<guide>
<header name="Mt Field West" id="1" walk="90 minutes" sun="afternoon" rock="Alpine, weathered dolerite" acknowledgement="By Hamish Jackson" intro="West facing cliffs accessed from the Florentine valley. " history="The Jacksons did a few routes there 1996-1997. Further exploration ceased after they inadvertently got locked in by closure of the main Forestry gate. The main gate into the valley no longer gets locked so access has improved again. " access="The main Florentine valley gate is now kept open (access in 75mins drive from Hobart to the main valley road. Forestry activities sometimes dictate closure of side roads. Road '9E' was originally used for access for the first routes; this road is still visible on satellite images but is actually rather grown over and probably not the best access. For historic reference it is the road that ascended gradually, diagonally up the slopes from south to north under the cliff-line.<br/><br/>In 2024 Chirstophe Speer and Hamish Jackson re-visited the cliff with the intention of re-establishing access via a road to the NW of the cliff (that passes an old gravel Quarry). This proved to reasonably straight forward as apiarists and possibly bushwalking teams are still accessing roads high on the western slopes. <br/><br/>Road access to parking shown as continuous line on access topo below. The blue starts on the main Florentine road and the first turn off is around 20km from the start of the Florentine road. 2wd access is possible, assuming the roads are not too wet. <br/><br/>Drive through the Quarry (seen blue line on access topo) to find the rough continuation of the road around the northern edge of the quarry. Follow this narrow road east (2WD possible, but could be slippery) for approximately 200m past the Quarry until a good turn around point is reached (this is not the end of road, but obstacles were evident ahead anyway). From here it is easy to appreciate where the summit and cliff line is. Navigate off track (dashed line on access topo) through reasonably open bush up to the northern edge of the cliff line (90 mins). We used a GPS to aim for lowest point of scree lines. Continue up scree line until you are above the major scrub lines and then traverse under the cliff line to find Scud as the first major climbing landmark. <br/><br/>I recommend the minimum trip plan to be to drive and walk up during a cool or cloudy afternoon (4 hours access total from Hobart), camp and then climb the next day and return home that evening. 2 nights camping and 2 days climbing is even better. Fit parties could theoretically do a day trip with an early start, but this would be tough on the first trip.<br/><br/>Conditions: the cliff come into sun after midday and can get hot during the afternoon in sunny conditions eg when Maydena max temp is >24 degrees. Ideal conditions are windless, cloudy summer days. " camping="Cliff base camping was used - sloping sites - with water from large gullies. <br/><br/>The best site is probably at the base of the low volume water fall between Scud and Tyler's line - a somewhat rough camp site suitable for 1 tent and fully exposed to westerly weather. Camp at the base of cliff on fine scree adjacent the base of the water-fall. So far this waterfall has always had water available. <br/><br/>" autonumber="true"/>
<text id="17" class="heading3">Access Topo</text>
<image id="19" src="Field west access topo.jpg" height="541" width="900"/>
<image id="18" width="500" height="auto"/>
<text id="15" class="heading3">Crag Steward</text>
<text id="16" class="text">Rock climbers please contact the Cliff Steward (southwest@climbersclubtas.org.au) if you have any queries or concerns regarding social or environmental impacts of rock climbing at this crag. Do not email regarding general travel, seasonal advice, or lost property - this is not the Steward’s role. If you have important safety information to communicate (e.g. risks due to recent and large rock falls) please also consider updates on thesarvo forum, facebook group and/or online guidebooks as appropriate. Please copy in cct@climbersclubtas.org.au if you feel you have a high level concern which may imminently impact the crag or climbing community.<br/><br/>Non-climbers, other users, land managers: please also contact cct@climbersclubtas.org.au if you have important climbing related queries at this location.</text>
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<climb id="6" stars="***" extra="" number="1." name="Scud" length="100m" grade="20" fa="H Jackson and M Jackson 1997. ">A striking line on very good rock. <br/>1. 50m 20. Climb the open corner crack of various widths, with the crux being the last 10m of narrow hands. Belay on small ledge on left. <br/><br/>2. 50m 18. Ascend various intermittent cracks in face above heading for the weakness in the roof. Bridge out through roof (easy but rather exposed), then up crack to top of pinnacle. <br/><br/>Descent: scramble off the back of the pinnacle then down super descent gully behind.</climb>
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<climb>8</climb>
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<climb id="8" stars="**" extra="" number="2." name="Cloud busting" length="40m" grade="19" fa="H Jackson, M Jackson, A Vincent 1996">Ascends the subsidiary cliff right of scud - ends on the ramp that leads up right of scud. Apologies for poor topo photo.<br/>1. Left facing corner with distinctive chockstone - finger thing - pointing out of the crack 15m up the route. Passing this is the crux. About 10m from the top of the corner head to the right, out of the crack, diagonally up face. <br/>Easy walk off.</climb>
<climb id="11" stars="*" extra="" number="3." name="Tylers Line" length="95m" grade="17" fa="H Jackson, M Jackson (alt) and A Vincent 1996">On the large main face, but finishes on a ledge 2/3 of the way up (benighted on FA). <br/><br/>1. 30m 14. Scramble then climb as shown in topo. <br/>2. 35m 17. Flake crack on wall above (not visible on topo). A good pitch. <br/>3. 30m 15. Corner cracks above to ledge. <br/><br/>Abseil from slings into gully on the right (50m), then scramble down gully.</climb>
<image id="10" src="Tyler's line scramble.jpg" height="500" width="300">
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<climb id="13" stars="***" extra="" number="4." name="Cosmi-Comics" length="70m" grade="19" fa="H and M Jackson 1997">A lovely line up a cool feature. The corner that is tucked inside the southern edge of a major gully (see overview topo), and finishes as a pinnacle. It takes 30-45 mins to walk to this gully from Tylers line.<br/><br/>1. 20m Scramble up to ledge below corner proper<br/><br/>2. 50m. 19. Ascend corner crack, using cracks right of corner at 12m (crux), then cracks left of corner at 24m, to top of wall adjacent the pinnacle. Jump onto pinnacle! Fun. <br/><br/></climb>
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<climb>13</climb>
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<climb>13</climb>
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<image id="9"/>
<text class="text" id="2">The first bit of text</text>
</guide>
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