New Routes and News 2016

A couple of new ones at Kempton Quoin :

★★ 46. The West Wind 18m 21 8Þ
The face just to the right of Crying Wolfs. Thin moves down low, then good face climbing.
Jon Nermut, Feb 2016.

★ 49. Footy Frank Snapchat 20m 22 4Þ
The arete 2m right of Sugar Tits. Gets you in less trouble than social media. The third clip is less exciting if you pre-clip the draw. Finish up Sugar Tits.
Dave Humphries, Jon Nermut, Jan 2016.

Also, Sonnie Trotter has done an ascent of the project formerly known as Cockhead Crack at the Star Factory, with pre-placed, and some pre-clipped, gear. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBqYblGEsV9/?taken-by=sonnietrotter

It awaits a ground-up ascent.

Another good moderate sport route at Kempton:

Roger has done a major new route next to Icarus:

★★★ 28. Close to the Sun 50 23
Beautiful dolerite with classy climbing, in the modern style. Start 1-2 m right of the original first pitch of Icarus (which is not described in the above description for Icarus but is the groove/chimney about 8 m left of Incision, which is the really big black chimney). The start is easily accessed, via the bottom of Incision, from the track between Flange Buttress and Ship Rock.
1. 35 m, 23 Follow the U's up a nose of rock to a crux crossing the bulge (at about the eighth U). After that, climb the arete (another seven U's) to a ledge and DUB.
2. 15 m, 23 Continue up the arete until a bulge forces a reach left (crux). Continue up the arete to another good ledge (DUB). A harder pitch than the first but probably still the same grade.
3. 15 m, 17 The crack starts wide and gets wider (no fixed pro, a #6 Camalot may be useful). Not recommended but this would provide connection to the ledge below Freedom (no rap anchors).
Roger Parkyn, Nick Hancock, Heather Hancock, Feb 2016.

Not sure if this is the best place to put this, but just been to Sandfly bouldering and did a potential new link up across the Christmas boulder :

Chicken's feet (V4-5) - low start on the jug at the bottom of Equilibrium and traverse the face on good rails to to the jug on Deception, and then up. Harder than it looks. SDS, highball. Really nice problem (**). 

From a couple of weeks ago - Lee Cossey and Andrea Hah did a (first??) one day and pretty much onsight ascent of Deeper Water, and a repeat of the Ewbank Route on the Totem Pole:

http://www.verticallifemag.com.au/2016/03/interview-cossey-and-hah-in-tasmania/

Kempton Quoin again:

★★ 53. Hoparoo  15m  16  7Þ

The face in between Surprise and Wild Flowers provides lovely climbing. One of the better sport routes at this kind of grade around Hobart.

Jon Nermut, Stu Scott, Dave Humphries, Mar 2016.

Some new routes from around the place.

At Kempton Quoin, to the R of the RIght Stuff:

★ 30. Tabula Rasa 10m 24 6b
Tackles the surprisingly steep black slab at the base of the overhanging south-eastern face of Howling buttress.
Owen Gervasoni, Roger Parkyn 21/5/2016

★★ 31. John Henry 32m 26 18b
This excellent continuation of Tabula Rasa weaves its way up the overhanging face with some of the best rock at the crag. From the DBB on Tabula Rasa, continue up the right arete of the buttress for a few moves, before traversing left into and then up a shallow white corner system. A lack of holds forces a move further left onto and around the blunt overhanging prow (crux). Punch back right through the rooflet above before finishing up the centre of the face. A 60m rope is sufficient.
Owen Gervasoni, Roger Parkyn 21/5/2016

Head down and R from the Right Stuff to the ledge below Howling Gale. There is a bolt on the ledge to avoid falling off it.

★ 32. Howling Gale 20m 20 9Þ
Follows the seam up the middle of the buttress to a DBB on the ledge. Needs a bit more brushing and traffic at the top.
Dave Humphries, Apr 2016.

At the Kindergartan, Freycinet:

★★ 33. The Crystal Ball 25m 24 8Þ
Below the left side of the main face, use an undercut to make a long reach to a jug, then scratch up the very thin slab, to easier moves to the ledge. Hug up the arete for a move, then trend up and right with increasing difficulty, below the vague overlap, to a hard finish near the arête. DBB above.
Nick & Heather Hancock, Apr 2016

On Central Buttress, to the R of Cognitive Dissonance:

★★ 40. Thesaurus 24m 21 10
Steep start then keep following the U's.
Roger & James Parkyn, Heather & Nick Hancock, May 2016.

