<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <guide guidestars="**"><text class="heading1">Bicheno</text><text class="text">The bouldering in Bicheno is located at three main areas: the blowhole; 300m northward on a large block; and on Peggys Point. The problems here, although limited in extent, are some of the best in the state. The rock is funky granite that is quite different from the rock at Coles Bay. Generally the rock is clean, except for barnacles. The majority of problems depend on a low tide and swell. See the Mercury or http://www.ntf.flinders.edu.au/TEXT/TIDES/TIDES/tas.html for tide predictions. The weather in winter here is amongst the best in the state, with lots of warm sunny days, which makes Bicheno a good escape from Hobart. In summer you've got the sea right next to the bouldering to cool off in. </text><text class="text">Bicheno is on the east coast of Tasmania, about 2 and a half hours from Hobart or Launceston. It is about 35 minutes drive north of Coles Bay. There are plenty of campgrounds, motels, shops and takeaways in town.</text><image src="Bichenobichenomap.jpg"/><text class="heading2">The Blowhole Area</text><text class="text">There are some great problems on the freestanding boulders and walls around the blowhole. Follow the signs off the main road to get to the the parking area for the blowhole, and walk 50m out to the obvious block. </text><text class="heading3">Blowhole Boulder</text><text class="text">There have been a few problems done here on the boulder next to the blowhole.</text><image src="Bichenoblow1.jpg"/><problem extra=" " grade="V?" name=" " number=" " stars=" ">Some easier lines have been done on the slabby side of the boulder</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V?" name=" " number="1." stars=" "> </problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V8" name="Blow Job" number="2." stars="***">Sit start on small crimps up slightly overhanging face. Excellent problem</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V?" name=" " number="3." stars=" "> </problem><text class="heading3">Whale Boulder</text><text class="text">This is the south facing wall about 40m south of the Blow Hole.</text><image src="Bichenoblow2.jpg"/><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V6" name="Sperm Whale" number="1." stars="*">Sitstart on low hold hit arete and up</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V10?" name=" " number="1a." stars="*">Project. Same start as no 1, blast high and right then up.</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V2/3" name="Minke Whale" number="2." stars="*">Flakes</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V1" name="Blue Whale" number="3." stars=" ">Flakes to high topout. SDS is project</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V5?" name="Humpback Arete" number="4." stars="**">Classic steep arete to slopey topout</problem><text class="text">This block is directly across from the Whale boulder.</text><image src="Bichenoblow10.jpg"/><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V3" name=" " number="1." stars=" ">Sitstart at flake and up groove</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V?" name=" " number="2." stars=" ">Project - just left of arete</problem><text class="text">On the back of the same block:</text><image src="Bichenoblow11.jpg"/><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V1" name=" " number="1." stars=" ">Up nice flake/crack</problem><text class="text">Across from the previous problem:</text><image src="Bichenoblow12.jpg"/><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V0" name=" " number="1." stars=" ">Up juggy face</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V0" name=" " number="2." stars=" ">Up quartz jugs</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V0" name=" " number="3." stars="*">Up steep quartz arete</problem><text class="heading3">Blowhole Walls</text><text class="text">There are some great vertical and slightly overhanging square cut walls below and immediately to the south of the Blowhole. Most of these problems depend on a low tide and swell.</text><image src="Bichenoblow3.jpg"/><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V3/4" name=" " number="1." stars="*">Up from break to small pockets</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V4" name=" " number="2." stars="*">Up from break</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="VE" name=" " number="3." stars=" ">Easy slab</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="VE" name=" " number="4." stars=" ">Easy slab</problem><image src="Bichenoblow5.jpg"/><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V3" name=" " number="1." stars=" ">Start on pockets just right of arete</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V?" name=" " number="2." stars=" ">Project - start from big flat hold</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V3/4" name=" " number="3." stars=" ">Up crack</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V3/4" name=" " number="4." stars=" ">Up from underclings to pockets</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="VE" name=" " number="5." stars=" ">Easy slab</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="VE" name=" " number="6." stars=" ">Easy slab</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V3" name=" " number="7." stars=" ">Awkward sitstart and up crack</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V3/4" name=" " number="8." stars=" ">Awkward sitstart just left of arete and up to jugs</problem><image src="Bichenoblow6.jpg"/><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V3" name=" " number="9." stars="**">Sitstart off low slot and up steeply to jugs</problem><text class="text">This is around the corner into the next little zawn, below the blowhole block:</text><image src="Bichenoblow7.jpg"/><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V2/3" name=" " number="1." stars="*">Sitstart up flake to slopey topout</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V1" name=" " number="2." stars=" ">Face using big slots</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V?" name=" " number="3." stars=" ">Project - knob to shallow pockets</problem><image src="Bichenoblow8.jpg"/><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V4/5" name="There she blows" number="4." stars="*">Up face using high crimps (hard to reach) to slopey topout. The sitstart will be very hard if it goes.