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<guide><text<guide> 
  <text class="heading1" id="1">The Organ Pipes</text>  Pipes
</text><text
  <text class="text" new="false" number="null." id="2">Climbing on Thethe Pipes is serious. Or at least it looks and feels that way! Occasional loose rock, complex route finding and a sense of exposure heightened by the kilometre drop down to sea level all contribute to a wilderness adventure. As Phil Robinson said in the 1981 edition:
    "In terms of mileage of routes, skinned knuckles, expenditure of effort and annual traffic, the Organ Pipes is the major focus of climbing activity in Tasmania." 
This is still true today. YetAnd all this fun is justonly 20 minutes drive from the centre of the citytown. </text><texttext> class="heading3"  
  <text class="heading3" id="3">Rock
</text><text>Rock</text>  
  <text class="text" new="false" number="null." id="4">A>The rock is comprised of a number of separate buttresses up to 120m high of vertical dolerite, typically in columns. The rock is very compact, though there is surface exfoliation in places due to bushfires. Large blocks that look precariously stacked are mostly just that. Be especially wary in spring, as frost action is instrumental in loosening previously solid blocks. Vegetation has crept back onto the less frequented routes andsince maythe needfires gentlein gardening1967. asRoute you go.
</text><text class="heading3" id="5">Aspect
</text><text class="text" id="6">Facing east and sheltered from the prevailing westerlies, the crag catches most of the morning sun but the altitude means it can get cold very quickly when the sun disappears.
</text><text descriptions are constantly being reviewed to take the regrowth and subsquent gardening on these routes into account.&lt;br/&gt;</text>  
  <text class="heading3" newid="false" number="null.5">Aspect</text>  
  <text class="text" id="76">Access>Facing fromeast the bottom
</text><text class="text" new="false" number="null." id="8">An access track to the bottomand sheltered from the prevailing westerlies, the Pipes catch most of the Pipesmorning startssun. atHowever theits endelevation ofat the1000m smallmeans parkingit baycan onget thecold LHvery sidequickly ofwhen the roadsun 2disappears.7</text> km past
 the Springs. 
Parking can be a bit of a pain although the situation has been improved by the Trust who have extended the carpark and added steps to the start of the track. The main parking bay can accommodate six cars at a squeeze if cars are parked perpendicularly to the road and close together. However at weekends it fills up rapidly and you are left with the alternatives of creative parking on the verge, parking at the Springs or the Chalet (ample parking but a longer walk), or parking at the summit and walking down. There have been cases of theft from cars so be warned: don't leave anything valuable in your car that might attract thieves.
From the LH end of the parking bay, a definite track leads straight up the hill through a boulder field to meet the Organ Pipes Track (GPS MTW000) and a track junction that provides access to the base of routes at the RH end of the Organ Pipes.</text><text class="text" new="false" number="null." id="9">For access to routes located between Broken Buttress and Flange Buttress, walk L (south) along the Organ Pipes Track and use the relevant 'feeder' tracks to access the base of the individual buttresses. See individual buttress sections in the text for details.
</text><text class="text" id="10">The track directly opposite the Organ Pipes track junction (GPS MTW000) leads on uphill. It provides access to the base of routes between the Columns and the Far North. The track arrives at the base of Northern Buttress (GPS MTW010) where the it bifurcates. The track to the Shipwreck forks L providing access to the Columns, Exit/Entry, Amphitheatre Ledge, Rockaway Gully and the Northern Buttress - Shady side. Taking the R fork provides access to Northern Buttress - Sunny side and the Far North.</text><text class="heading3" id="11">Access from the top 
</text><text class="text" new="false" number="null." id="12">From the wooden platform below the summit lookout (GPS MTW100) hop the rail, head down to the R and pick up a loosely defined pad that descends to the top of the cliff line near a patch of snow gums (GPS MTW110). 
The first column to the R (south) is the bulky Double Column. Further R are twin 'ears' of rock that mark the top of Split Column and the Ultrahard rap station (GPS MTW140). R of Split Column is the distinctive jammed block/slab of Battlements Column. The Freedom rap station is located on top of this column. The Daedalus rap station is found in the gully to the R of Battlements Column, on a yellow ledge about 15m down (50m GPS MTW150). Cairn Column is further to the R again. Detailed information on top down access for each of the columns is included in the body of the text. Landmarks south of Cairn Column such as Teardrop Gully are more difficult to pick but can be found by consulting the relevant section in the guide.
