Doctors Rocks
5-15 minutes
Morning
Volcanic
Acknowledgement
By Ben Thorp
Introduction
Doctors Rocks is an excellent little bouldering area spread around a headland only 10 minutes drive from Burnie. The dark volcanic boulders appear to be a kind of horizontally striated dolerite similiar to Hillwood formed in large round boulders that are perfect for bouldering. The jumbled boulders cling to the headland creating a few access and landing issues but it's all part of the fun here. The overhanging nature of many of the problems makes for physically difficult starts followed by easier but high topouts. The rock can be a little brittle so watch out for holds that may snap, especially on the top-outs. There are still several hard projects to do here as well as many problems on the ocean side of the boulders. These have been avoided so far due to the water landings but many may be do-able in deep water solo style when the tide and swell is right.
History
This area was developed in October/November 2011 by Ben Thorp and Darius Khadembashi.
Access
Doctors Rocks is well signposted and is just before the turn-off to Wynyard if coming from Burnie. The best way to access the boulders is by taking a circuit around the headland either East-West or West-East depending on the tide. The tide is an ever present factor here and generally to get the best out of the area it is best to go around low tide. If the tide is on the way out it is better to start at Mordor which is least affected by the tide and head around as the tide recedes to the other areas, The Beach is the most tide affected. If the tide is coming in do the reverse. Many of the boulders are not affected by the tide at all and a high-tide visit is still worthwhile. On certain problems, the slow increment of the water under the jumbled boulders as the tide comes in can create a pleasant aesthetic, something akin to a Japanese water garden.
Doctors Rocks is a conservation area so make sure to keep your impact on the natural environment to the absolute minumum. Be aware that this is a penguin colony so it is best to avoid being there at dusk when they come ashore. Mostly their burrows are away from the bouldering on the sides of the headland but there may be some amongst the boulders.
Mordor
The first area you will come to walking from the East. A good selection of problems with easy access. This area is popular with fisherpeople who don't seem to mind the presence of boulderers.
Start on low holds and pop for the jug with the aid of a heelhook. Easy from there.
Dr Jorji
Sit-start in the two pockets then up the face.
Straight up the arete.
The easy face is quite nice.
Start left hand in the vertical slot and right on the lowest pinch. Pop to the next pinch then to the crimp out left then a big move to the highest crimp with the right. Poor feet make this problem pretty hard.
Sit start on the arête and head up rightwards using the left most crimp on Bro Code. Finish just to the left of Bro Code.
Up the arête.
Sit start on the right and follow the break right round the boulder to top out up the back.
Straight up the right arête.
Start in the break and top-out up the slab.
On the boulder behind to the left. Start seated with feet as low as possible, hands on each arte and head straight up. Easy but nice.
This is a nice low ball warm up boulder with a nice manicured landing. Fairly obvious as you head from Mordor round the headland.
Ben Young
Ben Young
Moses Bassett
A lip traverse can be completed in either direction.
Moses Bassett
An eliminate but a natural one. Avoid the circled jug complex. Sit-start at the lowest part of the boulder, right hand on a bad sloper in the roof. Pull on and bump to a higher sloper, left hand to the sloper on the lip (just to the right of the circle), then head up right. Nice flowing moves.
Start on the jugs and up.
This is a great steep boulder just below the sport routes. Can only be climbed if the tide is out.
Start matched on big rail up to the arete and top out. Nice moves on jugs the whole way.
Moses Bassett
Start low on small holds, heel hook and straight up through side pulls.
Moses Bassett
Start right hand on a side pull and left on perfect square sloper and straight up.
Moses Bassett
Between Mordor and the main area in the middle of the boulder field there are some individual problems:
Start hanging then straight up prow to via pocket to mantle top-out. Could be extended by continuing higher up the arete rather than escaping via the left mantle.
Ben Thorp
Emergency Medicine Area
This area has a good concentration of problems and a few hard projects still to be completed. The area can be accessed directly by walking over the headland.
Straight up the centre of the face.
K. Bolton
Sit-start at the base of the triangular white wall. Up using crimpers on the face and left arête to reach a jug at the apex of the triangle. From here either head straight for some excitement or cut right to traverse off.
Start round the corner on the jugs, loop round the bottom of the boulder then an awkward move on to the slab which is climbed to the top. Final move a little trickier than you would like in that position.
Awesome highball arête. Follow the tufa feature up the arête using a small pocket on the face to gain the jugs just below the lip. Careful on the top-out.
Brilliant face climbing straight up the middle of highball face. A piker's variant can be done by exiting out left mid-height (V2).
Huge project out the cave and up the headwall. V11/12 range. Landing needs a big crew with pads to protect it.
Just west of the Emergency Medicine area there are two quality problems together in a small depression created by the jumbled boulders:
Start on the furthest left jug. Traverse the face avoiding reaching over the lip for jugs. Top-out up the headwall. Quite pumpy. With the tide coming in the water will slowly creep up the landing and this can create some added time pressure.
Sit start just above the water, climb up the steepish face using a triangular hold in the centre and a right sidepull. Finish up the highball slab. Very good.
The Beach
This is the furthest area to the west. This area is the most effected by the tide - all these problems will have submerged landings at high tide.
The first boulder on the beach coming from the north has a few possible problems at full low tide. The best and most obvious is Oscar the Grouch which starts seated as low as possible up next to the small boulder to the right of the small roof. Head left, under the roof and then straight up. Great problem with good holds.
Moses Bassett Ben young
Same start as OTG and straight up.
Moses Bassett Ben Young.
Nice little sit-start problem.
D.Khadembashi
Sit down start on rock to the left of the boulder. Move up and right to match a side pull. Continue to traverse low on the boulder on out stretched moves to the arete and finish up on "Don't Be a Darius."
Liam W