<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<guide><header
access="Fortescue Bay is about a one and a half hour drive from Hobart. Take the Tasman Highway and drive towards Port Arthur. The turn-off for Fortescue Bay is on the left about 4 km past Taranna. From here there's about 12km of unsealed road to Fortescue Bay. All of these spires can be done in a day from Hobart. Try and choose a day when the swell is low, information is available by phoning the Bureau of Meteorology."
acknowledgement="by Roger Parkyn, originally published in Craglets."
history=""
intro="In a world where the novelty of sport climbing has well and truly worn off the three spires described here provide something very different. Each is totally different from the other two but they all have an adventure-climbing flavour. These summits have retained an exclusiveness which is rare given the current popularity of rock-climbing. A trip to any one of them is not just another day at the crags."
name="Fortescue Bay" new="false"
rock="Coastal dolerite columns and pinnacles"
sun="Mixed sun and shade" walk="1.5 hours"/><image new="false"
noPrint="false" number="null." src="fortescueMap.png"
width=""/><text class="heading2" new="false"
number="null.">The Totem Pole</text><text class="text"
new="false">The Totem Pole is one of the most spectacular pieces of rock I have ever seen. It is fifty metres tall but only about four metres wide. The "Tote" is too slender to even be described as a phallic symbol, unless of course you've got a very skinny dick!
The prospect this piece of rock presents the climber is uncompromising and chilling. Equip yourself not only with the necessary gear but also a bottle of bravery pills. The challenge is psychological as much as technical.
The walk to Cape Huay takes about an hour and a half from Fortescue Bay. The track is pretty good and is only overgrown for the last 100m or so. Cape Huay is a very spectacular spot and worthwhile even just for a look.
To get to the abseil point for the Stick and the Tote, continue past the warning sign at the end of the formed track. It is another 100m or so to the end of Cape Huay. Follow a rough track along to a view of the Candlestick and Totem Pole then continue down to a level lower than the Tote's summit. From here you can traverse across to within spitting distance of the Tote. The climbs start by abseiling from here (about 65m). There is a single bolt at the bottom of the Original Route which can be used by the belayer for all these routes. Even in low swell conditions, however, it is subject to wave wash (I found that wearing bare feet and a waterproof jacket helped, RP).</text><image
new="false" noPrint="false" number="null." src="totempole.png"
width="">null</image>
<climb extra="" grade="A3" length="65m"
name="Original Aid Route" new="false" number=""
stars="***">Take a full range of natural gear plus the odd knife blade, rurp and hook. A cheat stick could be used to reduce the difficulty (and increase the safety) especially on the first pitch where there are numerous bolts (none have fixed hangers). J.Ewbank, A.Kellar, 1968.</climb>
<climb
extra="" grade="A?" length="65m" name="Gallegos Route"
new="false" number=""
stars="">No one seems to know anything much about it except that it appeared in a Boreal catalogue. From fixed gear left behind it appears that the route goes out left from the start of the regular route and up to the big ledge on the far side. It then crosses to join the regular route at belay two (or could continue up independently?). Galagos brothers (Spanish aid hard-men) 1993.
The first pitch has now been freed and should provide a popular alternative to the first pitch of the free route. Protected by wires, friends and three carrots (but is still very runout). Steve Monks, Feb/99.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="25" length="65m" name="The Free Route"
stars=" *** ">An improbable and awesome route.
1) 25m 25. Contains a hard crux getting to the arete after crossing the Original Route. Although the bolts, arguably, aren't located ideally (and are carrots) the pitch is quite adequately protected.
2) 40m 23. This is a really superb pitch; long, sustained, interesting and well equipped (10 fixed hangers). Some natural gear in the last 10m (wires, small cammers).
Rack: Cammers from very small to #3, wires, 7 bolt brackets, plenty of quick draws.