The column to the L (north) of the patch of snow gums is Cossack Column. It has a rap station 10m down on its LHS (GPS MTW120). Further left again, following  the curve of the cliff line, is the Amphitheatre rap station above Ethnic Cornflake (50m, marked by a blue dot, GPS MTW130). This is probably the easiest way to gain access to the bottom of the cliff near the start of Exit/Entry which then can be used for walking access to the bottom of routes on the Columns not equipped with rap stations.</text><text class="heading3" new="false" number="null." id="13">Climbing Info
</text><text class="text" new="false" number="null." id="14">Over 335 routes have been recorded so far on the Organ Pipes proper. The majority are trad climbing but there is an increasing number of bolted walls and arêtes. Routes look serious and intimidating, but the stepped nature of the cliff line generally allows rest stances between difficulties. 
</text><text<text class="heading3" new="false" number="null." id="7">Access From the Bottom</text>  
  <image id="20" src="OrganPipesTrackApril2013_all_whitened.jpg" height="707" width="1000"> 
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      <path id="86321" points="550.0,52.0, 565.0,35.0, 596.0,9.0, 624.0,6.0," d="M550.0,52.0C556.0,45.2 558.4,41.2 565.0,35.0C571.6,28.8 585.9,14.0 596.0,9.0C606.1,4.0 612.8,7.2 624.0,6.0" labelText="" arrow="true"/>  
      <rect id="75770" x="506" y="-1" width="78" height="22" style="black_text_on_solid_white" text="red dot track"/>
    </drawing> 
  </image>  
  <text class="text" new="false" number="null." id="8">An access track to the bottom of the Pipes starts at the end of the climbers' carpark, a small parking bay on the LH side of the road 2.7 km past the Springs. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Parking in the climbers' carpark can accommodate seven cars at a squeeze if cars are parked perpendicularly to the road and close together. However at weekends it fills up rapidly. If its full park further up the road at the Chalet and walk along south along the Organ Pipes track, which is a flat easy walk of less than 15 minutes to the Northern Buttress track junction. Alternatively park at the Springs or at the summit and walk down. There have been cases of theft from cars from all the parking areas so it is advisable not to leave items of value in your car.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;From the LH end of the parking bay, a definite track leads straight up the hill through a boulder field to intersect with the Organ Pipes Track (GPS MTW000). From this track junction, it is possible to access the base of all routes on the Organ Pipes.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;For access to routes located between Broken Buttress and Flange Buttress, walk L along the Organ Pipes Track and use the relevant signed 'feeder' tracks to access the base of the individual buttresses. Please use only the signed tracks which have been formalised and signed by the Wellington Park Trust. See individual buttress sections in the text for details.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;The track directly opposite the Organ Pipes track junction (GPS MTW000) leads on uphill. This is the Northern Buttress feeder track and it provides access to the base of routes between the Columns and the Far North. The track meets the base of cliff at Northern Buttress (GPS MTW010) where it forks. The L fork to the Shipwreck provides access to the Columns, Amphitheatre Ledge, Rockaway Gully and the Northern Buttress - Shady side. Taking the R fork provides access to Northern Buttress - Lower Cliff, Upper Cliff and the Far North.</text>  
  <text class="heading3" id="11">Access From the Top</text>  
