<guide><text class="heading1" id="1">The Organ Pipes
</text><text class="text" new="false" number="null." id="2">Climbing on the 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. And all this fun is only 20 minutes drive from the centre of town.</text><text class="heading3" id="3">Rock
</text><text class="text" new="false" number="null." id="4">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 since the fires in 1967. Route descriptions are constantly being redefined to take the regrowth on these routes into account.
</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 class="heading3" new="false" number="null." id="7">Access from the bottom
</text><text class="text" new="false" number="null." id="8">An access track to the bottom of the Pipes starts at the end of the small parking bay on the LH side of the road 2.7 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), head down to the R and pick up a loosely defined pad that descends to the top of the Columns 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.
Left (north) of the patch of snow gums (GPS MTW110) 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 that descends Ethnic Cornflake (marked by a blue dot, GPS MTW130). This is probably the easiest way to gain access to the bottom of the cliff and the start of routes on the Columns which have not been 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 350 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 class="text" new="false" number="null." id="15">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. Despite this there are only a handful of quality easier climbs, most 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 a blood transfusion.
</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 biggies for off widths), a set or two of wires and two sets of RPs is usually sufficient. Double (half) ropes are the standard on the multi-pitch trad climbs, particularly as the abseils are usually close to 50m 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 many years. 
</text><text class="text" new="false" number="null." id="18">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"/><point code="MTW010" description="Base of Northern Buttress" easting="519764" height="0" northing="5250829" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW020" description="The Shipwreck" easting="519740" height="0" northing="5250779" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW030" description="Start of Flange Buttress track" easting="519849" height="0" northing="5250698" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW040" description="Start of Central Buttress track" easting="519827" height="0" northing="5250667" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW070" description="Access to Bulging Buttress" easting="519753" height="0" northing="5250466" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW080" description="Junction of Organ Pipes Track and Sawmill Track" easting="519735" height="0" northing="5250377" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW100" description="Summit Lookout" easting="519452" height="0" northing="5250753" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW110" description="Top of Columns cliff line near snow gum patch" easting="519663" height="0" northing="5250757" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW120" description="Cossack Column rap station" easting="519669" height="0" northing="5250800" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW130" description="Amphitheatre rap station" easting="519676" height="0" northing="5250831" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW140" description="Split Column rap station" easting="519683" height="0" northing="5250760" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW150" description="Daedalus rap station" easting="519698" height="0" northing="5250749" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW160" description="Early Bird bolts" easting="519667" height="0" northing="5250818" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW170" description="Berts Fear abseil " easting="519713" height="0" northing="5250690" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW180" description="Top of Teardrop Gully" easting="519698" height="0" northing="5250583" zone="55G"/><point code="MTW190" description="Top of Fools Couloir (SW)" easting="519492" height="0" northing="5250515" zone="55G"/></gps>
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