S.Monks, S.Mentz (Alt), S.Carter, J.Wilkinson, Mar/95.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="24" length="55m" name="The Swell Repeller"
new="false" number=""
stars="">Two pitches of stunning arêtes and all bolts. A great bad weather option when the Tote is being hammered by the swell. Fix a 60m rope to double rings as for the Totem Pole descent but rap diagonally towards the ocean (south east) heading down a scungy corner to a ledge. Continue rapping down wall below to arrive at double FHs on small ledge just left of knife blade arête about 5m above the ocean.
1) 40m 24. Climb amazing sustained arête past 10 FHs that get fairly spaced as you get higher. Belay at vegetated ledge at DBB.
2) 15m 20. Up thin crack splitting arête above with great exposure to small ledge. Sling tooth with large sling and climb easily to top. Belay off the Tote's rap rings. Adam Demmert & Neil Monteith 3.1.2006.
</climb><text
class="heading2" new="false"
number="null.">The Candlestick</text><text
class="text">The Candlestick stands behind the Tote. The sea heaving and surging between them caresses the rock walls like a hot lover. The water isn't that hot though, pretty freezing really, but hey, you didn't walk all this way for some kind of disco-party. You lugged all that climbing junk down to this chasm of doom for something far more special - a climbing experience you can really launch yourself into ... bodily.</text><text
class="text" new="false"
number="null.">The crux of the Candlestick is the swim. About 10m of shark-infested, usually surging, water lies between the base of the Tote and the Stick. Send someone else into the water but first give them an end of a rope so they can rig up a Tyrolean. This will minimise the overall wetness of the party. I hesitate to state what should be bloody obvious but someone from Queensland wrote in to say that people should be advised not to swim around the Cape Pillar side to the Tote. Despite the sharp angle the 60 m obelisk would put on their rope they were hoping that it would slide smoothly up the Tote as they climbed the Candlestick (until they would be high enough to simply flick it over). They appear to have been surprised when their ropes got caught! </text><text
class="text">The Stick would have space for hundreds of routes but I recommend the most obvious and easy looking. To my mind, climbing the Candlestick isn't about crag climbing in the conventional sense; it's about being "out there", far away from home and making an ascent of a lonely summit. In such a situation the idea of choosing a hard variation seems a bit contrived. If the idea captures your inspiration though, there's a lot of rock to roam on.</text><text
class="text" new="false"
number="null.">There are now new double belay bolts that make the ascent a bit easier and safer:
1) at the belay stance on the far side of the chasm swim
2) to rig the 40m Tyroleon (requires two ropes) just below the last (4th) pitch and
3) on the north end of the actual summit of the Candlestick (it can be used to get down to the Tyroleon anchors).</text><climb
extra="" grade="16" length="110m" name="Normal Route"
new="false" number=""
stars="">Get established on the ledge just above water level which is opposite the Tote. Take the chimney/gully above this ledge and follow the easiest looking way to the summit. It's about Grade 16 and pretty solid but a helmet would be prudent nonetheless. If you keep attached to the rope you abseiled off the mainland with, it is possible to Tyrolean from a reasonable height on the Stick on your way down.</climb><text
class="heading2" new="false" number="null.">The Moai</text><text
class="text">The Moai completes the trilogy. No aid, no swim, just quality routes - uncompromisingly modern in style - in a wild and scenic location. The Moai, a lone column of dolerite beside the sea, north of Fortescue Bay. Amidst the walls of rock along the coastline it stands apart, resting upon an alter formed by a rock platform, like a discontinuity in the time-space continuum. Its spiritual significance is obvious. Rock is not simply the medium for the sport, as only climbers know, the rock is sacred and the Moai is a shrine to the Rock Gods - a place of worship (Editor's note: Moai is the name of the monoliths on Easter Island, pronounced like "mow"-"eye".</text><text
class="text" new="false"
number="null.">To get to the Moai walk along the beach from Fortescue Bay and onto the track to Waterfall Bay. About 1 hour 15 minutes of walking takes you to Bivouac Bay (good camp site). From Bivouac Bay continue along the track for about 5 or 10 minutes until the crest of the spur is reached; there are two sawn stumps (approx. 40cm diameter) on the track here. Another 20m (approximately) along the track a small cairn marks the route to the abseils. Yellow tape marks the route. Finally climb down or around a large boulder to reach the abseil anchors (a U and a chain-link about 100m from the track). The first abseil is 15m (grade 16 if you want to climb back out). There are then two more of similar height off trees (these two can be done together with a 50m abseil and are about grade 12 if you're climbing out). From the bottom of the abseils you can scramble down to the rock platform. </text><text
class="text">On my visits the rock platform has been unthreatened by waves but it is possible that waves may sweep across it in more heavy swell conditions.</text><climb
extra="" grade="22" length="35m" name="Burning Spear"
new="false" number=""
stars="*">1) 20m 18. Start in the short chimney (at the left-most part of the base that has easy access). Steep but juggy climbing leads to the belay ledge (rap anchors). Good natural gear.
