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<guide>
<text class="heading1">The Mountain
</text><text class="text"
        new="false"
        number="null.">Hobart is defined by the Mountain. Standing 1271 metres high it forms a spectacular backdrop to the city while the spectacular vista from the top encompassing the surrounding islands and estuaries is truly world class. The summit may be a mere twenty minutes drive from city centre but this is a mountain, and it has all the characteristics of the mountain environment - unpredictable weather, stunted sub-alpine flora, and a complex of buttresses, outcrops, screes and gullies.</text><text
        class="text" new="false"
        number="null.">Kunanyi, as the original inhabitants call the Mountain, has been heavily used since white settlement as a source of timber and stone, for hunting and recreation and by the occasional bushranger. It has been burnt on numerous occasions, the last major instance was the Hobart Bushfires of 1967.  
</text><text
        class="text" new="false"
        number="null.">The whole area is now managed as a de-facto National Park by the Mount Wellington Management Trust (see http://www.wellingtonpark.tas.gov.au/). Increasing numbers of visitors have been making the pilgrimage to the top resulting in heavier traffic, new tracks, new amenities and the building of an (appalling) lookout on top.
</text><text
        class="text" new="false"
        number="null.">More climbers are using the crags; filling the car park, even during the week; bolting; cutting tracks and dropping rocks. Sphinx Rock in particular has had the tripe bolted out of it, all good climbs for sure but very, very obvious to the other users of the area. Our challenge for the future is for all of us, climbers, managers and tourists alike, to ensure that future development does not detract from the essential beauty, history and peacefulness of this unique environment. 
</text><text
        class="heading2">Maps
</text><text
        class="text">Tasmap Mt Wellington Walk Map. Scale 1:20 000. GPS users note this map is GDA 94. Use WGS84 if your GPS doesn't have it.
</text><text
        class="heading2" new="false"
        number="null.">On Your Own heads</text><text class="text"
        new="false"
        number="null.">Climbing can be dangerous. If you think otherwise, stop reading here and take up lawn bowls or tiddly winks. YOU are responsible for your own safety, not us. We have attempted to make sure the information gathered here is as accurate as possible but we accept no responsibility for any errors included in descriptions, for any changes in the state or quality of the climb or for any of the fixed anchors or for your choice of climb on the day. This is a mountain environment with all the usual characteristics of a mountain environment - wind, cold, loose rock, vegetation and rock fall. Only climb if you have a high level of skill, use appropriate gear, wear a helmet and look after the safety of each other.
</text><text
        class="text">Be warned.
</text><text
        class="heading2">Background Information
</text><text
        class="heading3">Rock
</text><text class="text" new="false"
        number="null.">Geologically, a faulted complex of Triassic and Permian sandstones underpin a massive sheet of dolerite that forms the angular cliffs of the Organ Pipes and Lost World. Subsequent ice action has resulted in large block fields that are still moving slowly down the slope. Sometimes the erosion is more rapid - during the winter of 1985 the big belay ledge below Punk gave way and a huge boulder the size of a room rolled out of what is now called Rockaway Gully, creating a new access track and blocking the road.
</text><text
        class="heading3">Aspect
</text><text
        class="text">Mainly east facing, and protected from the prevailing westerlies. However, the altitude means the weather can be cold, wet and unpredictable. Snow is possible at any time of year.
</text><text
        class="heading3">Access and Facilities
</text><text
        class="text">Access details for each crag are listed separately but in general, travel south from Franklin Square along Davey Street and the Huon Road; following signs for the B64, Ferntree (Mt Wellington), for 9.6km. Just before Ferntree turn R onto Pillinger Drive (C616), which leads via the Springs Picnic area (4.5km) to the Pinnacle (summit). Metro buses 48 and 49 go from Franklin Square to Ferntree - hitch the rest of the way to the Pipes or walk if you are keen. 
