14.

Warm up

V0(SDS)

Sit start as per #1, but then head up and onto the slab to the left.

15.

Easy Rider

★V3(SDS)

Left hand side of steep face

16.

Three Plus Six is Five

★V5(SDS)

Start as for V3 and finish up If Six Was Nine

17.

If Six Was Nine

★★★V6(SDS)

Sit start off opposing side pulls in middle of steep face, up on edges.

18.

Face Full of Rug

★★V7(SDS)

Start as for If Six Was Nine and finish up top right of boulder via bad slopers.

T. Anderson

19.

Plan B

★★★V9(SDS)

Up the right arete on beautiful holds.

J. Schwarz, 2022

Centipede Boulder

This is the next boulder across the hill from Butterflies Boulder, and is visible from the back of Butterflies.

20.

Unnamed

★VE(SDS)

Nice easy jugs on the bottom of the boulder

21.

Centipede

V2(Stand)

Left hand side of high face

22.

Project

Up the very thin wall

23.

Unnamed

VE(SDS)

Easy problem up to the right

Scorpion Boulder

This boulder is 30m along from Centipede, and a bit higher up the hill.

24.

Unnamed

V2(Stand)

Mantle on slopers

25.

Unnamed

V2(SDS)

Big move from undercling to good holds

26.

Scorpion

V3(SDS)

Up steep bottom face of boulder

Pine Boulder

Pine Boulder is about 50m across the hill from Scorpion Boulder, on about the same level.

27.

Pine

★V1(SDS)

Left arete of bottom face

28.

Unnamed

★V0-(SDS)

Right arete

There are several more boulders up the gully waiting for development.

The Elderslie Arch

The Elderslie Arch is a super cool ten metre long arch of good quality sandstone. To get there head 100m uphill from the 'Butterflies' boulder to the ridge top, then walk another 100m till you see the arch.

29.

Full Traverse L to R

★★★V5(Stand)

A classic! Start from left end and head right till you get back on the ground. Six or more pads recommended so you can caterpillar them along safely. Can be done R to L as well at about the same grade.

30.

The Fire of Life

★★V3(Stand)

Start on left side, bust out a few steep moves then top out where it starts getting hard to traverse and easy to head for jugs straight up.

31.

The Rainbow Connection

★★★V2(SDS)

Start on the right base at pocket, head left till you get to about the middle (where its obvious to do a beached whale move). Fun and airy!

32.

Smooth Latin Groove

★★V5(Stand)

Start on right side on down hill side at big horizontal (don't use the big tongue of rock as it is super fragile). Bust up good holds then a powerful move to big undercling out right. Head right on undercling to top out in groove on uphill side.

33.

Let that Boy Boogie Woogie

★V3(Stand)

Start as for Smooth Latin Groove but head straight up toward good hold on arete, top out. Don't fall off!

The Terrace

The Terrace is a good little north facing area high on the hillside overlooking the next valley north of The Gully. To get there park and cross the paddock as for the Gully. Instead of heading up the valley, head left and up the hill to find a gap in the small cliffs. Head straight up the hill until you can see into the next valley. Then turn right and walk along the ridge (east) until you find the boulders. The boulders are described roughly west to east, as you come to them.