At Bare Rock:

★★ Godhead's Lament 25m 24m 11Þ
A mighty steep pitch that can be climbed as a single pitch, or as a harder start to God Monster.
Starts 6m right of God Monster on the steep underside of the arch that God Monster traverses around.
Up via much steepness (by Bare Rock standards) remaining on the underside of the arch (stemming for the first 4 bolts as necessary), finishing up at the anchor at the end of God Monster Pitch 1 after the last ringbolt on the face (you shouldn't be clipping any of bolts on God Monster).
Paul Thomson 04-02-2016

★★ Influence of a Drowsy God 35m 26 17Þ
Extremely steep.
Starts up Godhead's Lament, breaking right at the 2nd last bolt (10th bolt from the ground) and continuing to climb the arch through even more ridiculously steep terrain past 7 more bolts.
Anchors located below the lip and to the right to facilitate cleaning on lower-off.
Paul Thomson 09-03-2016

★★ Yesterday's Hero 40m 21 Þ
A great long pitch of technical slabbing, with a few roofs to keep things spicy.
Start as for Tomorrow's Dream, climbing directly up to the ledge. Then up following technical black slab for 35m, with varied moves of increasing difficulty.
Combine with P3 of Tomorrow's Dream for a brilliant 2-pitch multi following some of the best rock in the area.
G. Narkowicz 30-04-2016
★★★ Agony and Ecstasy in Eight Parts 180m 26 Þ
A Symphony of Rock!
The line of bolts continuing directly up from the top of Pitch 1 of Tomorrow's Dream is part of a multipitch being developed that tackles the entire Bare Rock face, around the roof, and up the headwall to the top.
Bring 2 x 60m ropes (or 1 x 80m rope), 16 quickdraws, and plenty of muscles.
1. 30m 16 12 Bolts - "The Easy Slab Pitch" - As for Tomorrow's Dream Pitch 1.
2. 20m 24 6 Bolts - "The Funky Roof-Turn Pitch" - Straight up the orange face above the belay, to hard (and funky!) moves getting into the roof, turning the lip and getting established on the face. Easier slab climbing above to belay.
MOVE BELAY UP 5M to RINGS JUST BELOW SHORT SLAB (5m left of Tomorrow's Dream Pitch 3).
3. 12m 21 6 bolts - "The Hard Slab Pitch" - Climb the short, technical black slab above. Up past 2 bolts, then traverse right (to avoid very bad rock), and the up via hard moves.
4. 45m 23 14 Bolts - "The Tenuous Traverse Pitch" - Hard moves off the belay around the bulge, then sustained insecure traversing left below the roofs for 4 bolts. Traverse more easily left to below the final roof. Turn the roof, then continue up Black-and-Yellow streaked slab to belay just below The Great Roof. Some strategically placed long runners will be crucial for mitigating rope drag.
5. 15m 26 8 Bolts - "The Outrageous Roof Pitch" - Head directly left from the belay, staying at the same height as the bolts (via desperate sloper-slapping and heel hooking) to a penultimate move to bridge the void between the end of the roof and the Easter-Rising Ledge-system. Stay low (you shouldn't need to touch the Guano) and traverse left along the ledge to belay below the Black Streak. (The next line of Fixed Hangers to the right is Enchanted to a Stone).
6. 15m 25 8 bolts - "The Bouldery Black-Streak Pitch" - Step left off the belay and up past 2 bolts to boudery climbing with a powerful, juggy finale to belay on ledge.
7. 15m 24 7 bolts - "The Technical Stemming Pitch" - Left past a bolt to join Enchanted to a Stone just before the crux of that route. Up through the stepped roofs to belay on top of headwall.
8. 25m 12 6 bolts - "The Junky Exit Pitch" - Just an exit pitch. Head up off the belay, traverse right, up a bit, then more right, and a touch more up to belay at top of cliff. Average rock, but not too terrible.
DESCENT:
Top out, and walk back down the Approach/Descent Gully at the far Right-Hand side (looking out) of the summit of Bare Rock.
Pitches 1 - 4 (up to The Great Roof) can be rapped with 2 x 60m ropes down the line of the climb to reach the ground.
For Pitches 5 - 8, you can rap the Easter Rising face to the Belay below Pitch 6 (on the ledge above the Great Roof) being careful not to get stranded in space from the steepness, then rap 30m straight down to a belay on its own in the middle of nowhere. Then rap 35m again diagonally right (looking in) to the anchors at the top of Yesterday's Hero. Be careful not to get the rope stuck in the crack, or to pull any loose rock onto yourself. Then rap 40m to the ground.
P1 - G. Narkowicz; P2 - Equipped by G. Narkowicz, FFA - P. Thomson (Belayed by G. Narkowicz); P3, P4 & P5 - P. Thomson (Belayed by G. Narkowicz); P6 & P8 - P. Thomson (Belayed by J McCarthy; P7 - P. Thomson (Belayed by Ingvar Lidman).

