This section is described from top to bottom. Older bolt routes use carrot bolts with large heads and will only take the older RP brackets or sliding wires.
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Teardrop Gully
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Introduction | Teardrop Gully has some good cragging in the shade. The first bolted routes on the Pipes were done here in the early nineties, and the area has continued to produce some good sport and mixed routes. | ||||||
Access | Teardrop Gully comprises two sections, the gully above Step Tier and the gully below Step Tier. Currently the best way to access climbs in the gully is from the top. From the Lookout Shelter head down and across the screes heading in the general direction of the northern tip of Bruny Island. After several hundred metres look for the rusty pipe and cairn that mark the top of the gully (GPS MTW180). |
This area was described in old guides as Teardrop Wall. Many routes can be accessed from above (tape abseils), avoiding the difficult down climb into the gully, the scene of a serious accident in 2003.
Descent: There are rap stations above Sunk by a Pink Torpedo, Turkey Slap, Dag on a Crag and another off Ceci N'est Pas une Pipe.
Ano's Sojourn 10m 18 Entertainment city. A jamming test piece. A distinct hand crack on the RH side of the main gully 50m above and L of Teardrop Wall. Jam the straight crack past the overlap on the R wall to the top. M. Collie, D. Fife, Apr. 1981.
Turkey Slap 12m 24 Þ ↓ The bolted arête on right side of main gully roughly midway between Sweepings and Ano's Sojourn. Climb via 4 bolts past a low crux to a DBB. D. McConnell, M. McMinn, A. Drenen Jan 2007.
Sweepings 20m 13 Start 3m to the L and above Suzerain, on a small platform behind Ceci N'est Pas Une Pipe. Up the crack in the wall which becomes a shallow corner, exiting R to finish. S. Scott, M. Stone, Mar. 1981.
Ceci N'est Pas une Pipe 10m 19 Þ ↓ Pronounced 'sersi nay parz une peep'. Any the wiser? Pleasant face climbing is protected by 3 BR's. Start on the downhill side of the lone chunk of rock opposite Suzerain. Rap off. R. Parkyn, Nov. 1991.
Cocksure Propulsion 20m 21 Start 1m L of Suzerain and climb the crack to a small roof. Undercling and bridge past this, then layback the thin crack above. Step L and up the arête to finish. M. Perchard, Mar. 1991.
Suzerain 32m 18 The hand crack in the prominent corner situated towards the L side of the wall. Jam up and past the overlap on the L wall. Continue up past a recess (crux) to a large ledge. Up the crack on the L to the top. I. Lewis, L. Closs, Feb. 1974.
Built Like A Donkey 22m 18 The 'classic' 4 to 5 inch crack that splits the L side of the 'blank wall,' 4m R of Suzerain. Don't forget your #4 Friend. Try to climb the crack with style. R. Clarke, G. Fisher, Dec. 1983.
Live Fast Die Young 18m 24 Þ Another steep, technical and sustained number up the blank wall L of Sunk by a Pink Torpedo. Climb a shallow corner 4m L of SBAPT to a wire placement. Move R and up to the ledge and the first of 3 BR. Continue up thinly to a mid-sized friend in the crack on the L, before moving R to finish. M. Perchard, Mar. 1992.
Sunk By A Pink Torpedo 16m 22 Þ ↓ Starts and finishes 1m L of Fat Snatcher. Climb the shallow corner / rib to a large sloping ledge. From the L end continue to the small ledge above then up via the face holds. 5 BR's and rap chain. O. Prall, Feb. 1992.
The Virus 12m 21 Þ ↓ Ignore the original trio of bolts if you can. Follow 5 recently added U-bolts up the L hand wall of Pretty Septic. Lower Off. R. Parkyn, Nov. 1991.
Pretty Septic 17m 14 An interesting start. The open book corner that faces down the river, 1m L of Sheeza. O. Prall, Nov. 1991.
Sheeza 17m 18 A very picturesque route just above Step Tier. Clip the BR from the L then follow the arête all the way to the top. Good pro is found in the cracks on the L. M. Perchard, Nov. 1991.
Dag On A Crag 18m 20 Þ ↓ Known to have dished out some humiliation in recent times, the grade of this route could be suspect. You need brackets with large heads, be warned. On LH side of gully at same height as Ano's Sojourn are a series of broken outcrops. This route ascends highest one, just R of an orange wall. It has 4 BR. Power up initial section past 2 BR's and move L for a friend. Move back R, up ladder, L over bulge and R again, to finish up arête. M. Perchard, Apr. 1992.
Access to the LH side of the gully is by scrambling 50 metres up scrubby corners and ledges from the bottom.
Descent: Abseil off taped bollards to descend these routes. Abseil is not difficult to organise and definitely preferable to the downclimb.