</text><text
        class="text" new="false"
        number="null.">There are no campgrounds in this area of the Park but bush camping is permitted by the Trust above Pillinger Drive, the main access road up the mountain - if you can find a level enough site! A bivvy among the boulders may be a better option, particularly at Lost World. Alternatively there are a number of public shelter huts, further hut information is available from the Trust. This is a fuel stove area although the huts do have fire places and often wood is supplied. There are toilet facilities at the Summit and at the Springs. Other options are Backpacker hostels or camping in the Hobart area.
</text><text
        class="heading2">Climbing Information
</text><text class="text"
        new="false"
        number="null.">There are almost 450 climbs on the Mountain ranging from short, hard, bolted sports routes on sandstone to long multi-pitch trad and sport climbs on the Pipes themselves. There are also over 200 bouldering problems on both dolerite and sandstone. The new guide has been expanded to include new outcrops and updated information on routes and access.
</text><text
        class="text" new="false"
        number="null.">Most activity focuses on late spring to early autumn although some intrepid hard climbers have been known to wade through snow to reach the sunnier buttresses. Lower down it is possible to climb for more of the year but the rock does tend to be damp and slippery - as well as cold. 
</text><text
        class="heading2" new="false"
        number="null.">Accidents and Assistance
</text><text
        class="text">Accidents do happen and tragically the first climbing fatality occurred early in 2006 when an abseil set up failed. To seek urgent help phone 112 or 000 - mobile phones have good coverage on the mountain. It is vital that you describe whether access is from the top or the bottom of the cliff, so that rescuers can quickly move to the area.
</text><text
        class="text">The Organ Pipes has much loose rock and a helmet is STRONGLY recommended - most regulars on the cliff have had at least one near miss.
</text><text
        class="heading2" new="false"
        number="null.">Climbing Tick List</text><text
        class="text">If time is short and you want the best, try any of the following multi-star classics.</text>
<climb
        grade="12" length="" name=""
        stars="">Pulpit Chimney</climb>
<climb grade="14" length=""
        name=""
        stars="">Fiddlesticks, Pegasus Direct, Sentinel Ridge</climb>
<climb
        grade="15" length="" name="" stars="">Nefertiti</climb>
<climb
        grade="16" length="" name=""
        stars="">Lignum Vitae, Moonraker, Faust</climb>
<climb
        grade="17" length="" name=""
        stars="">Blue Meridian, Centaur, Raspberry Jam and Crackers, Janzoon, Chancellor Direct</climb>
<climb
        grade="18" length="" name=""
        stars="">Third Bird, Black Magic, Digitalis, Lost Wanderer</climb>
<climb
        grade="19" length="" name=""
        stars="">Battle Cruiser, Carpe Diem, Punk, Brown Madonna, Space Cowboy</climb>
<climb
        grade="20" length="" name=""
        stars="">Lone Stranger, Icarus, Tartarus, Sky Rocket, Improbability Drive</climb>
<climb
        grade="21" length="" name=""
        stars="">Left Out, Farewell to Arms, Atlantis, Cold Power, Cheers to Dave</climb>
<climb
        grade="22" length="" name=""
        stars="">Neon God (pitch 1), Beaten and Abused, SSSSI, Savage Journey, Blank Generation, Heat Pump</climb>
<climb
        grade="23" length="" name="" stars="">Ultrasound</climb>
<climb
        grade="24" length="" name=""
        stars="">In Flagrante Delicto, Phoenix, After Midnight, The Early Bird</climb>
<climb
        grade="25" length="" name=""
        stars="">Mildly Amused,Wootang, James Arête</climb>
<climb
        grade="26" length="" name=""
        stars="">The Colour of Magic, Pleasant Screams, Completion Backward Principle</climb>
<climb
        grade="27" length="" name=""
        stars="">The Fifth Elephant, Slap Dancer</climb>
<climb
        grade="28" length="" name="" stars="">Gargamell</climb>
<climb
        extra="" grade="29" length="" name="" new="false" number=""
        stars="">Cheshire Cat, Blubber Boy</climb>
<climb extra=""
        grade="30" length="" name="" new="false" number=""
        stars="">Space Invader</climb>
<climb extra="" grade="31"
        length="" name="" new="false" number="" stars="">Future Shock</climb>
</guide>