Hey Tas climbing folk - hope you're all doing well. Not quite sure how to get this directly onto the new route page as my Forum link doesn't work, so here it is. These are a few note worthy routes done whilst in Tas. I've finally managed to work out how to edit and have added these to the guide pages, but do not know how to update the photo/topos etc (see Tetragrammaton photo topo).


Tetragrammaton Buttress - Freycinet

Fodiator   43m  27    ***      (Andrew [Squib] Cubbon & Lizzy Oh, July 2017)

An excellent route. Quality climbing on impeccable rock, in one of the most exposed positions at Freycinet.

Start as for ‘Exocet’:

  1. 18m   18 - Climb up No More Mr Nice Guy to the left traverse line, but instead continue up and then build a gear belay at a comfortable stance in the corner.
  2. 25m   27 – Continue up the steep arête of Exocet until it reaches the roof. Instead of traversing right, place some bomber gear and blast straight up just right of the arête.

After some tricky moves, the difficulty eases and is protected by good RPs and wires. Move left and up the arête.

 

All gear was placed on lead after top rope/self-belay rehearsals (full rack from RPs & small cams to no. 3 Camelot). An old carrot bolt was removed prior to the ascent to provide a pure trad route on the second pitch. For a more pumpy excursion, but with bolts, climb Garry’s excellent route ‘Down Under’ (25), as an alternative first pitch.

 

 

 

Lego Buttress – Freycinet

 

Let Loose the Kraken   40m   23?   **         (Andrew [Squib] Cubbon & Toby ??????? Feb 2018)

 

A fantastic line of two varied, but equally difficult pitches (if you like that sort of thing!).

 

Start 10m right of ‘Lego’, in the obvious corner with left to right rising crack, capped by a large roof.

 

  1. 18m   23 – Climb the finger crack in the corner up to the 3m roof. Plug some gear and monkey around to the ledge on the left. Catch your breath and continue up the crack on the right to large ledge. Traverse left to belay on the spacious ledge below the ominous crack above.
  2. 22m   23 – Up the striking crack, which starts as hands and finishes as a squeeze chimney. A great fight!

All gear was placed on lead. Top pitch was rehearsed on top rope/self-belay. Gear required: from small cams to no.6 (thanks Andrew Geeves) and big bros (thanks Andrew Martin). More big stuff would have been good, but sane enough with 1 x no.6 and 2 x big bros.

(Climbing on the top pitch felt like grade 27 to me, but people who can actually climb off-width’s, like Toby, reckon more like 23! 2nd ascensionist can confirm grade….)

 

 

Hazards Main Wall

 

Full Sail Ahead   36m   22   *      (Andrew [Squib] Cubbon & Isaac Lethborg, Oct 2017)

 

A good line with good climbing on nice rock, but the second half is very poorly protected and higher up falling does not become an option, hence the lack of another star. Could be top-roped from the ‘Full Sail’ anchors.

 

Start as for ‘Full Sail’:

 

  1. 36m    22 – Climb the straight line of ‘Full Sail’ without moving left at any point. Difficult moves over the bulge with poor pro leads to a delicate, un-protectable corner. Tip toe your way up this with increasing trepidation until your first gear just below the anchors.

Ascent was done ground up, placing what little gear there was on lead. Slightly terrifying!

 

 

Carp Bay Point Pinnacle

Three routes were climbed on the obvious ‘pinnacle’ – a large boulder capped with another boulder on the ridge running down to Carp Bay Point, clearly visible from Sleepy Bay. A bit of a novelty and the summit was reached via the tree!

 

Amber Gambler   13m   24                   (Andrew [Squib] Cubbon, Dean Rollins, Lizzy Oh 2016?)

A fairly serious slabby pitch with delicate thin climbing up the obvious blunt arête. The only gear is found at around 7m (bomber cams up to no.2). Crux is above this, but below is probably 22ish.

Gear was placed on lead, after top rope rehersal.

 

Deano’s Red Line   10m  16        Up wide crack a few meters right of arete        (Dean Rollins, Lizzy Oh & Squib 2016?)

Lizzie’s Green a go go    12m  15       Up crack just right of arete. At horizontal, traverse left and off     (Lizzy Oh, Dean Rollins & Squib 2016?)

 

 

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22 Comments

  1. Jon Nermut

    Thanks. I renamed this to be the 2019 new routes thread given it was the first one for the year.

    Here are about 8 more, at a new area at sand river: North Ridge

    And Mike Hitchcock has done the low traverse at Sphinx's Nose - Hushed By An Angel, giving it V6/7

    1. Mike Hitchcock

      Ha, thanks Jon (smile) Refers to a myth surrounding the philtrum (small depression under the nose). Happy crimping!

       

       

  2. Dennis Kearnes

    New route, Crystal Palace go up the gully left of Crystal Laces, climb up the left wall in the chimney then up through the roof and onto a ramp then up the headwall to the top. Trad gear to about half height. Two bolt brackets and top anchors.