2) 15m 22. Crank up the arête. At one point the route comes quite close to Sacred Site but don't get sucked into going onto it as it will become difficult (and run-out) getting back onto the line.
S.Eberhard, R.Parkyn, Oct/94.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="20" length="20m" name="Blunt Instrument"
stars=" ** ">Two U's lead to a flake then follow cracks to the top. A good alternate first pitch to Burning Spear. Roger Parkyn, Dec/94.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="24" length="35m" name="Ancient Astronaught"
new="false" number=""
stars="**">1) 25m 24. Crank through the overhang at the base of the NE arête. Continue up the arête and the wall to its left.
2) 10m 20. Blast straight up from the belay ledge then trend right via the last U to finish on the right side of the arête. No natural gear required on either pitch.
R.Parkyn, G.Phillips, Sep/94.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="17/18" length="35m" name="Sacred Site"
stars=" ** ">1) 10m. Scramble up to the ledge on the NE side of the Moai.
2) 20m. Climb the corner onto the pedestal then up to the bolt. From the bolt move right 1m then up via a flake. Trend rightward to another bolt then straight up. Use the anchors of Ancient Astronaught to belay/rappel (a single 50m rope doubled just makes it down). Take a small selection of small to mid-sized SLCDs.
R.Eberhard, R.Parkyn, Aug/94.</climb><text
class="text">On the cliff facing the Moai (ie part of the mainland) there are several pleasant routes. to get to them scramble down past the small cave at water level and up onto the ledges above. The first three routes all start from the same ledge (looks slopey from the Moai).
Editor's note: Climbs were done in the Dolomieu Point area by Peacock et al in the early eighties. These are different routes. I couldn't determine the location of the earlier route with sufficient accuracy (refer to CCT circulars 1982).</text><climb
extra="" grade="18" length="15m"
name="The Firing Line">The continuous finger crack. Sam Edwards, Oct/94.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="17" length="15m"
name="The Hands of Chaos">The hand crack two metres right of The Firing Line. There is a rectangular block that sticks out near the top. Sam Edwards, Oct/94.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="16" length="15m"
name="Mr Whippy">The twin cracks in a short chimney two metres right of The Hands of Chaos. J.Morgan, Oct/94.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="17" length="25m"
name="Thunderstruck">The zig-zag (thunder-bolt) crack about 20m right of Mr Whippy. A quality route with rap anchors at the top. Garry Phillips, Oct/94.</climb><text
class="text">Other crack routes exist about 100m away in the direction of Cape Huay.</text><climb
extra="" grade="18" length="40m"
name="Garn's Horror Climb">Start about 3/4 of the way left along the first cliffs encountered, below the left side of the ledge about 15m up. 1) 15m Up the crack, corner and face to the ledge. 2) 24m Traverse about 4m right along the ledge then up a hand-crack. Continue through a roof then up the next hand-crack on the right. Garn Copper, Feb/95.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="17" length="18m"
name="Squeeze">The wide crack about 10m right of Garn's Horror Climb passing through the right side of a roof then climb straight up the crack to the ledge. Sam Edwards, Feb/95.</climb><text
class="heading3" new="false">The Golden Pillar</text><text
class="text"
new="false">About ten minutes walk north from the Moai is a large orange arête easily visible from the track. Locate a pair of carrot bolts above this and abseil with a fixed rope, or, if brave, abseil in three pitches, from double bolts, using a single 60 metre rope. You will need eight hangers and a dozen draws, a No 5 Rock and Friends from 0 to 3. You can leave all the cams, except the 0 and 2 on the last belay, as this pitch is all trad. The rock is not as loose as it looks from above, but you will need a helmet. There could be another pitch below.