</problem><text class="text">This is directly under the Blowhole Block:</text><image src="Bichenoblow9.jpg"/><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V0" name=" " number="1." stars=" ">Layback up corner</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V1" name=" " number="2." stars=" ">Up arete</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V1" name=" " number="3." stars=" ">Up arete</problem><text class="heading3">Exploding Crystal Boulders</text><text class="text">These three free standing boulders are about 40m north of the blow hole. The rock isn't as good as some of the other boulders and tends to be a bit gravelly.</text><image src="Bichenoexplodingcrystal1.jpg"/><text class="text">This is the land facing side.</text><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="VE" name=" " number="1." stars=" ">Slab</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V0" name="Explodng Crystal" number="2." stars=" ">Slab up highest part of boulder</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V0" name=" " number="3." stars=" ">Slab with underclings</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V?" name=" " number="4." stars=" ">Project</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V2" name="Bohemian Crystal" number="5." stars="*">Sitstart at arete</problem><image src="Bichenoexplodingcrystal2.jpg"/><text class="text">This is the seaward side of the boulders.</text><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V0" name=" " number="1." stars=" ">Slab</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="VE" name=" " number="2." stars=" ">Slab</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V2" name="My Brown Dog" number="3." stars=" ">Sitstart and up crack</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V?" name=" " number="4." stars=" ">Project</problem><image src="Bichenoexplodingcrystal3.jpg" width="800"></image><text class="text">This is the northern side of the boulders.</text><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V2" name=" " number="1." stars=" "> </problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V?" name=" " number="3." stars=" ">Project</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V3" name="High Tide" number="4." stars="*"> </problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V1" name="Low Tide" number="5." stars=" "> </problem><problem extra="(Hang)" grade="V4" name="Drowned" number="6." stars=" ">Hang start on lowest hold on lip above overhang and slap up.</problem><text class="heading3">Crab Boulders</text><text class="text">These boulders are about another 50m north of the Exploding Crystal Boulders.</text><image src="Bichenocrab1.jpg"/><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V?" name=" " number="1." stars=" "> </problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V3" name="Hermit Crab" number="2." stars=" ">Sitstart is a project</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="VE" name=" " number="3." stars=" ">Slab</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V2" name="Mud Crab" number="4." stars=" "> </problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="VE" name=" " number="5." stars=" "> </problem><image src="Bichenocrab2.jpg"/><text class="text">This is the north facing side of the boulders.</text><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="VE" name=" " number="1." stars=" "> </problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V2" name=" " number="2." stars=" ">Arete over awkward landing</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V2" name="Giant Crab" number="3." stars="*">Start off flakes</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V0" name=" " number="4." stars=" "> </problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V0" name=" " number="5." stars=" ">Go into the gap between problems 1 and 2. There are four different slab problems in there.</problem><text class="heading2">The Block Area</text><text class="text">Park at the little picnic area on the coast just south of the gulch area and 300m north of the Blowhole. Wander down to the obvious square cut blocks.</text><text class="heading3">The Wall</text><text class="text">This is the vertical wall directly opposite the Block</text><image src="Bichenoblock1.jpg"/><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V3" name=" " number="1." stars=" ">Using left arete and slopers pull to ledge. Sitstart might be possible, but very hard.</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V4" name="Another Brick in the Wall" number="2." stars="*">Start off 2 slopers, pull to ledge</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V0" name=" " number="3." stars="*">Nice corner</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V5" name="Wall of China" number="4." stars=" ">Thin face 1m right of corner, don't use corner</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V6" name="Berlin Wall" number="5." stars="**">Straight up the middle of the wall on crimps with a throw to the top jug.</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V0" name=" " number="6." stars=" ">Corner</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V2" name=" " number="7." stars=" ">Crack</problem><problem extra=" " grade="V0" name=" " number=" " stars=" ">Diagonal crack around corner to right of previous problem</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V8" name=" " number="8." stars="**">Traverse across very thin wall finish up 4.</problem><text class="text">The wall continues on around to the left.</text><image src="Bichenoblock2.jpg"/><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V0" name=" " number="1." stars=" "> </problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V0" name=" " number="2." stars=" "> </problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V3" name=" " number="3." stars=" "> </problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V1" name=" " number="4." stars=" "> </problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V2" name=" " number="5." stars="*">Right to left traverse</problem><text class="heading3">The Block</text><text class="text">This is the main free standing boulder.</text><image src="Bichenoblock3.jpg"/><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V6" name="Block Rockin' Beats" number="1." stars="***">On the boulder there is a completely blank overhanging face. This problem climbs the steep left arete on pockets.