    Pensioners Road 17 Dennis Kearnes Peter Webb  08/01/2019

  3. Dennis Kearnes

    New route Crystal Palace. Go up the gully left of Crystal Laces. Climb up the blocky face to an overhang, clip the bolts and pull through the roof (crux)  onto a slabby finish. Natural gear, 4 fixed hangers and 2 bolt belays on top.

    Ready or Knot 21  Michael Fox, Dennis Kearnes, Peter Webb. 02/02/2019

     

     

  4. Alex Hartshorne

    Just did a new route on the Columns. Originally found by Deano a few years ago. New hardest pure trad route on the mountain!

     

    Duckling       30m      27 R      **

    The line just left of Killer Canary. Up corner crack via. stems and laybacks to a flared crack on the face. Awesome but runout climbing past fiddly gear leads to a short flared crack before joining Killer Canary after it's traverse.

    Small offset Aliens pretty much essential to protect adequately.

    You can start from the grassy ledge at wide 16ish but it's not that great, a small ledge about 12m up is comfy and avoids it. Not sure on grade, I'll wait until someone else does it!

    FFA. Alex Hartshorne - Feb 19

  5. Alex Hartshorne

    1. Jon Nermut

      cool, nice one. 

      could you draw it over the top of the existing "Hakea Area" topo for me so I can put it in? And is the line of Killer Canary correct on that?

      What's peoples opinions on adding the R / X modifiers to routes? We don't really have them anywhere in the existing guides

  6. Alex Hartshorne

    Hey Jon!

     

    Yeah, it's actually quite a good one. Refreshingly independant until it joins Killer Canary.

    I like the R & X ratings. It at a glance informs of the routes approximate severity. It's always nice to have a detailed description but what if any future climbers don't want so much beta? I don't really mind!

     

    With Killer Canary I'm a little unsure as I've only done it once with Deano. I guess Mr Parsons did it as described but I skipped the first 15m by starting on the big ledge, then climbed to the top. I see no reason to stop before the traverse as it would complicate gear, drag, downclimbing etc. 

     

    1. Jon Nermut

      Thanks, done

  7. Claudio Trefny

    Tyndall Range:
    I've done some formatting so that the pitches display correctly, rather than being all jumbled into one paragraph, hopefully it's easier to read the route descriptions now.

    I'm told Rain Dancer has rusty bolts, and that Deeper Water has good bolts. Does anyone have more information on the condition of bolts on any of the climbs? 

    1. Jon Nermut

      Thanks Claudio, I've been meaning to go through all the multipitch guides and fix all that - the lines breaks got taken out in an upgrade to the server at some point. 

  8. Claudio Trefny

    Cheers Jon, thanks to you for the recent changes to IPhone app search functions etc. . Its been awesome at the factory while out of mobile range.

  9. garry phillips

    Hey Claudio.  The bolts by memory on Rain Dancer are galvanised the hangers are st st.   When we did a repeat they were not in the best shape (6 years ago).  

  10. Jon Nermut

    Several new routes on the Pipes were done around the unfashionable shady end of Central Buttress during this year's hot summer, see that page for topos:

     ----

    The next two routes start off an awkward ledge up to the right of Shrapnel. To approach, follow the track past Shrapnel and down and around for 10-15m or so until it leads you to a steep gully. Scramble up this to the ledge.

    ★ 19. Phil's Crack 15m 18
    The crack on the northern side of the Shrapnel pillar. Pleasant crack climbing, steepening at the top. Follow the line all the way to a small ledge one metre above the Shrapnel anchors. Abseil off.
    Phil Robinson, C(B) Rathbone, Feb 2019.

    ★ 20. Empty, Unfilled, Bare 20m 24 10Þ
    Takes the next pillar/buttress right of Shrapnel. A steep start leads to a rest before a fridge hugging crux.
    Dave Humphries, Jon Nermut, Feb 2019.

    ★★ 22. Bloodsport 20m 22
    Takes the featured wall to the right of the second pitch of Whose Route. Approach up the steep gully leading to Phil's Crack, then head right into the Whose Route gully, and up to the base of the wall. Climb the steep featured wall, with gear in the crack on the left hand side. The crux is gaining the thin crack on the right side of the face and placing the first small cam in it - this will probably feel pretty bold onsight. Small cams and double ropes are essential. DBB above the face.
    Dave Humphries, Feb 2019 (with pre placed gear).

    Death Rattle Area
    The following climbs are at ground level, above the track that links Great Tier to the main part of Central Buttress. From the Organ Pipes track head up the Great Tier track for a few metres, then take the right turn. After a small distance at a widening in the track look out for a large overhang about 30m up.