  <text class="text" new="false" number="null." id="12">At the summit, locate the start of the climber's track down to the Organ Pipes just to the right (south) of the main lookout shelter (GPS MTW100). This is signposted as "Climbers Advised Only Past This Point ... The Amphitheatre". Head down to pick up the pad, which is well marked with triangle orange markers and winds its way down to the top of the Columns near a patch of snow gums (GPS MTW110). Note that the Trust has asked that climbers don't hop over the fence on the viewing platforms as we have done in the past but stick to the main marked track starting at the sign in order to reduce erosion.&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Walk right as viewed looking towards Hobart along the edge of the cliff line to gain access to climbs on Double, Split, Battlements and Cairn Column. Detailed information on top down access for the Columns is included in the body of the text. Continue to walk right to access sections of the crag further right of the Columns such as Central Buttress (Circus Wall &amp; the Arena), Zoloft Wall and Teardrop Gully. Access down to these can be difficult to pick out but can be found by consulting the relevant section in the body of the text. &lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Walk left of the patch of snow gums (GPS MTW110) to access climbs on Cossack Column. Further left of Cossack Column and part way down the Ampitheatre track is the red dot track turn off that leads north then descends to DNA buttress, then descends via Upper reaches buttrress to Johnson's Knob. Also left of Cossack but following the curve of the cliff line is the Amphitheatre track and a rap station that descends Ethnic Cornflake to the base of the cliff (marked by a blue dot, GPS MTW130). Further left and downhill is the top of Exit/Entry, a non-trivial scramble to the base of the cliff.</text>  
  <text class="heading3" new="false" number="null." id="13">Climbing Info</text>  
  <text class="text" new="false" number="null." id="14">Over 400 routes have been recorded so far on the Organ Pipes proper. The majority are trad climbing but there is an increasing number of bolted walls and arêtes. Routes look serious and intimidating, but the stepped nature of the cliff line generally allows rest stances between difficulties. The climbing is typically a mixture of face holds, jugs, and jams with only a few routes requiring use of pure crack technique. Dolerite friction allows the feet to be placed on small edges and smears. There are a small number of quality easier climbs, many of which have been resurrected from the forest regrowth and most of these are steep and physical. Slabs or gentle walls are a rarity, Blue Meridian (pitch one) on Great Tier being one of the few exceptions. For the trad climber, taping of hands is neither wimpy nor a demonstration of poor technique. Indeed it might stave off the need for a blood transfusion.&lt;br/&gt;</text>  
  <text class="heading3" id="16">Gear</text>  
  <text class="text" new="false" number="null." id="17">Dolerite eats cams. A set of wires and a double rack of cams from BD #0.3 to #3, including a #4 is usually sufficient. Some routes require extra helpings of certain sizes or wires, including very small or very large cams - this is usually noted in the route description though. Double (half) ropes are the standard on the multi-pitch trad climbs, particularly as many of the abseils are to 50 - 60m long. Double bolt rap stations are now common and their locations are indicated in the climbing descriptions. Hangers are not generally required but there are still some carrots around - treat these with caution as they may have been there for many years.</text>  
  <text class="text" new="false" number="null." id="15">The climbing is typically a mixture of face holds, jugs, and jams with few routes involving pure crack techniques. Dolerite friction allows feet to be placed almost anywhere. Having said that, there are few quality easier climbs, most are steep and physical. Slabs or gentle walls are a rarity, Blue Meridian (17) being one of the few exceptions. Taping up is neither wimpy nor a demonstration of poor technique. 
</text><text class="heading3" id="16">Gear
</text><text class="text" new="false" number="null." id="17">A standard rack of cams (with a couple of big ones for off widths - yum), hexes (yes we still use them here), wires, stoppers and RPs is usually sufficient. Twin or half ropes (50m minimum) are the standard on the multi-pitch trad climbs, particularly as the abseils are usually that long. Bolt rap stations are now common and their location is indicated in the climbing descriptions. Hangers are not generally required but there are still some carrots around - treat these with caution as they may have been there for some years. 
</text><text class="text" new="false" number="null." id="18">Descriptions generally flow from R to L - North to South: areas such as gullies that do not follow this flow are noted in the descriptions. 