At Kempton Quoin (mostly for historical purposes):

¥oung Mon€¥ 47m 19

See description in guide - fairly horrible and loose. Be careful. X

Kempton Quoin stuff:

★ 23. Please Explain 32m 17
Not bad for this sort of thing, will get better with more cleaning. The chimney to the right of Cardio. Bring your no 4s and 5s!
Y. Foong, M. Lopez Jul 2016

★★★ 32. The Left Stuff 20m 22 Þ
The beautiful arete between Margin Call and The Right Stuff. Technical with a steep finish.
Dave Humphries, Jon Nermut, Oct 2016.

56. Dallas City Sniper 18m 17
The crack of varying sizes 2m R of TWW. Start in da v groove and up to the DBB. Grubby, wet and a lil crumbly.
M. Lopez & Y. Foong, July 2016

Owen and Roger have done 3 good new pitches on the top half of Surprise Buttress but haven't got around to writing them up.

And Roger re-bolted and re-cleaned The Smoking Gun.

New season, new routes.

Roger and Owen have been busy in The Columns :

★★ 32. Dark Nebula 35m 21 17p
Up the buttress right of Incision (which is the big dark cleft). Warning: don't lower off the top anchors with a 60 m rope!
Roger Parkyn; Owen Gervasoni. Nov 2016.

★★ 34. Plymouth Satellite 20m 23 11p
On the orange buttress about 15 m right of Dark Nebula. Join the dots.
Roger Parkyn; Owen Gervasoni. Nov 2016.

And Dave and I did this one at Kempton Quoin :

★ 20. The Renaissance 34m 22 Þ
This route takes the right hand of two corners, down at the lowest level of the wall.
1. 18m 22 Up the corner and face above, to a DBB. Good climbing.
2. 16m 16 A bit of a ramble to the top of the wall and a DBB. You can't quite lower off to the ground from here with a 60m rope, but you can get to the ledge up right.
Dave Humphries, Jon Nermut, Nov 2016.

This weekend we completed the Trident traverse (AKA Poseidon's Wrath) on Cape Pillar. 

After a recon and a failed attempt, this was done in a 12 hour push by 3 bumblies. The route was sketchy with a lifetime's worth of loose rock, some of which fell on to human flesh. This was an old school adventure inspired by the previous attempts on the route. There is now fresh tat on all pillars making this a consumer friendly climb (not.). The X rating is much fitting. Be careful. See guide for further details. 

Awesome. Saw you guys out there on Saturday. Well done 

Congratulations, a sterling effort. Attached a few photos from an attempt by Kim, Claire and yours truly in 2012, a couple of years after the North Face team tried. We were thwarted by bad weather and high seas on a very atmospheric trip, the plan was to traverse the ridge line as Mendelt and co. did in 1972. The novel 2016 route descending toward the sea on the eastern side followed by a rising traverse to the outer pillar was a good idea. A bold lead, the whole thing is dangerously loose. Kim did a solo recce on a long day the week before our trip and found a way down from the west traversing below the cliffs to the Trident.(see photo). This involved two 25m and one 55m raps, scrubby as everywhere, but was relatively safe compared with ‘Death Gully’. 