</text><climb
extra="" grade="24" length="60m"
name="The Golden Pillar of Fortescue Bay" new="false" number=""
stars="**">1) 25m 24. Move up a slight flake crack on the right, via the 0 Friend, and pull left onto the arête at a fixed hanger. Climb with increasing difficulty via carrots and fixed hangers to a slight runout to the belay.
2) 25m 24. Continue up the arête on slightly worsening rock, where a #5 Rock eases tricky moves up to a short crack. Again there is a slight runout to the belay, but a #2 Friend helps.
3) 10m 19. Climb the groove to a carrot, then step right and go up a solid hand crack to the top. Steve Monks and Steve Findlay, Feb 2003.
</climb><text
class="heading2" new="false"
number="null.">Fortescue Bay</text><text class="text"
new="false"
value="A quiet, sunny heat trap, right on the sea and with a pleasant rock platform at its base. The crag is about 20 metres high, and the rock is fairly typical of Tasman Peninsula, generally okay but take care. Climbing is generally on cracks and flakes. Routes will clean up with traffic. The cliff faces north, and is a warm winter crag, particularly if the sun is shining. Approach from Fortescue Bay. Walk along the Cape Hauy track for 5 minutes until it begins to leave the coast (don't follow it inland). Drop down to the shoreline and follow it for another 15 minutes. You will come to the top of the crag - you can't miss it. Either abseil, or continue through the scrub to a tricky down climb near the far end. The cleaner routes are marked with a star.">A quiet, sunny heat trap, right on the sea and with a pleasant rock platform at its base. The crag is about 20 metres high, and the rock is fairly typical of Tasman Peninsula, generally okay but take care. Climbing is generally on cracks and flakes. Routes will clean up with traffic. The cliff faces north, and is a warm winter crag, particularly if the sun is shining.
Approach from Fortescue Bay. Walk along the Cape Hauy track for 5 minutes until it begins to leave the coast (don't follow it inland). Drop down to the shoreline and follow it for another 15 minutes. You will come to the top of the crag - you can't miss it. Either abseil, or continue through the scrub to a tricky down climb near the far end.
The cleaner routes are marked with a star.</text><text
class="Editor" new="false"
number="null.">by Pete Steane.</text><climb extra="DWS"
grade="23" length="15m" name="Wet Nurse" new="false" number=""
stars="**">At the left end of the cliff climb the sharp arête, starting from the ledge on the left which is gained by abseil. Nick Hancock, Ken Palmer Mar 04.
</climb><climb
extra="DWS" grade="19" length="5m" name="Nurse Shark"
new="false" number=""
stars="">The blunt arête gained from the left. Nick Hancock, Ken Palmer Mar 04.
