Schroeders Cliff New Routes

Weekend of the 26th May 2001

Neil, Nick, Jono, Marcel, Jen & Kathy

Schroeders Cliff

Weekend of the 26th May 2001

The weekend started with a very leisurely start at midday after a big night out, dancing to Jono's first real drum and bass gig. Four of us crammed into Marcel's company car and we headed off into the ominous clouds towards the Grampains. Upon arrival at the Asses Ear carpark the heavens opened, deluging us with wet cold rain. We still decided a mission up to the new cliff before night was still a good idea. This was a bad decision. About 20 minutes up the hill the rain really set in and we had to abandon the walk in and dump our water sensitive powerdrill, plus the rest of the climbing gear in a dark cave to be picked up the next day. We trudged back down the slippery mud track back to the car to meet Nick and Jen, who had driven up later.

We retreated to a good stone hut for dinner at Zumsteins and were all asleep by 8pm. The next morning, we bounded out of our sleeping bags and headed straight for the hills. The weather was looking better, but the cliff itself was lost in the clouds. A very wet 40 minute walk-in got us to the much promising Schoeders Cliff. On the previous weekend I had walked up and checked this cliff out from all angles. Apparently, only 3 routes had been done. One grade 14 in 1977, then a grade 12 in 1991 and finally Baxter pitched in by straightening out the 14. I was amazed by the potential of this cliff. It was a good 40 meters high, with an impressive clean main face with several obvious crack lines. Since, most of the other cliffs in the area, including the Top of the Range Wall (3 minutes away) had good mid grade routes it was odd that this area was virtually untouched.

The weather started taking a turn for the worse as I started up the most obvious line on the main face. The route looked good, a thin corner then a blank traverse right under a roof then finishing up a splendid flake crack for the last fifteen meters. I was keen to try to the ground up onsight of the route as the line looked entirely naturally protectable. The cold numbed my feet quickly, bringing back feelings of New Zealand, and my hands required constant attention to keep the blood flowing. My progress was slow, as the protection offered by the route was far from obvious. The lower half was technical stemming with a few large jugs as rests. The angle was suprisingly steep. Every time I thought I was too pumped to continue I managed another burst of energy and gained another hold. I finally got to under the roof at 15 meters height and managed a scary traverse right with my last good gear several meters below. A blank wall above the roof finally got the better of me and I jammed in a dodgy cam and rested. I lowered to the ground for another go.

Neil on the FFA of Battered Flake 35m 21

Meanwhile, Nick and Marcel had started up a multi-pitch mid grade route to the left of us. Because of the constant mist we never actually saw them, but could hear there progress slowly rising above us. It turned into the 2 pitch Prison Camp 40m 16. I got back on my route and climbed to my high point. I was pumped stupid again but managed to pull through the thin holds and gain the vertical wall above and some good holds. The protection was still scant but a few more moves got me to a solid wire. The skies cleared for a brief moment as I pulled through the final juggy wall to gain a good belay ledge. I then spent the next hour freezing to death as Jono seconded me. Placing a few cams in a horizontal we rapped off back to the ground. I quickly jugged back up again and installed a rap anchor on the ledge. One bolt was a glue in ring, and the other was an expansion. I trusted the single expansion and rapped back down to the ground. The route was named Battered Flake 35m 21.

Scene at the bottom of the cliff	Neil bolts a project
Nick and Marcel top-roped a good slab route and marked the positions of bolts. Since I was still kitted up with the drilling equipment, I jugged up the fixed rope and placed the bolts on their route. Because they were glue-in's we would have to wait for another day for the first ascent of this nice looking grade 20 slab. From the same anchor I top-roped a really tough, thin face which would again require several bolts. I took many falls and rests but managed to link my way up crimpers, flakes and smears to climb this seemingly blank wall.	Neil top-ropes the hard slab route
Nick top-roped another potential route which was very scary to watch. He was a seriously long way to the right of the anchor for the crux, which was a dyno to a good hold off little crimpers. I had the camera ready to catch a monster pendulum, but the little bugger managed to pull the move off without falling. Nick placed two bolts and lead the route on his first lead ascent. The route, Memento 25m 23, was a classic face climb up flakes and edges. The wall is subtlety overhung and made of good orange coarse rock. Jono seconded it and I gave it a go on top-rope but couldn't figure the crux. Darkness was descending fast and the girls left before us for the walk out. In fading light, we packed our bags and stumbled down the hill to the cars. There was still much to climb at our new crag.	Nick on the FFA of Memento 25m 23