    ★ 23. The Straight and Narrow 33m 19
    The middle rib and face under the large overhang, left of Death Rattle. The climb starts 5m from the track at the base of the buttress below and left of two jammed blocks. Follow the centre of the steep rib to ledges at half height and climb directly up the wall above to an awkward V-corner below the overhang. The crux is the wall above the ledge and horizontals with spaced pro. Keep out of cracks to the right. Move left above the V-corner to a DBB.
    K. Robinson, P.Robinson, Feb 2019.

    24. Mindset 34m 18
    The wall right of ‘The Straight and Narrow’ and right of the off-width chimney. Start as for TSAN below two jammed blocks. Climb over the blocks and up an easy mossy gully for 10m trending right to a ledge at the foot of a clean buttress. Start in the finger crack on the right and move into the centre of the face after a few metres climbing in the middle to a ledge at 14m. The thin crack on the right can also be climbed at an easier grade and with good protection. The centre is run out. From the ledge move diagonally left under the overhang joining TSAN below the V corner.
    K.Robinson, P. Robinson, Feb 2019.

     

  11. Alex Hartshorne

    New route on the Candlestick!

    ★★ Livin In Lutana 50m 23

    The BIG obvious crack line just left of the North West route. We did it in two pitches but it could be done in one.

    1. 23 Climb the NW route or a couple of metres then traverse left via a tricky move and small gear. Head directly up to slopey ledge via. finger crack and some death flakes (couldn't pull them off).
    2. 20 Continue straight up, unprotectable squeeze chimney.
    3. Continue up NW route.

    All sizes from blue alien to #6.

    Alex Hartshorne & John Fisher 2019

  12. Jon Nermut

    New one on the Pipes by Dave Stephenson:

    ★★ 34. Five Easy Pieces 15m 22 6Þ
    Ascends the black and white streaked red wall capped by overhangs on the small buttress left of the Linda chimney. Belay at the far left end of Battle Cruiser ledge, below the start of Starship Trooper. Step left across the Linda chimney and climb the steep face through the blind corner and overhang, finishing at a DBB on the small ledge above.
    D. Stephenson, N. Smith, April 2019.

     

    and at Kempton Quoin by Dave Humphries:

    ★★ 52. Persistence is Futile 15m 23 9Þ
    3m right of the big tree and arete is a series of flakes and pinches. Climb past a shallow corner trending to the arete and horizontal rail. Follow the rail to the anchors. Great climbing on side pulls and pinches.
    Dave Humphries, Jon Nermut, Apr 2019

  13. Alex Hartshorne

    This is a funny one!

    I bolted and climbed an awesome shallow corner to the right of Grand Adjudicator and the obvious choss ramp at the factory. If you climb this to lower off the last bolt in the corner (with ring) it makes for a really cool 27 via some technical moves a bit uncharacteristic of the factory. A #2 camalot can be used before the first bolt but is not essential.

    Unfortunately exiting onto the slab and finishing up Balance of evil is guarded by a pretty heinous conditions dependant boulder problem of around V8/V9 and is still a closed project. I was originally only thinking of climbing the corner but the exit moves are definitely possible.

    I'm writing it up 'as is' because the only other sport climb actually around this grade at the factory is Street Fighter so this is a welcome addition I think.

     

    ★★   Tekken   25m   27   7Þ

    A. Hartshorne March 2019



  14. A

    New route at The Crystal Palace.  August 2019.  Tailwind, grade 22-24? Climb up the bulges to crux at 3rd bolt.  Keep on the central line after crux, avoiding the easy left arete  holds for full value.  Climb out over the top to fixed anchors.  6 fixed hangers.  FA. Andrew Hay (Jacob Dean, Hannah Mulligan).23/08/19

    1. Danger Darren

      Just another one to keep Bob rolling in his grave....

  15. Alex Hartshorne

    New routes at Firewall, Sand RIver!

    Please excuse the terrible image, I'll fix it at some point.

     

    Fawks 28 ★★ (#16)

    Adam Bogus's old line. Up hanging corner then traverse right and pull the roof. Chill on the ledge and pull a funky boulder to the chains. Probably 26/27 to the ledge. Sep 2019 First Ascent: Alex Hartshorne


    Fawks Direct 28 ★★★ (#17)

    Up Fawks to break but instead of busting the weird boulder, move right into Firestorm (Garry Phillips) and pull some big moves up the hanging arete. One of the best routes at Sand River. Route history. Sep 2019 First Ascent: Alex Hartshorne


  16. Jon Nermut

    There are ~20 odd new problems, and more to do, at two new sandstone bouldering areas near Mt Hobbs: Wood Hookers bouldering and Ironstone Boulders, courtesy of Dave Humphries, Jon Nermut, Mike Hitchcock, and Joe and Raul Schwarz.

  17. Jeroen Jansen

    North Esk/Reculer Buttress: ★ Southern Stratospheric Warming Event 14m 17  (Jeroen Jansen, Shelly Napier 5/12/2019)

    Climb the offwidth facing the river with big gear, trend left after, over some musical flakes with small gear and nice face-climbing, mantle into the dihedral to climb to the DBB of OBCB