Out Of The Frying Pan 32m 17 The chimney to the L of Into the Fire. Scramble 60m up to the first buttress on the L side of Teardrop Gully. Climb the tight chimney. S. Brennan, K. Bischoff, Apr. 1981.
Farewell To Arms 30m 21 The obvious crack system on the south face of the first buttress, clearly visible from the track. Start at the base of the buttress, between Out Of The Frying Pan and Into The Fire. Climb the sustained flared cracks up the face to belay on a ledge just below the top of the buttress. Tape abseil off. D. Stephenson, N. Deka, Feb. 1989.
Into The Fire 30m 22 A sustained route following the prominent corners on the north side of the first buttress, clearly visible from the Panorama Track. (1) 7m. Climb the crack just R of the arête to a small ledge. (2) 23m. Climb with difficulty into a shallow scoop using a peg or, less securely, small wires for protection. Continue through a bulge using lay away holds to one more queasy experience, a sloping jug. Continue up to belay at a ledge. S. Parsons, K. Bischoff, Apr. 1981.
Farouche 26m 15 The crack R of Into The Fire. Follow the chimney to start and the corner at the top. K. Bischoff, S. Parsons, Apr. 1981.
Thought Insertion 27m 19 The enjoyable crack on the south face of the second buttress up the gully. The start can be done two ways. The crack on the L is probably the original start and is at least 20 despite the easier line existing closer to the R arête. The R hand line has a very suspect flake on it at the roof. Beware. Finish up the crack line. P. Bigg, S. Parsons, D. Fife, Jan. 1982.
Morons In Motion 25m 15 It is not yet clear where this is! The original description says to climb the obvious crack around the arête R of Thought Insertion. I. Montoya, 1988.
All Those Madmen 20m 18 Worth a look. The crack around the corner to the R of Thought Insertion. Climb the crack. S. Parsons, P. Bigg, D. Fife, Jan. 1982.
Second Edition 20m 21 A fun route that follows the finger crack two metres R of All Those Madmen. Climb the crack, trending R at half height and through the bulge where the crack straightens (crux). S. Parsons, M. Briggs, Jan. 1982.
The next five routes start from a wide vegetated ledge 50m up the RH side of Teardrop Gully. Access either by scrambling up the RH side of the gully (easy but worth roping up) or by abseiling off the back of Step Tier (use the chain at the top of Lone Stranger but go off L, not R! Approx 35m), or probably easiest, from the top via Teardrop Wall. Walk down Teardrop Gully to the rock pedestal at the top of Step Tier (close to the Virus on the L). Walk left of a rock pedestal as though going down to the Step Tier abseil chains but a couple of metres down round on the R (facing down Teardrop Gully) 2 U-bolts are visible. 50m abseil will reach the ledge at the base of Wootang, 25m approx to the to top of Cornered.
Descent: A 50m abseil from the bolts on the ledge gets you back down to the ground.
These routes are described right to left.
Descent: A 50m abseil from the bolts on the ledge gets you back down to the ground.
These routes are described right to left.
The Colour of Magic 24m 26 Þ ↓ The slightly overhanging arête above the extreme R of the ledge. Climb the initial layaway crack (0.5-3 camalot) then undercling out R to the first bolt, continue up the arête to DBB. A. Williams, Nov. 2002.
Shaolin 25m 27 Þ ↓ The line of U Bolts left of The Colour of Magic. Scramble up the large corner then step right to gain the second bolt, climb the shallow corner then right into the thin layaway seam, follow this until easier ground leads to the DBB of TCOM. A. Williams Jan 2007.
Wootang 45m 25 Þ ↓ A dedication to Lois Scarr. Starts on the RH side of the wide face above the ledge. Layaways on the face for the first 10m (crux) lead to a small ledge, continue up the face above to a bolted belay on the ledge at 45m. No natural gear required. A. Williams, Oct. 2002.
Cornered 20m 23 Þ ↓ Start approximately 5m L of Wootang. Climb the thin crack line just R of the arête, protected by small to mid-sized cams (some people think these small cams are quite dodgy), then the shallow corner above past 3 fixed hangers to a DBB at the ledge. A. Williams, early 2005.
Five-Nil 45m 25 Þ ↓ No natural gear required. Access from the top of the mountain is probably easiest. (1) 20m 25. Start 5m up the gully left of Cornered and Wootang with belay bolts on left. Climb the face and arête past fixed hangers to a ledge and DBB (as for Cornered). (2) 25m 19. Step right from the belay and ascend the blocky corner/arête system past fixed hangers and the final U bolt of Wootang. Either belay at the Wootang DBB or continue past another fixed hanger to the ledge above to the top DBB. Walk off or abseil back to ledge at base of Wootang. Doug McConnell Jan. 2007.
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