Rosea to Lunar Newies

Location: The Grampians

Team Members:

Paul Christoffersen

Nick McKinnon

Adam Demmert

Neil Monteith

+ Adam Donaghue & others

I spent friday night until midnight preparing graphics for a Myers commercial so didn't make it up on Friday night with the others. I went home, had three hours sleep then drove to the Grampians to meet the rest at 9am. It was a trip to Mt Rosea this time. For those who havn't been there here is a brief description. Its a large (150m high) east facing cliff high up in the mountains behind Halls Gap. It has a fair amount of altitude (1000m?) so is fairly 'alpine' in temperature. The rock is supurb but varied sanstone which forms a wide variety of shapes. In the most part it is much like a mixture of Frog and the Blue Mtns. Good cracks and great friction and at least 15 three star mid grade multi-pitch routes. At the campsite in the morning I met by coiencidence Adam Donaghue who is in the area for a couple of weeks. He has been working at Mt Bulla for winter but is now back into climbing. I heard he ticked Manic Depresive (25) @ Bundaleer first shot.

Anyway, we trecked up the 30min walking track in glorious weather to arrive at this very special crag. Nick and Adam decided to do The Last Rites 124m 19 whilst Paul and I jumped on Hard Times 146m 19. Both are three star classics. I led the first pitch and accidentally linked it with the second pitch to make a 55m pitch with mega rope drag (damn 60m rope!). It was a thouragly absorbing pitch with lots of slopers and techinal wire placements. Much like Brolga at Arapiles. Paul led the next pitch up a steep corner to arrive at a comfy ledge. (Gareth - this is the same ledge as the top of pitch 2 of Diane/Heritic). I scored the best pitch of the route with the third pitch. It climbed an imacluate thin seam on marbled rock (Brolga like) in an amazing position about 100m off the ground. You traverse into the seam above a smooth wall and roof so the exposure is gob smaking. The protection was great and the climbing was really gymnastic. It even had a super bomber thread runner near the top. The suckfull thing was the hanging belay was in a small waterfall! It was Chinese water torture as the drops hit me from far above. The last pitch was the crux and climbed a rounded flake up an overhung wall. It was darn tricky for 19 but Paul pulled it off with style. the top 15m of the route was a wet muddy choss pile - helmet!. Oh well it is a multi-pitch.

The next route we attempted was the cliff classic The Ascension 117m 21 on the fabled Tourist Butress. The first pitch was led by Paul with one rest. It climbs a Blimp like corner to a blank sloping traverse then a wierd chimney thing. The best move of the pitch was at the top when you had to lunge out of the chimney to grab a big jug. It was a do or die move to an amazingly huge hold. It was getting dark by this time but we forged ahead. I lead up the next pitch, a 10m long traverse on huge jugs to gain the next belay ledge. In the process of hauling ropes we managed to get one caught down below so a rap down, jumar back up had to be done. After that mini -epic (and from the scary looking nature of pitch 3) we decided a retreat before dark was a better option. With no easy decent anchors I had to traverse off and downclimb another route placing gear for Paul to down second. It took us a while in freezing weather to gain the rap tree which we thankfully bailed off. Next time we will cruise the route!

Dinner was a fine affair with a vege curry and rice custard.

On Sunday we went up to Bundaleer, the super crag of the central Grampains. We all had a mission, to lead the mega corner route Blimp (20). Nick led it, followed by Paul then I ticked the final ascent. I also had a shot on another Bundaleer classic Manic Depressive (25). After working the start which is the crux for awahile I yanked on the first bolt and finished the rest of the route with a couple of rests. Its a super classic sport route on amazing overhung pockets. The top three quaters after the lower crux is only about grade 22 and is really fun. The start is one tough little monkey, a vital knee bar dyno move seems to be the key. I now just need to link that to the rest of the route!

I convinced the guys to head to my Lunar Crag so we could tick some new routes. In the space of three hours we did five new routes betwen grade 17-21 in a new routing bonaza. My memory had served me well, all routes had great rock and the area has fantastic atmosphere (when its not raining). Details of these routes can be found on my Lunar Crag Page.

 Thats it for me