</problem><image src="Bichenoblock4.jpg"/><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V5" name=" " number="2." stars=" ">Pull up off thin slopes</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V7" name=" " number="3." stars="*">Up off jug to slopes</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V2" name=" " number="4." stars=" ">Up corner</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V7" name="Road Block" number="5." stars="**">Sit start on the big jug and pull through to the top on slopes</problem><image src="Bichenoblock5.jpg"/><text class="text">The opposite side of the freestanding boulder</text><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V3/4" name=" " number=" " stars=" ">Just left of the arete pull up on flake and do a tricky mantle over the top of the steep face</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V2" name=" " number="1." stars=" ">Near left arete</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V1" name=" " number="2." stars=" ">Up slab</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V1" name=" " number="3." stars=" ">Up flake</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V2" name=" " number="4." stars=" ">Start as for previous problem but go right to pockets</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V2" name=" " number="5." stars=" ">Start in little depression and up slab using underclings</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V?" name=" " number="6." stars=" ">Project- up through undercling/crack</problem><image src="Bichenoblock6.jpg"/><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V3" name=" " number="1." stars=" "> </problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V3" name=" " number="2." stars=" "> </problem><text class="text">The are some more easy problems on the short boulders scattered around the area</text><text class="heading3">The Orange Slab</text><text class="text">This slab is about 40m east of the Block area and faces out to sea.</text><image src="Bichenoorangeslab.jpg"/><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V2/3" name=" " number="1." stars=" "> </problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V?" name=" " number="2." stars=" ">Project - very thin up the steepest part of the face</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V6?" name=" " number="3." stars=" ">Project - Up thin seam on small flakes</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V4" name="Fully Sick Mate" number="4." stars=" ">Up thin slab</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V1" name=" " number="5." stars=" "> </problem><text class="heading2">Peggys Point</text><text class="text">The following great free standing boulders are on the Gulch side of Peggys Point. Park near the Silver Sands resort and walk across the oval and down to the coast. The boulders are obvious if you are on the right bit of coastline.</text><text class="heading3">Abalone Boulder</text><text class="text">This is the more southerly of the two free standing boulders. It has excellent fine grained rock.</text><image src="Bichenoabalone1.jpg"/><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V3" name="Crab Stick" number="1." stars=" ">From jug up left to flake</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V1" name="Piece of Flake" number="2." stars="**">Up large flake</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V0" name="Fish and Chips" number="3." stars="*">Arete and corner</problem><image src="Bichenoabalone2.jpg"/><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V2" name="Ab Diver" number="1." stars=" ">Up face/crack. SDS is a project.</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V1" name="Lemon and Garlic" number="2." stars=" ">Up face. SDS is a project</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V0" name="Soy Sauce" number="3." stars="*">Corner left of arete</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V3/4" name="Abalone Arete" number="4." stars="**">Sitstart at the crack. Move left to the big undercling flake on the arete and up. Eliminating the crack from the start would make it harder.</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V1" name="Flathead" number="5." stars=" ">Crack</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V1" name=" " number="6." stars=" ">Face</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V2" name="Mullet" number="7." stars=" ">Crack</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V0" name=" " number="8." stars=" ">Face</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V2" name="Kelpie" number="9." stars=" ">Crusty arete</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V3" name=" " number="10." stars="*">Traverse the top lip right around the boulder</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V5/6?" name=" " number="11." stars=" ">Project - Start at Mullet and traverse leftwards without using the top of the boulder to finish at Crab Stick.</problem><text class="text">This small boulder is about 20m north of the Abalone Boulder.</text><image src="Bichenoabalone3.jpg"/><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V0" name="Squid Rings" number="1." stars="*">Low sitstart and up jugs</problem><text class="heading3">Crayfish Boulder</text><text class="text">This free standing boulder is less than 100m north of the Abalone boulder, and has an overhanging east face.</text><image src="Bichenocrayfish1.jpg"/><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V1" name="Craypot" number="1." stars="*">Up jugs on hanging face. Project - start down in cave and climb up to the face.</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V?" name=" " number="2." stars=" ">Project - Start down in cave and climb through roofs.</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V?" name=" " number="3." stars=" ">Project</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="V3" name="Tricky Little Bastards" number="4." stars="*">Sit start in break and up</problem><problem extra="(SDS)" grade="VE" name="The Crayfish" number="5." stars="**">Sitstart at break and up groove using honker jugs. Brilliant easy problem.</problem><problem extra="(Stand)" grade="V3" name="The Belly Scraper" number="6." stars="***">Jump for the great jug and haul your arse over the top. More fun than a barrel full of monkeys.</problem></guide> |