</text>
<gps new="true" id="19"><point code="MTW000" description="Junction of climbers track with Organ Pipes track" easting="51988518">Routes are described from L to R starting with the buttresses on the southern end closest to the Springs and working their way to the northern end nearest the Chalet.</text>  
  <gps new="true" id="19"> 
    <point code="MTW000" description="Junction of climbers track with Organ Pipes track" easting="519885" height="0" northing="5250836" zone="55G" latitude="-42.89482" longitude="147.24355" pid="34"/>  
    <point code="MTW010" description="Base of Northern Buttress" easting="519764" height="0" northing="5250829" zone="55G" latitude="-42.89489" longitude="147.24207" pid="35"/>  
    <point code="MTW020" description="The Shipwreck" easting="519740" height="0" northing="5250779" zone="55G" latitude="-42.89534" longitude="147.24177" pid="36"/>  
    <point code="MTW030" description="Start of Flange Buttress track" easting="519849" height="0" northing="5250698" zone="55G" latitude="-42.89607" longitude="147.24311" pid="37"/>  
    <point code="MTW040" description="Start of Central Buttress track" easting="519827" height="0" northing="5250667" zone="55G" latitude="-42.89635" longitude="147.24284" pid="38"/>  
    <point code="MTW070" description="Access to Bulging Buttress" easting="519753" height="0" northing="5250466" zone="55G" latitude="-42.89816" longitude="147.24194" pid="39"/>  
    <point code="MTW080" description="Junction of Organ Pipes Track and Sawmill Track" easting="519735" height="0" northing="5250377" zone="55G" latitude="-42.89896" longitude="147.24173" pid="40"/>  
    <point code="MTW100" description="Summit Lookout" easting="519452" height="0" northing="5250753" zone="55G" latitude="-42.89558" longitude="147.23825" pid="41"/>  
    <point code="MTW110" description="Top of Columns cliff line near snow gum patch" easting="519663" height="0" northing="52508365250757" zone="55G"/><point latitude="-42.89554" longitude="147.24083" pid="42"/>  
    <point code="MTW010MTW120" description="BaseCossack ofColumn Northernrap Buttressstation" easting="519764519669" height="0" northing="52508295250800" zone="55G"/><point codelatitude="MTW020-42.89515" descriptionlongitude="The Shipwreck147.24090" eastingpid="519740" height="0" northing="5250779" zone="55G"/><point43"/>  
    <point code="MTW030MTW130" description="Start ofAmphitheatre Flangerap Buttress trackstation" easting="519849519676" height="0" northing="52506985250831" zone="55G"/><point codelatitude="MTW040-42.89487" descriptionlongitude="Start of Central Buttress track147.24099" eastingpid="519827" height="0" northing="5250667" zone="55G"/><point44"/>  
    <point code="MTW070MTW140" description="AccessSplit toColumn Bulgingrap Buttressstation" easting="519753519683" height="0" northing="52504665250760" zone="55G"/><point codelatitude="MTW080-42.89551" description="Junction of Organ Pipes Track and Sawmill Track" easting="519735" height="0" northing="5250377" zone="55G"/><pointlongitude="147.24108" pid="45"/>  
    <point code="MTW100MTW150" description="SummitDaedalus rap Lookoutstation" easting="519452519698" height="0" northing="52507535250749" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW110" description="Bottom of track from summit, above the Columns" easting="519663" height="0" northing="5250757" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW120latitude="-42.89561" longitude="147.24126" pid="46"/>  
    <point code="MTW160" description="CossackEarly ColumnBird rap stationbolts" easting="519669519667" height="0" northing="52508005250818" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW130" description="Amphitheatre rap station" easting="519676" height="0" northing="5250831" zone="55G"/><pointlatitude="-42.89499" longitude="147.24088" pid="47"/>  
    <point code="MTW140MTW170" description="SplitBerts ColumnFear rapabseil station" easting="519683519713" height="0" northing="52507605250690" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW150" description="Daedalus rap station" easting="519698" height="0" northing="5250749" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW160 latitude="-42.89614" longitude="147.24145" pid="48"/>  
    <point code="MTW180" description="EarlyTop of BirdTeardrop boltsGully" easting="519667519698" height="0" northing="52508185250583" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW170" description="Berts Fear abseil " easting="51971355G" heightlatitude="0-42.89711" northinglongitude="5250690147.24127" zonepid="55G49"/><point>  
    <point code="MTW180MTW190" description="Top of Teardrop GullyFools Couloir (SW)" easting="519698519492" height="0" northing="52505835250515" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW190" description="Top of Fools Couloir (SW)" easting="519492" height="0" northing="5250515" zone="55G"/></gps>
</guide>
" latitude="-42.89772" longitude="147.23875" pid="50"/> 
  </gps>  
  <image id="21" src="AllOrganPipesLtoR.jpg" height="645" width="1000"/> 
</guide>