Just had a great holiday in Tas, but was unfortunately frustrated several times on attempts to get into the Gonk.
We tried to find the access from above the Star Factory, but we were very uncertain where to rap, and how we would get out again.
We walked along the top of the star factory and finally came to the end of the ramp, above a big corner. Below us we could see a ledge, about 30 metres down, and another 30 metres or so below that. We couldn't find any good rap anchors, so decided we had probably taken a wrong turn somewhere.
On our last day, the weather looked great, and I managed to convince Karen to try the sealevel traverse.
We got past the horizontal chimney area and along to the slabs below the start of the Star Factory.
By this stage, a cold wind and rain clouds had picked up. The slabs seem to steepen up here, and there is a traverse line leading very high on the slabs through some steep corners.
We decided that if the weather crapped out, we mightn't be able to reverse the slabs, so went back to Sleepy Bay.

We're hoping for another trip down later this year or earlier next year, and would appreciate a bit of advice on where the sealevel traverse goes at this point, or how to find the rap access to the Gonk, and escape from the Gonk.... do we need to leave a rap line?

We were amazed to find that in 3 weeks of climbing we didn't meet any other climbers, except a short chat with a bunch of guys from Hobart uni at Sleepy Bay carpark!

The climbing was absolutely brilliant though!
Especially impressed with the Star Factory, despite being wiped out by doing the walk-in three times, including one time bashing around trying to find the top of the Gonk.
Antimatter has to be the best 23 in australia!
Mt. Wellington, The Paradiso and Moai were also fantastic. We liked Hillwood, but really not in the same league as the other crags.

Anyway, had a great trip, thinking of moving to Hobart if we can get good access notes to the Gonk!!!
best of luck, and an awesome effort of new route development to everyone involved---thanks for the bolts,
Chris and Karen.

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3 Comments

  1. Anonymous

    Chris,
    The access via Star Factory is more reliable and you would have basically been there but the raps aren't visible until after you have scrambled down some rounded outcrops (domes a few metres high) and then followed a ledge northwards to the top of Meaning of Life. I am currently collecting GPS coords which nail this sort of thing really well but haven't got that one yet.

    Roger.

  2. Anonymous

    GPS ?!
    Whats wrong with using bloody-great white-painted arrows ?! The bolts at the Star Factory have trashed yet another part of the National Park(yn) !

  3. Anonymous

    Hi Roger,
    Thanks for the access help - we a looking forward to making a trip back to Coles Bay to go back to the Star Factory and the Gonk. Is there any other access beta if we dont have a GPS? (length of rap/escape route (that poorly protected corner?), or climb off one of the sport routes?) Or, when we've made some arrangements to come back, would it be better to contact you then?
    Thanks,
    Karen (& Chris who has run off inspired to go do more bolting somewhere in the bluies !! )