</climb><climb
extra="" grade="20" length="15m"
name="The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner"
stars=" * ">The thin line near the left end of the main wall. Finish at the she oak on the sloping ledge. (I had a pre-placed runner to protect the start, but if you're not a cripple you could probably boulder it OK.). Pete Steane, Sep/95.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="17" length="15m" name="Kelpie"
stars=" * ">The nice crack just right of The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner. Finishes on the same sloping ledge as that climb. Doug Fife, Sep/95.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="18" length="20m" name="Unnamed"
stars=" * ">The crack and flake just left of Thank Christ for Bass Strait. Finish easily up the left facing corner. Doug Fife, Sep/95.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="18" length="20m"
name="Thank Christ for Bass Strait">The highest line on the wall. Jamming and layaways with a wide but easy finish. Pete Steane, Jun/95.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="19" length="20m"
name="Windscape">The line immediately right of Thank Christ for Bass Strait. Flared jamming to start. At the top, step left into Thank Christ for Bass Strait. Direct finish looks quite feasible. Bob McMahon, Jun/95.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="18" length="18m"
name="Blythe Star">A deep crack to start (better to use the face holds) followed by a step out left to climb the neat flake (fun). Loose finish. Pete Steane, Sep/95.</climb><text
class="text">A short distance right there is a small barnacle filled gutter below an easy looking corner. The gutter forms a break between the higher cliffs of the Main Wall on the left, and the smaller wall on the right.</text><climb
extra="" grade="17" length="10m" name="Sunny Gym"
stars=" * ">Nice jamming up the line just right of the easy looking corner. A fun move over the bulge near the top. Crack may be wet after rain. Pete Steane, Jun/95.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="16" length="10m" name="Exit Route"
stars=" * ">The next crack right. Corner through a roof. Pleasant.</climb><text
class="heading2" new="false"
number="null.">The Safe House</text><text class="Editor"
new="false" number="null.">by Evan Peacock</text><text
class="text" new="false"
number="null.">Situated in a small inlet about 0.5 km from the end of Cape Hauy, are some superb dolerite sea crags discovered in March 1989 after a huge swell aborted a Candlestick attempt.</text><text
class="text">To get there leave the Cape Hauy track (as marked on the map) and walk along the ridge line to the coast (downhill from the ridge the scrub is horrendous!). As you get to the coast you have to bash through some pretty thick stuff for maybe 100m 'til you arrive at the crag. (Editor's note: a boat sounds like a good alternative. Has anyone got one?).</text><text
class="text"
new="false">Routes are from L to R. The hard looking arête making a good point of reference.</text><climb
extra="" grade="21" length="12m" name="Plastic Machete"
new="false" number=""
stars="">The face/seam left of the arête, bombproof wire protection and very nice climbing. Evan Peacock, Mar/89.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="18" length="12m" name="Riff Raff and Rug Rats"
new="false" number=""
stars="">R and around the arête is a nice looking corner. Evan Peacock, Mar/89.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="20" length="12m"
name="Flock of Dolphins">The next route to the right, excellent face/finger crack climbing. Evan Peacock, Mar/89.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="19" length="12m"
name="Seal of Approval">Next line to the right. Steve Ford, Mar/89.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="19" length="12m"
name="Morning Swim">R and around the corner from SOA is a small roof, climb this. Steve Ford, Feb/90.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="21" length="15m"
name="Pissin' in the Wind">Starts in the corner immediately right of MS. Some lay-away moves bring you some bridging then the top. Evan Peacock, Feb/90.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="15" length="15m"
name="Don't Drink Yellow Sea Spray">Starts in the wide crack about 5m R of PIW. Evan Peacock, Feb/90.</climb><climb
extra="" grade="15" length="15m"
name="Dunkirk">A bit further R is a corner, its looks very nice and, dare I say it, is rather obvious. Its bristling with runners and an excellent route. Evan Peacock, Mar/89.</climb><text
class="text">There are still quite a few routes to do here still, not to mention along the rest of the coastline. (Editor's note: there's probably quite a bit of track cutting and marking still to do as well!).</text><text
class="heading2" new="false">The Monument</text><text
class="text"
new="false">The large seastack just off to the south of Cape Huay and visible from the track was climbed in 1970 by a Climbers Club of Tasmania group. Access was an epic and involved abseiling down the cliffs and and swimming a line across after the inflatable boat sank. </text><climb
extra="" grade="10" length="26m" name="The CCT Route"
new="false" number="" stars="">The route starts from a prominent ledge on the NE corner of the stack and climbs via a prominent chimney in the corner. Descent by abseil and swim back. M. Tilema, M. Emery, Col Hocking and R. Lassman. Easter 1970.
</climb></guide>
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