Aperitif Buttress

These two latest additions  probably complete the development of this small buttress. Fun climbing, ideal for a summers evening

33.  Canapes                     17m     18            2Þ, mixed↓

1a           A tasty morsel climbing the left-hand side of the arête.  Thoughtful moves past the bolts, then over the small roof, with a trad hand crack to the DBB (17m).

1b           Extra Nibbles.  (17) If you want a little more trad action, climb the alternative start up the crack just round to the left of Canapes, joining the original route above the roof.

B. Bull and T. McKenny, I. Crossland, Dec, 2016.

*34. The Cocktail Hour 17m       18                          ↓

You may be shaken if not stirred by this cheeky little number – a heady blend of equal measures of delicious exposure and excellent climbing, mixed with a good dash of smashed egos and an olive of fun.

Start at the very toe of the buttress and climb directly to the top, keeping just to the right of the arête itself all the way.  DBB (17m).

T. McKenny and B. Bull, Dec. 2016

Summertime Buttress. A small group of walls below Teardrop Gully, accessed from the path that leads off right from the Cracked Pepper track . A bit dark and dank in winter but comes into its own on a sunny summer's morning (if we ever get one....).

Sleeping Dogs           12m                17       5Þ ↓

Steep climbing on the rounded arête, 3m right of Jon's Crack.

B. Bull and T. McKenny, I. Crossland, Dec. 2016

Nick Hancock has put up 6 new routes on a new cliff 25km south east of Ross: Check out Ross Quoin

Summertime Buttress

Another little piece of nonsense from the old fellas.....

The Bentwood              12m       16          3 Þ  ↓

The buttress to the far left, past a deep chimney. Steep but fun climbing on good rock up the nose of the buttress, staying left at the top. DBB (12m).

T. McKenny, and B. Bull, B. Madddison, Jan, 2017.

A new multi-pitch Pipes venture, sorry no bolts.

Van Diemen Buttress Area

More or Less        145m     17

A direct ascent, the result of an exploratory trip to join a series of small buttresses halfway between Seamstress and Van Diemen Buttress. An adventure route with the usual trappings.

Access: 30-40m S of the Sawmill-Organ Pipes track junction, bash uphill to the base of the 1^st prominent buttress R of Van Diemen Buttress.

(1)     18m                Climb the short hand jam crack and the L side of the corner followed by a neat traverse R around the nose and up a few metres to belay.

(2)     14m                Continue to the top of a large block followed by a difficult move with marginal pro onto the wall above. Belay on a large platform.

(3)     8m                  The steep wall to a large ledge, committing, even with a point of aid being used.

(4)     25m                Thrash upward to a steep finger-hand crack and onward to belay at a myrtle tree.

(5)     20m                Continue thrashing to a huge spectacular  chockstone, surmount this, moving R and up until one can traverse L to the base of a wide crack on a clean buttress.

(6)     20m                Climb 4-5m up the crack and traverse delicately R around the arête to balance on a sloping ledge on the wall. Layback and climb to a perch on top of a large block.

                                 Although it rocks slightly, the block appears well attached.The wall above leads to a large open area.

(7)     40m                Easily to the upper Van Diemen ridge.

Exit over huge boulders high on Van Diemen’s to the top of Fools Couloir. Ascend to the top of the mountain or descend Avalanche Couloir.

P.Robinson, C.Rathbone  28/11/16

Organ Pipes. Summertime Buttress... again, X2.

Thor                                  11m     15     ↓

 Good rock, good gear and good moves. Takes the right-hand arête of Dave's wall to

DBB. Rap: 11m.

T. McKenny, B. Maddison and B. Bull, Jan 2015

Organ Pipes. Summertime Buttress.

The Unrideable Chicken      10m              19                         4Þ ↓

On the right hand side of the gully, opposite Gone Viral. Classy climbing with a sting in the tail.

B. Maddison, T. McKenny, S. Scott and B. Bull, Jan, 2017.

The battle to climb all the pillars in Tasmania continues

The Fickle Finger pinnacle next to the Monument pinnacle on Bruny island has been climbed by Simon Bischoff and Danger Darren Nov 2016

Allesandro the Dauntless, 30m grade 16

Check it out in the guide at http://www.thesarvo.com/confluence/display/thesarvo/Bruny+Island

The fickle finger